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At his worst, he ate up to 6,000 calories of junk food a day, had a waistline of 44 inches (111cm), and wore XXXL t-shirts.
Eating unhealthily, he weighed 98kg at age 14, and hit his heaviest of about 110kg a year later.
At 16, Kumareswarren decided it was time to bury his sedentary lifestyle, stop binge eating, exercise well and attain a good physique.
He said: “It was very challenging for me, considering I could then eat 10 roti canai in one sitting, and snacked all day.
“With willpower, I switched to a clean diet, carried weights at home, and dropped to a lean 70kg in six months.”
The next step for him was to resemble a picture of him with a sculpted physique, drawn by his cousin, who knew about his fascination with aesthetic bodybuilding.
At 18, Kumareswarren embraced a gruelling fitness regime in the gym, and he looked nothing like fatty cuts of meat.
He became so much happier with himself; his clothes changed; and a fresh body confidence emerged.
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As a 21-year-old accounting student in Singapore, he became the junior champion in the Mr Klang Parade, Mr Selangor and Mr Malaysia competitions in 2006.
Then, it all came to an abrupt halt when some of his family members told him to stop bodybuilding and pursue his studies.
In 2009, Kumareswarren regained weight, and ballooned all over again because he could not pay attention to his physique due to the long hours spent studying, and eating the wrong things.
“My heart and soul was not in accounting and I made a comeback to bodybuilding, giving myself two years to succeed in the sport,” he said.
The turning point was in 2011 when he won the Mr Kuala Lumpur light heavyweight and overall champion titles.
Since then he had podium finishes in various categories in 17 senior meets in the country and abroad.
Last week, the 38-year-old chiselled gym operator became “Champion of Champions”, winning the Mr Malaysia 2023 and over 90kg heavyweight category titles at the national championships.
On his victory, he said there was a mental commitment in bodybuilding. “You have to have faith in yourself and in your goals, and a supportive family helps greatly.”
His physical transformation is a stirring story of an obese person who took control of his body to get into shape, with a close-knit family as the cheerleaders.
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Chubby kid to meticulous muscleman
In his early teens, he dreaded the side he would end up on in a shirts v skins football match because of his portly stature.
He recalled he used to put masking tape around his chest to cover his man boobs.
“I wasn’t happy with myself. I couldn’t wear clothes I wanted to and I didn’t like taking my top off in front of people.
“I also felt embarrassed I could not tuck a t-shirt into my shorts because of my bulging belly,” he said.
Sick of fat jokes, he chose to become a focused and determined athlete, pushing aside pasties, crisps, roti canai and nasi lemak.
Today, Kumareswarren has six meals a day that he prepares, and measures the calorie intake, himself.
Whenever he attends functions, including wedding receptions, he brings his own food.
There’s no sugar or fried food, only brown rice, oats and vegetables (carbohydrates) and chicken breast, sea bass eggs and beef tenderloin (protein).
His daily consumption of about 4,000 calories varies, depending on whether he is in his bulking or cutting phase.
Both phases serve different purposes in his journey towards stepping on stage.
He has to hit his targeted macronutrients daily, and with three weeks to the world championships in South Korea, his intake is now 2,800 calories (50% protein, 35% carbohydrates and 15% fats).
Living with a bodybuilder
Kumareswarren said he was totally possessed by bodybuilding, a time-consuming, arduous and costly sport that can take a toll on family time and finances.
“I don’t have much of a social life, and there are times when I have to shut down everything and focus on my preparations,” he said.
Petaling Jaya-born Kumareswarren said without the encouragement from his family, he would be nobody.
He said his family understood the commitment and sacrifices the sport required.
“And they are not opposed to the money I have to spend on expensive food and supplements.
“Missing out on countless family holidays, gatherings, and events is hard. But sometimes you have to do what you must,” he added.
A qualified accountant, he is married to writer and English language tutor Sheila Natassha, the daughter of former sportswriter Johnson Fernandez.
They have a seven-year-old son, Ayngaran, who sometimes exercises at his father’s 24-hour Body Factory Gym and Fitness, which he opened 10 years ago in SS3 here.
Kumareswarren’s father passed away when he was five years old, but he never felt a void in his life because his mother Ganthimathi, 73, had always been the embodiment of strength.
He said his coach Mike Michel, a Swiss based in Thailand, has also been a father-like figure, teaching him valuable lessons, professionally and personally.
Fernandez related how his son-in-law made his sporting family more sporting.
He said: “The family was already steeped in sports. My two sons were involved in hockey and taekwondo at high levels, while my daughter is a former KL schools taekwondo champion.
“So, Kumar came along, also with that pedigree though not in the same disciplines, and seemed a natural fit with the family.
“Kumar took it to a whole new level with his discipline and singlemindedness to succeed, and we rallied behind him.”
Fernandez said it was frustrating when Kumareswarren could not attend family gatherings due to his training regime and diet. “But we understand. This is his time, he has to make the most of it.”
He said his wife, Sulochana, prepared a banana leaf spread for Kumareswarren after the Mr Malaysia event. “It was his rare cheat meal.”
Said Fernandez: “It was his turn to be rewarded on his cheat day because the following day Kumar deep-dived into training again to prepare for the world championships.”
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No money in bodybuilding
Kumareswarren wants to get into the top three at the World Bodybuilding and Physique Championships in Gangwok, South Korea from Nov 6-12.
Last year, he was in the top five while competing in his first meet as a national athlete.
After all his hard work, he might be seeing the rewards now in terms of championship wins, but he needs sponsors to achieve a higher level.
“Most competitions do not have prize money, and if there is, it’s a fraction of what we spend to prepare for the competition,” he said.
Kumareswarren’s amazing fitness makeover is a good reminder that everyone has to start somewhere to become the champ of champs.
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