Fitness trainer to John Abraham, Shilpa Shetty recalls charging Rs 25,000 per hour, reveals his journey from being a watchman to buying a gym worth Rs 15 crore

Celebrity fitness trainer Vinod Channa, who is currently working with the Ambani family and has trained some of the biggest names in Bollywood, including Riteish Deshmukh, John Abraham, Shilpa Shetty has recently opened up on his journey. He revealed how it takes many years of struggle to reach this point. Coming from a working-class background in Mumbai, Vinod began his professional life as a watchman. He said during a chat with Hindi Rush, “I never imagined in my life that I would stand in front of Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan as a trainer. Growing up, I never used to wear slippers. I come from a very poor family in Dadar, Lalbaug where you see typical working class people. From there, I got my first job at Peddar road and that's when I realised people also stay so lavisly and have such big houses. That's something we'd never seen before." Vinod shared that he spent nearly 15 years dedicated to bodybuilding before breaking into the world of celebrity fitness. He started out as a trainer at a Mumbai gym, slowly building his expertise and reputation. “I did bodybuilding for 15 years before becoming a celebrity fitness trainer. When you work hard for 10–15 years, then you get opportunity like this. You need a lot of training and knowlede, because you cannot many any mistake. Many people ask me how can they become a trainer like me who charges in lakhs and they are only one and two month old in training,” he explained.After spending 12 years at the same gym, Vinod made a bold decision to move on, taking his clients with him, in search of better pay and bigger opportunities. He shifted to Bandra, fully aware of the risks involved. “I shifted to Bandra for better fees and also hoping that I would get celebrity client,” he recalled.The move proved to be a turning point. As a former bodybuilder, Vinod was recognised by the manager of a Bandra gym, who gave him a chance. “I started from zero in Bandra with no clients. Whoever I used to found in gym, I used to train them. Then a relative of Ritesh Deshmukh spotted me and he recommended me to Riteish Deshmukh,” he said, adding that he later travelled the world with the actor.With perseverance and relentless work, Vinod eventually became one of the most popular trainers in the industry. Recalling his peak years, including training John Abraham for Force, he said, “I was at the peak of my career at that time I was charging Rs 25,000 per hour. At that time, Ananya Birla also approached me, and they would give me a higher amount.”During that phase, Vinod was working nearly around the clock. “I was working for 16 hours per day,” he added, revealing how the grind paid off. “I bought 5-6 homes. I bought a gym for Rs 15 crore.”