Jinder Mahal started to wrestle in 2002 and thanks to an open WWE tryout, he was signed to a developmental deal with the company solely based off his tall look, something the WWE loves in their heels. His first run was pretty glum, as Mahal was a lower tier attraction and didn’t stand out one bit. He was released by the company in 2014 and that turned out to be the best possible outcome at the time due to his complacency and lack of drive.

In this article, we highlight the trials and tribulations of Jinder’s physique since that WWE release. We’ll take a look at the darker times which consisted of Jinder turning to alcohol. However, for the most part, we’ll discuss his remarkable transformation and the secrets that caused Mahal to completely revamp his physique. From his current diet plan to workout routines to even supplement choices (such as his love for pre-workouts), we’ll discuss everything that has helped Jinder turn his life and body around.

Enjoy the article and like always, be sure to share it with a friend. Without further ado, here are 16 secrets you never knew about Jinder Mahal’s physique. We begin with struggles in maintaining his shape following the WWE release.

16 16. His Physique Fell Apart Following WWE Release

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He looks absolutely shredded at the age of 31, however, things weren’t the same for Mahal’s physique just a couple of years ago. He hit rockbottom in 2014 in more ways than one. Not only was he was released by the WWE but he also stopped caring about himself as well. During his time off, Mahal turned to alcohol and junk food – gone were the days of following a structured diet.

Jinder recalls infusing his body with countless beers a night along with various snack foods and hardly any protein.

He was on the indie scene during that time and a WWE return was nowhere in sight. Then, Mahal had a “come to Jesus” type moment and everything changed. He called his nutrition company and got back on track and shockingly, just months later the WWE once again came calling.

15 15. Meal Preps Got Him Back On Track

When asked what was the biggest factor in restoring his physique and putting his troublesome days behind, Mahal responded with a simple yet effective answer: his diet was crucial in getting back on track – most notably, meal preps were instrumental in getting Mahal’s physique back to where it had to be. After making a call to his meal prep company, Jinder never looked back and is still involved with the same company to this day.

After just two months of following a structured diet, the WWE would come calling in the summer of 2016. The company didn’t want to touch Jinder after his release, though coincidentally, as soon as he got back into shape, there they were. We can all agree his WWE return has had a monumental effect on the company as a former WWE Champion, something most fans and Jinder included would have laughed at years prior.

14 14. Uses Conventional Bodybuilding Style Of Training

It’s interesting to see the different training styles used by various WWE Superstars. The likes of Seth Rollins and Bayley (the new school wrestlers) are all about the CrossFit style of training - while older Superstars like Triple H have revamped their training routines into a functional style of training. One can say Jinder’s style of training is a throwback to Hunter’s old training routines, Triple H was all about the bodybuilding style and that’s exactly what Mahal uses nowadays. He’s not alone, various Superstars adopt a conventional bodybuilding routine, Elias is another name that comes to mind.

Basically, classical bodybuilding is mostly about the look and less about one’s performance. Similar to Hunter, one would assume Mahal is eventually going to change his style if he wants to have longevity inside of the ring. Among Mahal’s favorite fitness movements is the pull up exercise, a movement he loves to hit some serious reps on.

13 13. Does Fasted Cardio 6 Times A Week

When it comes to fitness, most dudes love the aspect of lifting heavy weights and working up a sweat. However, the less glamorous part of fitness includes the often hated cardio routines. Let’s face it, doing cardio is extremely boring and not as entertaining as setting a PR (personal record) on the bench press. The sad truth is if you want to get shredded and see veins pop out similar to Mahal, you have got to hit the cardio machines on the regular.

Mahal does so with no nutrients in his system performing a fasted cardio routine every morning six times a week.

His morning routine consists of 25 minutes on the elliptical, Jinder claims this piece of cardio equipment is best for him due to the fact that it’s the easiest on his joints. However, he does use other machines as well depending on what the hotel gym provides.

12 12. Stretching Before Workouts

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Although Mahal doesn’t perform functional workouts, he is well aware that stretching is very important, thus her performs a stretch for 30 minutes prior to his workout.

