Anthony Mackie Workout and Diet
Actor
Anthony Mackie is from New Orleans. He attended an arts high school, and graduated college in 1997 with a degree in drama from the North Carolina School of the Arts. Mackie also attended the Juilliard School. In 2002, he played in 8 Mile, and in 2003, he starred in Brother to Brother. Other notable films include Million Dollar Baby and She Hate Me, but he is perhaps best knowns for starring in the 2014 film Captain America: The Winter Soldier and its follow-up Captain America: Brave New World in 2025. Mackie is divorced and has 4 children. He has millions of followers on social media. Mackie is 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs about 175 lbs.
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Anthony Mackie’s Diet
Diet Summary
Mackie takes his acting roles seriously, and eats to look the part. He says bulking up is easy for him, but fat tends to build at the same time, so his process is to eat a lot, 5-6 meals a day, for 3 months while lifting heavy, then ramps up the cardio for a month to get lean. He follows a Mediterranean-style diet, with low-fat animal protein such as chicken, fish and bison, and plenty of veg. His carbs tend to be high-fiber kind like brown rice and quinoa. He supplements with vegan protein and collagen and hydrates with plenty of water.
Estimated Macros
Low-Medium Fat
Low-Medium Carb
High Protein
Diet Details
Eat Like a Hero
To become a superhero, Mackie ate heroically: lots of food but no empty calories. Lean protein, veg, berries, and whole grains comprised the entire menu.
Lunch Is King
Mackie’s Captain America lunch was his biggest meal of the day: 2-3 grilled chicken breasts, a salad, and veggies with hummus.
Go Low With Carbs
Mackie says he’s got so much energy, he doesn’t need many carbs. He’ll only have oatmeal at breakfast, and burn it off in his morning run to the gym.
What to Eat
- Oatmeal
- Berries
- Eggs
- Veg
- Vegan protein shakes
- Almond butter
- Almond milk
- Chicken
- Fish
- Bison
- Lean protein
- Brown rice
- Quinoa
- Water
What to Avoid
- Excess carbs
- Fat
- Processed food
- Junk food
- Artificial additives
- Chemical ingredients
Mackie on building muscle while staying lean
‘For me, it’s impossible to burn fat and build muscle at the same time.’
Mackie on his approach to weight loss
‘I try to use my diet to cut as much fat as possible.’
Mackie on carbs
‘I don’t really need carbs for energy. I have high energy already.’
Anthony Mackie’s Workout Routine
Workout Routine
Ectomorph
Mackie is one of those people who naturally get big muscles when lifting. His challenge is to not get too big.
Love the Legs
Unlike many, Mackie loves to do leg workouts. Squats, lunges, deadlifts, he loves it all. He even added in a 3rd leg day when prepping for Captain America.
Fit & Fat
Mackie says he can’t gain muscle without also putting on fat. He takes care of the fat by doubling his cardio in the final month before shooting.
Daily Dose
Mackie is incredibly disciplined when it comes to training. He hits the gym at least 5 days a week.
Cardio King
Mackie trains in a way that’s worthy of a superhero: he runs 4 miles to the gym, then does his workout.
Lift Heavy, Then Lighter
Mackie goes hard and heavy for 3 months pre-filming, then lightens up on weights for the 4th month.
Exercise Style
An Anthony Mackie Routine According to Men’s Health Australia
To bulk:
- Run: 4 miles daily
- Monday & Thursday: Chest/triceps
- Tuesday& Friday: Back/biceps
- Monday, Wednesday & Saturday: Legs/shoulders
- Abs: 20 min/daily
To cut:
- Cardio: 2x/day
- Lighter weights
Rest days: Active recovery: walking, stretching, mobility work.
Mackie on weight lifting
‘I find that because I lift heavy, I tend to bulk easily.’
Mackie on prepping for Captain America
‘I did a ton of cardio…More upper body workouts. More legs and shoulders.’
Mackie on leg day
‘I love doing legs. I’m into deadlifts, squats, lunges, and burpees. Anything with legs, I’ll do it.’
Anthony Mackie’s Supplements
Vegan Protein
Mackie uses a plant-based protein shake during his bulking phase. Since he eats meat, this was presumably to avoid dairy.
Collagen
With all the heavy lifting Mackie does, he supplements with collagen to support his joints. Collagen is also good for the gut and the immune system.
Turmeric
Mackie takes anti-inflammatory turmeric, which is also good for joints, digestion, and a positive mood.
Anthony Mackie’s Lifestyle
Prioritize Sleep
Mackie aims to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night to recover from his intense training routines. But once shooting begins, days sometimes go 17 hours, making sleep a challenge.
Special Inspiration
Mackie’s father was a contractor and roofer, which inspired Mackie not to want to do manual labor for a living, although he does build things as a hobby. Sadly, his father died in Hurricane Katrina.
Kids First
Mackie is a divorced father of 4. He is totally focused on his kids and not interested in dating.
Hero Worship
Mackie’s favorite Marvel character isn’t Captain America. It’s the Hulk — although he does question how the Hulk’s pants still fit after his transformation when everything else ripped off.
Stepping Up
Captain America is not Mackie’s first Marvel role. He also played the Falcon in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier tv miniseries.
Big Boots
Mackie felt intimidated to play the role of Captain America, not least of all because Chris Evans’ popularity.
Social Media Misstep
Mackie has face severe backlash for saying that Captain America represents honor, dignity and integrity, but not America.
NoBar No More
Mackie owned a bar in Brooklyn called NoBar for a few years. It closed in 2015.
DUI Dilemma
In 2013, Mackie was arrested for driving under the influence. He got off with a $300 fine, a 90-day ban from driving in NY, and taking a drunk driving course.
Mackie on acting
‘All of us actors…want to get back to that day before someone told us, “No.”’
Mackie on living the dream
‘This is like my first promotion…The idea of being Captain America was something that I could never fathom.’
Mackie on the challenges of portraying Captain America
‘The fear of representing a country who doesn’t represent you…was…hard to overcome.’
Mackie’s controversial comment on Captain America
‘Captain America represents a lot of different things and don’t think “America” should be one of those representation.’
Mackie on one reason he became an actor
‘You never see girls running after engineers.’
Mackie on dating
‘The idea of dating is really hard…how do you trust someone?’
Recommended Products
Captain America Merch
Hot Ones Hot Sauce
GAF Roofing
Hammer
Fishing Rod
