The Exact 'Fight Club' Workout and Diet Brad Pitt Used to Get Shredded

Fight Club, David Fincher’s late-nineties flick, is a core a part of our cultural canon. The movie facilities round a gaggle of males who escape their mundane lives (and launch pent-up aggression) by becoming a member of an underground struggle membership. Toxic masculinity, poor psychological health, and misogyny abound. For higher or worse, the film additionally marked one of the vital excessive movie star transformations, spurring a frenzy of males in search of out the precise Brad Pitt Fight Club exercise.

1 / 4 of a century later, Pitt’s ripped six-pack and lean physique are nonetheless the speak of health club locker rooms, Reddit boards, and the inspiration driving New Year’s resolutions to get V-cut abs and 7% body fats. 

But dropping your common body fats share isn’t any simple feat, particularly when you could have to do it in a matter of months. According to Pitt’s coach, David Lindsay, his shredded Fight Club body got here down to lengthy workouts, a strict weight-reduction plan, and tons and a lot of self-discipline. 

While we by no means suggest excessive weight-loss diets and exercise applications, what’s detailed beneath will enable you get nearer to the Brad Pitt Fight Club physique. We’ll cowl what body fats share you want to see abs, the very best weight-reduction plan for shedding fats, and the precise Brad Pitt Fight Club exercise his coach created for the movie.

How Did Brad Pitt Get in Shape for Fight Club?

Talk to any private coach or fitness fanatic who’s had to get in form quick and they will inform you a similar issues: You have to stick to a strict weight-reduction plan, train like hell, and minimize out plenty of “normal people things” like alcohol, eating out, and cheat meals. 

But in accordance to Lindsay, the aim for Pitt was by no means to lose weight. While weight loss occurred due to his weight-reduction plan and intense exercise routines, the duo had different objectives in thoughts, like making a physique that might not solely permit Pitt to transfer in a method a fighter would, however actually embody his character.

Related: Jonah Hill’s Body Transformation Over the Years Is the Perfect Reminder Weight Loss Isn’t Always Linear

Pitt, 5’11”, got his body fat percentage down to roughly 5% and clocked in around 155 pounds. For context, 18 to 24% body fat for men is considered healthy by the American Council on Exercise. At 15% body fat, you’ll start to see the upper two abs. Once you get into the 13 to 5% body fat range, you’ll uncover your six-pack. Obviously the lower the number, the more shrink-wrapped the physique becomes.

“It was all about serving to him obtain the look he thought Tyler Durden would have in actual life—a character who’s extremely road sensible, tough across the edges, filled with vitality, and prepared to pounce at any second,” Lindsay told Men’s Journal. “We took plenty of inspiration from professional boxers’ physiques and selected a glance together with his shoulders again, a bigger triceps over biceps ratio, a large again, and a shredded torso.”

Related: How Brad Pitt Trained to Give and Take a Beating in ‘Bullet Train’

Gain Size, Get Shredded, Stay Agile

“The aim was muscle measurement (hypertrophy) and muscle endurance,” Lindsay said. “He had to construct his triceps and shoulders, widen his again, and carry out the definition in his abs.” 

They didn’t play with a lot of accessory work. Instead, Lindsay stuck with tried-and-true functional exercises. 

“Leg training was stored to a minimal, as they weren’t proven a lot throughout filming, and wouldn’t have impacted the general physique. We wished all work and restoration to be centered on the place it was wanted most.” 

Brad Pitt’s Fight Club Diet

Familiar with the saying “abs are made in the kitchen”? That was undoubtedly the case for Pitt whereas he prepped for Fight Club. Although Lindsay stated Pitt did not use any of the fashionable health instruments we do at this time like ice baths, saunas, and therapeutic massage weapons, he did minimize out alcohol and stick to a regimented weight-reduction plan. 

“Carbs were cut completely and he only ate lean meat, grilled vegetables (no oil), and frequent protein shakes,” Lindsay stated. “We aimed for 20 to 30g of protein every two waking hours. However, during filming this dropped to four hours due to the demands of being on set.”

Related: Daniel Craig’s ‘No Time to Die’ Strength and Conditioning Workout

According to Lindsay, Pitt was generally so obsessive about hitting his food objectives that they had to add further protein powder on days he was filming to make certain he had sufficient vitality. 

“We never went for an exact calorie count. We knew that with the amount he was moving for filming, the workouts, and the lack of carbohydrates in his diet it was only inevitable the weight would come off. And it did!”

While the prep for this memorable function was greater than 20 years in the past, Lindsay nonetheless remembers Pitt’s weight-reduction plan clear as day. As you’d think about, it isn’t significantly various or thrilling; weight loss meal plans rarely are.

