Source: TOI
Date: November 23, 2010
Hrithik Roshan on how he went from fat to fit in three weeks.
Pictures: Hrithik at his gym
His admission to hospital on Sunday following an allergic reaction to an antibiotic notwithstanding, now it can be told. When he signed to play a quadriplegic in UTV Motion Pictures & SLB Films' Guzaarish, Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan agreed to let his six pack abs disappear under a huge mound of flesh. In preparation for his character of a man who had to have a 35-inch waist, the actor indulged himself. "I'm a foodie," says Hrithik. "As the paralysed man in Guzaarish, I got an excuse to binge. I was eating fried food (batata wadas and samosas), ice-creams and chocolates. For the first time in 15 years, I went overboard.'' Within three months his cholesterol levels were up. Says the actor, "I understood why doctors tell us that junk food can kill. My medical reports set off alarm bells.'' What also sent him into a tizzy was that within three weeks he had to lose all this fat and shoot the portions of his character before he becomes a quadriplegic. So the arduous task of working out began. With the guidance of his trainer Satyadev Chaurasia, Hrithik began Arnold Schwarzenegger's Level 3 competition workout, a programme that transforms one's body in a month. Hrithik says, "I had no idea how the six packs would come back again. Satya and I sat together and made a plan on the diet and the exercise. We had to factor in my numerous injuries. My shoulders are broken, my knee was not functioning, I have a back problem, and we had to meet the deadline because I had to shoot a jazz ballet sequence. It was a complete boot camp. Sometimes I was so dead in the gym that Satya actually kept a trash can fearing I would puke out of fatigue. But we didn't give up.'' Satya adds, "Hrithik hadn't worked out for months on end. And when you don't work out you lose muscle memory. The biggest challenge was to get it back. I feel so proud when I look at him today.'' When people ask Hrithik what they should do to get an aesthetically perfect body, the actor tells them that it is more important to have a healthy body, and that a few minutes of exercise every day is very important to keep one's head thinking clear. However, he insists that the inclusion of a rest day is also mandatory. Says Hrithik, "Contrary to what people perceive, the body grows when it is resting. The gym is actually the stimulus and it is the place where the body breaks down the cells. It is when you rest that the brain actually rebuilds the cells. This is the reason why body building is actually called Progressive Overload. If you don't give yourself enough rest, no matter how many hours you spend in the gym, it is not going to help.''
Hrithik's six-packs workout:
Day 1: Morn: 40 mins Cardio; 30 mins Abs Eve: Chest and Back 90 mins
Day 2: Morn: Routine same as Day 1 Eve: Biceps and triceps 90 mins
Day 3: Morn: Routine same as Day 1 Eve: Shoulders and Legs 90 mins
Day 4: Morn: Routine same as Day 1 Eve: Chest and Back 90 mins
Day 5: Morn: routine same as Day 1 Eve: Biceps and Triceps 90 mins
Day 6: Morn: Routine same as Day 1 Eve: Shoulder and Legs 90 mins
Day 7: Rest '
Diet for six pack abs:
Breakfast: 4 eggs, 1 brown bread toast plus oatmeal porridge if hungry.
2nd meal: Chicken breast, 2 rotis, dal (half bowl), 1 cup broccoli.
3rd meal: 4 egg whites, 1 brown bread toast plus helping of one fruit.
4th meal: Protein shake and amino acid tablet.
5th meal: Chicken breast, one roti, dal (half bowl), 1 cup broccoli.
6th meal: Protein shake (late night).
Supplements: Glutamine Creatine Vitamin C Magnesium Omega 3 1 multi vitamin 3 litres of water 8 hours sleep is very crucial