We got in touch with Darrell Foster, who trained and guided Farhan Akhtar during his body transformation as a boxer for Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s film Toofaan, and discussed the actor’s workout routine, diet plan, and the mental strength it took for him to get in the required shape.

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Farhan Akhtar Diet Plan And Manipulation For ‘Toofaan’

Akhtar had to undergo some significant changes in the amount of food he used to consume on a day-to-day basis. In the film, the actor can be seen in two very drastic shapes, which made him bulk up first and then shed all that fat to become chiseled. 

i. Bulking Up Phase: 

© Amazon Prime Video

During this phase, Farhan was made to eat around 5000 calories per day, which is almost double of how much he was supposed to eat in order to maintain his weight. Foster says that he had taken away all restrictions on his diet during this time and allowed him to indulge in high-carb and high-protein foods.There were times when Akhtar would feel bloated and completely filled up to the neck and he’d still be made to consume even more calories in the form of shakes.

ii. Leaning Down Phase:

© Amazon Prime Video

In the initial days of leaning down, Akhtar’s intake was brought down to 3000 calories per day (which is still over 500 calories more than what he’d usually consume).Eventually, the restrictions got even more severe and his intake was slashed down to 1200-1500 calories per day.Akhtar would have to wake up in the middle of the night to eat sodium-rich foods as he would lose a lot of water while training for over 6-8 hours per day.Additionally, on days he had to highlight his abs, and appear “shredded”, he had to avoid water retention - a common but potentially dangerous process that bodybuilders, athletes and actors commonly practice to appear lean.

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Here’s what Akhtar’s workout routine would look like, in addition to the 6-8 hours of boxing sessions:

Monday - Chest and Triceps

Incline Bench Press (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps)Dumbbell Bench Press (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps) Cable Flys (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps)Incline Cable Flyes (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps)Incline Dumbbell Flyes (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12Reps) Dips (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps) Tricep Pushdown (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps) Hammer Strength Bench (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps) Cable Kickbacks (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps) 

Tuesday - Back and Biceps

Deadlifts (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps) Barbell Rows (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps) Lat Pulldowns (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps) Cable Rows (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps)1-Arm Dumbbell Rows (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps)Wide Grip Pull-Ups (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps)Hammer Curls (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps)Barbell Curls (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps)EZ Bar Bicep Curls (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps)Preacher Curls (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps)

Wednesday - HIIT Training 

Specifics unavailable

Thursday - Shoulders and Traps

Military Dumbbell Press (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps)Dumbbell Shrugs (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps) Barbell Strict Press (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps) Barbell Shrugs (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps) Front Dumbbell Raises (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps) Shoulder Width Push-Ups (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps)

Friday - Legs

Back Squats (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps) Lunges (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps) Leg Press (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps) Calf Raise (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps) Seated Hamstring Curls (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps) Squat to Box Jumps (1x Warm Up Set + 3x Sets Of 8-12 Reps)

Saturday And Sunday - Light Cardio and Rest

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