Neil Nitin Mukeshs intensive interval training on the sets of Players

Neil Nitin Mukesh is leading Abhishek Bachchan on a wild goose chase in Russia. Actually they are together shooting for Abbas- Mustans Players. The fast-paced action scenes require Neil to jump from cliffs,and hop across boats with Abhishek on his trail. The dare-devil acts and require Neil to run fast and furiously like a cheetah, stop and then run again, which means he has to be very agile,flexible and mobile, says Baqar Nasser,who trained the actor for these action sequences.

In fact,Neil went through three months of intensive interval training,a specialised physical training which concentrates more on mobility, flexibility and elasticity than on six-pack abs,before he started shooting. Neil now follows it up two or three times a day on the sets. This internal training has given him a sharp athletic look which is neither lean nor beefed up,plus it builds up the stamina and strength required for the special sequences. The theory behind interval training is mixing bursts of high-intensity workouts with low-intensity periods of recovery. You can get a complete workout in 30 minutes with this training, says Nasser,adding that Neil is also on a strict diet of carbs,proteins and fibre,and has six small meals during the day.