Showing posts with label Ranbir Kapoor diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ranbir Kapoor diet. Show all posts
For Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, Ranbir Kapoor needed a beach-body; for Animal, he gained 11 kgs-Shivoham
8:56 AM
Actor’s trainer lets us in on how he brought about his dramatic transformations — from his hefty frame in Brahmastra, to a lithe look for his next romcom, and a beasty avatar for Animal
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; January 18, 2023)
While most fitness trainers encourage their clients to be as physically active as they can, it is the inactivity that was enforced by the pandemic that worked in favour of Ranbir Kapoor. Tasked with gaining a substantial amount of muscle mass for his upcoming film, Animal, Kapoor had the opportunity to minimize energy expenditure when locked in at home.
“Since he was not shooting or travelling, he could sit at home and ensure he was getting adequate rest to recover. He was on a good nutritional plan, and so, the exercise sessions that we were on, bore results. If he was also working, it would have been tougher for him to gain muscle mass, because his energy expenditure would have been higher. For someone with [a high BMR, like him], we need to minimize energy expenditure, and reduce the cardio component. Coupled with nutritionally dense foods that were rich in calories, and good quality, and quantity of sleep — both of which he gets — the process became easier,” says Shivoham, who helped the actor gain 11 kilos of muscle mass for Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s film.
Functional to weights
It wasn’t an arduous task, given that the actor had already acquired a chiselled frame for Tu Joothi Main Makkaar. “He needed a beach-body for that film, and had to look ripped. We depended on functional training routines for it, because we wanted the muscle definition to be visible for the bare-body shots. While moving onto Animal, we needed to first think of adding muscle mass. In that case, addressing definition was [secondary],” says the trainer, who subsequently switched his programme to include heavy weight-lifting exercises.
While a well-constructed exercise regimen is crucial, Shivoham says carb-cycling also plays a crucial role in bringing about desired change. “Since the muscles could need glycogen when the body is put through a tough regimen, we’d put him on a high-carb diet for a day or two. On other days, he would consume less carbs.”
Abundant options
Over his decades-long career, Shivoham has learnt that understanding a client’s temperament during training goes a long way in creating a programme that appeals to them. For Kapoor, he likes to stick to a rep range of seven to eight. “When it comes to building muscle, the idea is to stress it. And there are several ways to do that. By increasing the amount of weight that one lifts, we adhere to [a principle] called progressive overload. One could also alter the amount of rest between sets, or increase the range of motion. So, there are several ways in which you can stress the muscle. We could either do single exercises, or circuits. We also included some amount of functional movements, like thrusters, snatches and ring pull-ups. But because we didn’t want the muscles to be depleted in the process, we made him lift heavy weights, even during those movements. But, remember that during exercise, the muscle fibres are actually broken down. The process of building the muscle occurs during rest, and so, nutrition and rest play crucial roles in their development.”
Always on the edge
Across his recent releases, the actor has undergone notable physical transformations in limited intervals of time. Ask the trainer how he brings about such alterations to his physique, and he lets us in on an industry secret. “The idea is to always maintain a middle-ground weight. A bulky look at 83 kilos will not suit every film, so, we make him acquire a weight of 77 kilos. Thereafter, as long as he continues to be in good shape, and trains well, it’s easy to reach any extreme with small tweaks to his regimen. We either bulk up, or reduce muscle mass, based on the kind of look he desires.”
We ensured Ranbir Kapoor's lifting sessions weren’t hampering his Jagga Jasoos look, while staying on track for Sanju-Kunal Gir
8:40 AM
Long-time trainer to actor chronicles putting him through rigorous routines for films like Jagga Jasoos, Shamshera, and Brahmastra
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; October 5, 2022)
In the last few years alone, Ranbir Kapoor juggled between the shooting schedules of Sanju, Shamshera, and Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva — three films that saw him sport significantly different physiques. Aptly complementing his trainer for his astute understanding of fitness science, Kapoor has often credited Kunal Gir for enabling him to look the part in all his films.
Tracing his journey with Kapoor, Gir recalls how he had to switch his diet to mould him from the 72-kilo Jagga Bagchi in Jagga Jasoos, to the 84-kilo Sanjay Dutt, in Sanju. “In the midst of shooting for Jagga Jasoos, we had to start preparing for Sanju. We had to work in such a way that his lifting sessions weren’t hampering his look in Jagga Jasoos, but we were still staying on track to film Sanju. For Jagga, he was on a two-meal plan, because he had to have a young look. From there, we had to put him on an eight-meal plan for Sanju. Doing that was tough, so we would make him eat four meals, and then have four protein shakes as supplement,” says Gir, adding that for Dutt’s film, their aim was to build size, not definition.
