Eighteen-year-old Kuwar Amritbir Singh has never been to the gym, never used barbells, leg press machines or even a treadmill. So it’s surprising that he currently holds two world records for fitness and is attempting his third. Kuwar was the youngest person to perform Maximum Knuckle Pushups in 1 minute (118) at the age of 17 and Maximum Superman Pushups in 30 Seconds (35) at the age of 18. He is now attempting to enter the Limca Book of Records for Maximum Superman Pushups in 1 minute (52).
If he’s never been to a gym, wondering how he trains? Kuwar has made his own workout equipment from waste materials like plastic bottles, bricks, tyres and cement tiles. For instance, his desi dumbbells are two plastic bottles filled with cement that are attached with iron rods or the gunny bags filled with sand for weights. “In the process, I’m also doing my bit for the environment by recycling plastic,” he says, proudly.
So where did this all begin? While in school, Kuwar used to enact revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Kartar Singh Sarabha and Udham Singh in plays. “While performing these roles, I was inspired to do something that would motivate and influence others. So, at the age of 15, I started my journey in fitness,” he says. He used to take part in every activity held in school. He started his fitness journey with push ups. After completing Class XII, he began making his own homemade desi gym. Kuwar also believes in a natural diet to stay fit, without using supplements or proteins. He adds, “In earlier times, our great pehalwans (wrestlers) used to workout out in the open, but today’s youth can’t workout without air conditioned gyms or build their body without supplements and proteins.”
Kuwar, who is currently pursuing his Bachelor’s in Physical Education aims to be an all-rounder and make a name for himself. He has acted in two Punjabi movies, which he wrote the script for and directed himself. Both the movies spread the message of the importance of hard work and encourages the youth to stay away from drugs. An action movie aficionado, Kuwar hopes to become an action hero some day and he’s been practising his action scenes. He hopes to become a youth icon for Punjab and was also recently awarded the Karamveer Chakra Award.
