The world is getting fatter! In this episode, we dive deep into fitness and nutrition with Adarsh Gopalakrishnan, founder of Move101 in Chennai. Move101 is a unique strength and conditioning gym tailored for regular folks with little to no training background, and it also offers online coaching.

Adarsh’s journey into fitness began in an unexpected way: he started working out to impress a girl who liked the biceps of a popular MTV VJ. He had no biceps and he wanted biceps and he started lifting weight and he got biceps! Thirteen years later, he’s trained hundreds of clients both in-person and online.

Here’s what you can expect in this episode:

• Adarsh’s Journey: Being an unconventional, anti-institutional kid who dropped out of school.
• Right Place, Right Time: Catching the CrossFit wave in 2008–2010 and building a unique, community-driven gym.
• Word-of-Mouth Success: Why Adarsh spends zero on Google or Facebook ads and still has an 80% client retention rate—higher than most big box gyms.
• The Protein Problem in India: Why Indians often lack protein in their diets, the supply chain issues around whey protein, and what alternatives you can eat.
• Fitness in a Post-COVID World: How the pandemic actually boosted his business and his thoughts on the global obesity crisis.
• Social Media Pressure: The unrealistic expectations to look “jacked” and the common mistakes people make in strength training (like too much volume and variety, and poor goal setting).
• Adarsh shares insights on improving your communication skills 
• Training Myths & Realistic Goals: Why you don’t have to train like a beast,  loving single-leg squats, and why a six-pack is hard. But a  four-pack is good enough!
• The Problem with Corporate Wellness Programs: Why Adarsh isn’t a fan and his thoughts on the most effective exercises.
• Navigating Diet Fads and Fitness Trends: Adarsh’s advice on avoiding the hype around the latest diet crazes, fitness gadgets, and weight-loss drugs.
• The Indian Fitness Market Today: His views on why he’s not interested in scaling his business and how his philosophy on fitness has evolved over the years.

And for a fun finish: we talk about how to handle those family gatherings where well-meaning aunties offer Pepsi and jalebi when you’re trying to stay on track!

Links

https://www.move101.net/

Hosted And Produced by Neil Patel 

https://www.linkedin.com/today/author/neilpatel2

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Music by Punch Deck.

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kdduxAVaFnbHJyNxl7FWV