War 2: Hrithik Roshan's trainer reveals secrets behind his ‘dhai kilo ka haath', calls him 'hybrid athlete'

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

If you're from the generation that grew up imitating Hrithik Roshan's hook steps from Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, it is likely that his bulging biceps left an indelible impression on your mind. That was year 2000. He was 26 years old. Cut to 2025, at 51, Bollywood's 'Greek God' is still wooing the audience with his muscular arms. His ripped physique in his latest film War 2 has left fans starstruck once more - so much so that Hrithik's arms are being called Bollywood's new-age 'Dhai Kilo Ka Haath'! Hrithik Roshan went through a disciplined fitness routine for his V-taper body in 'War 2'.(Team Hrithik Roshan)
This is a famous epithet associated with Sunny Deol after a famous dialogue in his 1990s film Damini. But Hrithik Roshan has earned the tag with his dedicated and disciplined fitness routine for his "ruthless" avatar as Kabir Dhaliwal in the just-released 'War 2'.
In an exclusive interview to Health Shots, Hrithik Roshan's personal fitness trainer Swapneel Hazare, reveals that the aim was to help the actor build a classic hero proportion.
"The core objective was to elevate the character, not reinvent him. We wanted to retain the iconic silhouette but bring more mass, more strength, and a more imposing screen presence. That meant bigger delts, fuller arms, and a tapered waist to exaggerate the V-taper, the classic hero proportion," Swapneel reveals.
Every aspect of Hrithik's training was structured to visually amplify his upper body while keeping the waist tight. And the results seem to speak for themselves on screen!
Hrithik's biceps have led to discussion threads on platforms like Instagram and Reddit, with users noticing how his arms are bigger than his head!
One Reddit user compared Hrithik Roshan's muscles from War 1 and War 2.(Reddit)
A recent Instagram video featuring Hrithik Roshan in slow motion - training for War 2 -also gave fans enough reason to wonder what it takes for a man to look like he does at 50-plus!
So, what did Hrithik Roshan's training routine really look like for War 2?
Swapneel reveals: "We followed a classic four-day resistance split. Day 1: Chest, Day 2: Back, Day 3: Legs and Day 4: Arms (biceps + triceps). Alongside that, we incorporated steady-state cardio to maintain low body fat. But the real edge came from combining functional drills and mobility work. The cardio wasn't just about fat burn. It enhanced agility, helped recovery, and kept his movement sharp. Without that balance, the physique would have looked heavy and sluggish on screen. But with it? You get speed, presence, and raw power," adds Swapneel.
The fact that Hrithik Roshan is in his 50s also meant his workout routine paid attention towards recovery, joint health, and mobility.
His trainer admits that age changes everything: cellular recovery, hormonal response, even how tendons and ligaments behave under load. Add to that Hrithik's history with back and knee injuries. These posed a nuanced challenge.
How did they navigate it?
"We had to strike a perfect balance between aesthetics and safety. With strength training we couldn't rely on heavy loads, so we dialed up the training density and intensity by using supersets, drop sets, and high-rep volume to stimulate Hypertrophy without joint strain," he says
For mobility, they developed two separate warm-up and mobility protocols: one tailored for dance rehearsals, the other for fight choreography.
Sharing one of the toughest parts of Hrithik Roshan's prep for War 2, Swapneel says it was pushing through a dance sequence while managing a knee injury that was followed by a back issue.
Calling the actor a 'hybrid athlete' the trainer says that over the years they have shifted from max loads toward high-efficiency, joint-friendly training.
"Volume became our primary tool- more reps, more sets, more density and intensity. This allowed us to build more lean muscle while keeping his knees and back protected. The intensity still exists, but it's smarter now. His mind-muscle connection, awareness of fatigue thresholds, and ability to modulate intensity is what sets Hrithik apart," he asserts.
Besides this, recovery was a daily priority, not an afterthought. "Every session ended with a cool-down tailored to his pain points. On bad days, we adjusted. On good days, we pushed. That's how you train an athlete — not by pushing blindly, but by adapting intelligently," explains Swapneel, a former cricketer who turned to fitness training.
Are there any specific recovery techniques that were a part of Hrithik Roshan's workout regime?
"Absolutely," says Swapneel, adding that Hrithik's recovery toolbox was, in fact, as advanced as his training! According to him, Hrithik underwent:
* Deep tissue massage and myofascial release helped flush out lactic acid and eliminate trigger points.
* Ice baths and infrared saunas were scheduled to manage inflammation and improve circulation.
* Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was used periodically to accelerate healing at the cellular level.
* Nutrition and timing were key. Refueling him at the right time with the right macronutrient matrix was critical. That's when the real muscle-building happens between sessions and when you sleep.
* Sleep is the keystone. Without it, nothing else holds. "Our goal was to get 7 hours of high-quality sleep every night which is easier said than done, especially with Hrithik's sleep struggles. But we fought for it with strict shutdown rituals, magnesium protocols, and blue-light management," explains the trainer, who believes training and nutrition only work if the body is allowed to rebuild.
Swapneel Hazare has worked with Hrithik Roshan since 2018. What's one trait about the actor's approach to fitness that has remained unchanged, and one that has evolved with age?
"Unchanged? His discipline. His obsession with self-mastery. He shows up, day in and day out, with surgical focus. Evolved? His wisdom. In his younger years, he would power through but now, he optimizes. He understands how sleep, hydration, micronutrients, and circadian rhythm all sync to influence results. That level of bio-integration only comes with experience," adds the trainer.
What's your fitness advice to younger men who want to be as fit as Hrithik at 50?
"Forget shortcuts. Forget trends. You don't need fancy programs. All you need consistency. Whatever you do, do it with integrity and relentless commitment. It's not about doing more, it's about doing the simple things right. Every day," says Swapneel.