Who doesn't know this actor that we don't introduce anymore. From "Telma and Louise" to "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood", he is the highest paid actor in 2020. Not only because of his acting skills but also because of his investments in the stock market.
The topic we're interested in today, is this: How did Brad Pitt prepare for the role of Tyler Durden in Fight Club?
This film released in the 2000s was a flop in the United States but was a great success internationally. It was when the DVD was released that it became a cult film. Brad Pitt's fee for the film was then 17,500,000 dollars.
The actors Brad Pitt and Edward Norton, will begin the preparation of the 2 roles in 1998 by taking lessons in boxing, taekwondo, wrestling ... They study
ntended UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) fights for hours.
Brad Pitt even goes to the dentist to review his teeth, which must not be perfect in order to better fit his character. The dentist will chip his teeth for the role, to repair them later. Then, he will start weight training (we will see his training below) and UV sessions in order to fit as much as possible to this dry and muscular boxer by following several weeks of intensive training and strict diet. He will even learn to make soap.
How Brad Pitt used to train:
His bodybuilder type training to build muscle was done in Split, that is to say one muscle group per day. He did not do more than 4 exercises per muscle groups and between 3 or 4 sets. This is a relatively light training in terms of volume. The goal was to dry out as much as possible and to be very athletic and especially dry. So he made up for it on the cardio in order to burn even more calories. At a rate of one hour of HIIT every Friday and Saturday.
Here's the breakdown of his weight training sessions in the gym:
- Monday: Pectorals
- Tuesday: Back
- Wednesday: Shoulders
- Thursday: Biceps and triceps
- Friday, Saturday: 1 hour of HIIT Cardio on treadmill maximum speed
- Sunday: Rest
These trainings required a lot of motivation and each exercise was rigorously chosen by the coach to reach his goal. That said, as you will see, the muscle groups such as thighs and abs, he did not work them. His weight-training program was built for intense muscle strengthening with the goal of gaining mass but also with a lot of cardio to work on endurance. It's a safe bet that you'll feel the aches and pains after each session. In short, this physical preparation was not made for a beginner.
Here is a video I shot to test his training and diet for a day.
How was Brad Pitt's diet for Fight Club?
His diet was very clean and meticulously calculated. Clean being a term in bodybuilding that refers to menus that are not fast food but rather healthy and wholesome. He ate fish, chicken breast, brown rice, oatmeal and lots of green vegetables. Less than 2000 calories a day to dry out and build muscle.
With such a strict training routine and diet, worthy of a top athlete and sportsman, he got down to about 6 % body fat. This physical condition is very difficult to maintain and is undoubtedly not easy on the health.
Compared to a body : Men's physique competitor for example who could go down to that same fat level on the D-day of his competition (with more muscle mass of course) it will not last. He is supposed to lose fat progressively until the day of the presentation of his musculature on stage and as soon as he has finished his passage, he will eat again and will do the diet in reverse to progressively gain weight. This is undoubtedly the same preparation that Brad Pitt did for the film.
To conclude, we can say that Brad took up the challenge and knew how to perform for the role. And since Telma and Louise, he has had many role preparations. Whether in the film Fight Club or in Troy where Brad had without doubt his best physique, today at 57 years, it is one of the best actors in Hollywood.
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