Matthew McConaughey Workout

7 minute read | Published: July 29, 2015 | Updated: August 01, 2024

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He may be in his 40s, but Matthew McConaughey remains one of Hollywood’s most popular heartthrobs. A lot of guys became interested in knowing the secrets to the Matthew McConaughey workout after seeing their girlfriends and wives fall in love with the 45-year old McConaughey in the movie “Magic Mike.”

McConaugheyis no neophyte in Hollywood. He has been acting in movies since the 1990s, appearing in films like Dazed and Confused, Texas Chainsaw Massacer, Amistad, and EDtv. In the 2000s, he was best known for his roles in romantic comedies like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, The Wedding Planner, and Fool’s Gold.

But he sort of reinvented himself when he appeared in the movie Magic Mike in 2012, giving his career a new dynamic. It also made him the subject of envy of millions of men around the world, especially those who are in their middle ages and thought it would be impossible for them to build a ripped physique.

So how did McConaughey develop a body to die for? Here are the secrets of his training program:

Below is Matthew Mcconaughey workout routine:

Workout OptionsRepetition

Legs, Abs and Cardio

Circuit 1

Dumbbell Squat and Press30-32
Dumbbell Forward Lunges30-32
Dumbbell Side Lunges30-32
Stability Ball Leg Curls30-32

Circuit 2

Plank with Leg Lift30
Twisting Planks30
Crunches30
Reverse Crunches30
Walking Planks30
Leg Lifts30
Ab Twists30
Mountain Climbers30

Circuit 3

Cardio Machine (5 mins)1
Jumping Ropes (1 min)1

Chest, Shoulders and Cardio

Circuit 1

Dumbbell Chest Press10-12
Incline Chest Press10-12
Dumbbell Flyes10-12

Circuit 2

Overhead Lateral Press10-12
Lateral Dumbbell Raises10-12
Medicine Ball Push-Ups12

Circuit 3

Stability Ball Crunches12
Stability Ball Climbers24

Circuit 4

Cardio Exercise (30 mins)1

Back, biceps, triceps and cardio

Circuit 1

Cable Latpulldowns10-12
Dumbbell Rows10-12
Dumbbell Bicep Curls10-12
Close Grip Bicep Curls10-12

Circuit 2

Triceps Extensions10-12
Cable Pressdowns10-12
Bench Dips20

Circuit 3

Cardio Machine (5 mins)1

Legs and Core

Circuit 1

Dumbbell Squat and Press10-12
DumbbellForward Lunges10-12
Dumbbell Side Lunges10-12
Stability ball leg curls10-12

Circuit 2

Forearm Plank with Leg Lift10-12
Twisting Planks10-12
Walking planks,10-12
Leg Lifts10-12
Ab Twists10-12
Mountain Climbers10-12

Chest and Shoulders

Circuit 1

Dumbbell Chest Press10-12
Dumbbell Flyes10-12
Incline Chest Press10-12

Circuit 2

Overhead Shoulder Press10-12
Medicine Ball Push-Ups10-12
Lateral Dumbbell Rises10-12

Circuit 3

Stability Ball Crunches10-12
Stability Ball Climbers and Planks10-12

Circuit 4

Cardio Exercises (30 mins)1

Monday: Legs, Abs and Cardio

McConaughey would begin his week training his legs and abs, and improving his cardiovascular endurance. He would do three circuits, with the first two circuits performed thrice then ending the workout with a cardio circuit which he had to do nine times. There’s only a one minute rest allowed in between each circuit, without any rest in between each set.

Circuit 1 consists of three sets of dumbbell squat and press, dumbbell forward lunges, dumbbell side lunges, and stability ball leg curls. Each set requires 10 to 12 repetitions.

Circuit 2 consists of three sets, with Reynolds having to do the exercises in 30 seconds. He is then given just 15 seconds every second exercise. These exercises include forearm plank with leg lift, twisting planks, crunches, reverse crunches, walking planks, leg lifts, ab twists, and mountain climbers.

Circuit 3 consists of five minutes on any cardio machine, then a minute of jumping ropes. He had to repeat this circuit nine times to end his Monday workout.

Tuesday: Chest, Shoulders and Cardio

For Tuesdays, McConaughey would focus on his chest and shoulders and continue improving his cardiovascular endurance. There are four circuits on this day, with Matthew having to do circuits 1, 2, and 3, then repeat each circuit 2 more times before doing the last circuit. He was given a minute of rest in between circuits, but no rest in between each set.

For circuit 1, he has to do 10 to 12 reps of dumbbell chest press, incline chest press, and dumbbell flyes. In circuit 2, he has to do 10 to 12 reps of overhead lateral press, lateral dumbbell raises and 12 reps of medicine ball push-ups. For the third circuit, he has to do 12 reps of stability ball crunches, and 24 reps of stability ball climbers with 12 reps for each leg. The circuit ends with 15 reps of planks.

The fourth circuit is a 30 minute cardio exercise, where he has to spend four minutes on one cardio machine, another five minutes on a second machine, and then six minutes on the third machine. He goes back to the first machine for six minutes, the second machine for five minutes, and the third machine for four minutes.

Wednesday: Back, biceps, triceps and cardio

Similar to the Tuesday workout, the Wednesday regimen requires McConaughey to do three circuits first before ending the day with a cardio circuit.

The first circuit includes 10-12 reps of cable latpulldowns, dumbbell rows, dumbbell bicep curls, and close grip bicep curls. The second circuit involves 10-12 reps of triceps extensions and cable pressdowns, and 20 reps of bench dips.

The third circuit has exercises like wall climbs and medicine ball slam. The fourth circuit involves five minutes on any cardio machine and a minute of jumping rope.

Thursday: Legs and Core

On Thursdays, McConaughey focuses on his legs and abs. There are only three circuits on this day, with circuits 1 and 2 to be repeated two more times before he ends the day with circuit three, which is the cardio circuit.

In circuit 1, McConaughey has to do 10-12 reps of dumbbell squat and press, dumbbell forward lunges, dumbbell side lunges, and stability ball leg curls. The second circuit includes exercises like forearm plank with leg lift, twisting planks, walking planks, leg lifts, ab twists, and mountain climbers.

Friday: Chest and Shoulders

For Fridays, McConaughey has to do circuit 1 through 3 first, then repeating each circuit two more times before proceeding to circuit 4. Like in the previous workouts, he is allowed only a minute of rest between circuits.

In circuit 1, he has to do exercises like dumbbell chest press, dumbbell flyes, and incline chest press. The second circuit involves overhead shoulder press, medicine ball push-ups and lateral dumbbell rises. The third circuit has stability ball crunches, stability ball climbers, and planks. The fourth circuit involves 30 minutes of cardio exercises.

The Matthew McConaughey workout may seem very taxing, but it’s proven effective in building a drool-worthy body like that of McConaughey.

Matthew McConaughey Workout Promo