When we speak, the actor has an unexpected day off from filming for the threequel that he’s chosen to dedicate to chores, instead of popping a paracetamol and calling it a night. The source of this madcap energy? A product of the disciplined lifestyle he’s now endorsed—one that further stipulates a meticulous diet and, to a certain extent, mental health care.
With this month’s GQ Hype focusing on the theme of fitness, we speak to the actor who dropped from 90 kilograms and 39 per cent body fat to 72 kilograms and 7 per cent body fat, a high-stakes target for even the biggest gym rats. On a personal front, his long-term goal, to replicate the physique of Brad Pitt’s Tyler Durden from Fight Club (1999), has finally been realized. After manifesting this ambitious transformation, by setting the character’s image as his phone wallpaper, but mostly through sheer hard work, Kartik Aaryan believes he’s finally matching the Hollywood superstar “ab to ab”.
What was your training regimen for Chandu Champion?
Before Chandu Champion, I used to think that I was a sporty kind of guy, a notion that was completely shattered once I started training. [Laughs.] To become a superathlete who was skilled at wrestling, boxing and swimming, I’d start my day with a rigorous workout, which included a lot of weighted push-ups at 7.00 or 7.30am, attend boxing sessions around 2.30 or 3.00pm, and then wrap it up with a swimming lesson later at night. Each sport required a particular set of skills and this routine, one I diligently followed for a year and a half straight, got me looking like the ultimate sportsman. And then there was my gruelling diet.
What diet did you follow to reach your ideal weight?
It was the worst: Imagine eating cauliflower rice every morning and broccoli soup each night! I had to give up sweets—the hardest part because I have a major sweet tooth—and all sorts of junk and processed food. My meals would typically be rich in fibre and contain zero carbs, so meal plans would include salads, beans, lentils and paneer. After a point, I just stopped paying attention to the taste and flavours of what I was consuming. My team was closely monitoring my calorie intake and [calories] burned; it was important because we were zeroing down on weight goals like reducing even 0.5 per cent or 0.1 per cent body fat. The first month was the hardest, but then I adapted to the routine. One thing I know about myself is that once I decide to do something, it will happen. I have a lot of willpower.
