How Alia Bhatt Became A Killer 'Alpha' With Strength Training And High-Protein Diet, Fitness Coach Explains

In the high-octane action-thriller, Alpha, Alia Bhatt wooed us with her combat shots. From stopping a spear just an inch before it could pierce an eye of Agent Kabir, played by Hrithik Roshan, to thrashing bad guys left, right, and centre to succeed in her mission, the actor left no stone unturned to play Sita aka Alpha Killer.

But Alia wasn't born with combat skills. She acquired them through training, a big part of which involved her fitness and diet routine. No fighter, whether on or off screen, can take on goons and assassins without years of strength training, eating nutritious food and following a sleep cycle that helps with muscle recovery.

In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Karan Sawhney, a celebrity fitness trainer and co-founder of The Tribe India, shared how he trained Alia Bhatt for Alpha, what her diet looked like during the shoot, and how much protein she consumed to achieve a toned and fit physique.

Karan Sawhney played football professionally for 16 years. "While I was playing football, I actually started a gym in 2016. I ran that successfully for five years, post which I started The Tribe in 2020," he shared, adding, "My first celebrity client was Arjun Rampal."

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A post shared by Karan Sawhney (@karansawhney11)

How Karan Sawhney Trained Alia Bhatt For Alpha

Since Alpha is an action film, Alia Bhatt's movements, fight sequences and stunts had to look real and believable. She trained rigorously every day. "She had to look strong, she had to look fit," the fitness trainer shared with NDTV.

He added that in the beginning, the fitness routine included a lot of strength training, reaction work, agility, and reaction drills. The fitness coach revealed that the plan included a lot of visualisation. "Because I genuinely believe that you know when you visualise something and then when you do it, you are in familiar territory and you can do it better. And you see it, feel it, and believe it before actually doing it," he added.

Alia Bhatt Was Shooting For 10-12 Hours For Alpha

Revealing what Alia's day looks like, Karan shared, "She was shooting for 10-12 hours, training for 1-1.5 hours, dancing for an hour, meals were scheduled, and sleeping was also very important because she is also a mother."

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However, working out and eating clean food is not enough if one is not focused on recovery. Multiple action stunts, rigorous training sessions and spending a better part of the day on set call for recovery measures that go beyond sleep alone.

To support recovery, Karan included "saunas, ice baths and cryotherapy" in Alia's routine to boost blood circulation, ensure oxygen-rich blood reached her tired muscles, reduce inflammation and alleviate muscle soreness.

The fitness coach further revealed to NDTV that the brief for Alia was that she had to look "lean, toned and fit." Therefore, her routine focused on building strength, and her meals included a higher protein intake.

"Roughly, Alia was consuming 100 grams - 125 grams of protein a day," he shared.

Karan shared that depending on the shoot routine, Alia would have her breakfast between 9 am and 10 am, lunch between 12:30 pm to 2 pm, evening snacks between 3:30 pm and 5 pm, and dinner between 7 pm and 8 pm. 

He added that Alia would sleep by 10 pm or 11 pm and wake up by 6:30 am. Speaking about her mandatory 7-7.5 hours of sleep every night, the fitness expert explained that it helps improve performance.

"It helps in recovery because your body generally grows and regenerates while you are sleeping. It helps in cellular health; it helps your skin, hair, and nails," he said, adding that every aspect of the body repairs when a person is asleep.

"Sleep is very crucial," he concluded.

Alia Bhatt's physical transformation for Alpha was not the result of a crash diet; it was the outcome of a disciplined and well-structured routine. As Karan Sawhney revealed, her action sequences looked believable on screen because she spent hours strength training and practising choreography. 

Combined with protein-rich, nutrient-dense meals and a strong emphasis on recovery, the regimen helped Alia convincingly transform into the fierce protagonist of Alpha.

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