Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt and Amit Kumar training hard work

Yogeshwar Dutt rolls his opponent 6 times with power that belied his tired look.Winning an Olympic medal is not an easy task. Winning in wrestling is an even larger herculean task. The Gods would be shining on Yogeshwar as he clinches his Olympic medal tonight. Yogeshwar is a follower of an Olympic sports nutrition program. A program with roots at the ARMY SPORTS Institute, yogeshwar's injuries were treated with glucosamine and Vit C. Teaching him about Nutrient timings seem frivolous at the time, but in retrospect he was a keen learner and hence a winner today. To every student out there training to be an Olympian, the journey starts a decade in advance and Nutrition plays a key role. Dutt once asked me " How do I fight without getting tired? is there a Food that helps?" Beetroot was my reply then.......and still is... Very Happy to have met you  Mr DUTT!

In a room full of Harvanyi wrestlers, it is easy to spot Sushil Kumar. As the other men turn cartwheels about the room in their unbranded gear, Sushil's Adidas logos catch the last vestiges of the evening sun, marking him a recognised success in his field. 

The cameras seem intent on catching his every move, but it's clear he doesn't care for the attention. He's followed by a hulk of 97 kilos who rotates and spins and balances as easily as Sushil does, even with his stomach spilling out of his shorts. Thus proving you don't have to have a six-pack to turn a cartwheel or a somersault.

As Sushil faces off his hulking opponent, one can't help but give a little smirk, because their stances resemble clumsy gorillas, pawing away at each other. The smirk doesn't last too long. In one swift move, Sushil evades a leg-grabbing tackle, rolls over and has his opponent faster on his back than you can change expression. He lashes out as fast as a snake and is slippier than an eel, proving how he's managed to reach the top.

As we walk on, he talks shyly about techniqueperfection. Sushil attributes his skills, strengths and success to his coaches and only supplies confi rmation to their theories on fitness and life, combined. Nevertheless, whatever he has to say are nuggets of information for any fitness enthusiast out there...

Overrule intimidation
Most Indian wrestlers are intimidated by the confidence our foreign counterparts display, which ruins their game. While it's true we need to participate in the smaller matches to gain that assurance, what's more imporant is focusing on your game instead. Eventually you achieve that split second advantage over your opponent. That said, you can never predict how your body works every day-is it faster, is it slower? Just focus on your technique till it becomes a reflex action. It's what you can count on even on a bad day.

Skip the meat
There are boys ranging from ages 10 to 25. All of us aim to touch that coveted gold. None of us touch any form of non-vegetarian food. We get our protein from dal, almonds and buffalo milk. With the endless hours of training, we put in every day, a nutritious diet is important, but not a frugal one.

Hydrate yourself
As professionals, we recognise the value of energy, but often dismiss it during the tournament. My coaches ensure that my mouth is always smeared with glucose during fights to give an extra boost. I also guzzle a lot of the proverbial glucose water during my training sessions and down good quantities of mausambi juice. The boost it gives is better than glucose because it hydrates you better.

Train your legs
No base, no race. It's easy for a man to develop torso strength. It's the legs and core that motor one's agility. Elastic bands, football and circuit training are my weapons. Adopt single leg techniques: one of your legs is always predominantly stronger. So take time on each leg. Even when you use it as a pivot, it provides that much more support.

Overexertion exists...
And it's not a good thing. We ignore our injuries, we over train to push ourselves to do better, look fitter. Your muscles need rest, otherwise your body will turn on itself and eat into your efforts. Nursing an injury is a temporary, voluntary out. You don't want that to become involuntary and permanent. A fellow wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, trained and competed with a knee injury for which he was out for a year-anda-half. Lesson learnt.

Simplicity is key
Every day should mark an improvement, every minute should show a difference. That's all there is to it. He couldn't have made it easier to understand. An uncomplicated diet, a square routine, an unwavering focus to win and an undemanding attitude for attention- makes you wonder why you'd depend on a Rolex or a Lamborghini to make an impression when there's respect to be earned by just keeping it simple.