Kriti Sanon Tried Keeping Up With Rashmika Mandanna in the Gym—What Happened Next Reveals the Real Secret to ‘Beast Mode’ Fitness

3 min readNew DelhiApr 6, 2026 04:00 PM Kriti Sanon, 35, recently revealed that she didn’t anticipate how Rashmika Mandanna trains in the gym. Recalling her first-ever workout with the Animal actor, who shares the same gym trainer, Sanon remembered trying to compete with her, only to realise it was a make. “Once it happened…my trainer used to train Rashmika Mandanna. One day, we were like, let’s do a workout together. I had never met Rashmika before. And we were doing a leg workout. I don’t do cardio. Because I have to build muscles, I take breaks in the middle. And she goes like a beast. She doesn’t stop. Since she was doing it constantly, one after the other, I was also doing it constantly, one after the other. She left. I was feeling giddy. I was genuinely fainting,” Sanon told singer and actor Sophie Choudry, on Famously Fit with Sophie talk show on Amazon MX Player.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.
Taking a cue from her description of Rashmika Mandanna as ferociously intense and relentlessly driven in her sessions, we asked a consultant dietitian and fitness expert, Garima Goyal, about the nuances in one’s diet that help build stamina in the gym.

Goyal said that high-intensity resance training is the kind that builds the lean, functional physique. “It runs primarily on glycogen, which comes from carbohydrates. Without adequate fuel in the system before a session, the body hits a wall fast. The explosive energy, the rep-after-rep consency, the stamina is built hours before the gym,” said Goyal.
What does fitness look like to you? (Photo: Freepik)
From a nutrition standpoint, what Rashmika appears to be doing right is three-fold. “She is almost certainly fuelling her sessions properly with a moderate-glycaemic meal 60 to 90 minutes before training, combining carbohydrates with a lean protein source, which is the foundation of a pre-workout routine. Also, her protein intake across the day is likely structured, not haphazardly dributed across four to five meals to keep muscle protein synthesis elevated consently. And lastly, her recovery nutrition is probably as disciplined as her training, because the difference between showing up energised the next day and dreading the session is almost always what happened on the plate the evening before,” described Goyal.

Unlike what is believed, “the beast in the gym is well-fed”. “Eating enough carbohydrates to train hard, enough protein to recover fully, and enough healthy fats to keep the hormones and joints functioning optimally is a given. Don’t be in a crash deficit while lifting heavy. That combination of hard training and intelligent nutrition is what is worth the effort,” said Goyal.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.