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Actor, director, writer, producer and football club owner Rob McElhenny has undergone an incredible transformation.
He packed on 70 pounds of fat for comedy before cutting down to reveal a lean, muscular physique that would rival Brad Pitt’s in Fight Club.
But how exactly did Rob McElhenney go from Fat Mac to jacked Mac?
Today, let’s discuss the Rob McElhenney workout routine and diet plan. We’ll share his training fundamentals, favorite foods, and supplement preferences to build a shredded physique.
Let’s dive in.
Rob McElhenney Current Bio and Stats
Robert McElhenney III was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 14th, 1977.
Rob attended Saint Joseph’s Preparatory School before heading to Temple University. Shortly after graduation, Rob would move to New York and then Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.
It was here that he met Glenn Howerton and Charlie Day, and Rob had the idea to create a sitcom with his new friends.
After pitching the show, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, to a number of studios, he was picked up by FX and given full creative freedom.
At the beginning of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Rob weighed in at a lean 135 pounds. Despite his character Mac talking about working out and martial arts, he had never really put on considerable size.
The 2020 lockdown would all change all of this, as Rob would go on a training regime to help him lose 70 pounds and reveal a shredded physique.
- Age: 46 Years Old
- Height: 5’9” (177 cm)
- Weight: 175 lbs (79 kg)
- Birthday: 14th April, 1977
- Occupation: Actor, Writer, Director, Producer, Businessman
- Retired/Active: Active
Rob McElhenney Workout Fundamentals
Read More: Robert Pattinson Workout Routine
Rob’s transformation came during the pandemic. He used training as an outlet to relieve stress and improve his mental health.
With the idea of Brad Pitt’s chiseled Fight Club (1999) physique in mind, he contacted Arin Babaian. Arin is best known for training Channing Tatum for Magic Mike (2012).
Arin would prescribe a program where Rob would train six days per week. It was a push/pull/legs split which had slight variation to target a different muscle each session.
Rob sessions consisted of seven to eight exercises covering a variety of rep ranges. This includes 10 for his large compound lifts such as squats, bench press, and deadlifts, while running three miles each day.
McElhenney was hitting rep ranges upward of 30 and even to 50 for his isolation exercises such as curls, flys, and calves.
Rob has never shied away from the truth about his transformation, sharing his secret.
“Look, it’s not that hard. All you need to do is lift weights six days a week, stop drinking alcohol, don’t eat anything after 7 pm, don’t eat any carbs or sugar at all, in fact just don’t eat anything you like, get the personal trainer from Magic Mike, sleep nine hours a night, run three miles a day, and have a studio pay for the whole thing over a six to seven-month span.
I don’t know why everyone’s not doing this. It’s a super realistic lifestyle and an appropriate body image to compare oneself to.”
Rob McElhenney Workout Routine
Rob McElhenney’s workout is one of the most intense workouts we have seen due to the six-day per week schedule and high rep ranges.
Below, we have presented his workout with exercises, sets, reps, and rest times alongside a weekly schedule. This will help you plan your weeks ahead to maximize consistency for incredible results.
