The Mark Wahlberg's Workout Routine to Build Muscle Mass

Mark Wahlberg is a renowned actor and he has played many roles in movies that require all different kinds of physiques. In this article, you will learn a Mark Wahlberg's Workout Routine that he used to build muscle mass for his role in the "Pain & Gain" movie.

So, how to get big like famous actor Mark Wahlberg? First tip - lift heavy. Mark Wahlberg is a fan of old-school bodybuilding workouts and his focus is on heavy barbell and dumbbells more than on machine exercises. 

Life was not so easy for Mark, just like his workouts. He had a hard time growing up and he also had a hard time building his amazing physique. If you want to succeed in anything in life you need to work hard on it. Same goes for building muscle mass. Mark Wahlberg has been lifting heavy weights since the 80's and he acquired techniques from golden era bodybuilders.

Life was not so easy for Mark, same as his workouts. If you want to succeed in anything in life you need to work hard on it. Same goes for building muscle mass. Mark Wahlberg has been lifting heavy weights since the 80's and he acquired techniques from golden era bodybuilders.

For those that don't know, supersets are done when you perform 2 exercises without pausing between them. Usually, the first exercise in the superset is compound exercise followed by isolation exercise.

Check out Mark Wahlberg's Workout Routine for Pain and Gain movie:

MONDAY - Chest, Shoulders, Triceps and Abs

1st Superset 

(45 seconds rest between supersets)

Barbell Bench Press: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

Dumbbell Flyes: 4 sets, 8-12 reps 

2nd Superset

Incline Bench Press: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

Front Shoulder Raises: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

3rd Superset

Decline Bench Press: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

Side Lateral Raises: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

4th Superset

Military Press: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

Parallel Bar Dips: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

5th Superset

Lying Triceps Extensions: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

Cable Triceps Pressdowns: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

Sit Ups: 2 sets, 15 reps

Bicycle Crunches: 2 sets, 15 reps

Side Crunches: 2 sets, 15 reps

Medicine Ball Twists: 2 sets, 15 reps

Treadmill for 30 mins

TUESDAY - Legs, Back, and Biceps

1st Superset

Front Barbell Squat: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

Split Squats: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

2nd Superset

Leg Press: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

Jump Squts: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

3nd Superset

Walking Dumbbell Lunges: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

Calf Raises: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

4th Superset

Barbell Deadlift: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

Leg Curls: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

5th Superset

Pull Ups: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

Dumbbell Rows: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

6th Superset

Lat Pull Down: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

Seated Cable Rows: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

Seated Biceps Curls: 3 sets, 10-8-6 reps

Barbell Biceps Curls: 3 sets, 10-8-6 reps

EZ Bar Curls: 3 sets, 10-8-6 reps

Preacher Curls: 3 sets, 10-8-6 reps

Treadmill for 30 mins

Doesn't sound easy, does it? Wednesday is a rest day and then goes a row of three training days.

THURSDAY - Full Body Workout

(90 seconds between circuits, no rest between exercises)

Circuit one:

Barbell Deadlift: 4 sets, 8 reps

Power Clean: 4 sets, 8 reps

Clean and Press: 4 sets, 8 reps

Hang Snatch: 4 sets, 8 reps

Circuit 2:

Split Squats: 4 sets, 8 reps

Barbell Bench Press: 4 sets, 8 reps

Barbell Deadlift: 4 sets, 8 reps

Inverted Row: 4 sets, 8 reps

Circuit 3:

Cable Biceps Curls: 3 sets, 6-8 reps

Leg Press: 3 sets, 6-8 reps

Triceps Pushdowns: 3 sets, 6-8 reps

Seated Side Lateral Raises: 3 sets, 6-8 reps

Circuit 4:

