Chef, author, and television host Anthony Bourdain is known as one of the most influential men in the culinary world. For a man so obsessed with food, it wouldn't be surprising if he had a less-than-perfect physique. But the 61-year-old has a torso that appears to be chiseled out of stone. The Parts Unknown host was recently spotted shirtless while vacationing in Rome with girlfriend Asia Argento, showing off a midsection that appeared to be transplanted from the body of an Olympic swimmer.
How, exactly, does a man in his 60s who is constantly eating delicious food stay in such impeccable shape? Turns out, Bourdain's more than just the master of the perfect burger. He's also a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Bourdain told Aspen Times that he was introduced to Brazilian jiu-jitsu back in 2014 by his then-wife, Ottavia, who is a jiu-jitsu professional. He said his daily jiu-jitsu training, combined with giving up carbs and sugar, led to him dropping 30 pounds in 9 months. (Want Bourdain-esque abs of steel? Try our Anarchy Abs workout.)
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"I train every day, wherever I am in the world," Bourdain told Nuvo last year.
Bourdain's intense training regimen has also affected other aspects of his lifestyle. He said he's motivated to stick to a healthier diet by how he knows it will make him feel during his workout the next day.
“I’m not drinking anywhere near what I used to and I’m much moderate in my eating habits — because you really pay a price for misbehavior immediately on the mat," he said in 2015. "You feel it and you pay a price in physical pain and humiliation.” (Bourdain's not wrong — this is exactly what alcohol can do to your body.)
Bourdain said that his typical jiu-jitsu ritual consists of roughly an hour and a half of work a day. He even competes in Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitions. (If you're not a fan of jiu-jitsu, try the ConBody Workout.)
So what exactly is it about jiu-jitsu that makes it such a killer workout? The practice itself consists of a lot of grappling, or ground fighting, with another person, which requires constant movement. Typically, a jiu-jitsu training session consists of a 10- or 15-minute warm-up, which includes arm pummeling, footwork, and sprawls. The next 30-40 minutes is spent learning new techniques and working on drills to prepare for the final part of class, which is 15 to 20 minutes of fighting. The body is constantly moving during the entire training session, which equates to one killer full-body workout.
Bourdain isn't the only celebrity who has turned to jiu-jitsu. Demi Lovato recently revealed that she too uses it to stay fit. Non-celebrities are also fans: one man told Men's Health he used Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to drop an astounding 257 pounds. The secret? One guy who used the practice to unearth his six-pack described it as over an hour of constant core engagement. Yeah, that'll probably do it. (Want to get ripped like Bourdain? If jiu-jitsu isn't your thing, just do one thing and stop the sit-ups and try this move instead.)