“We put him on a calorie surplus and increased his workload to facilitate a 12-kilo weight gain.”
Gir says the process of muscle building is synonymous to creating a sculpture. “You first pile on as much clay as you can, which is what we do by adding the right calories and building raw muscle mass. In the process, you also gain some fat, which is why you look bigger. Then, you chip away at the fat, with cardiovascular activities, and by limiting the carbohydrate and fat intake, while keeping the protein consumption high, thereby revealing the muscular look.”
The shooting schedules of Brahmastra and Shamshera were well-timed. Kapoor needed to burn off the fat that he had put on for Sanju to acquire a lean look for Brahmastra, and the physical shape that he needed for Shamhera sat somewhere in between.
Kunal Gir
The target was to make Ranbir Kapoor look athletic, not too bulky as Shamshera was like Robin Hood-Kunal Gir
8:39 AM
Shamshera director and trainer decode Ranbir’s prep as actor built athletic frame, six-pack abs to portray noble dacoit taking on British Raj
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 11, 2022)
Distinct as his roles may have been, Ranbir Kapoor has never played a larger-than-life character so far. Shamshera is an exception in that regard. Director Karan Malhotra’s period drama sees him as a spirited dacoit, who loots the British Raj’s allies, thus protesting against slavery. In keeping with the character, Kapoor had to adopt a ripped physique for the movie. Eight weeks before the project rolled in late 2019, trainer Kunal Gir began working with the actor to help him attain the goal.
“The target was to make RK look athletic, not too bulky as his character was like Robin Hood. We had to retain the character’s rustic and raw appeal,” says Gir, who put Kapoor on a five-meal plan. “It was a high-protein, low-carb diet, and he was allowed a cheat meal only once a week.”
The actor’s fitness regime was modified to focus on his core strength, before building his six-pack abs. “We trained five days a week, each session was an hour-long, followed by a five-minute high-intensity cardio session called ‘truck’. It involved the treadmill being turned off, while RK would hold the handles of the machine and drive the belt with his legs.” Though the pandemic briefly put the brakes on the project, the actor resumed the regimen as soon as filming recommenced.
In the July 22 release, Kapoor’s character is pitted against the merciless Shuddh Singh, essayed by Sanjay Dutt. The director notes that the leading man, who plays a double role, had to build a powerful frame to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Dutt.
“Ranbir has worked hard for the roles of Shamshera and Balli. The idea came from the fact that I wanted the audiences to feel his internal strength every time they saw him on screen. So, I [nudged] Ranbir towards building a body that added more strength to his characters. The intention was never for his physique to be a distraction, but to be an asset to his characters,” he says.
Ranbir Kapoor benefited from CrossFit patterns-Shivoham
8:22 AM
Ranbir Kapoor’s trainer Shivoham on making the actor fall in love with fitness over their 18-month association
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; April 20, 2022)
Having previously interviewed several members of the clan, it’s easy for this reporter to decipher that it’s not easy to take carbs out of the diet of the Kapoors. Ranbir Kapoor, however, seems to be cut from a different cloth. The actor, who “is very disciplined when it comes to his eating habits”, follows a Ketogenic diet, a pattern that his trainer, Shivoham, says works well for his body-type.
“He looks good and responds well to it. Some people don’t have the mental temperament to manage a carbs-free diet. He does. We give him enough protein in every meal, and good fats like avocados and nuts,” says the trainer, who began working with Kapoor 18 months ago, and is set to amp up his routine for his next, Animal.
Shivoham agrees that Kapoor isn’t known to be the typical “gym-goer” who enjoys hitting a personal record day-after-day. But small changes in his routine has made the actor approach his lifestyle differently. “The job at hand was to make him gain muscle mass. He had been following free-hand functional training exercises, so he had a decent foundation. We, however, had to move him onto a weight-lifting [plan]. He is a tall guy, with broad shoulders. If one has even a little muscle mass, and the kind of definition that he does, they can look [sufficiently] big on camera. He benefited from compound movements performed in accordance with the CrossFit patterns. He never did a single burpee, because this wasn’t competition-training, but we found other ways to make sure his cardio-component [was addressed]. For instance, between sets, I’d make him do minute-long jump-rope sets. Combined with lifting, this approach helped him enhance his fitness levels.”
