Exclusive: Fitness coach Tridev Pandey on Kartik Aaryan's transformation in ‘Chandu Champion’
While all of us have been mesmerised by Kartik Aaryan's stellar performance and transformation in his last film Chandu Champion, not many knows the person behind the transformation, professional athlete and fitness coach Tridev Pandey. We speak with him to know about the details of Kartik's fitness journey and more.
Excerpts:
Please share with us insights of the transformation of Kartik. How much weight did he lose? Did he lose fat percentage too?
When he first started working out, his weight was around 90 kg, and after the transformation, it was 72 kg. The fat percentage when we started working out was 39 per cent, and by the end of the film, there was a shooting sequence when Kartick had to bare his body. His body fat content was a mere 7 per cent during that. So it was a great transformation.
What was his workout regimen like?
We followed an am-pm workout routine. We did an am cardio workout, and pm strength workout. We followed a skill and drill regimen, because it was not just about getting an athletic body aesthetically, but also performing like an athlete. Kartick was to play the role of a boxer, and we focussed on a regimen that is similar to that of a real boxer- and worked on fitness, strength, endurance, agility, and focus.
What was his diet like?
The diet was rather simple. We started with a 2100 calorie diet, since he was not just working out and resting, but also shooting simultaneously. We gradually brought that down, every 15 days. It was a high protein and low carbs diet.
Is a rapid transformation like this suggested for general people? If yes, how should they proceed?
I don’t think this can be tagged as rapid transformation. We achieved this in 14 months, and I think it is ideal for anyone to achieve some kind of fitness or body transformation. We just have to take care of the diet, workout programme, progressive overload and accountability of the coach.
Every now and then, a workout regimen or diet gets popular on the internet, and people start following that blindly. Would you suggest that?
Never. Whatever you follow for a longer period of time, after a certain time, you have to change that. I am from Varanasi and have been following a very basic routine. For example, I have my breakfast in the morning, then lunch, then some snacks and then dinner. I wouldn’t suddenly change my routine because my body is used to that macros. So, I will mostly stick to that and change the protein intakes, to achieve my goal.
It's still very hot and humid in most parts of the country. What kind of regimen would you ask our readers to follow as per workout and diet?
You can stick to your workout routine and keep having 3-4 litres of water throughout the day. You have to reduce the intensity of your workout. You may stick to the time, but have to reduce the number of reps or sets. You also need to take care of your food intake, and on days you are not feeling that well, you can go for walks or meditate for a bit. Or, can opt for yoga. If for 2-3 days, the heat or humidity is very high and you are unable to workout, that won’t hurt your body.