Mark Wahlberg has made some substantial changes to his fitness routine for the sake of rest and recovery. In a recent interview with Fox News, Wahlberg, 52, discussed his fascination with cold plunges and why he no longer trains seven days a week.
Wearing many hats, Wahlberg has tested his talents as an actor, rapper, producer, and business owner. In addition to those ventures, Wahlberg has sported a ripped physique for decades, thanks to his relentless work ethic and love for training. Like many Hollywood icons, Wahlberg has become famous for his middle-of-the-night and early morning (4 a.m.) workouts.
Fitness makes up a huge part of Wahlberg’s life, and he has invited fans on his journey to better health for years. Having transformed his body for movie roles like Father Stu, Wahlberg was tasked with gaining upwards of 30 pounds to play a convincing boxer-turned-Catholic priest.
As one of the fittest men in the entertainment industry, Wahlberg shared some of his secrets for staying youthful. No longer training seven days a week, the movie star explains below why he has centered his new routine around rest and recovery.
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Mark Wahlberg on Ditching Training 7x a Week: ‘You’re Just Putting a Pounding on Your Body’
According to the 52-year-old actor, there’s no reason someone at his age should be training seven days a week or working out twice in one day.
“I mean, look, I just, you know, get more and more injuries and not recovering the way I should,” Wahlberg stated. “There’s no reason why anybody, never mind somebody at 52 years old, needs to be training, seven days a week and then doing two a days. You’re just putting a pounding on your body and recovery, you know, God has given us the best possible gifts. One of them is sleep right to recover and to heal and also even cold water.”
As for recovery practices, Wahlberg has gotten behind cold plunges and believes efforts like these are key to living a long and healthy life.
“The feeling that you have, it’s pretty good,” Wahlberg said about cold plunges. “It’s definitely something that I look forward to in the morning, not necessarily getting in, but the feeling I have after for sure.”
“Taking a cold plunge and doing that, resting two days a week and really kind of just focusing on being able to move and feel good for the long haul and hopefully drag this beautiful thing called life for as long as possible, as opposed to just worrying about aesthetically trying to get bigger and stronger and then ultimately getting injured,” Wahlberg said.
Having suffered from “problems with shoulders, knees, [and] back,” Wahlberg’s focus at 52 is health and wellness, though emphasized the importance of finding balance in a given routine.
“Eat right, exercise and rest, and you know what? You have to find balance,” he shared. “You don’t want to live a boot camp type of existence. You want to be able to go out, have fun, reward yourself for your hard work.
I think everybody wants to go celebrate their accomplishments as they should be able to. Then you get up the next day and you get after it and I think finding a nice balance and a nice routine is the key.”
“I like to get as much of my stuff done before the kids got to get up for school, so that way I’m not taking time in the middle of the day to focus on all these other things that I need to do to be the best version of myself.”
Revered for his ability to stay fit year-round, Mark Wahlberg plans to create a film depicting ‘The Godfather of Fitness’ Jack Lalanne. Archie Gips, the President of Wahlberg’s production company Unrealistic Ideas, revealed the ambitious project last April.
With cold plunges the newest ingredient to Mark Wahlberg’s fitness routine, he plans to continue prioritizing recovery. Above all else, Wahlberg stresses the importance of maintaining balance when it comes to exercise and rest.
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