06/09/2026
I’m an investment banker. Spreadsheets, deadlines, long hours that’s my day job. I’m 24, single, and living alone in a city far from my family. And a few months ago I stood on a natural bodybuilding stage and walked away with 3 medals.
People keep asking how I managed all of it. Honestly? The same way I manage money for a living I planned it.
No family around to cook for you, no one checking if you hit your macros, no one splitting the bills prep on your own, in a new city, means every decision (and every rupee) is on you. And nobody tells you this, but natural bodybuilding is expensive. Coaching, food, supplements, registration, tanning, travel it adds up fast, and if you go in without a budget, it’ll wreck you financially before it wrecks you physically.
So I did what I do at work. I sat down before I even started prep and mapped out every expense.
Here’s exactly what 4 months cost me:
Coaching (4 months) — ₹45,000
ICN Registration — ₹26,500
Tanning (2 days) — ₹3,500
Food (4 months) — ₹40,000
Supplements (4 months) — ₹17,000
Travel — ₹9,000
Total — ₹1,41,000
That’s real money. I’m not saying this to scare you off the sport I’m saying it because nobody talks about it honestly. Treat your prep like any big financial decision plan it, track it, adjust as you go and you won’t end up broke chasing a trophy.
This is really the whole point for me: finance and fitness aren’t separate lanes. The same discipline that keeps my budget in check is what got me on that stage.
If you want to build both a body and a bank account you’re proud of follow along. I’ll keep sharing both sides.