Sit Ups: 3 sets, 15 reps

Bicycle Crunches: 3 sets, 15 reps

Side Crunches: 3 sets, 15 reps

Medicine Ball Twists: 3 sets, 15 reps

Treadmill for 30 mins

FRIDAY - Chest, Triceps and Shoulders Workout from Monday + Biceps Workout

Seated Biceps Curls: 3 sets, 10-8-6 reps

Barbell Biceps Curls: 3 sets, 10-8-6 reps

EZ Bar Curls: 3 sets, 10-8-6 reps

Preacher Curls: 3 sets, 10-8-6 reps

Machine Biceps Curls: 3 sets, 10-8-6 reps

Treadmills for 30 mins

SATURDAY - Legs, Back, and Abs

1st Superset

Front Barbell Squat: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

Split Squats: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

2nd Superset

Leg Press: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

Jump Squts: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

3nd Superset

Walking Dumbbell Lunges: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

Calf Raises: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

4th Superset

Barbell Deadlift: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

Leg Curls: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

5th Superset

Pull Ups: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

Dumbbell Rows: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

6th Superset

Lat Pull Down: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

Seated Cable Rows: 4 sets, 8-12 reps

Sit Ups: 3 sets, 15 reps

Bicycle Crunches: 3 sets, 15 reps

Side Crunches: 3 sets, 15 reps

Medicine Ball Twists: 3 sets, 15 reps

Treadmill for 30 mins

Try out this Mark Wahlberg's Workout Routine to get muscular and toned physique as famous Hollywood actor. He followed this workout routine and bulked up 40 pounds of muscle for his role in 'Pain and Gain' movie in 2013. Don't forget to consume enough calories and macronutrients that are very important for building muscle mass.

Build Muscle Mass With 2 Days Per Week Full-Body Program

Many novice lifters believe in everything they read on the internet and I've been there too. They read that they need at least 5 training days a week and every training day to build each muscle separately so they start following it. They start focusing only on their training, forget the life around them because they have less and less time for all other things except training and eating.

That can produce some muscle gains at the beginning, almost any workout can produce gains for novice lifters. But, first three months are crucial for all guys that want to build their physique like a Greek God. 

The worst thing is that they spend less time performing basic exercises and building strength. Modern Bodybuilding articles and magazines teach them to train each muscle separately and to perform many dumbbell curls and other isolation exercises. That won't build much strength which is results in fewer muscle gains. 

You just have to understand something very important, the key to muscle building is progressive overload. If you don't get stronger you won't get bigger.

Almost all bodybuilding legends build their muscular physiques with full-body workouts. Arnold Schwarzenegger started with full-body routine, Reg Park, Bill Pearl, Leroy Colbert and many others.

The key to getting stronger and bigger is to perform basic compound movements that work more than one muscle at the time within a low rep range, 6-8 reps per sets. Maybe 10-12 reps for some exercises, but still 6-8 reps for major workouts that you should do at the beginning of your workout. 

Those major lifts are squats, bench press, deadlifts, military presses, barbell rows, pull ups and dips. You need to get stronger with all these exercises which will result in more muscle gains. 

Best Exercises for Building Muscle Mass

High volume training split routines can work for some people, mostly for bodybuilding competitors that are using anabolic steroids. For natural beginners, the best way to build muscle mass is to follow a full-body workout routine.

3 Best Full-Body Workouts to Build Muscle Fast

Remember this, I wish someone told me this when I started, the key to building muscle mass is frequency. By following a full-body routine you will train the whole body at every workout that can increase HGH and testosterone levels in your body and speed up muscle growth.

Today, I will present you a 2 days per week full-body routine. You think that working out 2 days a week isn't enough to build muscle mass? Well, try this workout program for one month and you will see how sore you will be after just one week of following this routine. You will hit every muscle group twice a week, and with a proper muscle-building diet your muscles and strength will grow each week.



Perform these two workouts on Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday, rest at least two or three days between the workouts. Because of the intensity and volume of the routine, you won't need to perform it more than two times a week.




2 DAYS PER WEEK FULL-BODY ROUTINE



WORKOUT 1


Squats - 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Bench Press - 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Barbell Rows - 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Stiff Leg Deadlifts - 2 sets of 10 reps
Dumbbell Shoulder Press - 3 sets of 10 reps
Skullcrushers - 2 sets of 10 reps
Dumbbell Curls - 2 sets of 10 reps
Calf Raises - 2 sets of 15 reps
Plank - 2 sets of 60 seconds



WORKOUT 2


Deadlift - 2 sets of 6-8 reps
Barbell Shoulder Press - 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Leg Press - 3 sets of 12 reps
Pull Ups - 3 sets of maximum reps
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press - 3 sets of 10 reps
Cable Triceps Extension - 2 sets of 10 reps
EZ Bar Curl - 2 sets of 10 reps
Leg Curls - 2 sets of 12 reps
Weighted Sit Ups - 2 sets of 15-20 reps




Following this routine is very simple and sometimes the key to something is in simplicity. Try it for one to two months and remember to be in constant caloric surplus and to consume enough proteins, carbs, and fats if you aim to gain muscle and strength.

