Earlier this year we took a brief look how Brad Pitt’s and Daniel Craig’s training methods differed. Daniel Craig trains to develop larger and bulkier muscles, whereas Brad Pitt looks more like a lean, mean, fighting machine. Brad Pitt’s ripped body is most evident in the films Fight Club (1999), Snatch (2000) and Troy (2004).
His appearance in Thelma and Louise in 1991, as JD, was his first main Hollywood role, and also where his body was first seen and admired, but his role as Mickey O’Neil, the gypsy boxer in Snatch, and Tyler Durden in Fight Club, really got people excited about his toned and ripped body.
By the time he appeared in Troy in 2004, he had beefed up a little bit, and looked more athletic then in previous roles. However many people criticized his poorly defined calf muscles, so his workout was certainly not complete. But Arnold Schwarzenegger had the same problem in the early days of his bodybuilding career, so we can forgive Brad for not focusing on calves over pecs and biceps.
So, how does Brad Pitt stay in such great shape? Many people, when asked which celebrity they would most like to look like, still say Brad Pitt. We also get asked the question here: “how do I workout like Brad Pitt?“.
Brad Pitt’s Fight Club Workout:
Many of us have been inspired by Brad Pitt’s character Tyler Durden in Fight Club, so this is what we shall take a closer look at today. How to build a lean and powerful frame, which is essential for a lightweight boxer, Brad Pitt followed this style of workout.
To get a body like Brad Pitt, a combination of intensive interval training and some quality weight training is required. The weight training needs to be specific and also intensive, so it is vital to split the routine up into separate sessions to avoid overtraining and injury.
It is thought that Brad Pitt splits his training into four weekly sessions, each focusing on a separate area, in his case a chest session, a back session, a shoulders session and an arms session. Weekends would be rest days and Friday just cardio. There are no rest days in between the weight training days, as weight training is done Monday to Thursday.
Boxing Training With Bobby Frankham
Brad received boxing training from a real life gypsy bare knuckle fighter, Bobby Frankham. In an article in the Sunday Mirror (Sep 19, 1999) some of the training was discussed.
“We have had one session so far and that was practising with pads. The idea is to get him throwing punches in the correct way so he really looks like a proper boxer. In a couple of weeks time he will be round doing some more intense training, which will include shadow boxing, light weights and bag exercises. He won’t find it any trouble as he is very fit.”
Monday – Brad Pitt’s Chest Workout Day
- Pushups
- Flat Bench presses
- Incline bench presses
- Chest Flyes
Tuesday – Brad Pitt’s Back Workout Day
Wednesday -Brad Pitt’s Shoulders Workout Day
- Arnold presses
- Shoulder shrugs
- Lateral raises
- Front raises
Thursday – Brad Pitt’s Arms Workout Day
- Preacher curls
- EZ-bar curls
- Hammer curls
- Tricep kick backs
- Triceps extensions
Friday
Intensive cardio training:
- Running for Fitness and Weight Loss
- Cycling like Chris Hoy
- Sprinter workouts and sprint training
- Bodyweight circuit training exercises
- Boxing training and plyometric workouts
- Intensive punch bag works
Criticism of Brad Pitt’s Workout
It is thought that Brad Pitt followed this routine from his Snatch and Fight Club days. However, by the time he was working on Troy, he had bulked up quite a lot, but this routine had neglected his legs. A good all round weight training session really should have much more emphasis on the larger compound weight training exercises, such as the squat, lunge and deadlift. Also, if calf muscles are not responding, adding calf raises is essential to avoid have disproportionately large thighs compared to calves. No one wants to see chicken legs on a guy, with giant rugby player calves above skinny stick thin calves!
Also the above workout does not include any core training. Brad Pitt has an excellent set of abs, and must have done some serious six-pack training routines. We must assume that in addition to the weight training routine above, he also did a range of sit-ups, crunches, leg raises and side bends to work his abdominals. Most likely these were incorporated into his Friday intensive interval training routines, and maybe he also used some core bodyweight exercises to warm-up. We recommend that if you want to look like Brad Pitt, also focus on core conditioning exercises.
Brad Pitt’s Fight Club Diet
Some say that Brad Pitt is a vegetarian and that he would consume healthy proteins from pulses and dairy plus supplements to help him beef up for his more athletic roles. However, we have not been able to confirm whether Brad eats meat or not. What follows is a diet that will help you put on muscle, and it includes lean meats, which Brad Pitt did not necessarily eat. Brad, if you are reading this, please let us know if you ate meat when bulking up for Fight Club or Troy. Cheers!
- Breakfast: 6 eggs and 75g of oatmeal with raisins. Occasionally Pitt would replace the eggs with a protein shake, if his schedule was tight
- Midmorning Snack: Tinned tuna in whole wheat pitta breads
- Lunchtime Meal: 2 x Chicken breasts, 75-100g brown rice or pasta and green vegetables
- Mid-afternoon Snack: This is the pre-workout meal: A banana plus a protein bar or whey protein shake
- Post Workout: Whey protein shake and a Banana.
- Evening Meal: Grilled fish or chicken, brown rice or pasta, vegetables, and salad
- Evening Snack: Casein protein shake or low fat cottage cheese (provides a slow release protein).
Also, as Pat mentions below, this is about as much as you should eat every day to be as lean as Brad Pitt.
- Two bowls of protein – beans, nuts, meat
- Three bowls of grains – oats, rice, wheat germ
- The rest is fruits and veg – spinach, oranges, etc.
Web references and resources on Brad Pitt
“Brad Pitt” By Karen S. Schneider in People, November 13, 2000 Vol. 54 No. 20. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20132898,00.html
“The strange friendship of superstar Brad and the gipsy bare-knuckle” by Andrew Buckwell, Sunday Mirror, Sep 19, 1999.
In 2005 Askmen.com wrote an article on celebrity workouts which included a section on Brad Pitt that included his weight training routine. http://uk.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding_100/139_fitness_tip.html