While Kapoor has an active lifestyle, and has been involved in sports, he had to approach weight-lifting with caution. Shivoham followed a two-step method to make the transition seamless for him. To begin with, he kicked off his training sessions with a fair share of gymnastics work. “If you need to build muscle mass, you need to push heavy weights, and having a strong core is a prerequisite for that. Olympic ring work, gymnastic work, and bar work was incorporated so that he could build core strength before he began to lift.”
The second factor that the trainer paid heed to was mental stimulation. “Introducing variety is a great way of building muscle mass without making a routine boring. He’s not a gym-person, so in order to make him fall in love with exercising, I had to understand [his] temperament. Within the first few sessions of working with someone, it’s easy to understand what the person likes and dislikes. One can judge that while some people don’t mind pulling off higher repetitions with heavy weights, some can put in their best work in seven reps, while others can pull off 12 reps. Understanding that is a challenge.”
Via the 45-minute sessions that he would get with Kapoor amid his shooting schedules, Shivoham has been able to help the actor develop a fondness for training. “While he could do pull-ups before, he can execute them more efficiently now. His ring work, which can be quite difficult, is good, and he can pull off 25 handstand push-ups in one go,” says the trainer, adding that he also helps him manipulate his diet ahead of a body shot.
“For a close-up, we need to make certain that his face looks chiselled, so we ensure that the water balance in his body is maintained. Eliminating carbs helps us minimise retention. When he has dancing shots, we ensure he stays hydrated. Now, he also understands how his body reacts to different foods. So, he knows what he needs to do when he’s shooting.”
I have been making meals for Ranbir Kapoor, seven days a week-Harsh Dixit
8:13 AM
Ranbir Kapoor's personal chef lets us in on creating delicious meals with only as much fat as his trainers approve of
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; September 25, 2019)
Bored of consuming boxed meals, and finding his basic home-cooked meals less appetising, Ranbir Kapoor, apparently on Alia Bhatt's recommendation, turned to Harsh Dixit for suggestions of a suitable chef to appoint. Dixit, who had previously catered to Kapoor as part of his meal-prep service business, had recently called time on the service and was willing to be his person. "For a year, I have been making meals for Ranbir, seven days a week. I'll head to his home to cook, and even travel with him for shoots," Dixit tells mid-day.
Striking the right balance between preparing scrumptious dishes and meeting the right proportion of protein, carbohydrates and fats that is recommended by his nutritionists, is his key job. "There is usually a discussion that ensues with his nutritionist and trainer about his requirements. There are requests pertaining to the [daily] calorie count as well as how and when different food sources must be incorporated in his diet. For an upcoming film, he needs to look lean and ripped. His meal plan for it was intricate; a post-workout protein meal was expected to be fish-based, so that it could be easily consumed. Dinner had to have red meat, since it is digested slowly, and could keep him satiated," says Dixit, adding that even seemingly inconsequential factors, like ensuring that the meals can be consumed by spoon in the midst of Kapoor's mid-shoot makeup sessions, are things he must be mindful of. Dixit says part of his job also entails "figuring out how to serve vegetables in a way that's adaptable for the palate." In a bid to ensure Kapoor doesn't "miss out" on important nutrients, he chooses to add them to his diet in the form of juices, smoothies or purées.
"If I must make low-calorie meals, I cut down on the richness of the food. For instance, the core ingredients in butter chicken are chicken, tomatoes and kasuri methi. What makes it high in calories is the cashew paste, ghee and cream. So, if I am given a stipulated amount of fat that I must feed him, I will control the richness of the dish by using olive or avocado oil instead of ghee."
Kapoor, Dixit says, was on a diet involving macadamia oil for a long time. "It was advised by his trainer, who had researched on its health benefits. But, I was interested in factors like its smoking point, and whether I must use it as a gravy or flavouring agent." Pointing out that rice, rotis and meat are staples that cannot be played with, Dixit adds that the factors that allow him to put his prowess on display are vegetable preparations. "As a chef who cooks for survival, I need to know how to make things interesting for him. Right now, I feed him turi, parval, and a bevy of other sabzis that even a nutritionist wouldn't specify." Only on two occasions, Kapoor requested Dixit to avoid repeating a dish. One was for a zucchini dish, and the other for a thyme-based meal. "But I still add the thyme in dishes where he can't spot it," he laughs.
