Written by Steve Theunissen | ISSA: CPT & Fitness Nutrition
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
With his role in 2014’s Captain America: Winter Solider, Anthony Mackie turned a lot of heads in the fitness world. His transformation from an average-looking guy into a believable superhero was nothing less than heroic.
Nearly a decade later, Anthony has maintained his incredible physique and the fit, athletic look of a Hollywood action star. In this article, we’ll explore the training and diet plan that formed the foundation of Anthony’s crazy transformation for his entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Table of Contents:
- Who Is Anthony Mackie?
- Anthony Mackie Training Principles & Workout Plan
- Anthony Mackie Diet Plan
- FAQs
- Reader Question: Would You Follow Anthony Mackie's Workout? Why Or Why Not? (Leave us a comment!)
Who Is Anthony Mackie?
Actor and producer Anthony Dwane Mackie was born on September 23, 1978, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He got his film debut in 2002’s 8 Mile and quickly established himself as a screen presence. Notable early movies include Brother to Brother (2004), The Hurt Locker (2008), and The Adjustment Bureau (2011).
Mackie’s breakthrough role came in 2014 when he played super soldier Sam Wilson, aka Falcon, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) to the Disney+ miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), his transformation into a superhero, even without taking the super soldier serum, captivated audiences worldwide.
He will also be playing the new Captain America in 2024's Captain America 4. Beyond the silver screen, Mackie has made his mark on the stage with Broadway and Off-Broadway performances, including a role that earned him an Obie Award in 2002.
Current Stats:
- Height: 5'10.5" (179 cm)
- Weight: 183 lbs ( 83 kg)
- Chest: 45" (114 cm)
- Biceps: 15.5" (39.5 cm)
- Waist: 34"
- Bodyfat: 13%
- Age: 45
What Are The Anthony Mackie Workout Principles?
The principles behind Anthony Mackie’s workout routine are grounded in dedication, consistency, and a holistic approach to fitness. Mackie's journey to becoming a superhero on and off-screen involves a well-rounded workout regimen that encompasses warm-up, strength training, cardio, a split routine, efficient recovery strategies, and a balanced diet.
Let's delve into these workout principles that have helped him sculpt a physique worthy of a Marvel superhero.
1) Warm Up:
A proper warm-up is the foundation of any effective workout split. Anthony Mackie understands the importance of priming the body before diving into intense exercises. His warm-up routine includes dynamic stretches like leg swings, arm circles, and hip rotations increase blood flow, flexibility, and range of motion.
He also includes some light cardio, such as light jogging, jumping jacks, or jump rope can elevate the heart rate and prepare the body for more strenuous exercises. Even adding in 15-20 minutes of LISS cardio can be a good idea.
Finally, incorporating mobility drills such as hip openers and shoulder rotations enhances joint mobility and reduces the risk of injury.
2) Strength Train:
Anthony Mackie's muscular physique is the result of intense strength training and improving muscular strength. Key principles of his strength training routine include focusing on compound movements like squats, deadlifts, bench press, and pull-ups to target multiple muscle groups simultaneously, promoting overall strength and muscle development. In addition, due to all the flying stuff Mackie must perform and imitate in his superhero roles, core moves, such as planking, are crucial.
He uses progressive overload to increase the weight or resistance in your workouts to challenge his muscles and encourage growth. Mackie incorporates high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or heavy lifting to stimulate muscle growth and boost metabolism.
Finally, he emphasizes functional exercises that mimic real-world movements to enhance athleticism and agility.
3) Perform Cardio:
To maintain his superhero-level endurance, Mackie incorporates cardiovascular workouts into his routine. This can include HIIT, consisting of short bursts of intense cardio followed by brief rest periods, which helps burn calories to burn as much fat as possible and improve cardiovascular health1.
Long-distance running or sprint intervals are two more great options that can enhance stamina, torch calories, and improve lung capacity. Finally jumping rope is an efficient and portable cardio tool, and can be used for quick, effective workouts.
4) Follow A Split Routine:
A well-structured split routine allows Mackie to focus on specific muscle groups on different days, promoting muscle growth and recovery.
Anthony's training split sees him working each body part once per week with heavy compound exercises. Each day is dedicated to a single body part (though he does train biceps and triceps together), similar to what you'll see with a Bro Split.
5) Prioritize Recovery:
Muscle recovery is a non-negotiable part of Mackie's workout principles to prevent injury and optimize muscle recovery:
- Stretching: Incorporating static stretching and foam rolling post-workout to improve flexibility and reduce muscle soreness.
