Karan Hariharan was 16 years old when he realised that acting was his calling. That’s what made him happy and he set his heart on becoming an actor. But there was one problem. He weighed 120 kg. “I was out of control when it came to food. Ever since I was a child I never had a concept of moderation in my head. I ate a lot and found myself at 120 kg when I was 16. I felt very weak and had no endurance. It was a huge wake-up call,” remembers Karan, who is all geared up for his debut in Pradeep RK Chaudhary’s Pyaar Hai Toh Hai.

What ensued was a long and arduous journey towards fitness. Karan started with cutting out all the junk food and replacing it with a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, protein and fibre. “It was tough. I stopped eating with the family as I had no discipline and couldn’t eat what they were eating. So I would eat my ‘diet’ food in the kitchen or in my room.” He took baby steps with strength training and weight lifting. Football helped, too. During his time at Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in Los Angeles where Karan went for his acting training he got introduced to martial arts — boxing, MMA, Taiichi and capoeira (Afro-Brazilian martial art). Within two years, he managed to turn his life around, and lost 50 kg. He was lean but not very strong. That’s when he discovered Calisthenics and fell in love with it.

What is calisthenics?

The term calisthenics comes from the Greek words ‘kalos’ meaning beauty and ‘stenos’ which translates to strength. At the most basic level, calisthenics is a form of strength training that uses the body’s own weight to develop natural strength. Think squats, push-ups, lunges, crunches, dips, jumping jacks, handstands, etc. It’s designed to improve strength, flexibility, agility, balance, coordination, and aerobic conditioning — just about every skill you need to be a fit person. “Initially, I was dabbling in it on my own, doing handstands, chin-up, back flips, etc., but then a friend told me about this place in Malad, Elysium Calisthenics Park. I went to see what it was. One session and I have not left the place for two years,” says Karan, who trains with calisthenics coach and founder of the park Kirsten Varela.

One of the biggest advantages of calisthenics according to Karan is that you can do it anywhere, without the need for expensive equipment or gym memberships. All you need is your body and some open space to get a great workout. “At the same time, you do really cool things like flips and 360 swings that can be applied into the world of filmmaking and acting. But the best part is that it really gets you ripped,” he laughs.

One rep at a time

Karan’s Instagram account is full of gravity defying, beautiful and fluent exercises. He makes intense calisthenics movements such as the shrimp flip, 90-degree push-up, 360 swing and the human flag (grabbing a post and hanging like a flag) seem effortless. These exercises demonstrate an insane amount of strength using muscles from the entire body —  particularly the wrists, shoulders and abdominals. But the actor clarifies that it’s a long process and involves a series of progressions that start from simple push-ups, planks, bodyweight lunges, squats and the grimace-worthy burpees.

“Consistency is key if you want to get good at calisthenics because some exercises take months or even years to perform. The more you practice certain skills, the faster you will be able to perform them correctly. It’s about getting stronger gradually.” Yoga helps, too. “The breath control you use in yoga as you do stretching, movements and holds, is the same breath control you use in static positions in calisthenics. The mobility you gain from doing yoga can automatically be applied to things you do in calisthenics,” he says. Karan trains five days a week for two-and-half hours a session. He uses the rest days to recuperate through cupping (an alternative therapy that involves suctioning the skin with glass, plastic, or silicone cups) and the occasional ice bath.

Mindful eating

Karan also honed in on his diet. Mornings for the actor start with a cup of black coffee with a teaspoon of ghee followed by lunch of a wrap stuffed with vegetables or chicken. Fruits make up for desserts. Dinner is a soup and some stir-fried protein with vegetables. “I believe what you eat has to be sustainable for you to stick to it. Nothing I eat is boring. I can even have a brownie in my diet if it’s in moderation and at the right time,” says Karan. A south Indian at heart, rice with sambar and thayir sadam (curd rice) is his biggest craving. But he finally knows how to deal with them. “You need to keep reminding yourself of why you are doing this. For me, it’s acting and needing to be my best version for it. But it could be anything. Once you find that reason and commit to it, you’re good to go.”

Karan’s tips for transformation

1.  Take your time. Don’t do it fast. Do it smart. If you do it smart you will sustain it for the rest of your life

2.  Don’t compare yourself to other people. The only person you have to beat is yourself

3.  The mind games are harder than the actual training. That’s what people lose to

4.  Use meditation to control your mind. Observe it rather than indulge it

5.  Repeat what you enjoy doing, modify what you don’t

6.  Develop a vision of yourself and work towards it