Maybe it says something about the TikTok generation that their latest fitness obsession is a narcissistic, money and sex obsessed psychopath played by Christian Bale two decades ago. Or maybe that’s just us.
Written by Bret Easton Ellis and published in 1991 as a brutal and bloody satire of capitalist greed and the sort of uber bros that inhabit corporate boardrooms, American Psycho was an instant success. In 2000, Mary Harron’s iconic film adaptation gave Christian Bale his breakout role as the maniacal banker working in “murders and executions” when he isn’t obsessing over Huey Lewis and The News records, or his colleague’s business cards. Oh, he also spends a lot of time murdering sex workers, the homeless and well just about anyone he doesn’t like (or, does he?).
But let’s not get bogged down in the details. The film opens with Bateman’s morning fitness routine. In an unfeeling monologue he tells us how he can now do one thousand crunches at once, and the particulars of his skincare routine. We watch as he peels a mask from his face and the message is clear: this is a man with nothing beneath the surface, no empathy, no human emotion other than rage. But! He has good abs, so naturally, fitness heads are all in. With hustle culture taking over social media, is Bateman a true icon, or is the obsession just skin deep? Let’s hope it’s the latter.
Anyway, with Bateman’s stock rising, we asked two expert PTs to explain the obsession.
“I would describe Patrick Bateman’s body as the pinnacle of masculinity: big broad shoulders, washboard abs and an aesthetic v-taper back combined with a low body fat percentage. Some would say he’s body is a resemblance of a Greek God in the film,” enthuses Chris Antoni, founder of Tailor Made Fitness who fails to mention Bateman’s lovely, shiny teeth.
As anyone who’s ever chanced upon an episode of Love Island will tell you, this physique is extremely popular, even in 2022. Antoni believes this is because “aesthetically it looks incredible.”
In other words, the body was perfect for narcissist Bateman and as social media has pushed us all to feel bad about eating cake and watching House of the Dragon instead of hitting the gym, it’s remained the ideal body.
“This might sound like vanity, but the truth is most men secretly probably are vain,” says Antoni. “That’s OK. Vanity should not always be seen as a negative as it’s a good indication of someone who takes care of themselves.”
Of course, in many ways, this body is extremely restrictive, as Farren Morgan, founder of The Tactical Athlete training method explains “You will need to undergo a highly restrictive no-cheat diet and an intensive four-day strength training workout plan to obtain his highly defined abs, thick biceps, broad shoulders, and sculpted v-taper that he shows in the movie,” he says.
With that in mind, it’s worth asking yourself if such an undertaking is achievable with your lifestyle before you begin.
Antoni points out that Bateman’s Greek god bod might help men feel more confident in clothes and out of them, be that on the beach, or in attracting the opposite sex. But does this mean TikTok followers are overdoing it in the gym?
“I do believe some – by all means, not all – youngsters are overdoing it to look shredded,” says Antoni. “Many youngsters these days do not want to put in the effort or have the discipline to achieve this look through hard work, so want they do, they cut corners and take things like anabolic steroids then promote themselves on social media trying to sell workouts or fitness advice. I also think this leads to bad mental health for lots of people as they compare themselves to others on social media making them feel insecure as to why they don’t have the shredded look.”
As long as people are pursuing these goals with the help of a qualified coach, Morgan doesn’t see an issue. “Younger generations are more conscious of living a fit and healthy lifestyle as they aspire toward their goals and ambitions, which is why the grind culture has grown as much as it has,” he says.
As with everything in fitness, the key is not to overdo it. Sure, you can aim big, but if obsessing about a particular body type comes at the expense of your happiness – or if you feel your only worth is in your physical appearance – it might be time to reassess where your goals are coming from.
But, if you can pursue a physical goal healthily, there are many benefits to be had.
Patrick Bateman aside, his body is so ubiquitous it’s pretty much found on any actor required to take their shirt off on camera. With the bulky toros of Stallone, Arnie and JCVD left in the suped-up '80s, ever since we’ve been after more ‘natural’ bodies. It’s no surprise, then, that we’re taking inspiration from Ancient Greek sculptures, in many ways the idea of the ‘classic’ body.
Antoni says that today, working towards this type of physique will release hormones like endorphins which makes you feel happy and relaxed as well as Human Growth Hormone (HGH) which helps maintain your sugar and fat metabolism and boost metabolism to build muscle mass, plus testosterone which helps with bone health and mood. It must be noted, though, that all of this is true of any sort of weightlifting; it isn’t the case that you need to achieve a certain goal to feel these benefits.
“Other benefits are that you feel and look good both physically and mentally,” adds Antoni. “You might feel more confident, and having a strong shredded body allows you to be able to do more everyday life things easier, better posture and less risk of injury.”
Instead of home workouts and endless crunches, Antoni recommends compound movements. These are exercises that move multiple body parts, such as bench presses, squats and deadlifts. “Compound exercises build the most muscle mass, equating to burning the most calories in the shortest amount of time,” Antoni explains. Typically, you’d spread these out throughout the week, beginning a gym session with just one of these ‘big moves’ and waiting another week to recover before attempting them again.
Try incorporating the below, aiming for three sets of 10 reps to begin with. Pick and choose what works for you, asking the advice of a trainer if you’re unsure of the moves.
Alongside these big moves, it’s also important to strengthen individual muscles to bolster performance and reduce injury. “To maximise muscle hypertrophy, add in more accessory movements such as tricep pushdowns, bicep/hammer curls, leg extensions, and hamstring curls,” says Antoni.
And, to carve out those abs you’ll need to include HIIT workouts, or cardiovascular work such as skipping, running/sprinting or cycling. “Core work such as planks, side planks, and various crunches would aid strengthening and defining the core muscles,” Antoni adds.
Finally, you won’t get a Patrick Bateman body without dieting like a mo’ fo’. “The diet plan will be just as important to help achieve Patrick Bateman’s physique,” says Antoni. “You can never out train a bad diet.” Morgan adds that “Your diet should consist of good fats, low carbs, high amounts of protein, and no sugars.”
Happy training.
