Anyone with even a mild interest in fitness and being fit knows that Mark Wahlberg is one of the fittest actors in Hollywood right now.
He’s been keeping in shape all the way back since his days as an underwear model for Calvin Klein, and unlike other actors such as Chris Evans, Matthew McConaughey or even Christian Bale, who usually train for a specific role and then go back to their regular bodies, Mark Wahlberg tends to stay in shape all throughout the year. Amazing, right?
And since we’re specifically talking about amazing physique transformations, let’s focus on one of Mark Wahlberg’s most infamous transformation, and no, it’s not for the movie Pain & Gain, which we will touch upon later, rather it is about his Father Stu transformation.
Mark Wahlberg’s Father Stu Body Transformation
By now we are all pretty used to seeing Wahlberg’s jacked physique, so much that his various transformations for different movies are not considered hot news anymore.
However, this time, Wahlberg managed to surprise and shock his fans with his physique update. The first look that was from his movie – Father Stu, absolutely stunned fans far and wide.
He bodies the role of a bipolar boxer that later takes up priesthood, and according to sources, Mark Wahlberg put on a whopping 30 pounds of body weight in just 20 days while he was preparing for this particular role.
That is a pretty hard goal to reach in that short amount of time. Which makes him even more amazing!
Whether this is supposed to be a transformation or a reverse transformation is up to you, however, we won’t be asking you to add on 30 pounds of body fat in this article, that is unless you want to.
Even though he put on a lot of weight, after the movie wrapped he was already back to his normal physique in record time!
What was his diet like while preparing for this role?
If you are one of the curious cats that want to know just how was Wahlberg able to put on all of this weight so fast, here is what his diet plan looked like for that:
At 3 a.m. – 4 eggs
At 6 a.m. – 8 eggs, 6 strips of bacon, 1 cup rice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and a protein shake.
At 9 a.m. – ground beef or ground turkey made into a hamburger patty or meatloaf, 1 cup rice.
At Noon – 1/2 roasted chicken, 1 cup rice, 1 cup cooked spinach, and 1 cup cooked beets.
At 3 p.m. – 8 ounces veal or pork chop, 4 ounces salmon, 1 cup rice, olive oil, and beets.
At 6 p.m. – 8 ounces steak, 8 ounces white fish, 1 cup cooked vegetables. a
At 9 p.m. – Custom mash (1 cup cooked steel-cut oatmeal, 2 tbsp applesauce, 2 tbsp jelly or jam, 2 tbsp almond butter, 1 tbsp molasses.)
This is a massive amount of food for anyone, and we are all left wondering just how can someone eat so much?
Here’s a word of caution for those readers that are looking to put on some body weight, do not go about eating anything and everything in your sight, because weight gain does not automatically equal to eating heaps of junk food.
When Mark Wahlberg was preparing for this role and in the process of putting on those 30 pounds of weight, he wasn’t just going ham on some junk food whenever he felt like it. This is what many people do not realize, Hollywood stars don’t just go on eating sprees when bulking up for a role.
Even though the Transformers star was eating around 7 to 8 meals a day, which adds up to 7000 calories, it was all coming from nutritious food. That and it is a lot easier to transform your physique when you have a group of specialists watching your every move and taking care of all of the tedious aspects of a diet.
The team behind Wahlberg even took it to the next level by ensuring the actor’s health and safety during this gaining program. His personal chef, Lawrence Duran revealed the following to E! News:
“We meet with a team of doctors who do his bloodwork and a nutritionist who gives us a full breakdown of what his body needs, what his body’s lacking, and basically come up with a meal plan according to this. We go to a specialist evert two weeks to see where we’re at and adjust thing.”
Okay, what about his Pain & Gain diet plan?
Don’t think that we forgot about this, Wahlberg sported an insane physique in “The Fighter”, “Lone Survivor”, and “Shooter”, but he absolutely outdid himself and shocked fans with his transformation in “Pain & Gain”.
When the first teasers for this movie came out, Wahlberg looking like he practically doubled in size from his previous movie. This was a huge achievement for the actor, considering he only had about seven weeks to achieve it.
Curious about about his stats? Here you go!
Name: Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg
Birth Place: Dorchester, Boston, Massachusetts
Date of Birth: 5 June 1971
Height: 5’8″
Waist: 34″
Chest: 46″
Bicep: 16″
Weight: 185 lbs
Here is Mark Wahlberg’s Pain & Gain Diet Program
The Hollywood star’s goal for this was to gain 40 pounds of muscle in seven weeks. Before the movie he weighed 165 pounds, but he had to up the weight to 205 pounds before he started shooting for Pain & Gain.