Rob McElhenny Workout Plan
Weekly Schedule
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| Push | Pull | Legs | Push | Pull | Legs | Rest |
Monday – Push
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
| Bench Press | 5 | 15 | 45-60 secs |
| Bench Press | 1 | Max | 30-45 secs |
| Seat Shoulder Press | 3 | 25 | 45-60 secs |
| Weighted Dips | 3 | 30 | 30-45 secs |
| Standing Cable Crossovers | 5 | 50 | 30-45 secs |
| Cable Tricep Extensions | 5 | 50 | 30-45 secs |
| Seated Dumbbell Raises | 5 | 50 | 30-45 secs |
Tuesday – Pull
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
| Deadlifts | 5 | 10 | 45-60 secs |
| Deadlift | 1 | Max | 30-45 secs |
| Weighted Chin-Ups | 3 | 25 | 45-60 secs |
| Chest Supported Row | 3 | 30 | 30-45 secs |
| Shrugs | 5 | 50 | 30-45 secs |
| Standing Barbell Curls | 5 | 50 | 30-45 secs |
| Cable Reverse Fly | 5 | 50 | 30-45 secs |
Wednesday – Legs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
| Back Squat | 5 | 15 | 45-60 secs |
| Back Squat | 1 | Max | 30-45 secs |
| Good Mornings | 3 | 25 | 45-60 secs |
| Leg Press | 3 | 30 | 30-45 secs |
| Hyperextensions | 5 | 50 | 30-45 secs |
| Seated Leg Curl | 5 | 50 | 30-45 secs |
| Seated Calf Raises | 5 | 50 | 30-45 secs |
Thursday – Push
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
| Standing Overhead Press | 5 | 15 | 45-60 secs |
| Standing Overhead Press | 1 | Max | 30-45 secs |
| Incline Bench Press | 3 | 25 | 45-60 secs |
| Close Grip Bench Press | 3 | 30 | 30-45 secs |
| Seated Machine Fly | 5 | 50 | 30-45 secs |
| Standing Tricep Pushdown | 5 | 50 | 30-45 secs |
| Cable Lateral Raises | 5 | 50 | 30-45 secs |
Friday – Pull
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
| Snatch Grip Deadlift | 5 | 15 | 45-60 secs |
| Snatch Grip Deadlift | 1 | Max | 30-45 secs |
| Barbell Row | 3 | 25 | 45-60 secs |
| Weighted Pull-Ups | 3 | 30 | 30-45 secs |
| Single Arm Rows | 5 | 50 | 30-45 secs |
| Incline Dumbbell Curls | 5 | 50 | 30-45 secs |
| Seated Machine Reverse Flys | 5 | 50 | 30-45 secs |
Saturday – Legs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
| Front Squat | 5 | 15 | 45-60 secs |
| Front Squat | 1 | Max | 30-45 secs |
| Romanian Deadlifts | 3 | 25 | 45-60 secs |
| Barbell Hip Thrusts | 3 | 30 | 30-45 secs |
| Romanian Deadlifts | 1 | 25 | 30-45 secs |
| Dumbbell Lunges | 5 | 50 | 30-45 secs |
| Seated Leg Extension | 5 | 50 | 30-45 secs |
| Hanging Knee Raises | 5 | 50 | 30-45 secs |
Rob McElhenney Dieting and Food Preferences
Far from athletic, Rob weighed a slim 135 pounds when he began It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. He would “cultivate mass” and stack on 60-70 pounds on his way to becoming “Fat Mac” in season seven.
After consulting his doctor, who initially recommended against this, Rob saw a nutritionist. They put him on a diet consisting of chicken breast, rice, and vegetables every two hours.
It wasn’t long before McElhenney jumped ship for a dirty bulk, with his main source of calories coming from ice cream.
He would set out the gallon tub on the kitchen table and allow it to melt. This way, he could drink the entire tub, which contributed to his 5,000 calorie per day target.
Needless to say, we strongly recommend against this.
Over the course of two to three months, Rob put on 60-70 pounds of what was mostly body fat. He also performed heavy resistance training.
Once he finished his bulk, Rob immediately dropped 20 pounds simply by stopping drinking ice cream.
Today, he credits the success of his body transformation to good nutrition and his ability to have his meals prepared for him.
These meals would consist of nutrient-dense, high-protein foods including chicken, salmon, sweet potato, brown rice, and leafy greens. Rob also quit eating after 7pm.
Additionally, he cut out alcohol, sugar, and processed carbs to help him maintain a calorie deficit and reduce body fat.
| Meal | Food |
| Meal 1 | Eggs, Whole Wheat Toast |
| Meal 2 | Protein Shake |
| Meal 3 | Chicken Breast, Leafy Greens, Brown Rice |
| Meal 4 | Avocado, Crackers |
| Meal 5 | Grilled Salmon, Sweet Potato, Asparagus, Zucchini |
Rob McElhenney Weight Loss Diet Plan
From the outside, Rob’s diet and food preferences appear basic and bland. This will definitely make sticking to this type of eating difficult.