The 6 Golden Rules of Building Muscle Mass (Skinny Guys Too)

Before you even start reading this you should know that this article is dedicated to all guys (and girls too) over there that want to gain muscle mass fast and NATURALLY. You won't see the same tips here as on many other fitness websites and blogs. 

I am saying that because a lot of fitness websites, magazines, and blogs advertise the same split workout routines and diets that are inspired by popular bodybuilders that have over 200 pounds of muscle mass, the perfect muscle definition and - THEY ARE ON STEROIDS. Or like gym rats like to say, they are on THE JUICE. 

I will be completely honest with you guys, especially for beginners and hard gainers, you can't build 20 pounds of muscle for one or two months. It is very hard to gain such amount of muscle for one year, even with the perfect workout routine and diet. After your first year of training in the gym, it will become harder and harder to gain muscle. There is no healthy shortcut to muscle gain, not without the risk. On the other side, you have the anabolic steroids which I don't recommend to anyone but that is another topic.

FACE THE FACT:

YOU WILL NEVER LOOK LIKE RONNIE COLEMAN OR THE KING OF BODYBUILDING ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER - NOT WITHOUT USING STEROIDS. 

All of the supplements in the world won't get you such a muscular body. Gaining muscle mass is a steady process, it takes a lot of time and it demands a lot of sacrifice and persistence. First three months of your journey to muscle building are the crucial months because you will see the big difference in the mirror in that period of time if you don't follow the wrong tips. 

1. Follow the right workout routine

Don't look for workout routines of professional bodybuilders that demand you to train 5 days a week and high volume. That is not the right way to naturally gain muscle mass and it definitely won't work for beginners. It can also lead to overtraining which can destroy your precious muscle gains.

Recommendation: Try with one of the full-body workout routines that are proven as the most effective for muscle gain. 

3 Best Full-Body Workout Routines for Building Muscle Mass

2. Lift heavy and in a lower rep range

When it comes to training for muscle gain you should focus on lifting heavier weights and strength gain. By becoming stronger you would be able to give your muscles a reason to grow more and more, of course, if you feed and rest them properly. 

Progressive overload is the key to muscle gain, so at the beginning try to train with a medium rep range like 6-8 reps for a set to become stronger and build muscle in the same time and when you see that the weights are becoming lighter add more weight plates and lift in the same rep range. After some time you can switch to 8-12 rep range that is proven as the best rep range for muscle hypertrophy but you should dedicate at least one or two months of training to building strength.

3. Compound Exercises

Progressive overload and compound movements are the sure way to building muscle mass. Improve your lifting on the bench press, rows, shoulder presses and squats and you will see results. By lifting more and more your muscles will grow. That sounds like a rhyme, but that is true. Avoiding big lifts like bench press and squats can be a very big mistake and it can cost you a lot of muscle gains.

You can find the best muscle-building exercises by clicking on this link:

Best Exercises to Build Muscle Mass Fast

4. Consume more calories than you burn

If you consume more calories than you burn every day you will gain weight and by consuming a lot of calories from right foods you will gain muscle mass. If your target is only to gain weight you can do that by eating a lot of junk foods that are high-caloric and will build you a nice belly and probably man boobs. 

You will need to consume a lot of calories from whole foods and shakes to gain muscle mass but you should check out which foods are the best for building muscle without gaining fat.

20 Foods You Should Eat to Gain Muscle Mass

If you are a real hard gainer don't be afraid of some cheat meals from time to time especially after the workout when you need a lot of calories to fuel your muscles. You won't read it on many other websites, but it is hard to follow a totally strict diet and gain muscle mass for hard gainers. One homemade pizza with cheese and tuna after a hard workout can help you to build muscle faster. 

It is common that people gain some fat together with muscle mass but it is not the end of the world, you can do more cardio and focus on shredding after you reach the desired amount of muscle mass. But remember, grab a cheat meal from time to time, once or twice a week, not after every workout or every day.

5. Proteins, Carbs, and Fats

Protein is the most important nutrient for muscle growth, but without carbs and healthy fats, you won't get far. You need all those three macronutrients to build muscle mass. You are going to need a high protein intake (1 - 1,2 g of protein for each pound of your body weight), and twice as high carbohydrates intake. 