A true-blue Punjabi, Kapoor loves his meals. "He enjoys pork and meat, and loves all things sweet, including Indian sweets, chocolates, cookies, cupcakes and brownies." But when a role demands he cut down the fats, a discussion ensues with the actor where it is specified that sweets would be replaced by savoury dishes. On a particularly dull day, Kapoor may ask him to forgo what's on the charts and play mischief. "But our variations may be of the order of 300 calories more than designated. That too, he knows, he must later burn it off."
2,400
Kapoor's current daily calorie count
Porridge
Kapoor's favourite meal prepared by Dixit
I would start making an omelette, but it would end up as a scrambled egg-Ranbir Kapoor
8:08 AM
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; April 9, 2018)
Looking at Ranbir Kapoor, who has lost oodles of weight, it’s difficult to believe that the actor is a foodie. But he explains that his next film, Brahmastra, requires him to appear lean. As a result, he is staying away from wheat and rice. Otherwise, the Kapoor scion gorges on Junglee Mutton and Paaya, whenever the khandaan gets together. “You can tell from the sizes of my family members that we love to eat,” smiles Ranbir.
His earliest memory is of his grandmother preparing macaroni and cheese when he was a kid. “Certain food memories stay with you and when you have the dish again, it takes you back to that happy place,” he recalls fondly. The star confesses that he is a huge fan of Bhajiya Pav. “I like it more than Vada Pav. In fact, I have grown up on Cheese Dosa — I would love eating from the roadside Chinese food stalls. Another favourite snack is Dabeli, everything that all of us Mumbaikars connect with,” he says.
Each time he has street food, he has a chilled glass of Pepsi. “I’m not saying that because I’m endorsing it, but because that’s what I grew up on and believe in,” he tells us earnestly.
Quiz him if he has given up street food owing to his profession, which demands a strict diet and he replies sheepishly, “I do have it, I can’t sacrifice it! But yes, I can’t eat as often as I used to in school or in college. There’s a Vada Pav wala outside Film City. Whenever I shoot there, I make it a point to have a mix of Bhajiya Pav and Vada Pav, which I love.”
As Ranbir is so fond of food, has he tried to learn cooking? “When I was a student abroad, I used to make eggs. I would start making an omelette, but it would end up as scrambled egg or bhurji! Theek toh hota nahi tha, but that is something I can cook,” he says candidly before smiling and adding, “I don’t have the talent that is required to cook, but I have the talent to appreciate food.”
The 35-year-old star also states that it’s relevant to have a solid friend circle in your life. “It’s very important, especially in my profession because they keep you grounded, make you humane, and give you a reality check,” he says. Are all his pals from the industry? “My only close friend from the industry is probably Ayan Mukerji. Apart from him, all of them are from my school days,” he reveals.
Ask him what he does to unwind, and the Brahmastra actor says that he either goes for a drive, watches a movie or plays football with friends. “That’s all you need, when friends are together,” he concludes.
How Ranbir Kapoor transformed into Sanjay Dutt for his biopic
8:16 AM
How Ranbir Kapoor did it, with a little help from his friend Rana Daggubati and his trainer, Kunal Gir
Upala KBR (DNA; February 2, 2017)
It was Rana Daggubati’s beefy look for Baahubali 2 in a newspaper that caught Ranbir Kapoor’s attention. The lean RK was asked to bulk up as he plays Sanjay Dutt in the upcoming biopic, helmed by Rajkumar Hirani.
Rana reveals, “I introduced Kunal Gir to Ranbir, who is a friend and now, he has started training with him as well. Kunal is in Mumbai thrice a week training Ranbir and the rest of the days, in Hyderabad (where he resides).”
Kunal adds, “Initially, Ranbir wanted me on board for consultation and to train with someone else in Mumbai as I live in Hyderabad. I’d just guide him virtually. We met a couple of times and found that our wavelengths matched. Then, I started going to Mumbai and we’d have 16-18 sessions a month. It’s weight training with no cardio. Sanjay Dutt got his beefy look after years; for us to replicate that, naturally took some time.”