- Rest Days: Ensuring adequate rest days between intense workouts to allow muscles to recover and grow.
- Sleep: Prioritizing quality sleep for muscle repair, hormone production, and overall well-being.
6) Focus On Diet:
Start by focusing on balancing your nutrition. When Mackie is preparing for a role, he eliminates all the bad stuff from his diet, following a balanced diet rich in high protein low fat foods, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and a variety of fruits and vegetables2.
In addition, monitoring portion sizes helps Anthony maintain his physique while ensuring he gets the necessary nutrients. Plus, eating a high veggie diet helps keep him full while keeping his calories lower, particularly important during fat loss phases.
Staying well-hydrated supports muscle function and overall health, and depending on his goals, Mackie may incorporate supplements like protein powder, creatine, and vitamins into his diet.
If you're missing a solid line-up of supplements from your routine, check out our articles on the Best Protein Powder, Best Creatine, and the Best Vitamins For Muscle Growth!
Anthony Mackie Workout Routine
The Anthony Mackie workout routines are a great example of balancing strength training, HIIT, mobility training, and cardio. His workouts are hard and fast, with the goal of maximizing both fat burn and muscle growth. With his demanding schedule, you’ll usually find him in the gym early in the morning or late at night.
In addition, when Mackie is getting into serious shape for a role, he will sometimes return to his high school workouts, following a two-a-day format.
Anthony Mackie Weekly Training Schedule
Anthony Mackie's superhero physique doesn't come easy, and his workout regime reflects his dedication and determination. Here's a detailed day-by-day breakdown of his workout plan:
Day One: Chest
|
Exercise |
Sets x Reps |
|
Part One (Stamina and Warm-Up) |
|
|
400 Meters Walking/Jogging |
1 round |
|
Parallel Bar Dips |
3 rounds x 10 reps |
|
Push-ups |
3 rounds x 10 reps |
|
Dumbbell Chest Press |
3 rounds x 10 reps |
|
Part Two (Strength and Hypertrophy) |
|
|
Cable Chest Flyes |
3 sets x 10 reps |
|
Barbell Bench Press |
5 sets x 10 reps |
|
Incline Dumbbell Chest Press |
3 sets x 10 reps |
|
Weighted Dips |
3 sets x 10 reps |
|
Dumbbell Flyes |
3 sets x 10 reps |
Day Two: Legs
|
Exercise |
Sets x Reps |
|
Part One (Stamina and Warm-Up) |
|
|
Jump Rope |
1 round x 100 reps |
|
Air Squats |
3 rounds x 10 reps |
|
Lunges |
3 rounds x 10 reps |
|
Box Jumps |
3 rounds x 10 reps |
|
Part Two (Strength and Hypertrophy) |
|
|
Back Squats |
5 sets x 10 reps |
|
Hamstring Curls |
3 sets x 10 reps |
|
Leg Press |
5 sets x 10 reps |
|
Weighted Step-Ups |
3 sets x 10 reps |
|
Calf Raises |
3 sets x 10 reps |
Day Three: Arms
|
Exercise |
Sets x Reps |
|
Part One (Stamina and Warm-Up) |
|
|
400 Meters Jogging/Running |
1 round |
|
Chin-Ups |
3 rounds x 10 reps |
|
Dips |
3 rounds x 10 reps |
|
Diamond Push-Ups |
3 rounds x 10 reps |
|
Part Two (Strength and Hypertrophy) |
|
|
Lying Tricep Extensions |
3 sets x 10 reps |
|
Standing Cable Curls |
3 sets x 10 reps |
|
Cable Triceps Pushdowns |
3 sets x 10 reps |
|
Barbell Curls |
3 sets x 10 reps |
|
French Presses |
5 sets x 10 reps |
|
Dumbbell Bicep Curls |
5 sets x 10 reps |
Day Four: Shoulders
|
Exercise |
Sets x Reps |
|
Part One (Stamina and Warm-Up) |
|
|
Jump Ropes |
1 round x 100 reps |
|
Push-Ups |
3 rounds x 10 reps |
|
Pull-Ups |
3 rounds x 10 reps |
|
Burpees |
3 rounds x 10 reps |
|
Part Two (Strength and Hypertrophy) |
|
|
Standing Overhead Press |
5 sets x 10 reps |
|
Arnold Press |
3 sets x 10 reps |
|
Lateral Raises |
3 sets x 10 reps |
|
Rear-Delt Flyes |
3 sets x 10 reps |
|
Cable Shoulder Raises |
3 sets x 10 reps |
Day Five: Back
|
Exercise |
Sets x Reps |
|
Part One (Stamina and Warm-Up) |
|
|
400 Meters Walking/Jogging |
1 round |
|
Push-Ups |
3 rounds x 10 reps |
|
Wide Grip Push-Ups |
3 rounds x 10 reps |
|
Wide-Grip Pull-Ups |
3 rounds x 10 reps |
|
Part Two (Strength and Hypertrophy) |
|
|
Deadlifts |
5 sets x 10 reps |
|
Lat Pulldowns |
3 sets x 10 reps |
|
Barbell Rows |
3 sets x 10 reps |
|
Cable Rows |
3 sets x 10 reps |
|
Shrugs |
3 sets x 10 reps |
Saturday and Sunday: Active Rest
Anthony Mackie takes the weekend for active rest. This includes light physical activities like walking or swimming, which are crucial for muscle recovery and growth.
