Fitness influencer Marissa McNamara has captured attention online with her inspiring physique transformation, training, and nutrition methods. Once focused on weight loss and cardio, she shifted her approach to strength training and muscle building, ultimately modeling for Gymshark.
McNamara shared glimpses of her daily life, including her nutrition and training protocols and workouts for the whole week.
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Marissa McNamara’s Training Split
Marissa McNamara follows a push-pull-legs training split five days a week, complemented by a full upper-body workout and extra leg day. She focuses on active recovery on Saturdays by hitting the gym with her husband or engaging in outdoor training together. Sundays are reserved for rest and recovery.
“My week looks like legs, push, pull, legs, and upper body day,” McNamara explains. “That full upper body day can sometimes look like a shoulder-and-back or a more chest-and-back-focused workout. Maybe I won’t do a full upper body day. It just depends on how I’m feeling and how I’ve recovered during the week.”
McNamara incorporates cardio into her routine twice to thrice weekly, dedicating 20 to 30 minutes to sessions on a Peloton bike at the end of her workouts. She strives to reach a daily goal of 10,000 steps.
Marissa McNamara’s Workouts
McNamara begins every workout with a 10- to 15-minute treadmill walk. After that, she transitions into warm-ups tailored to her specific workout. Specific warmups offer a slight advantage over general or combined approaches. (1)
McNamara’s go-to warmup on upper-body days includes shoulder dislocates and lightweight shoulder presses. She also incorporates lighter weights into her warm-up before progressing to her working sets.
Legs Workout 1 (Posterior)
McNamara’s leg days are split into a posterior-focused leg targeting the calves, glutes, and hamstrings and an anterior leg day for the quads.
- Hip Thrusts — 4 x 8-10
- Superset: Romanian Deadlifts & Step Back Lunges — 3 x 10, 3 x 6-8
- Weighted Back Extensions — 4 x 12
- Lying Hamstring Curls — 4 x 12
- Hanging Leg Raises — 4 x 12
Hip Thrusts, Romanian Deadlifts, & Step Back Lunges
Hip thrusts are intended to bias the glutes. McNamara includes five-to-10-second holds at the top of each rep.
McNamara supersets Romanian deadlifts to hit her glutes and hamstring with step-back lunges. Her glutes stay sore for days after going heavy on step-back lunges.
Weighted Back Extensions
McNamara intensifies back extensions by incorporating weight plates. She performs 10 to 12 weighted reps, sets the plates aside, and drop sets into body weight, performing as many reps as possible (AMRAP).
Lying Hamstring Curls & Hanging Leg Raises
McNamara avoids lighter weights during lying hamstring curls. She incorporates hanging leg raises into her routine twice weekly, often pairing them with a five-to-eight-minute ab training circuit. On days when time is limited, they’re a great addition.
Leg Workout 2 (Anterior)
During her second leg day, McNamara focuses on her quads. She warms up on the treadmill, followed by a series of mobility exercises.
- Barbell Back Squats — 4 x 5
- Belt Squats — 3 x 8-10
- Seated Leg Extensions — 4 x 12
- Dumbbell Goblet Squats — 3 x 10-12
- Seated Calf Raises — 4 x 15
Back Squats, Belt Squats, Seated Leg Extensions, Goblet Squats
McNamara goes heavy during barbell back squats to max out at five reps. Belt squats reduce back stress.
Seated leg extensions are highly effective for targeting the quads. McNamara advises pushing through discomfort, even resorting to partial reps. While McNamara isn’t a fan of goblet squats, she acknowledges that they consistently provide her with an excellent quad burn.
Push Workouts
McNamara’s push exercises include her chest, triceps, and shoulders.
- Bench Presses — 4 x 5
- Incline Dumbbell Bench Presses — 3 x 8-10
- Incline Cable Flyes — 3 x 12
- Dumbell Shoulder Presses — 4 x 8-10
- Dumbbell Lateral Raises — 3 x 12-15
- Triceps Pushdowns — 3 x 12
Bench Presses
McNamara’s go-to exercise is the bench press. Compound movements can feel intimidating, but she credits the bench press with enhancing her performance in other workouts.
“Trying it out, I feel like the bench is one of the things that has helped me improve my strength so much,” McNamara said. She arches her back off the bench to protect her shoulders from injury.
Incline Dumbbell Bench Presses & Incline Cable Flyes
McNamara prefers to set a bench at a 45-degree angle or slightly lower when performing incline dumbbell bench presses. This adjustment biases her front deltoids. (2)
While McNamara doesn’t often perform incline cable flyes due to equipment availability, she substitutes them with dumbbells for a similar effect. She focuses on a strong contraction at the top and a deep stretch as she lowers her arms.
Shoulder Presses, Lateral Raises, & Triceps Pushdowns
McNamara loves lateral raises. She highlighted the importance of proper shoulder positioning to prevent injury. Maintain control by avoiding momentum and keeping a slight bend in the elbows.
Triceps pushdowns can be done with a cable machine or dumbbells. However, she favors the cable machine.
Pull Workouts
McNamara’s pull day prioritizes strengthening her back and biceps. Her 2025 fitness goal is an ultra-slim waist, and she’s strategically creating that illusion by building her back and lower body.
- Pull Ups — 3 x AMRAP
- Lat Pulldowns — 4 x 8-10
- Single Arm Dumbbell Rows — 3 x 10
- Barbell Curls — 3 x 6-8
Pull Ups & Lat Pulldowns
McNamara incorporates pull-ups into her routine. Her first set uses full body weight before using bands or a machine to assist in performing AMRAP. She relies on a cable machine for lat pulldowns, completing each rep with precision and control.
Single Arm Dumbbell Rows & Barbell Curls
McNamara prefers performing single-arm dumbbell rows with the support of a bench or any stable surface. McNamara brings the weight to her hips to maintain proper form rather than pulling her elbow toward her head.
Full Upper Body Day
- Dips — 3 x AMRAP
- Close Grip Pulldowns — 4 x 8-10
- Superset: Dumbbell Lateral Raises & Tricep Pushdowns — 3 x 12, 3 x 12
- Alternating Dumbbell Curls — 4 x 10
Dips & Close Grip Lat Pulldowns
McNamara’s approach to dips is similar to pull-ups: “Complete them unassisted if you can, and if you can’t move to an assisted machine or add bands,” McNamara suggests. She follows with close-grip lat pulldowns.
Alternating Dumbbell Curls
McNamara wraps up her upper-body workout with alternating dumbbell curls. After a week of intense training, she prioritizes active rest and recovery — going for a walk, shooting hoops, or hitting the gym for a light session. McNamara ensures her body stays active while giving it the time it needs to recharge.
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References
- Andrade, D. C., Henriquez-Olguín, C., Beltrán, A. R., Ramírez, M. A., Labarca, C., Cornejo, M., Álvarez, C., & Ramírez-Campillo, R. (2015). Effects of general, specific and combined warm-up on explosive muscular performance. Biology of sport, 32(2), 123–128. https://doi.org/10.5604/20831862.1140426
- Rodríguez-Ridao, D., Antequera-Vique, J. A., Martín-Fuentes, I., & Muyor, J. M. (2020). Effect of Five Bench Inclinations on the Electromyographic Activity of the Pectoralis Major, Anterior Deltoid, and Triceps Brachii during the Bench Press Exercise. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(19), 7339. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17197339
Featured image: @marissamcnamara on Instagram