Fats from foods like avocado, olive oil, and nuts are also recommended as they are very healthy and high in calories. You will consume 8 - 9 calories for each one gram of fat, so by eating 100 grams of peanut butter, you will consume 50 grams of fat which is equal to 400 - 450 calories. That amount of peanut butter also provides 25 g of protein and 20 g of carbohydrates.

Don't be afraid of healthy fats, they can be very helpful to hard gainers to gain lean muscle mass faster. Saturated fats that are found in dairy and meat products may increase testosterone levels and may also promote strength and muscle gain.

6. Get at least 8 hours of sleep every night

You lift heavy, force your muscles to grow and feed them with the right choice and amount of food, you are almost there. Only one step left - REST. Your muscles grow while they rest so the rest is important as much as are your workout and diet. When you don't sleep enough hormone called cortisol is increased and it makes harder for you to build muscle. Also, don't train more than two days in a row because in order to build muscle mass your muscles need to rest and recover.

I am highly recommending you to follow these 6 steps and also to buy supplements that promote muscle growth and that can help you build muscle mass faster. Don't waste your money, buy only the supplements that you really need.

Best Muscle-Building Supplements

How to Train Like Arnold Schwarzenegger - The Austrian Oak's Muscle Building Routine

Who knows how to build a perfect physique better than Bodybuilding "king" - Arnold Schwarzenegger. Many people that are involved in bodybuilding still look up to him and trying to follow the routines and diets that Arnold followed when he was competing.

Arnold often said that the biggest mistake that many lifters make is that they avoid the basic exercises, they don't want to move out from comfortable zone. And this is one very sad truth. When you enter many fitness centers you can see that people mostly exercise on machines or doing light dumbbell curls which isn't bad to isolate some muscles but not so good for those that want to build muscle.

Some of the best exercises that you should do to build muscle mass need to be performed with barbell and they are also called compound exercises. You can check out more about best muscle-building exercises in another article:

Best Muscle-Building Exercises - Build Muscle Mass Fast

Arnold Schwarzenegger recommends performing heavy, compound movements and high intensity of training. "Never save yourself for the next set, go all-out in every set that you perform," Arnold used to say very often.

Of course, Arnold tried many workout variations, as many other bodybuilders. He never let his body to adapt for same type of workout for too long. I will present you one of his routines that he followed and which can be found in his book - The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding.

 Monday and Thursday - Chest, Back and Abs

Barbell Bench Press - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps)

Incline Bench Press - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps)

Dumbbell Flyes - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps)

Dumbbell Pull-Over - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6)

Wide-grip Chin Up - 4 sets (reps to failure)

Hanging Leg Raises - 5 sets of 25 reps

Bent-Over Barbell Row - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6)

Bent-Over Row with Dumbbells - 5 sets 

 Tuesday and Friday - Shoulder, Arms and Abs

Clean and Press - 5 sets of 5 reps

Standing Dumbbell Press - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6)

Front Dumbbell Raises - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6)

Lateral Raises - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6)

Upright Row - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6)

Barbell Curls - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6)

Incline Dumbbell Curls - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6)

Concentration Curls - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6)

Close-Grip Bench Press - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6)

Barbell Skullcrushers - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6)

One-Arm Triceps Extension - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, 6)

Reverse Wrist Curls - 5 sets (30, 12, 10, 8, and 6)

Decline Sit-ups - 5 sets of 25 reps

Wednesday and Saturday - Legs, Calves and Abs

Barbell Squat - 5 sets of 8-12 reps

Stiff-legged Deadlift - 5 sets of 8-12 reps

Barbell Lunges - 5 sets of 8-12 reps

Leg Extensions - 5 sets of 8-12 reps

Seated Leg Curls - 5 sets of 8-12 reps

Standing Calf Raises - 5 sets of 8-12 reps

Seated Calf Raises - 5 sets of 8-12 reps

Kneeling Cable Crunches - 4 sets of 25 reps

Sunday is the day for rest

Don't get confused by the pyramid sets that Arnold used in his workouts, just start performing the exercise with lighter weight and 30 reps for first set, then put more weight to do maximum 12 reps in the second set, 10 reps in the third, 8 in the fourth and 6 in the last set. Always rest 45 seconds between the exercises and don't forget to consume enough calories and macro nutrients - proteins, carbs, and fats to fuel your muscles. You can also check out the list of the best muscle-building supplements that can be very helpful to recover your muscles faster after hard workout like this:

