You might have probably seen Mike O’Hearn on many magazine covers. The bodybuilder who became an actor is well known for his appearance and training program. Mike is legendary in the fitness world.
With four Mr. Universe wins, he certainly belongs in that legendary category. This has left many people wondering about the secret behind Mike's look and general fitness.
We have gone through over 50 interviews and hundreds of social media posts to narrow down his workout routine in a manner you can try them.
Quick Summary
- Mike O'Hearn's workouts range from chest presses, crunches, squats, leg curls, side lateral raises, preacher curls, deadlifts, and scissor kicks, among others.
- Mike's supplements intake is 5-HTP, BCAAs, fat burner, and collagen.
- O'Hearn's diet helps him to maintain his body includes protein, carbs and healthy fats.
Who is Mike O’Hearn?
Mike O’Hearn is an American bodybuilder from California and a prominent fitness model, Mr. Natural Universe winner, and actor.
That’s a lot for one human, but he’s also taken to martial arts and powerlifting, just to show that anything is possible once he sets his mind on it.
I’ve read that he’s been on over 500 magazine covers and has been crowned male fitness model of the year seven times.
He’s also featured on the American version reality show Gladiator and most recently founded a company that creates training videos for bodybuilders.
It really seems like there’s no part of the fitness industry that he hasn’t touched and succeeded in.
Mike O’Hearn’s Stats
- Age: 51
- Height: 6’3”
- Weight: 245 lbs
- From: Kirkland, WA
- Business: Power Bodybuilding
- Achievements: 4-time powerlifting champion, 4-time Mr. Universe
What Is His Training Philosophy?
Ironically, his workout principles were ignited in his childhood.
As the youngest sibling, he knew he had to be strong to stand up to older brothers, and he always looked for ways to get stronger and athletic while also learning some Bruce Lee moves.
Who didn’t love trying those as a kid?
He also struggled in school as a dyslexic, and that resulted in a lot of bullying. Again, this gave him the drive to get stronger and stand up to older kids.
All that has translated into a unique approach to exercise that includes both compound movements and isolation exercises.
And he pays a lot of attention to muscle recovery, both from a physical and dietary point of view.
Let’s take a closer look.
Other celebrity physiques:
Mike O’Hearn’s Workout Routine
The first thing I want to show you from the workout plan is how he breaks everything down into days.
As you can see below, each day is dedicated to a specific body part and a group of muscles.
- Monday: Chest/Abs
- Tuesday: Legs
- Wednesday: Shoulders/Abs
- Thursday: Arms
- Friday: Back/Abs
- Saturday & Sunday: Rest
Monday: Chest/Abs
His chest training routine is pretty impressive, and it explains a lot about his physique. Here’s what’s involved.
- Incline dumbbell flyes (3 sets of 8-10 reps)
- Dumbbell bench press (4 sets of 6-8 reps)
- Alternating machine incline press (3 sets of 8-10 reps)
- Cable crossover (3 sets of 8-10 reps)
- Chest press (3 sets of 8-10 reps)
For the abs:
- Cable ab pulldown (3 sets of 25 reps)
- Crunches (to failure)
Tuesday: Legs
This is where you want to pile on a lot more weight. Mike has often talked about how he tries to struggle with the last reps so much that he often can’t complete the full number of reps.
- Leg extensions (4 sets of 6-8 reps)
- Squat (4 sets of 6-8 reps)
- Leg Curls (4 sets of 6-8 reps
- Calf Raises (5 sets of 10 reps)
Wednesday: Shoulders
The shoulders are a key part of the training. I’ve seen it too often that amateurs end up with huge arms and pecks and very little on their shoulders.
You’ll get some great results from your bodybuilding efforts if you do these workouts on a weekly basis.
- Decline push-ups (3 sets of 25 reps)
- Upright dumbbell rows (4 sets of 6-8 reps)
- Dumbbell shrugs (3 sets of 8-10 reps)
- Side lateral raises (4 sets of 6-8 reps)
- Seated machine rows (3 sets of 8-10 reps)
Thursday: Arms
This is where bodybuilding is fun, and targeting the glory muscles is where the big payoff comes.
Make sure you grab the big dumbbells for each exercise and feel that burn for the last three reps.
