Samir Jaura, Farhan Akhtar’s personal trainer since 2004, reveals how passionate Farhan is about fitness: “It’s not just a hobby for him. It’s his lifestyle.” Farhan is highly motivated and loves working out. But just to avoid boredom and break the monotony, Samir keeps changing his workouts. “He is a perfectionist. I’m a perfectionist. So this is what happens when two perfectionists meet. They never compromise. They are true to themselves.” Samir calls Farhan his best student. He follows instructions to the T and always does what he’s told. He’s very particular about his workout routines. “I’m so proud of him because he managed to achieve a physique that required an intense transformation for his role in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag .”
Samir mentions that Farhan’s body is ectomorphic or lean. If he doesn’t work out, he loses weight instead of gaining it. Ectomorph body types have a linear physique and are fragile or delicately built. They find it difficult to gain weight or add muscle. They are slim-boned, long-limbed and lithe. This body type is most common among models. Male ectomorphs struggle to increase their muscle mass as they tend to look very lean and thin. At the same time, as they grow older, their super-fast metabolism slows down and they start gaining weight. But this is when male ectomorphs have an opportunity to turn this body fat into muscle. Farhan is a highly committed and focused ectomorph body type. Samir greatly admires Farhan’s persistence and fitness goals.
Sports enthusiast
Farhan is a volleyball enthusiast and manages to take time out to play the game at least once or twice a week. He’s also passionate about skydiving. Samir mentions that Farhan has recently been going to Spain every year, where he takes a break from work. There he makes it a point to go skydiving. So, even on holidays, Farhan manages to keep things action-packed as he’s naturally energetic and athletic. Recently, Farhan has also taken to cycling. On holidays abroad, he hires a cycle to travel around, and also goes to the beach wherever possible for a swim. In fact, after he’s back from a holiday, Samir has no trouble getting him in shape, as Farhan manages to stay quite fit.
Being physically active throughout the year helps Farhan always keep his fitness levels at a peak. It also means he does not have to diet or change his eating habits drastically in order to lose weight.
Foodie or Health Nut
Farhan likes the occasional ice cream (only one scoop!) after dinner or a piece or two of dark chocolate. He has no other food cravings or indulgences. “Actually, he’s very focused and eating healthy has become a way of life for him,” says Samir, about his favourite trainee celeb. Farhan has trained his mind and body to such a degree that he eats clean and healthy throughout the year.
So trying to eat healthy just before a shoot is not his eating pattern. He just makes minor adjustments in his diet while preparing for a role. On a regular day, Farhan eats about 150 g of meat in a meal, but on pre-shoot days, he restricts it between 75 and 100 g. Before a shoot, he also cuts down or avoids oil, salt and spices, but otherwise enjoys his salads with healthy dressings. Farhan eats a lot of salads, grilled or sautéed in olive oil, with fish, turkey or chicken. His diet also includes a lot of quinoa, couscous, buckwheat pasta, and brown, red and black rice. He prefers having fruits like berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and others), oranges and watermelon. He does have the occasional banana, but in a protein smoothie. Being very conscious of the portions is another habit that helps him stay in shape.
Farhan strongly believes that it is very important that one gets used to a healthy and nutritious way of eating, as it is not something to be adopted occasionally. It should become a part of your lifestyle. Alcohol is one of the aspects to which he applies this rule quite strictly. He rarely drinks, and even if he does, it’s usually a pint of beer on social occasions or holidays. He also totally abstains from smoking.
At parties, he generally avoids eating the food that is being served and instead prefers home-cooked food meticulously prepared by his chef. He does not have any inclinations for restaurant food either.
- Regular routine
- Farhan works out every day for two-and-a-half hours. This includes a forty-five-minute ab workout, followed by a trainer routine that changes every week. He also plays volleyball and swims at least two to three times a week.
- Finding a balance
- Exercising is a great stress-buster, so it is important to find ways to balance out your work and leisure activities that help you keep fit. Farhan finds exercise to be a fantastic way to release stress and thus maintain emotional balance.
- Time management
- Despite his busy schedule, Farhan finds time to do the things he loves. His way of ensuring he keeps active apart from going to the gym is by taking time out to swim, play football and volleyball, all activities he really enjoys.