The news was that Dwayne The Rock Johnson would be his co-star would surely make Wahlberg push himself harder in the gym.
Working together with his trainer Bryan Nguyen, Mark Wahlberg prepared for his Pain & Gain transformation. He went back to his old school work outs that include a lot of compound lifts, however, this time around he did less cardio and ate more.
(3:15 a.m.) Meal 1: Whey Protein oats, peanut butter, blueberries, and eggs.
(5:30 a.m.) Meal 2: Protein shake, three turkey burgers, five pieces of sweet potato.
(8 a.m.) Snack (Between meals): A plate of meatballs.
(10:30 a.m.) Meal 3: A mix of grilled chicken, kalamata olives, pepperoncini, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, and hard-boiled eggs.
(1 p.m.) Meal 4: Steak.
(3:30 PM) Meal 5: Chicken with bok choy.
(Before 5:30 p.m.) Meal 6 (Dinner): Fish with veggies.
It’s no surprise that Mark Wahlberg starts his day early, and according to reports he gets out of bed by 02:30 am! He gets done with his work out while most of the world is asleep.
This Hollywood star does not follow a so called “vanilla” diet program, his daily nutrition plan consists of three breakfasts and a snack at 8 am.
He eats six small meals throughout the day that keeps his metabolism running while also helping him burn calories even when he is not particularly physically active.
While he was following the Pain & Gain transformation diet plan, Mark Wahlberg did not consume any carbs before bed, protein being the primary source of calories in his diet plan.
Mark Wahlberg’s Pain & Gain Training Program
Mark Wahlberg followed a 5 – day training split whilst prepping for Pain & Gain, his work out program was a result of years of experience inside the iron paradise and a very deep understanding of his body. He also relied on supersets that did the job in the past.
Here is his work out routine for all the curious people:
Monday: focus on chest, arms and abs
AM Workout – Chest & Arms
1. Flat Bench Press: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
Superset
Dumbbell Chest Fly: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
2. Incline Bench Press: 4 sets 8-12 reps, 45-sec rest
Superset
Front Shoulder Raise: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
3. Decline Bench Press: 4 sets 8-12 reps, 45-sec rest
Superset
Side Shoulder Raise: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
4. Seated Military Press: 4 sets 8-12 reps, 45-sec rest
Superset
Standing Shoulder Press: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
5. Parallel Bar Dips: 4 sets 8-12 reps, 45-sec rest
Superset
Cable Tricep Pressdown: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
6. Barbell Lying Tricep Extension: 4 sets 8-12 reps, 45-sec rest
7. Overhead Cable Tricep Extension: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
While preparing for Pain & Gain, Mark Wahlberg had to train twice a day. And since he only had seven weeks to get in the best shape he could possibly get, he knew 7 workouts for a muscle group were not going to cut it.
Mark trained each muscle group twice a week.
PM Workout – Stretching, Abs, and Cardio
Warmup: Stretching (Foam roller, bands, and Val slides)
Circuit – 3 rounds X 15 reps of each exercise
Curl-Up (McGill)
Bicycle crunch
Side crunch
Hip-up
Medicine ball twist
Cardio: Treadmill or Elliptical – 30 minutes
Tuesday: focus legs, back, and biceps
AM Workout – Legs & Back
1. Front Squat: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
Superset
Split Squat: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
2. Leg Press: 4 sets 8-12 reps, 45-sec rest
Superset
Jump Squat: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
3. Walking Lunge: 4 sets 8-12 reps, 45-sec rest
Superset
Standing Calf Raise: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
4. Barbell Deadlift: 4 sets 8-12 reps, 45-sec rest
Superset
Alternating Leg Curl: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
5. Pull-up: 4 sets 8-12 reps, 45-sec rest
Superset
Dumbbell Row: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
6. Lat Pull-Down: 4 sets 8-12 reps, 45-sec rest
7. Seated Pulley Row: 4 sets 8-12 reps, 45-sec rest
While getting ready for the movie, Marky Mark trained at his swanky home gym. It saved him a lot of time he would have otherwise spent traveling to and from the iron paradise.