- Dumbbell incline triceps extension (3 sets of 8-10 reps)
- Dumbbell concentration curl (3 sets of 8-10 reps)
- Lying triceps press (4 sets of 6-8 reps)
- Preacher curl (3 sets of 8-10 reps)
- Body weight dip (3 sets of 25 reps)
Friday: Back/Abs
You’ll want to make sure you work with a trainer before you go for the very heavy weights. You have to get the techniques right to ensure you don’t mess up your back with costly trips to a chiropractor.
- Single arm machine row (3 sets of 8-10 reps)
- Wide-grip pull-ups (to failure)
- Bent over dumbbell row (3 sets of 8-10 reps)
- Deadlifts (4 sets of 6-8 reps)
- Military push-ups (to failure)
For the abs:
- Hanging leg raises (3 sets of 25 reps)
- Scissor kicks (to failure)
Saturday & Sunday: Rest
Mike takes the weekend off.
Overall, this is not an exercise routine to be taken lightly. You will and should feel sore at the end of each day, and that’s where the importance of recovery kicks in.
“Don’t just accept where you are at in life. If you want to be better, do better. If you want to be more, do more. It’s all on you. Do it!” - Mike O’Hearn.
Next, let’s look at his nutrition plan.
Mike O’Hearn’s Diet
Mike pays very careful attention to his meal plans and regularly works with nutritionists and dietitians to come up with new ways to maximize his nutrient intake.
What I found most surprising is that all the planning didn't lead to a drastically extreme diet.
Yes, he keeps a check on his carb intake, but overall, it’s just down to maximizing certain nutrients in the healthiest possible way.
1. Protein Sources
To get to that kind of physical size, you’ll need a lot of high-protein foods. Not only do your muscles need the protein to build up new mass, but you’ll also need a lot of it to avoid muscle breakdown.
You’ll eventually hit your peak bulk, and it can be just as challenging to keep it as it was to get there in the first place.
What does that mean?
Basically, lots of chicken, turkey, fish, and occasionally red meat.
2. Carbohydrate Sources
Carbs are your friend from a nutrition perspective when you’re in a bulking phase.
But you need to be careful about the types of foods you eat.
There are many things in our pantries that contain simple and sugary carbs that result in blood glucose spikes.
Those can be your enemy, so it’s important to only consider complex carbs, which means avoiding added sugar, most grains, pasta, and white rice.
The less processed the food is, the less likely it is to contain simple carbs.
3. Fat Sources
He keeps it simple here.
Avoid any saturated and trans fats, and don’t be shy of the healthy fats from vegetable oils.
Healthy fats are a great way to boost calories, and in the cutting phases, they can even help you to feel full for longer.
Sample Meal Plan
Here are a few meals that we’ve gathered from Mike’s social media posts.
Meal 1:
Meal 2:
Meal 3:
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Meal 4:
Meal 5:
Meal 6:
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What Supplements Does He Take?
Mike O'Hearn takes supplements like 5-HTP, BCAAs, collagen, and fat burner.
1. 5-HTP
Some nutritionists recommend this for high-performance athletes as a way to improve muscle recovery times. I know that some people swear by it, and Mike has spoken about it a few times as well.
2. BCAAs
These are essential amino acids that your body cannot produce. Studies have shown a link with reduced fatigue and muscle soreness [1], which is something you'll definitely get from this exercise routine.
3. Collagen
Not many bodybuilders use this enough, but your connective tissue and joints heavily rely on a good supply of collagen [2]. Building up strength in your joints may help you deal with heavier weights.
4. Fat Burner
A struggle in bulking phases is always adding too much body fat. That's where fat burner for men might come in handy to ensure you keep on top of the flabby stuff.
Other celebrity workouts:
His Fitness Tips
Here are five simple tips I’ve picked from Mike through my research, and they will help you with muscle gains.
- Maintain Focus: Plan your meals and workouts and then stick with them; don’t let any noise and other messages online distract you.
- Stay Hydrated: Drink a lot of water throughout the day to help your muscles and cleanse your body.
- Support Your Immune System: Give your immune system every chance of a boost.
- Do Some Cardio: Stay on top of your BMI with some cardio sessions.
- Don’t Forget to Stretch: It’s one of the best ways along with cardio to speed up muscle recovery times.
Are you Trying Mike O’Hearn's Workout Routine?
You don’t have to have a plan to become a successful fitness model like Mike O’Hearn to want to succeed with workout routines like the above.
I’m certain they will put you into the best shape you can be, but you’ll need a lot of dedication and focus.
Give it a try for a few weeks, and then report back to us how it worked out for you.
References:
- https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-016-0142-y
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18416885/
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