A quick look at Mark Wahlberg’s workout videos may have you thinking he’s a superhuman. But the star is sometimes tempted to skip his sweat sessions just like the rest of us.
“I feel it more often than you think,” he told People in 2024.
Still, the star somehow motivates himself to wake up at the crack of dawn for his hardcore workouts, which start before 5 a.m.
A self-described member of the "4 am club," Wahlberg regularly posts videos of himself in the gym and he recently revealed one of the secrets to his morning routine: cold plunges.
One recent video was shot at 4:20 a.m. In the short clip, the 53-year-old steps into a cold plunge pod while describing the practice as "the best way, the only way to start the day."
Another video showed Wahlberg psyching himself out for the cold plunge, saying, "4 a.m. rain or shine. It's raining outside. We're still gonna plunge."
Cold plunges are one of the many ways Wahlberg ramps up his wellness routine. Read on to learn more about his commitment to fitness.
He's dedicated to early-morning workouts
Wahlberg is working out while many people are still asleep. Although it can be hard to drag yourself out of bed so early, the star says there's a method to the madness.
“I feel better getting up early,” he told People in 2023. “If I don’t work out in the morning, I have a really hard time doing it towards the end of the day.”
Following some morning prayer time and a cold plunge that makes him feel "alive," Wahlberg hits the gym before 5 a.m. In July 2024, he even revealed that his Sunday routine starts at 2 a.m.
His fitness regime is intense
No two workouts are the same for Wahlberg, but he has shared many videos of himself performing the following moves to ensure that he's working every muscle:
- Weighted calf raises
- Weighted squats
- Chest presses
- Lateral pull-downs
- Forward tricep extensions
- Incline push-ups
- Bicep curls
- Leg presses
- Bar cable curls
- Seated cable rows
- Weighted squat pulses
In fact, Wahlberg has said he prefers strength training to cardio, previously telling People, "cardio days are tough for me."
His fitness goals are focused on 'longevity'
Once upon a time, Wahlberg was motivated to work out for mostly superficial reasons.
“Before it was about aesthetic when trying to get in shape,” he told People in 2023. “Now, I want to live a long time.”
These days, Wahlberg hopes his hardcore gym sessions set up him for long-term health benefits.
“For me, now, it’s much more about longevity than anything else,” he said.
He targets particular muscle groups
Over time, Wahlberg has learned the importance of targeting specific muscle groups while working out.
“I don’t have to lift as heavy, but I have to have better form, a longer hold and a longer squeeze ... I just wish I would’ve listened to the people who were trying to tell me these things and give me this kind of advice 20 years ago,” he previously told People, adding that he’s “training smarter” these days.
He schedules time for recovery
Wahlberg is passionate about going hard at the gym, but he also schedules time to give his body a bit of TLC.
"The rest, the recovery and the nutrition are by far the most important things right now in this whole longevity program," he said in an Instagram video from July 2024, adding that he focuses on recovery in two key ways: ice baths and stretching.
He treats himself
Working out at the crack of dawn every day would be a drag if you couldn't indulge in your favorite foods every once in a while. To keep himself going, Wahlberg saves room for twice-a-week cheat days, as he revealed on Instagram last fall. A few of his go-to treats? Pizza and burgers!
He swears by fasting
On his Instagram page, Wahlberg has often posted about his penchant for fasting. In 2023, the star told Men's Health he turns to intermittent fasting to "stay lean" and for "more energy."
"I used to do the kind of eight small meals a day (plan)—I’d have to work three times as hard doing cardio. I’d do cardio in the morning, then I would come back in the afternoon and jump rope again. And I certainly wasn’t digesting all the food or the protein that I was consuming," he said. "Once I started fasting, I had to do a lot less cardio. I was only going to the gym five days a week, and I certainly never had to go back in the afternoon to do cardio again."
Wahlberg went on to explain that he generally eats his first meal at noon followed by more food around 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
"But (during Lent) I did a couple of fasts where I did 24 hours. I did 48 hours, and I got as lean as I’ve been a long time, pretty quickly," he said.
He maintains his fitness routine while traveling
Whether he’s traveling for work or pleasure, Wahlberg keeps up with his hardcore sweat sessions.
“Even with travel, I gotta get it in,” he captioned a post of himself smashing his routine while he was out of town.
In another post, the actor filmed himself going for a “walk” while on vacation. Rather than taking a casual stroll to take in the sights, he worked his leg muscles while balancing a barbell on his shoulders.
He works his way up to tougher exercises
Wahlberg didn't just wake up one morning with the strength of a bodybuilder. Over time, the star has gradually worked his way up to intense gym sessions.
"Always doing a little bit more each time I hit the gym," he captioned one recent Instagram video.
He enjoys dynamic movements
Dynamic movements like lunges are key to Wahlberg's routine.
"Especially as you get older, you want to be able to move. Any kind of dynamic movements and exercises have been a game changer for me. Instead of being on any kind of stationary equipment… it’s movement, lateral movement," he previously told Men's Health.
"Those things are the most important. Getting on a stationary bike is good for bodybuilding, sculpting, shaping, all that stuff. But getting out there, doing lots of lunges and things like that—that’s what’s going to keep me going," he added.
He gets 8 hours of sleep a night
Workouts are important to Wahlberg, but sleep also ranks pretty high on his list of priorities.
“I just get eight hours of sleep, I get up and I make sure that I do all the things that I need to do for myself to be the best version of myself before I’ve got to wake the kids up,” he previously told Men's Health.
Of course, it also helps that the actor is "not an evening person," so he's willing to go to bed early.
“I used to be, but for me there’s nothing but trouble after those hours, so I like to get up and get it done,” he said.
