[Fitness Diaries] Coz The Greek God Body Didn’t Just Fall From Heaven: Hrithik Roshan’s Fitness Secrets

by Sejal Parikh · February 8, 2015

You just understand from this that nothing in life is bad.
You know, I’m not a star in spite of my problems.
It is because I had those problems, that I’ve become a star.
It is because of that.
~ Hrithik Roshan ~

Suggested read: 10 life lessons from Hrithik Roshan

If there is a smoking hot bod in Bollywood that causes men and women alike to skip looking at Katrina Kaif and gape at a ‘hotter’ bod in sight, that body belongs to Hrithik Roshan. That chiseled physique, that ripped and rugged look, those six-pack abs are a blessing denied to most mortals. But those to-die-for assets didn’t just magically fall into his lap nor are they any form of divine favor. Behind the ‘hotness quotient’ of this incredibly sexy Greek God of Bollywood lies months of training, discipline, workout, and healthy eating habits that have caused Hrithik to become synonymous with ‘ohh-so-sexy!!’

Hrithik Roshan

Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License

The struggle

Contrary to popular perception, the industry’s first super-hero had his fair share of fitness troubles and realized that working his way around those challenges was no piece of cake. There was a time, not long ago, when he lay supine on bed with a double slipped disc and all the love showered upon him by his family and friends in the form of ‘cupcakes and brownies’ made his ‘waist’ a ‘waste.’ He let himself go completely and his messy mental and emotional make-up caused him to put fitness on a back burner. He sank into an unhealthy lifestyle and started smoking. He became ‘addicted’ to this laid-back pattern and it became toxic for his body. His waist grew to a 36+ and he realized he was in no shape to be seen as ‘people’s hero’ for Krrish 3. Here’s what he says about the time when the truth hit him hard:

“It’s a vicious cycle. Once we get into a zone where we don’t want to be, we tend to inflict pain on ourselves and dig ourselves deeper into the grave. I put on a lot of weight. There was a time when I was so out of sorts, so unhealthy that I couldn’t even lift my son Hrehaan. I used to be depressed with the thought that I won’t ever be able to jump and play football with him. One day, my son came into my room and asked me – ‘Dad will you play with me or are you in pain?’ That hit me. I never told him that I was in pain. He still understood. He said, ‘Are you too tired?’, and it shocked me that my son had an image of his father as someone who was always in pain. It was time to change. And the initiative to turn things around had to come from me.

“Eventually, when I got up, I had a 36-1/2-inch waist. I was suffering from blood pressure, high and low: one day high, one day low. I didn’t know what was going on. I am slated to begin my father’s movie, in which I play a superhero. It’s part II in a series. I called for my superhero jacket, the Krrish Jacket and I couldn’t get that on. I couldn’t get it on and I was like, ‘I’m not meant to play this right now. I’m not the guy who is worthy enough to play a superhero. I need to get myself worthy enough. I need to make a change.”

Hrithik Roshan before and after achieving his desired toned body

Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License

The realization

After the truth dawned on him, Hrithik decided that not only was it time for him to get back into shape for a character he was playing, but a time that called for a major lifestyle change. He knew he was living off the myth of being the ‘fittest’ guy, as that was what he had come to symbolize in his career, and that it was time he made the myth true. He looked around for help and that is when fitness trainer Kris Gethin happened to him. Kris needed ‘a solid commitment’ from Hrithik towards aligning himself along the tortuous path of ‘fitness’ and our hero who had braved several challenges along his life journey so far, readily signed up.

“I’d done that before in my life. I’d gotten into the best shape. I’d go back to all the wrong ways, eating chocolates and letting myself go. I knew that this wasn’t just getting into shape for a character. This was something I wanted; it had to be a lifestyle change. It had to be something that would last me all my life. That’s what I told [Kris].

“My mission is to make a lifestyle change. I want to wake up every morning of my life and feel healthy, feel like I want to live, feel like my body is serving me well and I am serving it well.”

Hrithik Roshan with his trainer Kris Gethin

Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License

It was a sign then that Kris stepped in to make ‘Krrish’ a reality for Hrithik then and forever. Within 10 weeks of a rigorous cross-fit and functional training program, Hrithik turned his ‘flabby’ waist into a fabulous 30 inch one and became fitter than ever. Of course, the results have gone down in history – what with the way he scorched the big screen with Krrish3 and Bang Bang!!

In an interview question about his amazing transformation and the process of overcoming the difficulties of the path (owing to his injuries), Hrithik said,

“I’m all damaged goods here. Just put me back piece by piece. I’ve just completed my transformation and I look at myself and I am amazed that something like this is possible. It was a 12-week transformation, but we completed it in 10 weeks.

“I’m just amazed at the possibilities of the human body, and how easy it was. There was no sacrifice. Everything just flowed. I was loving my meals. They were nutritious as well as tasty. I don’t think I can go back to normal (if I can say normal) kind of food again, where it’s just about taste and not about nutrition. There’s a double delicate, with the taste as well as the nutrition and it is all great food.

“I’m eager and almost desperate to make people aware of what all is possible. People need to get educated where all this is concerned. There’s just this scarcity of information. People are just lost and here is the best help that exists on the planet. I am living proof of that.”

