Kartik Aaryan’s trainer Tridev Pandey on the actor’s transformation for Chandu Champion

Since the trailer of Kabir Khan’s latest movie Chandu Champion released in May, audiences couldn’t stop gushing over actor Kartik Aaryan’s ripped frame. The film, based on the life of paralympic gold medalist Murlikant Petkar, needed Aaryan to undergo a massive fitness transformation to get into the skin of the character. 

While it was a challenging task to get Aaryan into shape, Tridev Pandey, a national-level boxer who trained the actor, went ahead and made it happen. 

“When I first met Kartik, he had just completed the shooting for Freddy and his weight was 90 kgs and fat percentage was 39.9. I was shocked that he couldn't even do a single push-up or pull-up and wasn’t aware of any skipping movements. I had to start training him from scratch,” Pandey tells YS Life. 

“He had to lose weight and at the same time, transform his body and learn new skills like boxing. I had to work on many aspects,” he adds.

With 14 months of rigorous training, Aaryan lost 18 kgs, and his body fat percentage came down to 7%. Tridev tells us more about the actor’s fitness journey, besides what it takes to achieve this level of agility and stamina. 

A real approach 

When Pandey met director Khan, he insisted that Aaryan must be able to do all the movements himself, even those related to boxing. “I didn’t want Kartik to have a body double…we wanted his portrayal to be as authentic as possible. Through this training, I wanted to make him confident for life, and he has done very well,” mentions Pandey. 

The first step was for Aaryan to understand the basic movements. Within a month of training, his body started to respond. He was able to do push-ups and at the same time, his fat percentage began dropping. 

Pandey chalked out a six-day workout routine with one day earmarked for rest. The idea was not to exhaust the actor since he was also shooting for other projects during this period. 

“We followed an AM-PM workout. In the morning, he had to do cardio and skill training. We reached 2,500-3,000 skips a day. He also learnt 15 different variations of skipping, including double under skipping, cross skipping, and single leg skipping, among other things,” he reveals. 

When the actor was in towns like Wai or Mahabaleshwar for shoots, he would go for long runs, anywhere between three and five kms. “Once we reached an elevation, we would do shadow boxing and bodyweight core workout. Evenings were about a strength routine with weight training.”

From not being able to do a single push-up to lifting a 50 kg plate on his back, and pull-ups with 27.5 kg around his waist, Aaryan’s fitness levels were incomparable after training.

A boxer's routine 

Tridev, who has played nationals as a boxer and continues to compete, believes that the sport requires everything from accuracy, strength, and skill. That's what he wanted Aaryan to learn.  

“We even worked on his hand-eye coordination through various exercises. I would throw a ball towards his eyeline and the distance would only be 2-3 metres. We did this to improve his reflexes so that he could be trained like a boxer,” adds Pandey. 

That's not all. To break the monotony in the routine, Aaryan mastered the art of doing multiple exercises, including archery, push-ups, complex push-ups, handstand push-ups, and reverse monkey sit-ups, among others. 

“These things can be hard for anyone. If someone has enough time to rest, the situation may look different. Kartik had no option because he was juggling so much and there was very little time to get things going for Chandu Champion. He had to flaunt his bare body and that required work,” says Pandey. 

Besides his workout, his diet was also thoughtfully created. Every 15 days, 100 calories would be cut down from his meals. The idea was never to see faster results but to follow a consistent and sustainable approach. 

“We wanted a regime that's not too hard for him and doesn't exhaust him. Although he's a vegetarian, during this time, he was eating eggs. He had a protein-rich diet. We started with 125 gms of protein that gradually increased to 150 gms towards the end. Some foods like paneer, chickpeas, and tofu were incorporated in his meals,” shares Pandey. 

However, Pandey wants to clear the air that no steroids were taken to achieve Aaryan’s toned body. 

“People should know that we didn't follow any shortcuts and that's why I have immense respect for Kartik. People think an actor doesn't have much time, so it's easy to resort to something like this. What we achieved in 14 months may be a long process but it’s a great example for youngsters.”

A long-term outlook 

While Pandey has been the talk of the town for Chandu Champion, he has been training many other celebs on their fitness journeys. 

His first client was actress Sanya Malhotra, who he first began working with six years ago for the movie Pataakha. She had to gain 15 kgs of body weight and then lose the same for her role in the movie, he reveals. 

Besides Malhotra, some of his clientele includes comedian Mallika Dua, actors Vikrant Massey, Sunny Singh, Gauhar Khan, Rajkummar Rao, and Patralekha, among others. 

“I try to teach all my clients to move their body well and at the same time, work on their flexibility and stamina. Making the body isn't enough, it's important to have overall fitness. Everyone who works with me can do headstands, handstands, and different forms of skipping. Generally, not too many women can do pull-ups or push-ups but I am proud to say that my clients have mastered it,” he adds. 

What's next on the cards? 

Pandey says he’s excited about posting actress Shweta Tripathi Sharma’s transformation in Mirzapur 3 that's slated to release on July 5. 

“Golu (Sharma) is completely different now. You will see a huge physical transformation in her as compared to the last two seasons. She now has six-pack abs. I am also training Sanya Malhotra for a Dharma Productions project where she has to flaunt her body,” he says. 

Any tips for youngsters who want to make their workouts more effective? 

“Take care of your protein intake, focus on form and technique, follow a structured and progressive plan, and set specific goals to achieve the fitness levels you want. Last but not the least, never do ego lifting,” he concludes.