Anthony Mackie's Diet Plan
Anthony used his diet the main tool to get lean and ripped. As a mesomorph, he tends to put on muscle relatively quickly when he's in a heavy training phase.
By eliminating as many processed foods as possible and cutting back on carbs, he forces his body to use stored fat for energy. He normally eats four meals a day, although sometimes it can be five to six meals, in smaller portions, spaced about 3-5 hours apart. After about 3 months of low carb, Anthony Mackie shares that he normally then carb loads for about a month.
Here's a breakdown of what Anthony Mackie's diet looked like during his pre-Captain America shoot 12-week diet plan.
|
Meal |
Description and Components |
|
Breakfast |
1 cup of steel-cut oats, with berries |
|
Post-Morning Workout Shake |
1 of vegan protein |
|
Lunch |
2-3 grilled chicken cutlets |
|
Dinner |
Lean protein options: fish, chicken, bison, buffalo, lamb |
Looking for a set diet to follow? Check out our Bodybuilding High Protein Meal Plan to get on track!
FAQs
A lot of people want to how Anthony Mackie maintains his peak-level physique. Here are some questions that we haven't covered yet:
How much weight did Anthony Mackie gain for pain and gain?
For his role in Pain and Gain alongside Dwayne Johnson and Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Mackie packed on 16-17 pounds of lean muscle, creating a lean and muscular physique.
Where does Anthony Mackie live?
As of our most recent update, Anthony lives in New Orleans, Louisiana. However, he may have moved to another part of the United States since then.
Is Anthony Mackie leaving Captain America?
No, Anthony Mackie is not leaving Captain America. He will be starring in 'Captain America 4: Brave New World', which is due for a May 3, 2024 release.
Why is Chris Evans not returning as Captain America?
Chris Evans addressed the question of why he was not returning as Captain America in an episode of The Graeme Norton Show. He commented, "It was a great run, and we went out on such a high note that it would be risky to revisit it in my opinion. It was such a good experience, and I think it's better left that way," he added. "It's not a hard no, but it's not an eager yes either. I think Cap had such a tricky act to stick the landing, and I think they did a really nice job letting him complete his journey."
Anthony Mackie Workout Plan: Final Takeaways
Anthony Mackie's dedication to fitness and the impressive transformation he achieved for his role as Falcon in Captain America has been nothing short of inspiring. By adhering to the foundational workout principles of strength training, cardio, and recovery he’s honed his physique to truly impressive proportions.
Why not give the Anthony Mackie workout and diet a try for yourself? With the right plan and the same level of dedication and consistency, you can create your own head-turning transformation.
Readers: How does your workout split compare to Anthony Mackie's? Would you ever follow a 5-day bro split similar to his? Leave us a comment!
Now that you know what it took for Anthony Mackie to develop his Falcon physique, check out our article on the Chris Evans Workout Routine, featuring his crime-fighting onscreen partner.
References:
- News N. High-Intensity Interval Training Can Help Burn More Fat. Neuroscience News. Published August 2, 2022. Accessed November 7, 2023. https://neurosciencenews.com/hiit-fat-burning-21165/#:~:text=After%2012%20weeks%20of%20HIIT
- Kim JY. Optimal diet strategies for weight loss and weight loss maintenance. Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome. 2020. doi:https://doi.org/10.7570/jomes20065
Steve Theunissen
Author