I’m pumped to see the new Formula 1 movie, F1, starring Brad Pitt.
It comes out today.
The director, Joseph Kosinski, did Top Gun: Maverick.
That was a must-see in the theater.
I’m thinking the same thing here.
It’s produced by and features Lewis Hamilton, one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time.
So the authenticity will be next-level.
But honestly, the most impressive part?
Brad Pitt.
The guy is 61 years old.
And still looks like a believable, badass F1 driver.
Sure, Hollywood stars have access to expensive treatments.
But that’s not the full story.
Plenty of actors have access to the same stuff and still end up looking puffy, bloated, and old.
Pitt is different.
He’s maintained a lean, athletic, angular look his entire career.
From his early days all the way to now.
He was a model before his breakout role in Thelma & Louise.
Top models always maintain a low body fat % to ensure that their face stays lean, angular, and masculine.
*He’s maintained that aesthetic from the very beginning, as seen here in the movie The Favor (1994).
And one of the reasons he’s able to stay lean now when so many other actors struggle…
He Never Got Fat in the First Place.
This is the secret that most guys in the fitness world completely miss.
They get trapped in the endless cycle of “bulking” and “cutting.”
They spend months getting huge and fat, thinking they need to pack on mass at all costs.
This is a stupid, destructive strategy.
Here’s why:
- You Create Permanent Fat Cells: When you bulk up and gain a bunch of fat, your body creates new fat cells. The problem? You can never get rid of them. You can only shrink them. This makes it progressively harder to stay lean for the rest of your life.
- You Wreck Your Metabolism: Extreme bulking followed by extreme cutting is like pulling an elastic band on your metabolism. Eventually, it snaps. Your hormones get messed up, and your body’s set point gets all out of whack.
- You Lose Your “Look”: All that hard-earned muscle gets hidden under a layer of fluff. Your face gets puffy, your jawline disappears, and you lose that sharp, defined look. You are way less likely to be attractive to women in this state.
- You Can Cause Permanent Skin Damage: Your skin has limited elasticity. When you “dirty bulk,” you stretch it to its absolute limit. After you cut, that skin doesn’t always snap back. You’re left with loose skin that ruins your definition forever. It’s irreversible.
Brad Pitt never fell into that trap.
He’s never looked like a guy who could squat 500 pounds, because that was never the goal.
The goal was to look lean, athletic, and incredible in clothes and shirtless.
Here’s Brad Pitt at age 50 in Fury (2014)
*Being lean is a way to seriously stand out, especially as a guy hits mid-30’s, 40’s and beyond.
Brad Pitt understood that true aesthetics come from proportion and leanness, not sheer mass.
The Kinobody Approach: Building Muscle Without the Bulk
This is the exact philosophy I’ve built my programs on for over a decade.
We don’t “bulk.” It’s a huge mistake.
Instead, focus on:
- Staying Lean Year-Round: Your #1 priority should be getting to and staying below 12% body fat.
- Gaining Strength on Key Lifts: Build dense, hard muscle by getting brutally strong on movements that create that V-taper and powerful upper body.
- Eating in a Slight Deficit, at Maintenance, or a Slight Surplus: Eat just enough to fuel muscle growth without spilling over and creating new fat cells. We’re talking maybe 200-300 calories over maintenance, not force-feeding yourself into oblivion.
By avoiding the fat gain, you preserve your metabolic health, keep your hormones optimized, and maintain that sharp, chiseled look for decades.
I thought it was cool that Tom Cruise made a surprise appearance at the London premiere of the movie.
*He’s another perfect example. At 62, he still looks lean, fit, and athletic because he’s never let himself get out of shape.
He’s maintained a taut, lean look his entire career.
These guys understand the long game.
They know that staying lean and strong isn’t about extreme cycles. It’s about consistency, smart training, and avoiding the “bulking” trap that ruins most physiques.
That’s the real secret to looking better than 90+% of people your age.
Avoid bulking at all costs!
Talk Soon,
Greg O’Gallagher
