Few celebrity fitness transformations captured our attention like that of the creator and star of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Rob McElhenney.
About eight years ago he famously gained 50 pounds for the sake of comedy: he just thought it’d be funny if his uber vain character, Mac, had to deal with obesity. (His excuse, “I’m cultivating mass,” became an instant classic, especially in fitness circles.)
Then last season, McElhenney turned the tables and got phenomenally jacked (in his 40s, mind) and people paid a lot of attention. Men’s Health interviewed the man to hear him talk about how he did it.
The explanation starts at the 1:14 mark:
[Related: The 8 Most Impressive Feats of Strength From Hollywood Actors]
I’m going to break it down for you, because it’s actually quite simple. And anybody can do this. Anybody on the planet can do this.
First things first: if you have a job, like a 9 to 5 job, quit that.
Now, do you like food? Quit that, because you’re never going to enjoy anything you eat.
Alcohol? Sorry, that’s out.
You have a chef, right? Like, a personal chef? Make sure the chef makes you a lot of chicken breast and make sure you keep your caloric intake at a certain level.
And you go to your physician 2 to 3 times a week just to monitor all your testosterone levels, ‘cos testosterone is important to building muscle.
You’re good friends with the trainer from Magic Mike, right? Arin Babaian? So you want to give Arin a call and you want to make sure he’s at your house and takes you to the gym at least twice a day, because you’re going to want to do your muscle building in the morning then your cardio in the afternoon.
Now, do you have a family? Like, significant other, or kids? Yeah. Forget about them. You’re not going to have time to deal with them.
So that’s really all you have to do. And make sure you have (a production) studio pay for the entire thing because it could become exceptionally expensive.
So, I think if you just do all those things then you, too, could have an absolutely unrealistic body type such as me.
We like the honesty.
The whole video is worth a watch, particularly if you’re interested in hearing about his cameo on Game of Thrones, his rivalry with Channing Tatum, and yet another rivalry he has with Kumail Nanjiani.
Featured image via Men’s Health on YouTube
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Rob McElhenney?
Rob McElhenney is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer, who is best known as the creator and star of the FX comedy show, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
How did Rob McElhenney get so jacked?
He worked out two times most days, strength in the morning and cardio in the afternoon, under the supervision of celebrity trainer Arin Babaian. He also had a personal chef cook for him (eating “a lot of chicken breast”) which helped him maintain a precise caloric intake. He went to his doctor at least once a week to monitor his hormone levels and ensure he wasn’t burning himself out. Most notably, he made it very clear that he was paid to get this fit, and that the average person wouldn’t be able to dedicate this much time to sculpting their body without sacrificing their relationships and probably their job as well.
