Thanks to Netflix, we get to watch great international movies we would otherwise not know about. One of those movies is the Indian masterpiece “Dangal.”
The 2016 movie is based on the real life of former wrestling champion Mahavir Singh Phogat. Due to family responsibilities, Phogat is forced to quit wrestling, and he dreams of training his son to win a gold medal in wrestling for his country. However, attempt after attempt, he doesn’t have a son; instead, he has four daughters.
Disappointed and beaten down, he gives up on his dreams, gets depressed and gains a lot of weight. That is, until one day he realizes his two daughters Geeta and Babita are natural fighters. He decides to train his daughters to become wrestlers, and the rest is history.
In the movie, we watch the main character go from a young, strapping wrestler to an old, overweight man. You may think that two different actors were cast for this character, but both the young Phogat and the old one was played by the same actor: Aamir Khan.
It is easy to think that Khan got in shape for the movie, shot the scenes for the part he was in great shape and then gained a lot of weight. However, the Indian superstar did the opposite. He gained weight for the scenes where he plays the old, overweight Phogat, then lost all the weight in a short amount of time to play the young, muscular wrestler.
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How Big Is Aamir Khan?
Aamir Khan is 5 feet 5 inches tall and he weighs around 160 pounds in the scenes where he’s in great shape. Khan got down to 9 percent body fat for this role.
The 54-year-old actor has transformed his body a few times over the course of his career. Before he started shooting “Dangal,” he gained over 60 pounds and went up to 38 percent body fat.
In less than six months, Khan not only lost over 60 pounds of fat, he also gained some muscle to achieve a muscular physique with single digit body fat, which is exactly what you will achieve by following this “Dangal” workout program.
Many overweight people make the mistake of losing weight by using crash diets and hours of cardio every day. Even though they lose a lot of weight, the end result is usually a thinner version of their old self with no muscle definition and a slow metabolism.
Instead, you should focus on strength training and eat adequate calories and protein to keep your metabolism revving. This way you’ll lose the fat, not the muscle. Kinobody’s Warrior Shredding Program has helped thousands of people lose fat while getting stronger, and some even gained muscle in the process!
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Key Characteristics of Aamir Khan’s Physique
Aamir Khan is shorter than the average male, only 5 feet and 5 inches tall. Khan has a very lean body, which brings out the definition of his broad, round shoulders, muscular arms and square pecs.
Since he played a wrestler in the movie, Khan wanted to look like a wrestler. High-level Olympic wrestlers are known for their strength and stamina. These traits require a ton of muscle mass — especially on the upper body — along with low levels of body fat.
This “Dangal” workout focuses on developing your upper body. There will also be some lower body work to achieve a balanced body. Your primary goal is to get down to 6-12 percent body fat while getting stronger.
It’s very difficult to reach a single-digit body fat percentage. Without a smart, intuitive nutrition plan, most people get stuck around 12-15 percent body fat. The nutrition plan included in the Warrior Shredding Program teaches you the simple way to lean down to a single-digit body fat level, all while enjoying life.
Aamir Khan’s “Dangal” Workout Routine
“Dangal” is a wrestling movie, so Aamir Khan, being a perfectionist, wanted to become a great wrestler. He trained as a wrestler and practiced wrestling moves during his weight gain phase.
Once they wrapped out the portion of the movie where he’s overweight, Khan switched his workout routine to heavy weightlifting. He focused on compound lifts such as squats, bench press and overhead press. Khan also did isolation exercises with cables.
Kinobody’s Warrior Shredding Program is designed for men trying to lose excess body fat while getting stronger. This “Gandal” workout routine uses the principles taught in phase one of this course. This eight-week phase focuses on the whole body to give you a solid foundation to build for future training. You can then follow phases two and three to specialize and accelerate muscle growth in specific areas.
Training Schedule
The “Gandal” workout routine is a three-days-a-week weightlifting program. Each workout takes around 40-45 minutes, which is the ideal duration to work out with maximum performance.
Workout A (Monday)
- Incline Barbell Bench Press: 3 sets x 5-6, 6-7, 7-8 reps (reverse pyramid training)
- Flat Dumbbell Bench Press: 2 sets x 8-10, 10-12 reps (reverse pyramid training)
- Incline Dumbbell Curls: 3 sets x 6-8 reps (reverse pyramid training)
- Zottman Curls: 4 sets of 8-10 reps (Kino rep training)
- Bent-Over Cable Flyes: 1 set x 12-15 reps + 3 mini-sets x 4-6 reps(rest-pause training)
Workout B (Wednesday)
- Barbell Squats: 3 sets x 6-8 reps (reverse pyramid training)
- Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts: 3 sets x 6-8, 8-10, 10-12 reps (reverse pyramid training)
- Speed Skater Squats: 3 sets x 8-10, 10-12, 12-15 reps (reverse pyramid training)
- Hanging Weighted Knee Raises: 3 sets x 8-15 reps (straight sets)
Workout C (Friday)
- Arnold Press: 3 sets x 6-8, 8-10, 8-10 reps (reverse pyramid training)
- Sternum Pullups: 3 sets x 6-8, 8-10, 8-10 reps (reverse pyramid training)
- Seated Cable Rows: 2 sets x 8-12 reps (reverse pyramid training)
- Overhead Triceps Extensions: 4 sets of 8-10 reps (Kino rep training)
- Lateral Raises: 1 set x 12-15 reps + 3 sets x 4-6 reps (rest-pause training)
“Dangal” Workout Notes
Reverse Pyramid Training
The most efficient way to get stronger is to lift heavy in the 6-8 rep range. However, the muscles can’t handle to volume if we lift this heavy all the time. That’s why you’ll lift very heavy in the first set while your muscles are fresh, then lower the weight by 10 percent for each additional set, going for additional reps.
Kino Rep Training
Kino rep training is used on accessory lifts to increase workout volume for arms. This high-volume, high-rep training style will stimulate sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and make your biceps and triceps look bigger.
Pick a weight that allows you to perform 10 reps comfortably. Rest for a minute or two and increase the weight on each subsequent set. Keep going until you’re unable to complete 10 reps. This is a fun way to add volume to your training and give you a break from the heavier weights.
Rest-Pause Training
While getting stronger with heavier weights, we’ll also challenge our muscles with lighter weights. This way, your muscles grow without risking injury. After an activation set of 12-15 reps, perform four more “mini sets” of 4-6 reps by resting only 10-15 seconds between each set. Make sure you keep the weight light. Since you won’t allow your muscles to recover, those 4-6 reps will feel extremely heavy.
Best Supplements for the “Dangal” Workout
You don’t have to take supplements to lose fat and gain muscle. The most important factors are your nutrition and training. If you need a long-term plan that lays out every single detail on exercise and nutrition protocols, pick up the Warrior Shredding Program today and save your money on useless fat burners and supplements.
That being said, there are some supplements that can give you a boost and speed up your results.
If you can afford one supplement, look no further than the high-quality pre-workout Kino Octane. With scientifically proven ingredients, Octane will boost your performance in the gym without any jitters or post-workout crash.
Whatever your physique goal is, Kinobody has a program to help you reach there. Take the physique quiz to find the best program for your goals and check out the blog to discover other celebrity workouts.