PM Workout – Biceps, Stretching, and Cardio
Warmup: Stretching (Foam roller, bands, and TRX)
Seated Bicep Curl: 3 sets 10, 8, 6 reps @ 20, 25, 30kgs
Barbell Bicep Curl: 3 sets 10, 8, 6 reps @ 20, 25, 30kgs
EZ Bar Curl: 3 sets 10, 8, 6 reps @ 20, 25, 30kgs
Preacher Curl: 3 sets 10, 8, 6 reps @ 20, 25, 30kgs
Machine Bicep Curl: 3 sets 10, 8, 6 reps @ 20, 25, 30kgs
Cardio: Treadmill or Elliptical – 30 minutes
Wednesday: rest day
Thursday: focus on legs, back, and biceps
AM Workout – Full Body Circuits
4 rounds of each circuit
8 reps of each exercise
90-seconds after completing each round.
Circuit 1
Barbell Deadlift
Power Clean
Clean and Press
Hang Snatch
Push Press
Circuit 2
Split Squat
Barbell Bench Press
Barbell Deadlift
Inverted Row
Finishers
Cable Bicep Curl: 3 sets 8 reps, 60-second rest
Seated Chest Press: 3 sets 8 reps, 60-second rest
Leg Press: 3 sets 8 reps, 60-second rest
Tricep Pushdown: 3 sets 8 reps, 60-second rest
Seated Side Lateral Raise: 3 sets 8 reps, 60-second rest
PM Workout – Stretching, Abs, and Cardio
Warmup: Stretching (Foam roller, bands, and Val slides)
Circuit – 3 rounds X 15 reps of each exercise
Curl-Up (McGill)
Bicycle crunch
Side crunch
Hip-up
Medicine ball twist
Cardio: Treadmill or Elliptical – 30 minutes
Friday: focus on chest, arms, and biceps
AM Workout – Chest & Arms
1. Flat Bench Press: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
Superset
Dumbbell Chest Fly: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
2. Incline Bench Press: 4 sets 8-12 reps, 45-sec rest
Superset
Front Shoulder Raise: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
3. Decline Bench Press: 4 sets 8-12 reps, 45-sec rest
Superset
Side Shoulder Raise: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
4. Seated Military Press: 4 sets 8-12 reps, 45-sec rest
Superset
Standing Shoulder Press: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
5. Parallel Bar Dips: 4 sets 8-12 reps, 45-sec rest
Superset
Cable Tricep Pressdown: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
6. Barbell Lying Tricep Extension: 4 sets 8-12 reps, 45-sec rest
7. Overhead Cable Tricep Extension: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
While following Mark Wahlberg’s Pain & Gain transformation program, make sure that you are constantly pushing yourself. If 12 reps of an exercise feel easy, increase the weight and do not let your muscles get used to your workouts.
PM Workout – Biceps, Stretching, and Cardio
Warmup: Stretching (Foam roller, bands, and TRX)
Seated Bicep Curl: 3 sets 10, 8, 6 reps @ 20, 25, 30kgs
Barbell Bicep Curl: 3 sets 10, 8, 6 reps @ 20, 25, 30kgs
EZ Bar Curl: 3 sets 10, 8, 6 reps @ 20, 25, 30kgs
Preacher Curl: 3 sets 10, 8, 6 reps @ 20, 25, 30kgs
Machine Bicep Curl: 3 sets 10, 8, 6 reps @ 20, 25, 30kgs
Cardio: Treadmill or Elliptical – 30 minutes
Saturday: focus on legs, back and abs
AM Workout – Legs & Back
1. Front Squat: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
Superset
Split Squat: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
2. Leg Press: 4 sets 8-12 reps, 45-sec rest
Superset
Jump Squat: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
3. Walking Lunge: 4 sets 8-12 reps, 45-sec rest
Superset
Standing Calf Raise: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
4. Barbell Deadlift: 4 sets 8-12 reps, 45-sec rest
Superset
Alternating Leg Curl: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
5. Pull-ups: 4 sets 8-12 reps, 45-sec rest
Superset
Dumbbell Row: 4 sets 8-12 reps, No rest
6. Lat Pull-Down: 4 sets 8-12 reps, 45-sec rest
7. Seated Pulley Row: 4 sets 8-12 reps, 45-sec rest
PM Workout – Stretching, Abs, and Cardio
Warmup: Stretching (Foam roller, bands, and Val slides)
Circuit – 3 rounds X 15 reps of each exercise
Curl-Up (McGill)
Bicycle crunch
Side crunch
Hip-up
Medicine ball twist
Cardio: Treadmill or Elliptical – 30 minutes
Sunday: rest day
In conclusion
This Hollywood actor has been training since most of you were young kids, and if you are a fitness rookie, you can start by doing the AM work outs only, and as you gain training experience you can switch to complete Pain & Gain.
Keep in mind that Mark did not build his Pain & Gain physique from scratch within seven weeks. He already had a pretty good foundation to build upon.
