Farhan Akhtar is probably the only actor (considering any Indian movie based on sports) who really looked like a sportsperson in his recent film Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. Every time he removes his shirt, you just can’t stop admiring his ripped body. Farhan Akhtar reveals his Fitness & Workout Routine for his movie Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and his routine during other times.
About Farhan Akhtar
Born on 9 January 1974, Akhtar is the son of well acknowledged lyricist Javed Akhtar.
He’s an actor, director, producer, script writer, TV host and lyricist as well.
Physical Stats: Height: 5′ 9″
Farhan Akhtar Workout Routine
And how long do you think he’s been working out for this role?
Almost two years and about 5 hours on most days to look his part in the movie.
Farhan also maintained a very strict diet for this film, and used to have 6 meals a day.
Altitude running
Running on mountain trails including steep uphill’s, long runs and quick running.
Cycling
Weekly sessions of cycling preferably on mountain trails
Running up the stairs
Fast running on stairs to build up stamina
Lydiard hill training workout
Running with high knee lifts and vigorous arm movement.
Here are some videos on Farhan Akhtar’s workout routine:
Diet & Nutrition
Here’s what Farhan’s daily intake would be:
- Breakfast: Fresh fruit juice, egg white or scrambled egg.
- Lunch: A snack of dried fruits, low-fat digestive biscuits and kebabs.
- Evening: Protein shake.
- Dinner: He didn’t eat much at night and before bed he takes protein shake.
More Farhan Akhtar Workout Tips
- Do cycle at least once a week
- Do stair running for effective stamina building
- Eat & maintain the right type of diet.
The Workout Plan
Here’s the workout plan that Farhan followed, in his own words.
What it took: I had to first correct my sleeping pattern. No late night parties. I was in bed by 10 pm and up by 5.30 am. I trained for two hours, three times a day.
Athletic training: At 6.30 am, I’d start my athletic training with coach Melwyn Crasto at Priyadarshini Park. It involved one-and-a-half hours of sprints and flexibility exercises. When Milkha ran, his right hand would bend inwards. Crasto helped me get it right. By the end of each session, I would complete 12 sprints of 100 metres.
Functional training: After resting for six hours, it was time for functional training (working against gravity with your body weight; climbing up a rope or hanging from a height) and abdominal exercises for 1.5 hours. This ensured flexibility. I’d pack in 12 sets of ab crunches. One set included 200 repetitions, which means I did about 2,500 repetitions in all.
Weight training: At 6 pm, I’d spend two hours doing a combination of Hypertrophy Strength Training (HST) and Tabata. This was for the first six months. HST induces the fastest muscle growth over an extended period without the use of steroids. It involves increasing the load on muscles consistently with every session. This ups activity within a muscle cell, making it sensitive to incoming nutrients for repair. Every day, I’d work on my legs, back, then chest, shoulders, biceps and triceps. This was a 12-week programme. As the weights kept getting heavier, the reps decreased.
After three months, I moved to Tabata, a high intensity workout in which I had to pull off maximum repetitions in a given period. We combined two muscle groups every day – chest-biceps, back-triceps, and shoulders-legs. I did eight-10 sets (each lasting 90 seconds) per body part.
In the last six months, when I was supposed to slim down, I moved to endurance training with weights. We combined two muscle groups in a day and did 15 sets of 100 reps per body part. The weights remained consistent throughout all sets. I finished training in December 2012. I was left with just five per cent body fat.
What I ate: I gave up rice, chapati and bread. Instead, I got my carbs from fruits and vegetables. To bulk up for Look 1 (soldier), I was having 3,500 calories a day and five litres of water. My diet remained the same for Look 2 (runner), but the portions became smaller and I was down to 1800 calories.
I would have an omelette of six egg whites and mushrooms with orange juice for breakfast. The food was bland; I couldn’t have salt because the water retention would make me look puffy. Two hours later, I’d have a bowl of oatmeal with half a glass of skimmed milk. Half an hour later, I’d follow it up with nariyal paani.
Lunch was sauteed broccoli, asparagus, beans, baby cabbage and pak choy (250 gms) along with grilled chicken (150 gms), all made in olive oil. I’d have a protein shake after two hours. Berries were the only fruits I could eat as they are low in glycemic index and provide the right anitoxidants. Every evening, I’d have a bowl of boiled chana or moong salad with cucumber, tomatoes and a low cal dressing.
Dinner was the same as lunch, but basa fish or salmon replaced the chicken. Before going to bed, I’d have a protein shake.
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