Rahul Rajput: From Struggles to Success – A Journey of Passion, Hard Work, and Bodybuilding Glory"

At 16 years old, when you are that age or are about to be, what do you think about? Education, girls, a girlfriend, right? Maximizing parental support for money.

You carry such responsibilities, besides money, for your partner and so many things that you might wonder how I can manage all this at this age, and then you leave home.

After leaving home, you take a stand in life, determined to show that you can achieve something. You make a name for yourself in bodybuilding, doing small jobs, driving auto-rickshaws, and eventually become one of India's top bodybuilders.

What a story, right!

It is very inspirational of Rahul Rajput, and you will receive a massive amount of inspiration and motivation from this story.

I would love to share all this, and it will inspire many others. Above all, I want to talk about Rahul Rajput, because if anyone in classic bodybuilding in India stands out in terms of muscle maturity, muscle quality, and muscle belly. It's a decade of hard work in fitness industry, bodybuilding is a sport that requires a lot of money and dedication.

I shared his story about how he left home at 16 and has achieved so much by the age of 28, having built a respectable family and a good life, an enlightened name in fitness industry.

The story begains from Rahul’s Point of view…

At that time, I was in 10th grade, and I have a girlfriend at that time, who is now my wife, and we have been married for 12 years now.

It was a bit of a school-time love, and you know how kids grow up during that time. I liked her, and she liked me. We got married when we were 16 years old.

It was the time of 10th class pre-board, me and my girlfriend ran away to my uncle's house, and my cousin brother called my father and informed him everything. Soon, my father came to my uncle's house and scolded and beat me up. He also called my girlfriend's family there. We both took stand for each other, and after our family all the discussions, and both families decided us to get married.

So, we got married in a small temple with minimal rituals. My big desire was to have a grand wedding, and we’ll organize a grand marriage of us together in 2 years.

A year later, we had our baby girl. I had just entered 11th grade when our baby arrived, right before transitioning to 12th grade.

Being a father at that young age was shocking, it’s something you cannot prepare for. You don't know what is right or wrong. It’s hard to explain unless someone else, like parents, guides you during that time, but it often feels like they are speaking nonsense.

I couldn’t do it all alone, perhaps it was in my fate that I got married so early. Today, at 28 years old, my daughter is about to turn 11 years old. I feel blessed as I have everything I want and need.

After getting married and having a kid, my responsibility increased. I had to cater to my parents, my wife, and my children while earning for four brothers and a sister. We all had to be fed, which put financial strain on us, and I felt a mounting pressure.

Coming from a middle-class family, my parents expected some financial support from my side. But I decided to continue my studies, I thought that if I gave that up on my studies, everything would collapse. At that time, I was 17 years old school boy.

My wife took our baby, telling me ‘Let’s see how things go’ when our daughter was nearly three months old, we left our home. My wife was also studying at that time and we both had the desire to pursue our studies and keep our little one safe, but my wife left her studies for the responsibilities.

I was putting in every effort to ensure that I wouldn’t miss out on anything for my family since my wife had left her home for me. We rented a small room in Dabri at a rate of just 900 rupees, and back then, we didn’t even have much money.

I decided to work, and a friend told me to pick up a rented auto-rickshaw because his father gives auto-rickshaw at rent. So, I took an auto-rickshaw from him and started driving, every day I returned 30 rupees from what I earned. I drove auto-rickshaw for about three hours, and I continued this for two whole years.

During this time, I cleared my 12th grade, then began my graduation studies. I was balancing both duties—working while studying and being there for my wife and my baby. I made clear intentions that I wouldn’t let go of my education.

Eventually, a cash van driver approached me for a job at that bank where he works in, and I agreed with this offer. When I told my wife about this, she got excited about the opportunity to work in an office environment. Some days later, I got called for interview from the bank. After a few days, I was interviewed and got selected for the job, but I don’t want to work there, because I earn 500 rupees per day by driving auto rickshaw, and I got 7000 rupees salary there which was very less, I earn more than that job while driving auto-rickshaw. My wife motivated me to do that job, because she wants that her husband to wear coat and do a good & reputed job, and I agreed to do that job.

Also, I had a great passion for the gym. I became quite skinny during these consistent struggles—I wasn’t able to find time to do workout at gym, because I need to carry out all the responsibilities of my wife and my baby. But my wife motivated me to do gym, she supported me in my passion, on Sunday she make chicken for me to fulfill my diet.

In 2010, I joined gym and start doing workout, and I’ve been doing it ever since. I started with a salary of just 7,000 rupees, and today, and thanks to God, Now I have my own business and have good clients and everything I need.

Initially, my gym was a smaller facility, where the fees were just 150 rupees. I had to struggle to gather money, and I bought Endura mass gainer prices between 180-200 rupees, and it was costly for me, because I need to run my home, and save money for my wife and my child’s future, I use to say ‘It was very expensive, how will we manage our expenses’ to my wife, and she said ‘focus on your passion we will manage everything’.

My wife used to follow Guruji (Mr. Mukesh Gahlot) on Facebook, who was Mr. Olympia in powerlifting, and he is also a professional bodybuilder, and I was keep an on bodybuilding competitions. A Mr. Delhi competition happened at that time, and I went to see it. I also want to compete in such bodybuilding competitions.