Jinder’s usual routine includes waking up, hitting fasted cardio, eating oats and protein and then an hour later, performing his workout which includes 30 minutes of stretching followed by an hour of weight lifting.

As we stated earlier in the article, Jinder has sensitive joints which makes the stretching aspect all the more important. When you have such a lean physique and take a beating in the ring, you’re joints are bound to struggle, thus making the stretching aspect that much more important. We wouldn’t be too shocked if similar to Triple H, Mahal completely changes his training routine putting an emphasis on performance rather than his look sooner rather than later.

11 11. Eats Every Two Hours

Everyone has their own approach to a diet, some like to pack in fewer meals due to time constrains, however, eating more meals is normally the way to go. Why? Well, when you eat more frequently, and smaller portions, you’re body tends to store less fat as the metabolic rate is constantly on the upswing. Mahal uses this tactic for his nutrition eating various meals per day. Jinder eats every two hours with the macro numbers on his meals staying fairly consistent throughout his meals.

Mahal’s meals consists of 350 to 400 calories, each including 30 grams of protein along with 40 grams of carbohydrates.

He keeps the fats low in each meal, having high amounts of fats and carbs is a big no-no as it can spike ones insulin levels leading to an increase in fat storage.

10 10. Doesn’t Drink Alcohol Anymore

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As we discussed earlier in the article, Jinder struggled with the reality of his life following the WWE release. Mahal was in a dark place infusing is body with beer and various other alcohols on the regular. Now, not only did he recover from that dark time setting up a proper meal routine and gym schedule but most importantly of all, he gave up drinking altogether.

In an interview with GQ Magazine, Mahal proudly admitted that his days of drinking are now done with.

Mahal admitted he hated the feeling and just recalling those days is enough to keep him going alcohol free. Mahal even admitted he doesn’t even feel tempted to have a drink given how great he feels both outside physically and on the inside with a mind that’s a lot clearer than ever before.

9 9. Drinks Two Gallons Of Water A Day

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Like most fitness freaks, Mahal has a huge water intake consuming two gallons per days. In fact, by the time his workout is complete, he’s already consumed one gallon and keeps the second gallon for the day. Along with drinking regular water, Mahal also adds a BCAA supplement to his h20, adding flavoring and using the BCAAs during a workout is very beneficial especially for his energy levels.

Mahal also discussed the importance of drinking water claiming 90% of the population is actually dehydrated. Jinder stated that he’s seen numerous examples of overweight people simply drinking more and shedding ten pounds in just a couple of weeks. A lack of water leads to your system internally slowing down, leading to lesser calories being burned. Have a water bottle with you at all times folks!

8 8. Meals Generally Consist Of The Same Foods

This is one of the biggest reasons why so many aspiring trainees stop working out. It can get so monotonous eating the same meals over and over again, though sadly, consistency is huge when it comes to a diet plan and that means eating same stuff over and over again. Although it sounds harsh, you’ve got to grind through a healthy routine for at least a year till you start seeing noteworthy results, after all, Rome wasn’t built in a day as they say.

Mahal can attest to that as he keeps things simple and basic while consuming his meals. Jinder eats the same foods on the regular which generally consist of two proteins, either chicken or turkey. In terms of his carb choices, he also keeps things simple either reverting to rice, pasta or sweet potatoes.

7 7. Takes Various Supplements

Although Mahal does not take banned substances, he has instead acknowledged the fact that he uses legal supplements and lots of them on a regular basis. Of course, he’s always got protein powder on him, which ensures he gets the adequate amount of protein per day. As we stated earlier, he also used Branched Amino Acids, particularly before his workouts which is intended to revitalize his energy.

In addition to those supplements, Mahal also uses creatine, which adds water to his muscles and helps to keep him full looking.

Multi-vitamin is also used along with a magnesium supplement which aids in preventing cramping, something that can happen when one is dehydrated or suffers from soreness – in this case, we have reason to believe Mahal might be suffering from both, hence the magnesium supplement.

