Movie Star Diet & Exercise: How Brad Pitt And 4 Other Actors Pushed Their Bodies To The Limit For Film Roles

Part of the movie-going experience is witnessing something outside the norm. Some aspects of a film can be faked — like a city being decimated or a dog talking — while others have to appear genuine. When it comes to the physique of lead actors and actresses, there’s very little a director can do for a flabby stomach or skinny arms if said actor is gearing up to play a superhero. To prepare for a role that is larger than life, some actors push their bodies to the limit to reach their peak physical shape.

Now, clearly, actors have the upper hand when it comes to exercise resources, access to personal trainers and nutritionists, and enough free time to spend a couple of hours on intense physical activity a day. Having a team of personal trainers and nutritionists obviously has its advantages. However, nothing can substitute for good old-fashioned hard work. It also helps that these movie stars are willing to share their diet and exercise routines with average Joes looking for that superhero body.

Celebrity trainer and CEO/Founder of Clutch BodyShop, Ashley Conrad, whose celebrity client list includes Kate Hudson, P. Diddy, and Bradley Copper, took time to discuss the importance of nutrition when it comes to gaining or losing weight in a certain amount of time.

“Unlike his role in A-Team, where he was required to be big and shredded, his role in American Sniper required him to simply ‘bulk.’ To do this, he was most likely eating around 4,000 to 5,000 calories per day, training four to five times per week, and taking the proper supplements. Here's how I would expect the program to break down:

NUTRITION BREAKDOWN

-1.5g of carbohydrates/pound body weight

-1.2-1.5g of protein/pound body weight

-0.5-0.75g of fat/pound body weight

“Post-Workout, as with any muscle-building or bulking program, he was most likely drinking a protein shake consisting of 30g Whey Protein Isolate [New Zealand Sourced] and 50g of carbohydrates coming from fruit and simple sugars like fruit juice. This combo promotes anabolic action in the body and prevents muscle breakdown.”