Breakfast

Scrambled egg whites (as a lot as he might eat), grilled greens, and black espresso.

Lunch & Dinner

Lunch and dinner comprise both a big hen breast, lean steak, or fish with grilled greens. If he was nonetheless hungry, he would eat extra protein.

Snacks 

Protein shakes.

Related: 50 Best Abs Exercises That Pack a Six-Pack Punch

How Long Did Brad Pitt Train for Fight Club?

When you think about the weight that wanted to be minimize and the good points that wanted to be made, you in all probability suppose this iconic physique took years for Pitt to obtain. However, in accordance to Lindsay, it isn’t like Pitt had to start from the bottom up. Prior to his lead function in Fight Club, Pitt had already been training for months.

“I first trained Brad for his role in Meet Joe Black, where the goal was size and strength,” Lindsay recalled. “There was then a break where he worked with a different trainer before we started on Fight Club. When he knew he had the role, we had about three months to complete the look, then maintenance during the five to six months of filming.” 

Brad Pitt Fight Club Workout 

“Both me and Brad had a huge admiration for Bruce Lee, which played a big part in some of our training methods, such as spending a bit of time learning to use nunchucks,” Lindsay remembered. “We aimed for five sessions per week and this stayed consistent in the three-month build-up and filming process.”

Lindsay recalled Pitt religiously did 100 situps per day if he might handle and carried out mini workouts between sets if he wanted to get a pump or improve muscle definition prior to an upcoming scene. 

With this plan, you may discover the quantity may be very high. Lindsay wished to hold Pitt from getting cumbersome, however as a substitute created muscle measurement and definition the place it made sense for his character. 

“After each session, we would work for 15 to 20 minutes on the pads (both striking and kicking),” Lindsay stated. “After all, he was playing a fighter and had to know how to move like one. It also helped him loosen up and stay mobile after the intense workouts.”

Want a physique that can have folks speaking the way in which Pitt’s did? Below, Lindsay supplies the main points on Pitt’s unique Fight Club training plan. You may also work in martial arts training or shadow boxing.

Related: 50 Best Back Exercises to Build the Coveted V-Taper

Day 1: Back and Biceps 

1. Lat Pulldown 

How to Do It

1. To start, sit at a lat-pulldown station and safe your knees beneath the pads. 
2. Grasp the bar together with your fingers outdoors shoulder width and squeeze your shoulder blades collectively as you pull the bar to your collarbone. 
3. That’s 1 rep. 
4. Perform 6 sets of 20 reps following a pyramid weight scheme as follows—15kg, 20kg, 25kg, 20kg, 15kg, 10kg to failure

2. Dumbell Curls  

How to Do It

1. Stand holding a dumbbell in every hand with palms going through your sides, to start. 
2. Keep your weight in your heels and lean ahead barely. 
3. Without letting your higher arms drift ahead, curl the weights, rotating your wrists outward in order that your palms face you within the prime place.
4. Hold the highest for a second and squeeze your biceps. 
5. Lower the weights again down and flex your triceps arduous within the backside place.
6. That’s 1 rep.
7. Perform 6 sets of 20 reps following a pyramid weight scheme as follows—5kg, 10kg, 15kg, 10kg, 5kg, 5kg to failure

3. Single-Arm Cable Curls 

How to Do It

1. To start, connect a D-handle to the low pulley of a cable machine. 
2. Grasp the deal with in your left hand, and step ahead (away from the machine) till there’s pressure on the cable and your arm is drawn barely behind your body. 
3. Stagger your toes so your proper leg is in entrance. 
4. Curl the deal with however don’t permit your elbow to level ahead.
5. That’s 1 rep. 
6. Complete 6 sets of 20 reps with as a lot weight as you possibly can handle till you hit failure. 

4. Seated Preacher Curls

How to Do It

1. Sit at a preacher bench and regulate the peak in order that your armpits contact the highest of the bench. 
2. Grasp an EZ-curl bar at shoulder-width with arms prolonged (however permit a slight bend on the elbows). 
3. Curl the bar, retaining the backs of your arms in opposition to the bench. 
4. Take three seconds to decrease the bar again down.
5. That’s 1 rep.
6. Perform 6 sets of 20 reps with as a lot weight as you possibly can handle till you hit failure. 

Related: 10 Best Chest Exercises for Beginners

Day 2: Chest and Tris

1. Triceps Dip

How to Do It

1. To start, droop your self over the bars of a dip station. 
2. Brace your core to hold your body tight and decrease your self till your arms are parallel to the ground. 
3. Explode up to the start place with out swinging your body.
4. Complete 3 sets of 20 reps together with your body weight. 

