Brad Pitt's 'Fight Club' diet and workout still packs a punch 2 decades later — See the routine

According to Highsnobiety, Pitt worked himself down to about 6 percent body fat for the role. On his 5’11” frame, that means he weighed about 155 pounds. If you want to look like him, don’t try to bulk with big weights and protein-heavy meals. Instead, you’ve got to put in hard workouts while slimming. Wiry fighters like Pitt aren’t bulky bruisers. They’re ripped and lanky.

To build lean muscle, any gym rat will tell you to keep the weight low and the reps high. Beyond any individual exercise or number of sets, that’s your general plan if you want to build the same type of muscle as Brad Pitt. If you want to train exactly the same, though, break out your daily workout by muscle group. You'll need to devote a few days to cardio too, and go hard those days, keeping your intensity at 80-90 percent of total effort (aka, run your butt off).

Here’s the full breakdown:

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

According to Highsnobiety, Pitt’s diet focused on protein, split over a bunch of meals throughout the day, with only enough whole grains to push him through his intense workouts.

Here’s the full daily diet:

Breakfast
Eggs (six whites, seven yolks) and 75g of oatmeal with raisins, or a protein shake

Midmorning Snack
Tinned tuna on whole wheat pita

Lunch
Two chicken breasts, 75-100g brown rice or pasta, and green vegetables

Mid-Afternoon 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
Protein shake or low fat cottage cheese