How RK bulked up
Ranbir will be seen in three distinct looks in the film — a beefy build, a lean look (the ’90s) and the time he was in drug rehab. The first shoot will have RK looking like how Dutt does now, after his release. The version with the skinnier look begins soon. Kunal says, “We couldn’t make Ranbir look that fat so we bulked him as much as we could with the help of prosthetics to make him look older. He has gained more than 13 kgs now which is all muscle and no fat. His waistline has gone down by an inch and he has been losing fat while building up. Ranbir has an hour-and-a-half of intense workout sessions. It’s a big challenge bulking Ranbir up like Sanjay, but the former is committed to doing whatever needs to be done. He wakes up at 3 am, has a protein shake and goes back to sleep.”
New diet direction
Ranbir’s diet was changed, too. Kunal says, “He has to eat a lot more than he used to. Earlier, Ranbir was a very small eater and predominantly, a meat eater. Now he eats a lot of vegetables. He had an erratic timetable and would eat only when he was hungry. Now he eats meals at proper times. His fast metabolism lets him get away with junk food, but I have made him skip all that. Now Ranbir eats healthy food, has frequent meals and lean meats like chicken and fish, which are grilled with specific oils. Both Rana and Ranbir have their meals cooked in macadamia oil, which I import from South Africa. It’s the best cooking oil. I have a cafeteria at my gym in Hyderabad, which provides meals to all my clients. Ranbir knew about it and sent his cook to Hyderabad twice to get trained by my chef in cooking healthy stuff.
‘Starving’ for second look
Ranbir will now need to lose weight for his second look. Kunal has a strategy ready for that. “We don’t provide the body with enough calories, so there’s catabolic shrinking without getting the surplus nutrients. The body is literally starving at this point. Yes, it’s very tough, but it’s for a couple of months. For the leaner phase, he will be needing more cardio sessions which will be for longer periods of time.”
Food-wise
Kunal finds RK to be a friendly star and a big foodie. “I carry haleem (a porridge with lentils and mutton) every other weekend for him as he loves to eat that. If I don’t get that, he gets upset. I am the haleem messenger boy now for him,” he adds, laughing.
Ranbir’s grandmother Krishna Raj Kapoor had invited them all over for a meal which consisted of a rich Mughlai spread of biryani, paaya, junglee gosht etc. So does Ranbir have his cheat days and eat that? “No. He ate it that day. He doesn’t have cheat days, but a good meal every Saturday night and a couple of drinks.”
Kunal says training Rana for Baahubali 2 and Ranbir for the Dutt biopic were two different things. “Both have different structures. Rana is a broad built guy with a wide back and shoulders, but smaller chest and arms. So we had to focus only on his arms and chest and never touched his back and chest whereas with Ranbir, it was not like that. He has never trained much before. While he was lean and fit, he has never buffed up, so he trained like a beginner.”
A look at the diet of 6 fit & dashing Bollywood actors
4:00 PM
Eepsita Guha and Reza Noorani (BOMBAY TIMES; January 1, 2015)
Hrithik Roshan has six meals
a day, most of which are protein based. The actor
insists on having minimum oil in his food. His breakfast includes
protein shake, four egg whites and a brown bread, while his lunch
consists of 5060 grams of chicken breast along with steamed or
stir-fried veggies. Throughout the day, he has eight egg whites with an
interval of two hours between each meal. For dinner, it is roasted fish
(salmon or sea bass) or
chicken breast along with steamed or stir-fried vegetables. He
has a protein shake after every workout. His cheat sheet only has
chocolates - the actor sometimes nibbles on a chocolate bar at
night.
Akshay Kumar has a unique way to keep himself in shipshape. The
actor, who is fighting fit, stays away from carbs and gorges on special laddoos that are loaded with over 40 different herbs.
Ajay Devgn,
who showed off his
toned physique in Action Jackson last year, follows a strict no-carb
diet. While he enjoys his intake of fish and mutton, the actor believes
in organic food and includes fresh vegetables from his farm in his daily
diet. He also munches on almonds at regular intervals.
Sonu Sood is
another actor who takes pride in his fit body. He allows himself one
chapati per meal, brown rice, vegetables and fruits. His only indulgence
is egg whites - the actor
has two to three of them every day.
Ranbir Kapoor is not your typical
six-pack guy, but is extremely careful when it comes to his diet. RK Jr
is known to start his day with caviar and a toast, and has small meals
at regular intervals, preferably homemade.
Tusshar starts his
mornings with oatmeal and whey protein. The actor has six meals a day, with his lunch and dinner including grilled chicken or fish and
vegetable salads.
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