“Hrithik Roshan’s diet for ‘Fighter’ mainly consists of six meals a day, a protein shake”: personal trainer Kris Gethin

In exclusive interaction with indianexpress.comGethin spoke about his journey, the role the pandemic has played in making people realize the importance of fitness, people’s obsession with weightlossand train Hrithik for his next film Fighter — scheduled for release in January 2023, in which he stars alongside Deepika Padukone. Excerpts:

Tell us about you.

I’ve been a personal trainer since the mid 90’s, and in my 20+ year career I’ve trained professional athletes, bodybuildersmotocross etc. As a transformation expert, I have also transformed hundreds of people with online resources like my website – krisgethin.com, and millions through my transformation video series.

How would you describe today’s generation’s awareness of fitness?

I would say inspiring. I think today’s generation is interested in fitness, training and performance improvement. But, at the same time, it is worrying because the younger generation is looking for instant gratification. They get inspired by looking at photos and videos on Instagram and they want immediate results. It’s definitely not healthy and many people end up hurting themselves during this process. Another problem I’ve encountered is with cookie-cutter fitness programs designed by personal trainers. I truly believe that in fitness, you can’t follow a one-size-fits-all approach. Programs should be designed with your body type, preferences, lifestyle, time constraints, goals, etc. in mind. This is also the philosophy we follow in our gymnasiums. So I think some aspects are good and some can be better.

Has the pandemic somehow led to more people jumping on the fitness bandwagon?

Definitely, I think more people are fitness minded now. Many people build home gyms, train at home, they control their environment, especially here in India. I noticed when I go for a walk on the beach at 6:30 in the morning, there are a lot of people who are to exercise – some of them run, walk and others do yoga. Indeed, some do sports lessons on the beach. This scenario is really different from what it was 10 years ago. At that time, the beaches were mostly empty. I think the pandemic has made people aware of the importance of health, that’s why they pay more attention (to their health) and enjoy the outdoors for the same. However, at the same time, I still think there is a majority of people who still follow unhealthy habits like eating junk food and drinking. So I believe we have a long way to go.

But do you think there is an unhealthy obsession to lose weight as soon as possible?

It is my constant effort to encourage and educate people to do this the healthy and correct way for longevity. My advice to them is that if you want to maintain it for the longer term, you have to follow the right process and give your body the time it needs to achieve the goals you want to achieve.

Tell us about your association with Hrithik Roshan?

I was sent to India in 2011 for one of my book launches, Body by design (now called Guide to Your Best B0dy). A copy of this book was gifted to Hrithik by my friend and now business partner Jag Chima. After reading this book, Hrithik wanted to consult me. So our first conversations were over the phone. Then, some time later, I flew to India to give him an in-person consultation. At this moment, Hrithik was bedridden for three months due to a ruptured disc. He ate a lot of food and followed unhealthy habits. So we started working together and within 9-10 weeks he was completely transformed for the film. Krish 3.

Tell us about your experience working with the actor?

Hrithik has not undergone a major transformation in the past two years. That’s why I came to India to help him prepare his next film. For the past two years, I’ve helped him get in shape online, but not in person. But, this time, we’re really going to take his body to the next level to Fighter. In the process, we deal with a lot of wounds but we work around them for this transformation.

What does her current workout routine look like?

Often we train two body parts in one workout, but sometimes it’s just one. We train regularly for three days, then we take a day off. His workout duration is almost an hour for each workout. Then he goes on a steady diet cardio workout every day for about 20 minutes.

…and his diet?

Hrithik eats six meals a day and currently consumes around 4,000 calories a day. He’s eating a lot of food right now, because we’re building muscles right now. The majority of his meals are made up of protein. Sources of protein are poultry, fish, egg whites, protein powder, etc., followed by carbohydrates from potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, and oats. He also eats some roti with vegetables and some healthy fats like nuts, egg yolks, and a little olive oil. Then, finally, he consumes a protein shake. So at this point his diet consists mainly of six meals a day and a protein shake.

What does Hrithik’s cheat meal look like?

I don’t allow Hrithik to have a cheat meal. He usually has sugar cravings, like chocolate or cakes or anything sweet. But sugar is very addictive and I don’t like to make it taste like sugar. In fact, there have been plenty of rodent studies that prove sugar is more addictive than heroin.

How important is mindset when it comes to fitness goals?

It is of paramount importance. Without the right mindset, you will not achieve any goal in life, be it your career, your relationships, your spiritual goals or fitness goals. One thing I’ve noticed as a coach is that you’re as much a psychologist as a physical trainer – you have to get into the mind of the person you’re coaching to create discipline. I believe fitness is driven by discipline, not motivation, because motivation often fails. When we don’t feel well or tired, emotion sets in and this dampens our motivation. Therefore, to achieve your goals related to fitness or anything in life, you have to rely on discipline, motivation may or may not exist.

Everything ready for rapid fire, Kris?

Between training celebrities and training others, how do you take time for yourself?

My favorite activities are bodybuilding, camping, music events and motocross events. I also like mountain biking. I participate in Ironman Triathlon, Ultra Marathons and Spartan. On top of that, I have a few international businesses that I run and none of it looks like work. All of this took time for me. I also read almost four books a month and that’s all that makes up my playing time.

What is the optimal age to start training and why?

I think 17-18 is the optimal age to start training because you end up growing in that age range. So, around this age, anyone can start doing more resistance and weight-bearing exercises.

How do you beat a lazy day?

I usually beat my lazy days by taking an ice bath first thing in the morning or a cold shower. I don’t always like being dependent on caffeine. So, taking a ice bath usually beats a lazy day for me.

Mental health is as important as physical health, do you agree?

It is extremely important. Especially in a world dominated by social media where we constantly compare ourselves to others, which can make us feel vulnerable and inadequate. In addition, the diet we consume these days has an impact on our Mental Health. When we consume these inflammatory foods like fried foods, refined vegetable oils, sugar, etc., all this inflammation in our body leads to chemical imbalance in our brain. It is therefore essential to prioritize mental health.

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