‘I started with 200…reached 1,000 abs a day': Aamir Khan on his pushing himself hard to get a chiselled physique for Ghajini; expert on risks of overtraining

Indian Express

a day ago

Building a physique like the one Aamir Khan showcased in his 2008 film Ghajini didn't happen overnight—it required extreme dedication, discipline, and an almost unbelievable training routine.
Appearing on Raj Shamani's podcast, Aamir shared a surprising detail about his fitness prep for the film, revealing how intense his workout sessions were during that time. When asked about how he trained to achieve the physique, he shared, 'Ghajini jab maine ki thi toh main bohot overtrain karta tha. Uss waqt main dinn mein 3-3.5 hours workout karta tha, ek hi baar mein (When I did Ghajini, I used to overtrain a lot. At that time, I used to work out for 3 to 3.5 hours a day in a single session).'
When Shamani asked about his regimen, Aamir replied, 'Aap hasenge agar main bolunga aapko toh,' he said, adding, 'Mere trainer that Chintu (Satya), toh maine bola ek kaam karte hain, apun warm up abs se karte hain. Do cheezein ho jayengi… 2-in-1… warm up bhi ho jayega aur ho gaya abs. Toh first day humne 200 abs kiye, 200 se mera matlab hai – 20-25 crunches, 20-25 hanging leg raises… ab woh hua kya, body jo hai na adapt ho jaati hai. Toh 200 abs mere liye bohot aasaan ho gaye (My trainer was Chintu (Satya), so I said, 'Let's do one thing — let's start the warm-up with abs. That way, two things will get done… 2-in-1… the warm-up will be done, and abs too.' So, on the first day, we did 200 abs. By 200, I mean around 20-25 crunches, 20-25 hanging leg raises… Now, what happened is that the body starts adapting. So, doing 200 abs became very easy for me).'
He continued in Hindi, 'That warm-up kept increasing. I did 200, and then one day, I was in the mood, so I pushed it to 300, then 400, and then I said, 'Let's make it 500.' So, in 1-2 months, I reached 1000… 1000 repetitions. And it used to take me 55 minutes. After that, I typically did two body parts in a day. My workout lasted 1.5 hours. So, it became 2.5 hours, and then I would do cardio for another hour. By the end of the workout, I used to be so exhausted that I'd go upstairs, take a shower, and just fall asleep.'
Dr Lakshay Bhaktiani (PT), head physiotherapy, PSRI Hospital, tells indianexpress.com, 'Doing the same movement repeatedly, such as 1000 ab reps, can strain specific muscle groups and joints. Over time, this can lead to overuse injuries, muscle imbalances, or burnout. The effectiveness of such high-volume repetition tends to diminish as the body stops responding like it did initially. Even elite athletes benefit from variety and moderation in their routines.'
Dr Bhaktiani mentions that the muscles and nervous system have become efficient at performing that movement. As a result, the exercise no longer stimulates the same growth or strength gains. This is known as a training plateau.
To avoid this, he suggests regularly changing one's routine 'either by increasing resistance, altering the number of sets and reps, incorporating different movements, or focusing on different muscle groups.' Cross-training and adding flexibility, strength, and cardio elements can help prevent injuries and maintain overall fitness progress.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.