I Tested Brad Pitt’s Workout for Fight Club

Intro

I tested Brad Pitt’s workout for the movie Fight Club. His 5'11", 154 pound physique indicates how lean and shredded he got for this movie.

Pitt is well-known for his great genetics, having maintained an impressive physique from his early acting days all the way to his recent appearance in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. While Pitt’s physique in Fight Club is very impressive, it is reasonably achievable with proper attention to diet. Let’s get to the workout.

This routine is a 5-day split: (1) chest, (2) back, (3) shoulders, (4) arms, and (5) cardio. No legs!?

Pros

1. Reasonable volume: This routine fits in well with Sustainable Fitness Coaching’s principles. It hits about 9–12 sets per body part week. Pitt is yet another example of someone achieving a great physique without a ridiculous number of sets. I fully endorse this approach.
2. Single body-part split: I have been doing a similar 5-day “bro” split for the past few months. While you only hit each body part once a week, you hit it really hard. On this routine, you target one body part intensely each day allowing you to break down your muscles and increase repair and growth.

Cons

1. No leg day: I don’t know if I should be surprised, but Brad Pitt did not do legs. Not in a “he didn’t go that hard on leg day” way, but in a “he just left it off the program entirely” way. This takes a special confidence. I understand the motivation to not include any leg work. It’s not as fun and most likely unnecessary for this role. That being said, it’s still necessary to train your lower body. Not just to avoid an incongruous shape, but also to be a well-rounded athlete. This is a significant negative of this plan.
2. Running on back-to-back days: The routine ends with an hour run on Friday and Saturday. This is a negative for two reasons. First, running is not my preferred method of burning calories. I think it is good for some people. But for others it is an unnecessary method of wearing down your body when there are so many other great alternatives (walking, elliptical, biking). Second, there is no reason for cardio days to be back-to-back. If these two days were split up throughout the week, it would be much better.
3. No core: Abs are made in the kitchen. I will not deny that. But I do believe at least some core work will take a burden off your efforts nutritionally. I am in favor of taking any step that gives you a little more room for error in your diet. Training your core is one of steps!

If you have questions or comments, please reach out on Instagram (@sustainablefitness_).

Click here for fitness coaching!