Some of our older readers might remember his stage name, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, when he was the frontman for a boy band.
And even though Mark Wahlberg was very fit in his younger days, his physique now in his 50s attracts a lot of attention.
As a certified personal trainer, I’m always interested to find out how celebrities approach fitness.
So our team spent two whole days going through social media posts and interviews to see if we could come up with a Mark Wahlberg workout plan.
Quick Summary
- Mark Wahlberg has an extreme routine that starts with heading to the gym before 4 a.m. and working out 5–6 days a week.
- Supporting his workout plan and very busy work schedule involves a lot of careful planning and a personal chef to provide him with clean and nutritious food.
- Mark Wahlberg also relies on dietary supplements to achieve his macro profile and get more out of every training session.
- Wahlberg’s diet focuses on high-protein meals, multiple smaller portions, and supplements to support his rigorous training regime.
Mark Wahlberg Stats
- Born: June 5, 1971
- Height: 5’8”
- Weight: 180 lbs
- Waist: 35”
- Chest: 46”
Mark Wahlberg’s Workout Routine
Mark Wahlberg's workout routine involves getting up between three and four in the morning and starting the day with cardio and weight training at the gym.
While you don’t have to go to such extremes as a middle-of-the-night workout, it’s still going to be a tough workout to follow.
Monday: Legs and Abs
Monday morning starts with a focus on the lower body:
- 30 minutes of high-intensity cardio
- Leg press (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Leg curls (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Split squats (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Calf raises (3 sets of 12 reps)
- V-ups (3 sets to failure)
- Ab crunches (3 sets to failure)
- Hanging leg raises (3 sets to failure)
Tuesday: Chest and Arms
Mark Wahlberg's chest and arms are chiseled but not massive like those of a bodybuilder.
That means higher reps and some cardio thrown into the mix:
- 30 minutes of cardio on a rowing machine
- Flat bench press (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Seated chest press (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Incline bench press (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Preacher curl (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Overhead triceps extension (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Hammer curl (3 sets of 12 reps)
Wednesday: Active Rest
Mark Wahlberg has talked about being a fan of cryochamber recovery.
While he does this after every workout, that might not be an option for everyone.
But it could be something that you look into for your rest days to help with soreness and muscle building [1].
Thursday: Back and Shoulders
Today it’s time to work on those back and shoulder muscles, with a strong focus on the delts [2].
Here’s what you need to plan:
- 30-minute elliptical training
- Seated shoulder military press (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Lat pulldown (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Standing shoulder press (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Bent-over dumbbell rows (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Seated pulley rows (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Deadlifts (3 sets of 12 reps)
Friday: Circuit Training
Mark Wahlberg also likes to mix cardio and resistance training into a circuit workout.
Your goal is to complete one set at each station and then repeat as many sets as you can:
- Jump squats (20 reps)
- Weighted pull-ups (20 reps)
- Burpees (15 reps)
- Jump rope (90 seconds)
- Hanging leg raises (15 reps)
- Lateral raises (12 reps)
- Reverse flyes (12 reps)
Saturday: Full-Body Training
The final part of the workout program involves free weights and machines again.
It’s one last push to make every muscle sore before a recovery day:
- Incline bench press (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Front squats (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Inverted row (3 sets of 12 reps)
- V-ups (3 sets to failure)
- Biceps curl (3 sets of 12 reps)
- Front raises (3 sets of 12 reps)
Sunday: Rest Day
After such a tough workout program, you have to give your body a day off. But that doesn’t mean lying on the couch all day and feeling sorry for yourself.
Get up and go for a walk or even a slow-paced swim.
This will loosen the muscles, and if you use a foam roller or go for a massage, then it should also help with faster recovery and less soreness [3].
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What Are His Workout Principles?
Mark Wahlberg’s workout routine principles are all about creating the discipline to stick with the plan.
He has been working with personal trainer Brian Nguyen for many years, and his attitude towards training is just like brushing his teeth and other personal hygiene tasks.
Mark Wahlberg also gets up very early in the morning.
The reason for this is that he has a busy work and family schedule.
By getting up before 4 a.m., he can get his workouts done, tend to some urgent work tasks, and then have some time with his family.
This might sound crazy, but his results speak for themselves.
It doesn’t mean you have to get up that early, but as long as you have the discipline to stick to the plan every day, you will start seeing results.
“Being fit is about being able to perform at your best, not necessarily just looking your best.”
- Mark Wahlberg
What’s His Diet Plan?
Mark Wahlberg’s diet plan is all about achieving a high-protein macronutrient profile with fresh and nutritious ingredients.
He also tends to eat multiple smaller meals, and he adapts his calorie intake to his training plan for each day.
Here is what a typical day would look like:
- Breakfast: Breakfast is a post-workout meal consisting of steel oats with peanut butter to replenish energy and two hard-boiled eggs to balance protein and fat.
- Snack: Avocado toast with a large protein shake.
- Lunch: Grilled chicken salad.
- Snack: Brown bread sandwich and a cup of mixed nuts.
- Dinner: Three turkey burgers with sweet potatoes and a large portion of vegetables.
The Mark Wahlberg diet is a lot easier to follow than many others. It’s mainly about calculating the right number of calories and eliminating sugar and fast food.
You can still have a very tasty and satisfying meal plan with that approach.
From a macro perspective, I had my dietitian do some research, as Mark hasn’t shared details about this.
Looking at his physique and training routine, our best guess is that he aims to get 45% of his calories from protein, 25% from carbs, and 30% from healthy fats.
Some bodybuilders looking to bulk up might push the fat down and the carbs and protein up a bit. But this should give you a good starting point.
Does He Take Supplements?
Yes, Mark Wahlberg takes supplements to achieve his goals. His main focus is on protein powder, pre-workouts, and post-workout amino acids.
From a protein perspective, Mark aims to get as much protein from his meals as possible.
But when your goal is to get almost 50% of your calories from protein, then it can become a struggle.
To help with this, drinking two large protein shakes will help boost your intake and help you build more lean muscle.
The other important supplement for such a training plan is a pre-workout.
These supplements deliver natural ingredients that help boost your energy and strength slightly.
This is one supplement you should definitely consider if you want to get the most out of Mark Wahlberg's workout plan.
Just don’t expect it to turn you into a superhuman.
The boost is small, but when you add those increases up to five training sessions a week, the results after a few months can be impressive.
And finally, for those particularly long and tough training sessions, it can be a good idea to take an amino acid supplement like BCAA. Make sure you chose one of the best BCAAs for men, as the quality makes a huge difference in the end result.
These can help with muscle recovery and reduce soreness so that you don’t have to hold back the next day [4].
FAQs
How Many Hours a Day Does Mark Wahlberg Workout?
Mark Wahlberg works out for about an hour and a half every day. In a typical week, he will have five training sessions plus some other activities like martial arts, swimming, yoga, and stretching.
How Did Mark Wahlberg Lose 10 Pounds in 5 Days?
Mark Wahlberg lost 10 pounds in 5 days by drinking bone broth. He mentioned this in an interview, and the theory behind this is that you can get a large dose of animal protein, which can help with weight loss.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5411446/
- https://www.physio-pedia.com/Deltoid
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5932411/
- https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-9-20
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