Dwayne Johnson, known as “The Rock,” is one of the most popular people on the planet. He’s an ex-wrestler in the WWE, a prominent actor, and a businessperson, but we can safely say that one of the reasons why he is so well-known and has managed to have such an illustrious career is his imposing physique.
However, getting to be nicknamed “The Rock” doesn’t come quickly, and such a physique doesn’t happen without effort or overnight – one needs a pretty strict workout regime and diet in order to achieve the kind of body that Dwayne Johnson has. In this article, we’re going to discuss the training regime, diet, and recovery process that the Rock follows in order to be able to maintain his impressive physique.
So, without keeping you waiting longer, let’s get started.
A Deep Dive into Dwayne Johnson’s Diet
Regarding his diet, the Rock has a few fundamentals that he always follows, including a strict plan for most days, with a few special occasions that allow him to indulge in his favorite foods from time to time.
As Dwayne Johnson is pretty active and a generally big man, he eats around 5,000 calories on a daily basis. If you compare that to the normal diet of an everyday person, that’s around twice the number of recommended calories, and it’s a crazy amount of food. A typical day of eating looks like this:
Breakfast:
- 8 ounces of flank steak
- 6 eggs (2 whole and 4 egg whites)
- A cup and a half of brown rice
- Sauteed mushrooms, peppers, and onions
Mid-morning snack:
- 8 ounces of cod
- 12 ounces of sweet potato
- 1 cup of vegetables
Lunch:
- 8 ounces of chicken
- 2 cups of white rice
- 1 cup of vegetables
Mid-afternoon snack:
- 8 ounces of cod
- 2 cups of white rice
- 1 cup of vegetables
- 1 tbsp of fish oil
Late-afternoon snack:
- 8 ounces of steak
- 12 ounces of baked potato
- Salad with spinach
Dinner:
- 10 ounces of cod
- 2 cups of white rice
- Leafy greens salad
Late night snack:
- Egg white omelet (10 eggs)
- 1 cup of vegetables
- 1 tbsp fish oil
- 30 grams of whey protein
As you can see, the Rock’s diet consists of mostly unprocessed, whole foods that are high in protein and fiber. He gets multiple servings of vegetables per day, along with tons of fish, meat, and grains. If he needs extra fuel or a morning pick-me-up, he opts for coffee or gets caffeine from natural pre-workouts.
When he’s not having a cheat day, Dwayne Johnson avoids the intake of foods high in sugar and refined carbs, as well as highly processed foods. However, his diet is a carnivore one, as he doesn’t remove any of the main food groups.
A Look Into the Rock’s Exercise Plan
It’s clear that in order to have a physique like the Rock’s, you not only have to eat well but also train hard. Typically, his workouts vary depending on what kind of role he’s preparing for, but his most popular routine is called the Hercules workout, and it’s what we will be looking at today.
It’s key to note that all of his training sessions begin with 30-60 minutes of cardio, followed by his first meal of the day. Only afterward does he get into his famous 90-minute-long strength training. A week of training looks typically like this:
Day 1: Upper Body (Chest focus)
- 30-60 minutes of cardio
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps barbell bench press
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps incline dumbbell press
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps flat-bench dumbbell press
- 3 sets x 8-12 reps dumbbell flys
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps incline hammer curls
- Chest dips to failure
Day 2: Legs
- 30-60 minutes of cardio
- 4 sets x 20-25 reps walking lunges with dumbbells or barbell
- 4 sets x 15-20 reps leg extension
- 4 sets x 20 reps leg press
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps hack squats
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps single-leg hack squats
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps Romanian deadlifts
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps hamstring curls
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps barbell squat
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps hip abduction machine
- 4 sets x 50-75 reps standing calf raises
Day 3: Upper Body (Back focus)
- 30-60 minutes of cardio
- 4 sets of pullups to failure
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps single-arm dumbbell rows
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps hammer strength double-arm rows
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps lat pulldowns
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps shoulder shrugs
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps back hyperextensions
Day 4: Upper Body (Shoulder focus)
- 30-60 minutes of cardio
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps seated dumbbell shoulder press
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps standing dumbbell lateral flys
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps single-arm cable lateral raises
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps reverse dumbbell flys
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps bent-over-dumbbell lateral raise
Day 5: Legs
- 30-60 minutes of cardio
- 4 sets x 20-25 reps walking lunges with dumbbells or barbell
- 4 sets x 15-20 reps leg extension
- 4 sets x 20 reps leg press
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps hack squats
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps single-leg hack squats
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps Romanian deadlifts
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps hamstring curls
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps barbell squat
- 4 sets x 8-12 reps hip abduction machine
- 4 sets x 50-75 reps standing calf raises
Day 6: Arms & Abs
- 30-60 minutes of cardio
- 4 sets x 12-15 reps dumbbell curls
- 4 sets x 12-15 reps hammer curls
- 4 sets x 12 -15 reps preacher curls
- 4 sets x 12-15 reps tricep pushdowns
- 4 sets x 12-15 reps tricep overhead extensions
- 4 sets x 20 reps rope crunch
- 4 sets x 20 reps Russian twist
- 4 sets x 20 reps hanging leg raises
The last day of the week is a rest day, where doing as little activity as possible is recommended so that the body can get proper rest.
In Conclusion
As you can see, Dwayne Johnson’s physique is earned through a rigorous diet and exercise regime, and it’s obviously one that requires a ton of discipline to adhere to. What do you think about it? Is it something you would do? Let us know in the comments.