2. Bench Press

How to Do It

1. Lie again on a bench and grasp the bar with fingers simply outdoors shoulder-width, to start. 
2. Arch your again and tighten your glutes and abs. 
3. Plant your toes firmly. 
4. Pull the bar out of the rack and decrease it to your sternum. 
5. Push your toes into the ground as you press the bar again up. 
6. Perform 6 sets of 20 reps with as a lot weight as you possibly can handle till you hit failure. 

3. Cable Pulldowns

How to Do It

1. To start, sit at a lat-pulldown station and safe your knees beneath the pads.
2. Grasp the bar together with your fingers outdoors shoulder width and squeeze your shoulder blades collectively as you pull the bar to your collarbone.
3. That’s 1 rep.
4. Perform 6 sets of 20 reps following a pyramid weight scheme as follows—10kg, 15kg, 20kg, 15kg, 10kg, 5kg to failure.

4. Tricep Extensions Machine

How to Do It

1. To start, sit together with your fingers in a impartial grip on the handles of a tricep extension machine.
2. Press the handles outward till your arms are prolonged on the elbows.
3. Slowly decrease the handles again to the beginning place.
4. That’s 1 rep.
5. Repeat for six sets of 20 reps with as a lot weight as you possibly can handle till you hit failure.

5. Bench Press 

How to Do It

1. Lie again on a bench and grasp the bar with fingers simply outdoors shoulder-width, to start.
2. Arch your again and tighten your glutes and abs.
3. Plant your toes firmly.
4. Pull the bar out of the rack and decrease it to your sternum.
5. Push your toes into the ground as you press the bar again up.
6. That’s 1 rep.
7. Perform 6 sets of 20 reps with as a lot weight as you possibly can handle till you hit failure. 

6. Incline Dumbell Curl

How to Do It

1. Adjust the bench to a 60-degree incline and sit in opposition to it holding dumbbells with arms prolonged at your sides. 
2. Without letting your higher arms transfer ahead, curl the weights. 
3. Complete 4 sets of 20 reps with 10kg till you attain failure. 

7. Dumbell Flye 

How to Do It

1. Lie again on a flat bench holding a dumbbell in every hand over your chest. 
2. Spread your arms aside and decrease the dumbbells out to your sides till you’re feeling a stretch in your pecs. 
3. Squeeze your pecs as you carry the weights collectively once more.
4. That’s 1 rep.
5. Perform 6 sets of 20 reps with as a lot weight as you possibly can handle till you hit failure. 

8. Machine Chest Flye

How to Do It 

1. To start, sit on a chest flye machine together with your chest tall and again in opposition to the pad. 
2. Adjust the machine till the handles relaxation at roughly armpit top.
3. Grab every deal with individually and carry your arms collectively in entrance of your body in a managed method.
4. Sit on the machine together with your posture tall, resting in opposition to the again pad. 
5. Pause briefly earlier than bringing your arms again to the beginning place.
6. That’s 1 rep. 
7. Perform 6 sets of 20 reps with as a lot weight as you possibly can handle till you hit failure. 

Related: 50 Best Shoulder Exercises for a Full Workout

Day 3: Shoulders

1. Smith Machine Shoulder Press

How to Do It 

1. To start, place an adjustable bench contained in the Smith machine.
2. Adjust the bench to a 90-degree angle and the bar till it is round eye stage.
3. Grasp the bar simply outdoors shoulder width and maintain it at shoulder stage together with your forearms perpendicular to the ground. 
4. Brace your core. 
5. Press the bar overhead, pushing your head by means of as soon as the bar clears it. 
6. Perform 6 sets of 20 reps following a pyramid weight scheme as follows—10kg, 15kg, 20kg, 15kg, 10kg, 5kg till failure.

2. Front Raise

How to Do It

1. Stand with dumbbells in every hand in entrance of your thighs, shoulders again, palms going through in, to start.
2. Engage your deltoids to increase your arms out in entrance of you, stopping when your wrists are aligned together with your shoulders.
3. Pause briefly.
4. Return the weights down with management. 
5. That’s 1 rep.
6. Complete 6 sets of 20 reps with 5kg till you attain failure. 

3. Lateral Raise

How to Do It

1. To start, stand with dumbbells at your sides. 
2. Brace your core and increase the dumbbells out to your sides, simply above 90 levels.
3. Lower the dumbbells again to the beginning place.
4. Complete 6 sets of 20 reps with 5kg till you attain failure. 

Related: 50 Best Leg Exercises for 2024

Why You Should Trust Us

While some shops surmise what Pitt’s exercise and weight-reduction plan comprised to get in form for Fight Club, we spoke immediately to David Lindsay, the person liable for Pitt’s shredded physique. 

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