Hrithik Roshan’s drastic 10-week transformation

Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License

3 phases of the body design plan

The body design plan designed for Hrithik consisted of 3 phases:

Fundamental Phase– Equipped with the tenets of basic strength training, this phase helped him prepare himself for the rigors of the intense training that would follow. Comprising of multi-muscle, isolation, and compound movements , this phase helped his muscles grow into their full capacity. It helped muscle development and also gave Hrithik’s body a toned appearance. The phase also helped in diluting the effects of the multiple injuries.
Momentum Phase– This phase helped him gain more strength and added density to the muscle groups. Heavier weights were used during this phase. Dense muscle groups helped to rev up basal metabolism rate of the body, which in turn helped burn more calories.
Dramatic Transformation Principle Phase– With simple yet intense workouts, this phase helped him attain the ‘vision’ he had in mind whilst distinct stress on the muscle groups helped shape the body.

Suggested read: Top 10 desirable Bollywood actors of 2014

It is no wonder then that with the lifestyle change that Kris has helped bring about for Hrithik, he has stuck to his workout regimen and nutrition intake plan. He says, “…now that it’s over, it never gets over. This is for life.”

Workout routine

Hrithik Roshan doing barbell exercises

Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License

Here’s what his daily workout regimen looks like now:

After 20 minutes of cardio each day he starts with:

MONDAY: CHEST, CALVES, AND BACK

Total 5 Sets of Dumbbell Bench Press (5 sets)

2 Working sets of 5-10 reps

3 Warm up sets of 5-10 reps

2 sets of Inclined Dumbbell Flyes with 5-20 reps

Under Hand Cable Pull down (4 Sets)

3 Working sets and 1 Warm up set of 5-10 reps

Bent Over Barbell Row (4 Sets)

3 Working sets of 6-10 reps

1 Warm up set of 8-10 reps

Back Extensions (3 Sets)

2 Working sets of 8-10 rep

1 Warm up set of 8-10 rep

3 sets of Seated Calf Raise of 20 reps

3 sets of Standing Calf Raise of 16-20 reps

TUESDAY: LEGS

Leg Press (8 Sets)

3 Working sets of 10 reps

5 Warm up sets of 10 reps

Seated Leg Tucks (5 Sets)

3 Working sets of 15 reps

2 Warm up sets of 15 reps

Extensions (4 Sets)

2 Warm up sets of 16-20 reps

2 Working sets of 16-20 reps

Lying Leg Curls (5 Sets)

2 Warm up sets of 15 reps

3 Working sets of 15 reps

Squats (5 Sets)

3 Working sets of 15-30 reps

2 Warm up sets of 15-20 reps

Hrithik Roshan doing chest exercises

Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License

THURSDAY: SHOULDERS, CALVES, AND ABS

Marble Military Press (5 Sets)

3 Working sets of 8 reps

2 Warm up sets of 8 reps

Side Lateral Raise (4 Sets)

1 Warm up set of 10-15 reps

3 Working sets of 10-15 reps

3 sets of Upright Barbell Row of 7 reps

7 sets of Reverse Flyes of 12 reps

3 sets of Weighted Sit-ups of 20 reps

3 sets of Seated Calf Raise of 20 reps

3 sets of Standing Calf Raise of 20 reps

FRIDAY: ARMS

2 sets of Straight arm Dumbbell Pullover of 10 reps

3 sets of Cable Rope Triceps Extension of 10-12 reps (Overhead)

3 sets of Cable Lying Triceps Extension of 10 reps

3 sets of Standing Dumbbell Triceps Extension of 8-10 reps

7 sets of Straight-Arm pull down of 15 reps

Concentrated Curls (5 Sets)

3 Working sets of 10-15 reps

2 Warm up sets of 10-15 reps

Dumbbell Bicep Curl (alternate) (5 Sets)

2 Warm up sets of 12-15 reps

3 Working sets of 12-15 reps

3 sets of Standard Biceps Cable Curl of 15-20 reps

Diet plan

Hrithik hired the renowned celebrity nutritionist Marika Johansson as his diet consultant. With his newly designed nutrition plan, Hrithik consumes at least 100 grams of meat along with complex carbs. He fuels up his protein intake and consumes a lot of carbohydrates to sustain and build high levels of metabolism for his muscle-gain workout. Fibrous carbs like broccoli, sprouts, and spinach, proteins from steak, turkey, fish, and egg whites, a cup of pasta or brown rice, oatmeal, and salads are all part of his dietary intake.

There are several rules that he ensures are never flouted:

Cutting down on sodium that is known to induce bloating
Almost zero intake of sugar to eliminate empty calories
Eating to just about 70% of the hunger quotient
Eating within 45 minutes after completing the workout for faster gains
Taking a short nap after having a full meal to allow the body’s metabolism to extract the maximum nutrition and channelize it towards muscle recover/repair

His mantra

Hrithik Roshan showing off his chiseled abs

Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License

Hrithik avers that there is always room for redemption and mending one’s lifestyle, making conscious and consistent efforts for improvement, valuing guidance and sticking to it and never ever undermining the importance of attaining a certain degree of psychological semblance so that one has the necessary drive to keep at the physical rigors of a rigid workout regimen during the days when the going gets tough and tougher!

Hrithik has only two magical words for revolutionizing one’s fitness – ‘initiative’ and ‘consistency.’

And from the man who never fails to inspire millions with his own relatable tales of braving the challenges that life metes out, that is some great advice.

So, what else do we say save – take the initiative and keep at it!

Featured image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License

Summary