My goal
"Because in a visual medium the body and face is what gets seen the most, you want to make sure you're taking care of your instrument, as it were. I always want to make sure I'm presentable ... to stay as lean as I can, but also to get as muscular as I can at the same time.
"Also, when you play a character like I play on a television series, you want to keep that look as consistent as possible because you never know how long it's going to go. It's different than film. Say they shoot for five months: You only have to look the same for five months. But as a series goes on and on, I think it's in the actor's best interest, for the sake of the audience, to have a consistent look."
My workout
One-hour boxing lessons two to three times per week for aerobic exercise: "The whole idea of boxing is you're never actually still.... It's a pretty holistic workout in terms of strength, agility, balance and core."
Bench presses and punching the heavy bag for strength training.
Jumping rope for agility and balance.
My motivation
"The knowledge that there's more than just me and my family and friends who are looking at me at any given moment.
"It's also the desire to have longevity. It's a very hectic pace in this kind of career: You're constantly on the road, hopping from one location or city to the next; you've got a bunch of projects on the go. So in order to be able to maintain that energy level, you have to be fit and you have to be disciplined."
My lifestyle
"I'm not a very good manager when it comes to time.... But what's great with something like boxing is, you sort of preset it and you're going with someone, or two or three people. And that makes it all the more necessary to get there because if you're not there, then you're holding the trainer up and you're holding your workout partners up."
My workout anthem
"Our trainer throws on a certain selection of music, mostly in the hip-hop genre, which is good for the boxing training workout - anything that's got a heavier sound to it."
My challenges
"Self-discipline and time management. Self-discipline not to give it up because my time is getting spent; [time management in]making sure I stick to my regimen. Once I'm there, I'm in. But it's just getting there."
The critique
Corey Andryechen, a trainer at Extreme Fitness in Thornhill, Ont., applauds Mr. Shaikh's hard-hitting regimen.
"Boxing for fitness is an excellent way to improve your cardiovascular capacity, and you don't have the same risks involved as with regular boxing," he says.
"Your abs, shoulders, arms, chest and back get a super-toning workout. With all of the movement you do around the ring, your legs get a good workout, as well."
On top of Mr. Shaikh's pugilistic program, Mr. Andryechen recommends resistance training two to three times a week.
Exercising with dumbbell squats, front dumbbell raises, shoulder presses and medicine ball tosses would help build strength in the legs, abdominals and shoulders, he says.
He also suggests Mr. Shaikh spend 45 to 60 minutes a few days a week doing a less intensive form of exercise.
"Boxing for fitness can produce lactic acid in the muscles," Mr. Andryechen says. "A couple days a week of medium-intensity aerobic training will help increase his body's ability to remove the lactic acid and also aid in the fat-burning process."