Pumping iron & ambition!City's Arnold Francis sets his sights on the Mr India title

His bulking biceps and well defined muscles are already the envy of every bodybuilder in Vidarbha, but 27 year-old Arnold Francis still feels he has a long way to go. This 5 feet and 9 inches tall city lad has had a fantastic year so far. After clinching both the 'Nagpur Shree' and 'Vidarbha Shree' titles, Arnold has now set his sights on the prestigious Mr India title.
His father Paulous is also a bodybuilder who participated in many competitions in the 70s and 80s. Francis senior adores Hollywood icon Arnold Schwarzenegger and hence named his only son Arnold. In the early 90s when he opened a gym it was named 'Gold Gym', almost similar to the internationally acclaimed Gold's Gym where Schwarzenegger honed his skills.
Young Arnold had a tough time getting access to his own gym because of his dad's resistance. "Even though my dad loved bodybuilding he did not want me to enter this field. He kept on saying there is hardly any money to be made. When I turned 18 I put my foot down and made it clear to him that this is something that I wish to do and started training slowly," recalls Arnold.
The old bodybuilding myth has always been that the more hours you spend pumping iron the bigger and better your muscular frame gets. "That is just not true," says Arnold, "In fact there are three components to body building and if you ignore even one then failure is certain. First is training, second is diet and third rest."
Surprisingly, despite his huge muscular body which weighs 88kg, Arnold's training schedule never lasts more than 45 minutes. "If you train your muscles more than an hour it will be detrimental because of the stress. Also, I alternate between muscle training and cardiovascular exercise through the week so that my body gets enough rest," says Arnold.
It's hard to believe, but it's true that it's not his daily training but eating which exhausts Arnold the most! "I have to eat seven meals every day and it takes up two hours of my schedule. My meals are made according to a diet chart. I have to factor in the protein intake and balance it with carbohydrate and fat. Currently, I am aiming to increase my weight to over 100kg as I want to compete in the highest category at the Mr India contest next year," says Arnold.
The diet plan at times is very embarrassing for Arnold. "When I am out, I have to carry my entire day's meals in a bag as every two hours I end up eating and becoming the 'cynosure' of all eyes. The worst is when I travel by train, every passenger feels that I probably have an eating disorder," laughs Arnold.
With about 10 months still to go for the Mr India contest, Arnold has a tough task at hand. First is to increase his weight by at least 12kg and then continue shaping his muscles in proportion with the new weight. "When you go for competitions, a lot of factors are at play. Posing on stage is an art and you have to ensure that you do it elegantly so that every muscle gets highlighted. Sometimes you focus on the bicep and the other parts look badly toned. A balance has to be achieved," says Arnold.
To hone his skills further, Arnold is now headed to Pune where a special instructor will take him under his wings for six months. "Amir Khan teachers only those who are competing at the national level. I plan to join him by August and get into an aggressive training mode so that I can be in the best of shape for the competition," says Arnold.
Though Arnold does not lack will in the gym, there are concerns on the financial side. "I would require close to Rs 7 lakh in the next ten months to be battle-ready for the Mr India competition. We are in talks with many corporates for sponsorship but even after winning two titles this year I have not been able to get any financial aid. The only option is to borrow from relatives, friends and dip into family savings and even then I won't be able to reach that require figure," he says.
His ultimate aim is to clinch the Mr Olympia title and become a pro-athlete so that he gets international sponsors. "Everyone talks about Mr Universe and the fame attached to it but for the puritans, Mr Olympia is the pinnacle of success. When you win international competitions and turn pro, sponsorships are available easy leaving you free to focus on bodybuilding," says Arnold.
Having sacrificed many simple pleasures like a cold drink because of fear of calorie addition to giving up on late night parties for a disciplined schedule, Arnold has not had it easy. But his worst fear is not being the first Nagpurian to clinch the Mr. India title for lack of sponsorship.