David Fincher’s cult classic required one of its stars to have a lean, super-honed physique and here’s what Brad Pitt’s Fight Club workout routine entailed. Based on the Chuck Palahniuk book of the same name, Fight Club tells the tale of a disillusioned 30-something who works a boring white-collar job and has his mundane world turned upside down when he befriends a cocky soap salesman named Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt). The pair later form an underground club where men come together to beat each other to a bloody pulp.
Fight Club emerged as one of the most controversial films of 1999 and polarized critics – many of whom lambasted the movie as irresponsible, misogynistic and excessively violent. Since then, however, it’s been reassessed as a cult classic and praised for its satirical take on themes like consumerism or male toxicity. Today, Fight Club fans remember the movie for its gloriously gritty visuals, endlessly quotable script and an insane twist ending. Well, that and Brad Pitt’s awe-inspiringly ripped body.
Brad Pitt’s Fight Club role as Tyler Durden meant he had to adhere to a strict diet and grueling physical training sessions to achieve the character’s wiry but muscular physique. According to a Men’s Health article, Brad Pitt's Fight Club workout routine achieved his Durden body via a combination of restricting his calorie intake and a workout that saw him focus on a different muscle group a day, plus two days of intense cardio exercise followed by a day of (presumably much-needed) rest. All that working out resulted in Pitt having just 6% body fat while playing Durden in Fight Club.
Intense workouts and restrictive diets weren’t the only habits star Brad Pitt adopted to get into character. He also indulged in several tanning bed sessions and – alongside his co-star Edward Norton – took lessons in boxing, taekwondo, grappling and soap-making for his Fight Club role. Perhaps most disturbingly, Pitt voluntarily had his front teeth chipped to look like the kind of guy who engages in underground brawls regularly (although his teeth were restored to perfection once filming concluded).
Brad Pitt's Fight Club workout routine isn’t the only time the actor has had to beef up for a film. He employed a similarly grueling training routine while preparing for his role as Irish boxer Mickey “One Punch” O’Neil in Snatch and while playing Greek warrior Achilles in Troy. More recently, he had to hone his physique once again to play stuntman Cliff Booth in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.