So, to make things interesting, we are going to provide you with a Rob McElhenny diet plan to add some flavor, which will help you continue this long term for maximum results.
Well also chuck in a little protein ice cream for your inner “Fat Mac” to keep you sane and boost your protein intake.
Meal 1
- 2x Egg Omelet (Light Cheese, Spring Onion, Spinach)
- 2x Whole Wheat Toast
- Fruit
Meal 2
- Protein Shake
- Banana
Meal 3
- Baked Lemon and Herb Chicken Wraps (Lettuce, Cherry Tomatoes, Red Onion, Light Mayo)
Meal 4
- Protein Shake
- Protein Yogurt
Meal 5
- Air Fried Garlic Salmon
- Sweet Potato, Asparagus, and Zucchini
- Brown Rice
Meal 6
- Low Cal Protein Ice Cream
- Mixed Berries
The biggest key to Rob’s transformation came through his dedication to nutrition, keeping him in a caloric deficit to shed a ton of weight.
For you to achieve a similar result, you have to keep track of calories and macros. To do this, try our advanced calorie and macronutrient calculator.
Just enter your age, height, weight, gender, and activity level to receive your personal calorie and macronutrient target.
This will ensure that you are getting enough carbs for fuel, protein to build lean muscle and keep you full, and fats to absorb essential nutrients.
Rob McElhenney Supplement Preferences
Rob’s dieting and food preferences were what helped him obtain his lean physique. However, he did use a range of supplements to power him through his insane workout routine and build lean muscle.
Below are Rob McElhenney’s supplement preferences to boost performance and maximize growth.
| Supplement | Purpose |
| Whey Protein | Builds muscle and aids in recovery |
| Creatine | Improves performance, promotes great training adaptations |
| Beta-Alanine | Enhance performance and endurance |
| L-Carnitine | Increase weight loss and fat burning |
| Multivitamin | Bridge gaps in diet |
Final Thoughts
Rob McElhenny’s before and after is nothing short of amazing. It will go down as one of the all-time great Hollywood transformations.
His unique perspective on unrealistic diet and training routines shed light on the reality of not only achieving a lean physique, but maintaining it.
If you are considering trying the Rob McElhenney workout, begin by setting yourself realistic and achievable results. Follow a training and nutrition plan and aim for consistency.
Do these things, be patient, and watch the results come.
So, are you considering trying Rob’s workout routine?
Let us know in the comments.
Why did Mac get fat?
Mac got fat for the money. In interviews, Rob McElhenney says his motivation for gaining weight was purely for the money and comedic reasons. He even went so far as to ask the cast to join him, to which they replied with a resounding “No.”
What was Rob McElhenney workout?
Rob McElhenny’s workout was based on a six-day push/pull/legs split workout routine. He performed this workout during the 2020 lockdowns which helped him shed 70 lbs and reveal his incredible physique.
How much does Rob McElhenney workout?
At the height of his training, Rob Mc Elhenney worked out six days per week.However, this intensity dropped off to maintenance, as it became unsustainable.
How long did it take Mac to get ripped?
It took Rob McElhenny six to seven months to lose 70 lbs and transform his physique. He did this through a six-day workout routine while running three miles each day.
How did Rob McElhenney gain all that weight?
Rob McElhenney gained all that weight by drinking a gallon of melted ice cream everyday. Originally aiming to bulk clean with the help of a nutritionist, he opted out of his plan and went the easy route.
Each day he’d send his assistant out to buy ice cream, which would sit on the counter and melt before Rob would drink it in the afternoon.
How did Mac get so ripped?
Mac got ripped by performing a six-day per week push/pull/legs weight training program for six to seven months.
