Inside Kareena Kapoor Khan and Amrita Arora Ladak’s buddy workout

Buddy workouts are always better than exercising solo. For one, you actually end up leaving the house and visiting the gym—if only to catch up while doing a lunge or two. But when Kareena Kapoor Khan and Amrita Arora come together, it’s more than just a plank—it’s hardcore cardio, kickboxing, and a whole lot of entertainment. The trainer who manages to get them kicking while balancing out the fun, Drew Neal, says, “the key for me as a coach is always about finding the balance between productivity and enjoyment. The friendship between Kareena and Amrita allows a fun workout to exist from beginning to end. Their energy and camaraderie make the fun part of my job very easy, I just have to ensure that they remain productive and keep them on track. I feel I play ‘good cop, bad cop’ in every session and change whenever it’s appropriate. Knowing when to feed the humour and when to push the productivity is what makes our sessions a success.” Ahead, Neal shares what it’s like to work out with the celebrity best friends.

From cardio to kickboxing

“Each session is goal-focused and planned with meticulous detail, but also varied to ensure it is enjoyable and sustainable. We will always hit two gym-based sessions with a focus on conditioning and cardio. The first session would be for the upper body, and the lower body would be hit in the second. The third and fourth sessions of the week are more functional. Session three would be a circuit training-styled session, lots of body weighted movements and functional exercises. The last session we always hit without fail is the kickboxing session. They have both told me that this is by far their favourite. Of course I am not training them to be fighters, but kickboxing has so many benefits that I am able to adapt the session to suit their exact requirements. I can see they both love releasing their built-up energy by hitting the focus pads as hard as they can. Most of the sessions we do are at the gym, iThink Fitness, but on occasion we even work out on Amrita’s terrace.”

How Kareena Kapoor Khan and Amrita Arora Ladak plan their workouts

“The number of sessions we hit each week depends heavily on their schedules—we have to account and plan for this to ensure their targets are being met. As a trainer I have to be flexible, but I can honestly say that I’m impressed with how much importance they give their training, and how they prioritise it. As for [other] friends I won’t allow it; I think Kareena and Amrita are more than enough for one trainer to handle!”

What their workout vibe is like

“Entertaining, yet focused. They both understand exactly what I expect from them in that session, and by walking through the gym door they have accepted that whatever I have planned for them; they will tackle it head on. I really respect how they face the challenges I set for them—they always give their all. They may joke and call me a taskmaster, but they never shy away from anything I ask them to do. They are both open to new things when it comes to exercise, and I think in the past they have pretty much tried it all. Although the introduction to kickboxing has been an eye opener for both of them—they love it and are clearly getting the benefits from it.”

What happens when they ask for a ‘break’

“Funny you should talk about breaks—they’re often a subject for banter [in our workouts]. [Both Kapoor Khan and Arora Ladak] think they should get longer breaks, but unfortunately for them my watch never lies. They have both threatened to accidentally hit me instead of the focus pad, but that hasn’t happened yet so I presume (and hope) they are joking. I think me playing the bad guy and Amrita and Kareena playing the victims in our sessions works well. They try and gang up on me, but they both know we all want the same thing at the end of the day.”

A good nutrition plan is key

“They both have structured nutrition plans that I have individually charted out for them. My plans are always a balancing act between being optimal for the goal, and actually being sustainable for the client. Unless there is a specific short term goal, I don’t like giving a nutrition plan that the client can’t follow for the rest of their life. So of course both [Kapoor Khan and Arora Ladak] have [foods] in their plans that I wouldn’t necessarily choose, however if that makes it easier for them to stick to their diets, I feel that is far more important. Neither of them like to eat too much before training, so a good carbohydrate source like a banana or oatmeal is often consumed before the workout. Post-workout, I like for the body to start the recovery process as soon as possible, so a protein shake is given to both of them.”

Working the treadmill

“Kareena is exceptionally strong on her upper body and Amrita is the exact opposite, she excels in squats, lunges and anything that incorporates the lower body. But what impresses me most is their running; they both look completely at home on a treadmill no matter how fast I push them, and their technique and cardiovascular fitness is flawless.”

The most fun part of training them together

“They’re just very sweet together, and hearing them talk about going out, holidaying and their families… it’s all just very natural and shows a true friendship. It’s even funnier for me when they are trying to talk to each other while trying to catch their breath in between sets.”

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