Best Muscle-Building Supplements to Build Muscle Mass Fast

ONE RECOMMENDATION:

Don't follow this workout routine if you are a beginning lifter, this routine is designed for advanced lifters and Arnold didn't perform this workout when he started lifting. He was a great fan of Reg Park's 5x5 Workout Routine which I recommend for beginning lifters and you can also find it on this website:

Reg Park's 5x5 Workout Program for Muscle and Strength Gain

How to Gain Muscle Mass - 5 Principles of Muscle Hypertrophy

Gaining weight is very easy, many people may gain a lot of weight for a short period of time. On the other side, building lean muscle mass can be very hard, especially for guys that have a fast metabolism, commonly know as hard-gainers.

Also Read: How To Eat To Gain Muscle Mass - Diet Strategies For Hardgainers

Like many of the people in the world that are fighting with a body fat, there are also many people that are struggling to gain weight and build muscle mass. If you are one of those from the second group, continue reading this article.  

For everything in life you need three things - a goal, plan to achieve it and dedication. Those are three basic things to success in anything you want. You need to apply this rule and start your muscle building trip. 

There are 3 main ways to make your muscles grow:

1. Force muscles to grow with the right training

2. Feed your muscles with enough healthy calories

3. Rest, recover your muscles, let them grow

Those are only three general rules for muscle gain, now continue reading to learn five principles of muscle growth.

1. Multi-Joint Movements

In order to gain muscle mass faster, you need to place emphasis on the compound, multi-joint movements. Compound exercises are much better for building muscle mass than single-joint, isolation exercises. That is because exercises like squat and bench press allow bigger loads of weight and involve more muscle groups which lead to more muscle gains.


Top 10 Exercises To Build Muscle Mass


Bigger load and heavier exercises stimulate the bigger release of the muscle-building hormone. 

It is very important to do one of the hardest exercises - Squats. The squat is a great mass builder and it is probably the movement that involves the most muscle groups at the same time. 






2. Progressive Overload


The progressive overload is one of the most important muscle-building principles. Lifting the same weight will not help you build muscles. Muscles can quickly adapt to the weight and you need to put some more load in order to force your muscles to grow. 


Mass-Building Full-Body Workout Routine for Beginners


The key of muscle gain to leave your comfort zone, give your muscles a reason to grow. If you lift heavier weights from week to week you won't let your muscles time to adapt and you will force them to grow.


The best rep range to stimulate muscle growth is from 8 to 12. I recommend doing 10 reps per set for best muscle growth stimulation. 




3. Caloric Surplus 


To gain muscle mass you need to eat a lot. And that means you need to spend a lot of your time in the kitchen. It is one of the biggest mistakes that lifters make and don't succeed in building muscle mass, they don't consume enough calories or macronutrients. 


20 Foods You Should Eat to Gain Muscle Mass


You need to consume 18 calories per pound of your bodyweight to build muscle and at least 1 gr of protein per pound of bodyweight. On training days, try to consume more proteins because your muscles need it to repair and grow. 


Foods that are Best Sources of Protein




Consume enough calories and all three macronutrients (protein, carbs, fats) and in a combination with resistance training your muscles will start to grow. 




4. Rest Your Muscles


This is how it goes, you give your muscles a reason to grow in the gym, build them in the kitchen and they grow while you sleep. Lack of rest can decrease the chance of muscle growth.


Also, don't overtrain your muscles. Don't train same muscles for two days in a row or you will overtrain them and prevent them from growing. To build muscle you need a short and intense workout and long periods of rest. 




5. Supplements Selection


Many supplements ads promise you results. A lot of them are actually unnecessary and just a waste of your money. The best muscle building supplements that you need to buy are Creatine and Whey Protein. They can be a great support for building muscle mass. 


You can check the list of 5 best muscle-building supplements, but you must know there are no better supplements for building muscle mass than Whey Powder and Creatine. 


Top 5 Muscle-Building Supplements




If you start following these five principles right now, you have a big chance to build your muscles for less than one month. Applying these rules could make the most benefits for beginners because in the starting phase, first two to three months, you can build most muscle mass. 


It is very important to start doing it right from the beginning, so don't lose your time following wrong workout plans and wasting money on unnecessary supplements.