The indefatigable actor doesn’t take a break from pumping iron or doing 400 crunches a day

HEAVENLY BODIES: GAUTAM RODE, ACTOR, 36

STOP ME IF YOU CAN

 Actor Gautam Rode's ridiculously chiselled abs and sculpted torso are a testament to his 20 years of unremitting hard work. Though most decide to work out in their 20s, the Saraswatichandra actor had diligently taken to the gym when he was in class 10. "My cousin Farhad, who is four years older than me, really inspired me. I hit the gym under his guidance and it has been the greatest high of my life," he says. A staunch vegetarian all his life, the five-feet-eight-inches-tall Punjabi actor says the only time he ate non-veg was when he was a child. "That was until I was five. But I gave it up while growing up, probably because mom never ate non-vegetarian food and hence never cooked it in the house. Being vegetarian makes me feel healthy," he says. Rode, who weighs 68 kilos, works out seven days a week, prefers skipping chapattis, likes gorging on brown rice and belting 400 crunches a day. Here, he breaks down his regimen: 

BODY BASICS 
I have a pretty high metabolism rate. So I tend to lose muscle mass if I am not working out. 
FLASHBACK 
I was a runner in Delhi's Army Public School. I started running when I was in class four and became the fastest sprinter in school and zone competitions by the time I reached class eight. I mostly participated in 100 metre sprints and 4 x 100 metre relays. Two years later, I started going to the gym. 
GYM JAM 
I shoot for at least 10 hours a day and find time to work out only after 10 pm at my building gym in Kandivali West. When I get very late, I go to a 24-hour gym in Malad called Snap Fitness at 12 or 1 am. 
    Because I am constantly shooting, I don't get to spend more than 45 minutes to an hour at the gym. On the rare days when I am a little less tied up, I spend at least oneand-a-half hours pumping iron. I am big on doing weights and focus on one body part a day; such as biceps, back, triceps, legs, or chest and shoulders. I do eight to 12 reps of three-four sets each for all body parts and lift weights ranging from 18-27 kilos for biceps, and 55-82 kilos for chest. I do abs religiously — approximately 400 crunches every day. I am not much of a cardio person but I run for about 40-55 minutes at a stretch, every once in a while. 
EAT CODE 
To keep my metabolism healthy, I eat seven-eight meals a day, every two hours. I wake up at 7 am and start my day with a cup of green 
    tea. After half an hour, I have a scoop of whey protein with skimmed milk, a bowl of muesli with a mixture of flax seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and six almonds. Seeds are terrific at maintaining cholesterol levels and keeping the blood pressure in check. 
    After two hours, I have an apple and a pear. An hour later, I sip on green tea again. My lunch, at 1 pm, consists of brown rice with vegetables like bhindi (okra), lauki (bottle gourd) or chana, and daal along with salad. 
    I avoid eating potatoes and paneer because I find them to be heavy carbs. To my mother's displeasure, I do not eat chapatis at all. I believe the quality of carbs of brown rice is richer than chapatis and therefore, I prefer to stick to the former. 
    After two hours, I have a scoop of whey protein with lots of veggies like cabbage, capsicum and cucumber. Before sunset, I have an apple along with another cup of green tea again. My evening snack is mainly brown rice poha made in olive oil and tossed with veggies like carrot, broccoli, capsicum and baby corn. 
    Before I hit the gym at night, I eat a light dinner, which includes a bowl of muesli and soya milk, or boiled sprouts with lemon juice, onions and tomatoes, or sautéed vegetables and tofu. 
MY CRAVINGS 
I am addicted to caffeine and I like to have a double shot cappuccino from an international coffee chain, twice a day. It is my only indulgence. I do not drink or smoke. 
BODIES I ADMIRE 
I really admire Brad Pitt's body in Fight Club (1999). It's lean and muscular, and speaks of all the hard work that the actor put in sculpting it. 
IDEA OF FITNESS 
Building a good body is not about taking steroids or lifting heavy weights. It's about conditioning your mind and eating right. If you follow this principle, 65 per cent . job is done by your diet and 35 per cent by exercise.