“You can do it!  Just a couple more!  You got this!” chanted the encouraging voice behind me as I pushed through my first set of chin ups...ever.  Arms and back burning, I climbed off the machine and was greeted with a warm smile.  “That was great!  Are you sure you never did this before?” Aruna Paramasivam asked.  She climbed onto the machine and as her trainer Howard adjusted the weight and she began her set, breezing through her pull-ups effortlessly, I wondered how she did it.
The pull-ups, the gym time, and the infectious smile are what make Aruna Paramasivam a top competitor in fitness modeling.  She has been a trailblazer for South Asians in this competitive arena, and has big plans for her future, both in fitness and life in general.

From Couch to Curl Ups
Paramasivam wasn’t always so focused on fitness and nutrition.  Up until five years ago, she was living the typical life of a Philadelphia young professional—working hard at a management consultant, and playing hard in the nightlife in Center City Philadelphia and summertime weekends in Avalon.  She excelled at her job, was active in the community with the Philadelphia chapter of Network of Indian Professionals, and was enjoying the life of a social butterfly.  Sure, she worked out but never felt that she had a definitive goal.

One day, she woke up, tired of living the status quo life, and decided to do something about it.  She wanted to be challenged and feel truly passionate for a cause when she woke up in the morning. Enter Howard Aaron, Paramasivam’s trainer and owner of the gym who she met purely by chance via a Google search, who ended up taking  her from fitness neophyte to the Fitness America stage.

Aaron guided Paramasivam through her initial goal of improved fitness and a healthier lifestyle to entering the pageants, revamping her workouts and advising her on her meals to support her changing goals.  A true coach, he explained the benefits of each exercise and encouraged me through each muscle-burning rep with enthusiasm.  A pleased coach, he continues to train Paramasivam during competition season and off-season, and proudly hangs her competition photographs on the gym’s Wall of Fame.
Paramasivam’s first fitness achievement came with completing 100 push-ups.  In true Aruna fashion, she has her sights set on mastering pull ups, as well as taking on more opportunities to build her fitness modeling career.

Carbs, Competitions, and Control
Paramasivam appears to have a superhuman self-control when it comes to nutrition, indulging in complex carbs like oatmeal and sweet potatoes coupled with lean protein, fruit and vegetables that compose her 5-6 daily meals.  “I’m really focused on my foods, on what I put into my body.  I try hard to eat lots of clean, unprocessed foods.  Over time, I’ve mastered only using 5-6 ingredients and creating a tasteful, healthy meal,” she prescribes.  A true Indian girl, she’s incorporated Indian spices to give her food the desi flavor while keeping it healthy.  And while Paramasivam appears to have unparalleled discipline, she does indulge in dessert and  that glass of wine  while relaxing on the weekends, and admits to giving into her chocolate weakness.   

Her secret weapon is really her consistency with her workouts, with Aaron guiding her through sets of strength exercises and followed up by a blast of cardio.  Aaron targets a muscle group per workout with exercises that exhaust the targeted group as well as work supportive groups as well, ensuring that the time spent on the machines and with the weights is effective.  While Paramasivam focuses more on strength during the off-season and powers through hour-long cardio sessions during competition season, the actual time spent at the gym is the same.  “ I don’t spend a lot of time at the gym, but I spend it efficiently,” she admits.  

The combination of a strict diet and rigorous workout schedule has not only made Paramasivam a force to be reckoned with, but has provided benefits in her professional life.  The confidence she exudes while sauntering the stage in figure competitions is the same she demonstrates as President of NetIP North America.  Her efficient use of time, gained from scheduling her daily workouts and preparing her healthful meals, has been a boon to her career as a management consultant.  Paramasivam is also grateful for the positive reactions and support she’s received from her colleagues and the NetIP community, and responds to every e-mail and question with the same infectious smile she beams from the competition stage.

Nutrition Meets Naan
“My family is actually not at all fitness oriented,” Paramasivam admits.  “They love  eating and are not too focused on a healthy lifestyle.  But my parents are proud of my accomplishements nonetheless and are very supportive.”  She may have even helped turn her brother and future sister-in-law onto a lifestyle change, helping plan their meals and workouts prior to their upcoming wedding.  In addition to family, she is happy to tell her stories and help anyone who asks with nutrition and workouts.  And while she’s discussed fitness modeling with many curious South Asian women, she hasn’t converted anyone from curious to competition…yet . She has, however, seen an increase in South Asian men in this arena.  And while she hasn’t signed on any desi women to join her on the stage, she is pleased that more women are showing a desire to be healthy and fit, and not aspiring to be skinny.  

Balancing the life of a competitor with a culture that thrives on rich foods and socialization is a tough feat, but Paramasivam does it with grace and balance.  She lives her life with the philosophy of “you can have everything, just not at the same time.”  In investing her time to a demanding career, fitness modeling, and NetIP, she has learned to say no to certain events, and rearrange her schedule for others she really wants to attend.  While she misses the casual socializing, with post-work happy hours and Philadelphia’s famed Center City Sips, Paramasivam stays busy with her many passions and works best under the pressure of deadlines, deliverables, and goals for her next competition.  

In true Desi Diva fashion, I posed the question of “What is your definition of a Desi Diva?” to Paramasivam.  She promptly replied “A Desi Diva is a woman who can manage to have it all, and still be happy, and have balance in her life.  There are so many stereotypes that surround both a desi and a diva, and to blend both into someone who can have it all is a true Desi Diva.”  

If anyone has worn the labels of both Desi and diva with as much grace, focus, and passion, it is Aruna Paramasivam.