Mark Wahlberg has one of the best physiques in Hollywood and is known for getting into incredible shape before filming movies. The actor trains intensely – but what does he eat to build muscle and stay lean?
The Hollywood star is known for his incredible physique which particularly stood out in films such as The Fighter and Pain & Gain. He generally remains in great physical shape all year round and has honed his morning routine, training schedule, eating habits, and rest and recovery over the years.
In this article, we’ll discuss how he maintains his muscular physique all-year round through clean eating, intense training and ample amounts of rest and recovery.
Mark Walhberg’s Morning Routine
Mark Wahlberg takes a structured approach to optimizing his physical performance. He trains most days shortly after waking up. The actor explains his morning routine: "I get up, I take my vitamins, I drink my water, I have a little dissolvable zinc tablet, and then I have a Triple Espresso... I'll have my coffee, go in the cold plunge, come out, and then I'll have my creatine and my Branch chain aminos while I'm working out."
This morning routine allows the actor to train intensely before refuelling his body with food and then focusing on rest and recovery.
Training Schedule
Mark Wahlberg’s training regime has evolved over the years. Up until recently he was training every single day and eating eight meals per day. The actor, however found that he was overtraining and struggling to digest the high amounts of protein he was consuming. He explains: "I learned the hard way... I was training seven days a week, two times a day, and eating eight meals a day. I couldn't digest the protein I was eating. I was doing it all wrong."
The Hollywood star now places a lot of emphasis on rest and recovery and has incorporated two rest days into his training schedule. He says: "I'm actually training smart now, so I'll do upper body, lower body 3 days on, day off, two days on, day off. I'm putting as much emphasis now on rest and recovery as I am on time under tension."
Clean Eating
Mark Wahlberg eats a clean diet focused on whole foods to maintain his muscular and lean physique. His diet has got cleaner as he’s got older and developed more knowledge and understanding on nutrition. He says: "I just try to eat as clean as possible. I’ve had the worst eating habits and... it’s sad that it took me until I was about 52 years old to figure it out."
The actor recommends learning about nutrition and starting to eat healthy foods rather than processed foods as early as possible. Whole foods such as lean meats, healthy grains, fruits and vegetables provide the body with optimal nutrients to fuel the body and optimize physical and mental performance.
Mark Wahlberg confesses that he wishes he’d started clean eating much earlier than he did as it would’ve extended his ability to attain roles in action-related films. He says: "If I was actually smart, I would have listened to the people that told me how to do things right a long time ago, but I was hard-headed and thought I knew everything... It's sad that it took me till I was 52 years old to figure it out."
While the majority of his diet is clean, the actor does admit to having the occasional cheat meal or cheat drink. He still allows himself the odd bar of chocolate, glass of wine or bottle of beer.
What Does Mark Wahlberg Eat?
In his most recent interviews Mark Wahlberg has mentioned that he eats the following foods to build muscle, remain lean and maximize muscle recovery:
- Wild Salmon
- Sea Bass
- Shrimp
- Halibut
- Crab
- Beef
- Chicken
- Pork
- Sausage
- Bacon
- Eggs
- Greek Yogurt
- Hummus
- Pasta
- Gnocchi
- Sweet Potato
- Avocado
- Broccoli
- Cucumber
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Pistachios
- Almonds
- Pancakes
- Maple Syrup
- Coffee
- Green Juice with Moringa
- Olive Oil
Supplements
- Protein Shakes
- Creatine
- Zinc Tablet
- Branch Chain Amino Acids