6 6. Interesting Pre-Workout Philosophy

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For all the gym rats reading this entry, you’re likely salivating at the fact that Jinder Mahal not only takes pre-workouts but he drinks them religiously. So much so that he changes brands constantly. For those of you that don’t know, pre-workouts are an absolute must for gym goers, it’s basically an energy boost before entering the gym. Fitness centers and supplement stores sell pre-workout formulas like hot cakes.

According to Mahal, his body develops a tolerance to using the same pre-workout, thus leading to a lesser pump during a fitness session. In order get around that, Mahal has stated that he loves to keep his body guessing by switching pre-workout brands on the regular, usually monthly. So if your pre-workout supplement isn’t cutting it any longer, it’s probably because you’ve formed a tolerance towards it.

5 5. How He Manages To Eat On The Road

Maintaining a physique is a lot easier said than done for a WWE Superstar. Travelling on the regular and with such a hectic schedule, one can imagine how hard it must be to maintain a proper diet and training routine. Wisely, Mahal preps before his lengthy travel schedules.

Jinder’s meals are all pre-prepped while on the road. Jinder stated that half of his suit case is reserved for meals and supplements.

In a big bag with an ice pack are his nine meals for the day, at the very least they’re already prepped and ready to be consumed. Mahal has also stated that he eats out if need be on the rare occurrences, his choice is Chipotle, the former WWE Champion claims you can eat clean at the restaurant chain, though it’s important you stay away from the added sauces.

4 4. Times His Carbohydrate Intake

What’s interesting about WWE Superstars is that fact that not only do they follow different workout plans but they also diversify in terms of dieting options. Take Triple H for example, The Game reduces his carb intake to a minimum while upping his fats and increasing his protein. Jinder Mahal on the other hand uses a different kind of diet relying on carbohydrates for energy while keeping his fats very low.

However, Mahal does manipulate his carb intake. He eats simple sugars in the morning such as flavored oatmeal, while reverting to complex carbs later on in the night such as white rice. The carb manipulation facilities the digestion and absorption of the carbs, especially at night, the last thing you want to eat is a sugary carb which can stick to your digestive system leading to increased fat.

3 3. Cheat Meals

The reality of the human body is that even a dirty cheat meal can play a positive part in a trainee’s system. Eating the same calories and same foods over and over again for an extended amount of time can cause the system to crash as it needs dirty fats. That’s when a cheat meal comes into play and can serve a positive effect, hell even Triple H uses the tactic infusing carbs to fill out before his WrestleMania event.

Surprisingly, Jinder isn’t one of those guys. Even following his WWE Title victory, Mahal kept things clean eating brown rice and tuna on the night. He isn’t a fan of cheat meals, however, he will eat a healthy cheat like a protein pizza, simply for his taste buds more than anything else. Mahal doesn’t feel the need to use a cheat as he feels satisfied with the amount of calories he consumes on a daily basis.

2 2. Workout Routines

As we stated earlier in this piece, Mahal has adopted a bodybuilding mindset inside of the gym. When you’re training for the look, the most important component is about getting the blood flowing, meaning it’s all about proper form and repetitions. Mind and muscle connection is essential, forget about tossing around big weights for one rep similar to a style used by the "Cross Fit Jesus" Seth Rollins.

Instead, Mahal’s all about proper form and bodybuilding movements such as dumbbell chest presses and bicep curls, he works to improve his physique more than anything else and that’s pretty evident given his nasty shredded shape. However, as we stated earlier, mobility tends to decrease the more you adopt such a training style, if Mahal is to wrestle till his 40s, he’ll be forced to adopt a new functional and mobility regiment.

1 1. The Truth Behind His Veins

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Fans love to knock on Mahal’s physique given his extreme levels of vascularity, leading many to believe his body isn’t natural. Hell, you can’t blame the common fan, if you’ve watched Mahal live the guy is a freak, he even has veins sticking out his back lats for goodness sake!

However, the truth behind his veins is his excellent conditioning levels matched with his carbohydrate manipulation.

For common gym goers, just by manipulating your carb intake, you’re well aware that it can take a big time toll on your body, especially when it comes to ones leanness. Also, his veins stick out for the most part due to his excellent conditioning levels, veins tend to stick out a lot more the more muscle you have along with how conditioned you are.