Brad Pitt: Achilles Workout and Diet From Troy

For his role of Achilles in the hit movie Troy, Brad Pitt was one of the actors who had to get into shape in order to fulfill his role. Here is what the actor of Achilles did and how he did it.

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Did He Have a Routine to Become Achilles?

Yes, the Troy actor had a special routine that he followed to become fit enough for a perfect Achilles character. It is known as the Official Brad Pitt Workout and Diet routine for the movie Troy. Brad Pitt started using the routine seven months before the actual filming, and also continued doing the workout while on set, making sure that his body was kept in top condition for the movie.

What Was His Routine?

The Official Brad Pitt Workout and Diet routine used in the movie Troy—not to be confused with the Official Brad Pitt Workout and Diet regime for the movie Fight Club—has often been considered by the actor to be harsh and uncomfortable, especially in the first several months. However, Brad Pitt stated that it became enjoyable and was easy to settle into after adjusting his life towards it.

There are two main phases in the Official Brad Pitt Workout and Diet routine concerned, each one stating the goal that the actor was aiming to meet. The first and foremost phase was for Brad Pitt to bulk up his muscles. It is a generally considered fact that Greek warriors were large and muscular, and in order to fit the quota, the actor of Achilles needed to put on some heavy muscle mass.

The second phase of the workout routine was simply to build up strength in the muscles. That is, after the bulking stage, the next phase worked to make sure that the newly added muscles were solid and strong, and not soft as what tends to happen when adding muscle mass. The idea was to ignore the temptation of becoming ripped and instead focus on hardening the muscles.

What Type of Exercises Did He Do For the Role of Achilles in the Movie Troy?

Brad Pitt had to perform many types of exercises in the Official Brad Pitt Workout and Diet routine over the period of five days a week. While the five days varied accordingly with the different muscle group focus, the sixth day of the week was devoted to mainly cardiovascular exercises which helped make sure that his inner body was able to keep up with the demands of the previous days. The seventh day was a rest day in terms of exercise.

Some of the exercises of the phase one period that the actor of Achilles in the movie Troy did include:

Pull-Ups

This exercise was to help put muscles on not just his arms, but also his back. Other muscles that were helped with this exercise were chest and stomach muscles, if only secondary.

Incline Dumbbell Press

Differing from normal dumbbell presses in that they are performed while sitting at an angle, inclined dumbbell presses help give the chest and shoulder muscles more of a workout than normal. At the same time, the change of weights in the dumbbells also helped tone and strengthen the arm muscles.

Seated and Upright Rows

Seated rows, often done with the use of a cable apparatus, make for great workouts for the back and arm muscles. When done right, upright rows are also excellent for training the back muscles, thanks to the position and action that is required of it. The Troy actor used these in both phases of his exercise regimen.

Moderate Running

Mainly for cardio purposes, running is a simple and easy to do exercise. It also gives the trainee a chance to leave the gym and have a breath of well needed fresh air.

The exercises in the phase two of the Official Brad Pitt Workout and Diet routine were generally similar to that of the previous phase, differing usually only in the number of sets and repeats done. On the other hand, here are some of the exercises that the Troy actor did that are not found in phase one:

Standard Pushups and Triangular Pushups

While normal pushups already make for a great fat burning exercise, triangular pushups help the trainee in pushing his body even further. The only difference in the two exercises is the placement of hands; triangular pushups are performed with the hands close together and in front of the chest. This position forces the body to work more muscles even further – mainly your triceps. Some people call these narrow push ups, others call it diamond push ups.

Sit-Ups

Not only are sit ups good for working on the back muscles, they also help tone down the waistline and build abdominal muscles. This is one of the few exercises that the Official Brad Pitt Workout and Diet routine required repeating until the actor of Achilles could no longer perform them.

Sprinting

Slightly different from the normal running, sprinting involves more of a lengthy and less jarring stride. It is a cardiovascular exercise that some people prefer more than full out running.

An unfortunate side effect of the Official Brad Pitt Workout and Diet routine for the movie Troy is that it gives little attention to the leg muscles. The focus on the top portion of the body only is somewhat unwanted in a standard workout routine, as it can make the body look overly muscled at the top yet weak at the bottom. However, an easy way to balance this out is to incorporate the exercises in this workout with another personalized set that works on the leg areas.

What Was His Diet?

Due to the hardcore demands that the Official Brad Pitt Workout and Diet in the movie Troy put on the body, the actor of Achilles required a very healthy and protein filled diet. It also called for major cutbacks on certain habits of the actor, who was forced to completely quit smoking and severely limit his intake of alcohol.

As with many workout routines that involve building heavy muscle and increasing overall body strength, the Official Brad Pitt Workout and Diet held a lot of protein products. The variety in protein sources helped give the actor of Achilles a healthy range of amino acids and proteins that helped him to build his muscles. Some carbohydrates were also included, being additional sources of energy to keep him going throughout his workout.