Hrithik Roshan’s Workouts and Diet

Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan with his wax statue

This is our first look at one of the Bollywood greats. At first glance Hrithik Roshan is a typical Bollywood actor. He started as a child during the 1980’s when he was just 6 years old and appeared in a few films alongside his father, Rakesh Roshan, who played the leading roles.

Hrithik Roshan’s Films

He became involved in directing films during the 1990′s when he continued to work with his father. It was in 2000 that he finally made his mark in Bollywood when he appeared in Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai with Amisha Patel. The film was a great success and Hrithik Roshan was suddenly the man of the moment.

In his films he played various roles from that of a charismatic ladies man in the action film Fiza to the world of terrorism in Mission Kashmir. However, it was the science fiction film Krrish in which he appeared opposite Priyanka Chopra, that he shot to fame. It was also in Krrish that we first get to see Hrithik Roshan in a more demanding action role.


He has had many successes since this, and the sequel to Krrish is now in production (due for release in 2013). In Krrish 2 Priyanka Chopra returns as Priya Mehra and Kangna Ranaut is playing the part of a female superhero.

One of his most recent films, Agneepath, shows Hrithik Roshan in a very athletic role. He plays the lead role of Vijay Chauhan who becomes involved with drugs and the mafia when his father is assinated by a gang.

Hrithik Roshan’s Body

Hrithik Roshan, like his fellow Hollywood action heroes, has a fantastic body. He is obviously very fit and very well toned. However, for a while he did let go of his once great body.

By 2011 his waist had increased to 36 1/2 inches and he was very out of shape and had a lot of excess fat to lose. He also had a slipped disc which made him bed bound for several months, during which time he gained a lot of weight. He had also started smoking around 60 cigarettes a day, and was rapidly heading to a future of extremely poor health.

Fortunately he came across Kris Gethin, a Welsh bodybuilder who is also editor in chief at Bodybuilding.com. He discovered Kris while searching the Internet for a fitness instructor and then during the Sheru Classic bodybuilding competition in Mumbai 2011 he made contact with Kris. They soon started working together.


It is from Kris Gethin’s articles on Bodybuilding.com that we can learn most about how Hrithik Roshan got in great shape. Kris has also written a book on bodybuilding, Body by Design, which Hrithik purchased and used as his first guide. This was his first introduction to bodybuilding nutrition.

In the 10 weeks that he trained with Kris he lost 10 kg (22 pounds) and reduced his waist to 30 inches.

Hrithik Roshan’s Workouts

Hrithik’s fitness training covered a range of methods, including tradition weight training, the CrossFit approach, and a lot of cardio to burn fat.

“It was a 12-week transformation, but we completed it in 10 weeks.”

Hrithik followed Kris Gethin’s 12 week fitness plan, but finished it in just 10 weeks. In that time he transformed from an overweight and very out of shape middle-aged man into a super-fit, toned and strong 38 year old.

CrossFit – 5 Times a Week

To get super fit, super fast, he performed a CrossFit circuit 5 times a week. These are very intensive workouts that work all the muscles in the body. CrossFit takes exercise back to basics while still using our new knowledge of body mechanics and sports science. A typical routine includes:

  • Lifting sandbags
  • Power bag exercises
  • TRX training (suspension)
  • Kettlebell exercises
  • Kickboxing routines
  • Jacobs Ladder drills
  • Shoulder Presses
  • Bungee sprints
  • Sledge hammer drills
  • Plyometrics – jumping
  • Tire flips (big tires!)

Of course, these are just some of the exercises done, and you never do the same workout each day.

The Weight Training Workout


As you can imagine, developing a body like that needs a lot of weight training. Kris put Hrithik on a 5 Day Split weight training routine. Each day worked different muscles with different exercises, and there are two rest days. So the same routine is repeated each week.

  • Day 1: Chest, Back and Calves – Dumbbell Bench Press, Incline Dumbbell Flyes, Underhand Cable Pulldowns, Bent Over Barbell Row, Hyperextensions (Back Extensions), Seated Calf Raise, Standing Calf Raises.
  • Day 2: Legs – Leg Press, Seated Leg Tucks, Lying Leg Curls, Leg Extensions, Hack Squat
  • Day 3: No weight training (rest day)
  • Day 4: Shoulders, Abs and Calves – Seated Barbell Military Press, Side Lateral Raise, Upright Barbell Row, Reverse Flyes, Weighted Sit-Ups, Seated Calf Raise, Standing Calf Raise
  • Day 5: Arms – Straight-Arm Dumbbell Pullover, Cable Rope Overhead Triceps Extension, Cable Lying Triceps Extension, Standing Dumbbell Triceps Extension, Straight-Arm Pulldown, Concentration Curls, Dumbbell Alternate Bicep Curl, Standing Biceps Cable Curl.
For each exercise there are 2 to 3 sets of 10-15 reps, always with at least 2 warm-up sets too. For some exercises, such as the Leg Press, there are 4-5 warm up sets of 10-12 reps before doing the heavier work sets, of which there are 3. Some exercises get a lot more sets too, such as reverse flyes with 7 sets of 12-15 reps. See the Bodybuidling.com article for the full details (referenced at the end of this article).

Hrithik Roshan’s Diet

While working with Kris he radically changed his diet. He started eating healthy carbohydrates (broccoli, sprouts, spinach with a little rice or pasta) as well as oatmeal and salads. For protein he had around 56 grams of lean meat each day (steaks, turkey, fish). He eats a lot of eggs (7 egg whites and 2 yolks a day). During his training he also consumed a lot of protein supplements as well as glutamine and multivitamins, which are vital for ensuring that the body functions optimally at all times.

His snacks are healthy now, even after his training is complete. He often eats pancakes made from protein powder and banana splits with protein powder and yogurt.

Hrithik Roshan was so impressed with the knowledge and the results that Kris Gethin delivered to him that he has vowed to take this information and educate all of India. This may sound extraordinaty, but it is a feat that only a Bollyood megastar could possibly achieve.

“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, in an interview with Bodybuilding.com.

The main problem with the Indian diet is a massive reliance on bread products (many people eat chapitis with every meal) and frying food.

“We’ve been living in a kind of Matrix with all the subsidized foods and the fast-food culture.”


Hrithik is right. It is time for change. Not just in India, but all over the world.

References

Hrithik Roshan Workout: Kris Gethin Transforms Bollywood Star” by Jeff O’Connell. Bodybuilding.com, Jan 16, 2012. (Accessed on Apr 12, 2012).

“Hrithik Roshan’s fitness secrets” by Priyanka Jain, Hindustan Times, Mumbai, October 20, 2010.

Photo credit: Hrithik Roshan at Madame Tussauds by filmitadka.in.

6 Comments on “Hrithik Roshan’s Workouts and Diet”

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  3. I am very slim person and i want to.start a protein diet supplements, so can you please guide me by which protein should i start my journey of workout. i am giving my description its as follows:-
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  4. MotleyHealth says:

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