3 Years Of Sanju: Ranbir Kapoor’s Intense Fitness And Diet Plan For The Biopic

One of the most talented actors in Hindi cinema, Ranbir Kapoor has come a long way in his decade long career. Born in the first families of Bollywood, the charismatic actor has always had the pressure of carrying his family’s legacy but that didn’t stop him from earning a name for himself in the glamourous industry. After a grand debut with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya, Ranbir teamed up with several talented filmmakers and entertained the audience with his stellar performances.

With several blockbusters to his credit, the film that brought his career back on track (post a series of flops) was Rajkumar Hirani’s biopic Sanju which was based on the life of Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt. While the critics and audience were in awe of Ranbir’s scintillating performance, the biopic shattered several box office records and turned out to become one of the highest-earning films of 2018.

With the film clocking three years today, AskMen India decided to share the intense fitness routine that Ranbir followed to step into the shoes of the veteran iconic actor in front of the camera.

Workout

Despite his hectic work schedule, Ranbir managed to hit the gym atleast for an hour every day. The main aim for the talented actor was to gain muscle mass and obtain a well-toned upper body like Sanjay Dutt. A known fitness enthusiast, Sanjay used to spend hours in the gyms during his early days in the industry. Therefore, to look like him wasn’t an easy task for Ranbir. In a transformation video shared by the makers of the film, Ranbir had said, “Sanjay Dutt represents the epitome of bodybuilding and I could not screw that up. I knew, if I was going to play Sanjay Dutt on-screen, the body was essential.”

Ranbir gained around 15 kgs in a span of six months with the help of intense training and a strict diet. But it wasn’t an easy process as RK was required to get up at three in the morning to consume his protein shake as his diet consisted of eight meals a day. While Ranbir followed his fitness regime religiously, the results were quite visible within a few days. Meanwhile, in the gym, the young actor had to focus more on his upper body and therefore usually indulged in workouts like cardio, pull-ups and other exercises that target the upper body muscles. Here are a few exercises that were a part of his everyday workout schedule.

Dips

Ranbir teamed up with fitness trainer Kunal Gir as he started working out to look like Sanjay Dutt on the celluloid. Dips were an integral part of Ranbir’s workout as the strength exercise helped him gain muscle mass in his upper body. The workout mainly targeted the shoulder, chest, arm and back muscles that helped him develop upper body size and strength.

Simple steps to follow:

• Push yourself up onto the parallel bars.
• Straighten out your arms.
• Lower yourself down with your arms (atleast 90-degree angle with your elbows).
• Keep your head and shoulders straight.
• Go back to the original position.
• Repeat.

Pull-ups

Another upper body exercise that helped Ranbir achieve a boarder look was pull-ups. This may look easy but lifting your body weight isn’t an easy task but Ranbir’s willpower and enthusiasm to excel on the camera help him surpass this hurdle as well. While pull-ups target arms, shoulder and back muscles, they even improve overall body strength as well.

Simple steps to follow:

• Hold the bar nearly shoulder-width apart.
• Try to pull your body upwards.
• Lower your body to the original stage.
• Don’t let your feet don’t touch the ground.
• Repeat.

Hammer Curl

The versatile actor left no stone unturned when it came to looking like Sanjay Dutt on the silver screen. Apart from his back and shoulder muscles, Ranbir even focussed on his biceps by including exercises like Hammer Curl in his daily fitness routine. In a span of 6-8 months, Ranbir managed to gain nearly 15 kgs and bulk up for the role.

Simple steps to follow:

• Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand.
• Bend your elbows and lift the dumbbells till they reach your shoulder level.
• Go back to the original position.
• Repeat.

Dumbbell upright row

The collarbone is an important body part that cannot be ignored and given Ranbir’s ability to slip into his on-screen characters, he made sure that he looked perfect when he portrayed the role of the iconic actor in Rajkumar Hirani’s film. The transformation clip shared by the makers also gave us a glimpse of Ranbir doing the dumbbell upright row which focuses on the collarbone, shoulder and upper back muscles.

Simple steps to follow:

• Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand facing towards you.
• Lift the dumbbells slowly by pushing your elbow out.
• Pull them towards your chin.
• Lower them down and return to the original position.
• Repeat.

Diet

Following the right diet is as crucial as working out in the gym, therefore Ranbir made sure that he followed the right amount of food to provide his body with the perfect amount of proteins, carbohydrates and other vital nutrients. In an interview, Kunal Gir (Ranbir’s trainer) had revealed that for Sanju, the actor had to consume nearly eight meals a day which include a lot of vegetables. Given the fact that Ranbir comes from a Punjabi family, his meals mainly comprised of meat earlier but for the role, Ranbir adapted to the changes and made sure that he had them on time. The talented actor had even revealed that he even had to get up at three in the morning to consume his protein shake.

Hydration

Despite the hectic shooting schedule and professional commitments, Ranbir believes in keeping his body hydrated and therefore is often seen carrying a bottle around with him. According to reports, the Tamasha actor consumes nearly five litres of water every day and apart from his intense workout sessions and busy schedule he also makes sure that his body gets ample rest as well. An inspiration to millions of followers, Ranbir’s hard work has made him one of the most popular and highest-earning actors in the industry.

With several projects lined up for release, fans are eager to see Ranbir Kapoor on the silver screen soon.

Cover artwork by Dhaval Punatar/AskMen India

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