When I am telling my story, that brought back memories of my growth in bodybuilding, as I saw the many athletes competing on stage, it was a moment that motivated me to pursue my goal further.

Eventually, we moved and rented another place in Mohan Garden. There was a slight medical problem with my mother-in-law she was very ill, so since they live in Mohan Garden, my wife suggested that we stay here with mom to take care of her, and we’ll rent a house near them. I said fine, let’s do it. So, we rented a house near them, and we take care of mom.

After that, I went to meet Guru ji.

After reaching there, I couldn't meet Guru ji, because he was out of town. Then I spoke to Sunil Guru ji, who was trainer there. I asked him, and he told me Guruji was out of station and would return in a few days.

After sometimes, Finally I met with guru ji and I told him about my financial condition that I doesn’t have that much money, but I want to compete on stage, and, I managed to save some money, around 70-80 thousand rupees from where, I can manage the expenses for competition, and at that time guru ji told me that, Bodybuilding is an expensive game we need to do expense on our body, just push your limits, work hard and you will get everything you deserve. In past I only focus on training my arms and upper body at the gym, I had no idea what training legs was, what positions or bent rows exercise were, and what a deadlift was, I didn't know anything.

So, I said I would manage everything, since I had the capability. Then I paid the fees, and Guru ji trained me from the next day. Next day, I went home and told my wife that I wasn't going back, the training was very intense. She said, "How will we move forward if you give up like this? Just try for a few days, you'll get used to it. After two days, I took a gap because I didn’t have the courage, I was also scared.

I went to Guruji's gym about 10-15 days later and do my training under his guidance, and suddenly, six months later, I was a champion and a gold medallist. Six months later, NABBA held a contest for Mr. Delhi, where I also won gold.

The struggle I went through is something nobody has heard of, considering the ordeal. Driving an auto, doing a job, saving money, and went to Guruji. I also worked as a waiter at a cafe at night and worked as a labour, like unrack the gunny sack from truck and load it into the warehouse at night.

There were times when I ran out of my protein supply, and I knew it would run out in ten days, but somehow, I always managed to arrange money for protein—it never stopped. The flow was uninterrupted, whatever I needed came through.

If you have good intentions, money should never be a hindrance. The most important thing is to have a sincere heart and a firm goal. You should think that whatever I’m doing, God helps those who put in the effort.

The peoples got to know me, and I started training others also. And after a good savings, I thought I would have my own house within 1-2 years. Previously, a boy earning seven thousand rupees is now in a position where he needs a proper physique. I didn’t want money, I was earning just for my body. Even my wife said, ‘If I earn just seven thousand, let’s see how far we can go.’

Many people send questions saying, "Rahul, I have no money, I lack intent." It's not about money; it’s about hard work. I was working as a trainer, day and night.

There is another thing to mention, initially, I used to pray a lot to God when I had nothing. I would light a diya in evening and worshiping at the Shani temple and I also offers water to suryadev in early morning. So, after my morning prayers, I would just go directly to the gym, Now I had all the conveniences available to me now, I eat, sleep and then go back to my training, and one thing I learned that never forget who support you in your hard time, I supposed to worship to daily, and god supported me in my hard time, but now I have everything and I forgot god.

It makes me feel that God is always with us. God gave me everything , a good family, home, career and everything.

So, never hurt anyone’s feelings or tell anyone wrongly. Earning money is good, but cheating others is not. I have become so inspired by Rahul and people’s questions.

When I was struggling, when people didn't know what to do in life while people, where at the other hand we are managing our family, our home, and driving autos, and then going to the job.

One a time, I also gave up at one point, but my wife motivated me, she is my backbone. At that time when I would give her hundred rupees for the week's expenses, she would save ninety rupees and give it back to me. She always supported me greatly in bodybuilding.

If I'm here today, it’s entirely because of her hard work, she deserves all the credit. She supported me in my hardest time, she managed and sacrificed many things for me and my family.

After that, I resigned my job and got a trainer's job, which had a decent salary. My salary went up to 20,000 rupees.

You have to take some risks. You have to take the first step, God is with you. Don't think that if I take a step, I will fall down. Take risks, take the first step!

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Don’t think, "No, I can’t do it." With strong willpower, anything in life is possible. I never imagined that Rahul’s story could inspire so many, highlighting man’s struggles, which aren’t with others but within oneself.

The day you give up in life, that’s when you really lose. Here, we can battle our own selves, but when responsibility hits, you also have to manage that.

You need to pursue your passion, which is bodybuilding. Many may have given up their passions for their families to provide for their children.

Never give up on anything, for where there’s a will, there’s a way.

God is with you always; never give up in life. Those who have faith in themselves become business owners, while those lacking that faith earn just jobs.

This shows that one's thinking drives them. Once you discover what's holding you back from achieving, whether through a job or anything else in life, you can achieve success.

Bodybuilding requires lots of sacrifices. Hats off to Rahul and he showed us the plenty of dedication and hard work.

Credit - Tarun Gill

Watch full interview - (4) Auto Chalata tha, Feat Rahul Fitness | only on Tarun Gill Talks - YouTube