It’s been 20 years since the release of 1999’s Fight Club, and Brad Pitt‘s fighting physique remains an extremely lofty fitness goal for men the world over.
Pitt reportedly whittled his body fat percentage down to an absurdly low five to six percent for the David Fincher-directed classic. That means at 5’11”, he would have weighed in at around 155 pounds of pure muscle.
There were no shortcuts (that we know of). His insanely shredded abs and chest were the result of training with high repetitions and low weights—a surefire vehicle to a lean and mean physique. On the contrary, those looking to bulk up are advised to lift heavy for low reps.
Per Highsnobiety, here is Brad Pitt’s exact Fight Club workout routine.
Monday: Chest
- Push-ups: Three sets of 25 reps
- Bench press: 25, 15 and eight reps at 165, 195, 225 lbs
- Nautilus press: 15 reps at 80, 100, 130 lbs
- Incline press: 15 reps at 80, 100, 130 lbs
- Pec deck: 15 reps at 60, 70, 80 lbs
Tuesday: Back
- 25 pull-ups: Three sets to fatigue
- Seated rows: Three sets at 75, 80, 85 lbs
- Lat pull downs: Three sets at 135, 150, 165 lbs
- T-bar rows: Three sets at 80, 95, 110 lbs
Wednesday: Shoulders
- Arnold press: Three sets at 55 lbs
- Laterals: Three sets at 30 lbs
- Front raises: Three sets at 25 lbs
Thursday: Biceps & Triceps
- Preacher curls: Three sets at 60, 80, 95 lbs
- EZ curls cable: Three sets at 50, 65, 80 lbs
- Hammer curls: Three sets at 30, 45, 55 lbs
- Push downs: Three sets at 70, 85, 100 lbs
Friday & Saturday: Cardio
- Treadmill: One hour at 80-90 percent of maximum heart rate
Still, abs, as they say, are made in the kitchen. Below is a sample of Pitt’s reported protein-heavy, low-carb Fight Club diet.
- Breakfast: Eggs (six whites, seven yolks) and 75g of oatmeal with raisins
- Midmorning Snack: Tinned tuna in whole wheat pita breads
- Lunch: Two chicken breasts, 75-100g brown rice or pasta and green veggies
- Pre-Workout Snack: A protein bar or whey protein shake and a banana
- Post Workout: Whey protein shake and a banana
- Dinner: Grilled fish or chicken, brown rice or pasta, vegetables and salad.
- Evening Snack: Casein protein shake or low fat cottage cheese (slow release protein).
Now stop reading this and get to work.