Fitness experts deemed a popular movie star’s early morning exercise routine admirable but impractical for the average American.
Two-time Oscar nominee Mark Wahlberg revealed on social media that he begins his week by exercising at 2 a.m. on Sundays.
“We’re gettin’ after it,” Wahlberg said in a video posted on Instagram on July 21.
Exercise physiologist Chris Mohr, however, doesn’t think the midnight hour is practical for everyone.
“It’s not feasible and it gives exercise a bad rap because people think they have to go to these extremes to look like him or to feel like him,” Mohr told The Epoch Times.
Mohr is a Louisville, Kentucky, fitness and nutrition advisor at Fortune Recommends Health, an online resource that medically reviews health and wellness products and services.
“Exercise shouldn’t be a punishment,” Mohr said. “It should be enjoyable.”
In the video, the “Boogie Nights” star performs pushups and lifts various weights to loud music with two other men while wearing an entire blue outfit from the Municipal clothing line except for grey underwear.
“The blue on ice,” Wahlberg added.
Municipal, the clothing brand launched by Wahlberg and sports expert Harry Arnett, opened its first brick-and-mortar store at 8609 Melrose Ave. in West Hollywood after a successful pop-up in New York City.
Other fitness experts characterized the wee-hour workout as anything but the norm.
“For men, early morning strength training is a way to optimize testosterone utilization, to increase muscle mass and strength,” clinician and physical therapist Elizabeth Stroot told The Epoch Times. “Most people should opt for a time that fits into their schedule and allows them to be consistent.”
Stroot is the founder and CEO of Core Wellness & Physical Therapy in Alexandria, Virginia.
Wahlberg, who did not respond to requests for comment, previously said last year that he wakes up at 3:30 a.m.
“I don’t want to be doing all my personal stuff—working out, my prayer time in the middle of the day and then trying to golf,” he told ENews in November 2023.
An Obesity research journal study found that people who successfully maintained weight loss were more likely to exercise consistently than at a specific time of day. Further, the average American gets home late from work and needs to prioritize sleep in order to be productive the next day, according to Tiombe Huggins, a certified Pure Barre class instructor in New York.
“For most people, their body is not at its energetic peak at 2 a.m., so it can hinder how consistent they are or how much energy they can give to the workout,” Huggins told The Epoch Times. “Also, the body usually responds to sunlight and working out so early can disturb sleep patterns.”
Prior to pursuing an acting career, Wahlberg was a Calvin Klein underwear model in the 1990s and performed in the hip-hop group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.
While Mohr praised Wahlberg for his early morning discipline, the fitness expert believes 2 a.m. is too early because it interferes with sleep.
“Shortchanging your sleep overrules the upside,” Mohr said. “When you’re not sleeping enough, it translates into not allowing yourself to recover. Then your immunity is down, and your focus and attention are down. You should fit exercise into your day, not make your day fit around it.”
Wahlberg tends to play golf early in the morning as well. The married father of four told RSNG.com in 2022 that exercise is a necessity while “power golf” is an addiction.
“I’ve managed to do 18 holes in a little over an hour—the trick is teeing off at 6 a.m. and just running that course,” Wahlberg said two years ago. “Waking up late, sleeping in… it doesn’t happen.”
