The Rock’s Secret Diet and Workout Plan To Get You Jacked
It would be safe to say Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has one of the most distinctive physiques. The 49-year old isn’t your typical lean-physiqued Hollywood star or a dad-bod sporting donut connoisseur. Like a fine wine, The Rock’s body gets better with every passing year.
The Rock will turn into a literal rock if he keeps up his current training style and momentum. But hey, who’s complaining?
If you look at Johnson’s physique with admiration and want to look like him, you will need two things in ample:
- Real estate for badass tattoos.
- Monthly supply of razors for your perfectly oval head.
While you will have to find a tattoo artist and a barber on your own, we can help you with the physique transformation.
The Rock’ Journey To Stardom
The college athlete turned wrestler turned A-list movie star has gotten bigger and better with every movie. You will see linear progression in Johnson’s journey if you plot the improvement in his acting skills and physique on a graph starting with ‘The Mummy Returns’ to in-production ‘Black Adam’.
Although the genetic Gods have been kind to Dwayne, the bulk of his gains come from hard work, dedication, and discipline. If you follow The Rock on Instagram, you would know he is not someone who leaves the gym without breaking a sweat.
The Rock’s Humility
The Rock keeps it simple and sticks to the basics when it comes to training. You will hardly ever see him performing weird exercises or taking exercise modifications too far. It’s great news for his followers as it makes his results replicable.
You rarely come across someone in the entertainment industry who is as open and transparent about their life as Dwayne Johnson. Not only does he take his fans behind the scenes of his movies and workouts, but he is also constantly motivating them to work harder in the gym, on their lives, and in their careers.
The Rock is so serious about helping people take control of their lives that he created two reality TV shows called “Hero” and “Wake Up Call” to motivate them toward physical and mental transformation. His work with the Make-A-Wish foundation is also well known.
Finding a person who doesn’t like The Rock is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
The Rock’s Diet
Dwayne Johnson eats like a bull. When he is prepping for a role, he can eat up to seven meals a day. For his role as Hercules, Johnson ate a whopping 4,131 calories every day. It is twice the daily recommended average for men, or in other words, he was eating in one day what most people eat in two.
And mind you, these calories are coming from seven protein-rich meals. Johnson isn’t hogging on pancakes, ice cream, cookies, or tequila. Well, he does enjoy all that, but they are reserved for his cheat meals.
The Rock’s Seven Meal Diet Plan
Meal #1
- 10oz cod
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 cups of oatmeal
Meal #2
- 8oz cod
- 12oz sweet potato
- 1 cup veggies
Meal #3
- 8oz chicken
- 2 cups white rice
- 1 cup veggies
Meal #4
- 8oz cod
- 2 cups rice
- 1 cup veggies
- 1 tbsp fish oil
Meal #5
- 8oz steak
- 12oz baked potato
- Spinach salad
Meal #6
- 10oz cod
- 2 cups rice
- Salad
Meal #7
- 30 grams casein protein
- 10 egg-white omelet
- 1 cup veggies (onions, peppers, mushrooms)
- 1 tbsp omega-3 fish oil
You cannot get as big as him without eating the way he does. When The Rock is not training to get huge for a role, he usually eats five meals a day. We know what you are thinking.
Yes, Dwayne Johnson’s diet program can be a little harsh on your wallet.
The Rock’s Five Meal Diet Plan
Meal #1
- 10oz steak
- 2 cups oatmeal
- 3 egg whites
- 1 whole egg
- 1 glass watermelon juice
Meal #2
- 2 servings chicken
- 2 bell peppers
- 3 cups mushrooms
- 3 cups broccoli
- 1 protein shake
Meal #3
- 8oz salmon
- 8 asparagus tips
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 cups rice medley
- 3 cups broccoli
Meal #4
- 10oz steak
- 3 baked potatoes
- 8 asparagus tips
- 1 glass orange juice
Meal #5
- 20 grams casein protein
- 10 egg whites
Now that you know what The Rock is cooking, let’s move on to his workout program.
The Rock’s Training Program
Before we get to The Rock’s resistance training routine, we need to talk about his daily schedule. Dwayne Johnson wakes up at 4 am every day. Side note – There is no snooze button on his alarm clock.
As soon as he is up, he rolls out of bed, ties up his running shoes, and does his fasted cardio. After 30-45 minutes of LIIT cardio, he eats a protein-rich breakfast. An hour after breakfast, Johnson begins “clangin’ and bangin'” in the gym. And just like that, The Rock has outworked most people even before the sun is shining at its brightest.
The Rock usually trains a single muscle group every day and hits the gym six days a week. He does not bother himself with the intensity and overtraining debate. Johnson goes hard and heavy in every workout.
Although The Rock usually trains alone, he doesn’t use this as an excuse for lifting light or not training to failure. So, buckle your seat belts and get ready for epic pain and epic results.
The Rock’s Transformation Workout Program:
Day 1: Legs
- Barbell Walking Lunge – 4 Sets 24 Reps (12 Reps on Each Leg) – 60-second Rest
- Leg Press – 4 Sets 25 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Leg Extension – 3 Sets 20 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Barbell Squat – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Hack Squat – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Single-Leg Hack Squat – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Romanian Deadlift – 4 Sets 10 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Seated Leg Curl – 3 Sets 20 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Thigh Abductor – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 60-second Rest
Johnson uses a mix of compound and isolation exercises in his workouts. Since this is a high-intensity and volume workout program, you must use weights that you can handle with correct form throughout the designated reps and sets.
Every time you are tired and half-ass a rep, picture The Rock looking at you with a raised eyebrow. How is that for intra-workout motivation?
If you want to see results, you cannot compromise on the intensity of this training program.
Day 2: Back
- One-Arm Lat Pulldown – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Bent-Over Barbell Row – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 60-second Rest
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Barbell Deadlift – 3 Sets 10 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Pull-Up – 3 Sets To Failure – 60-second Rest
- Dumbbell Shrug – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Inverted Row – 3 Sets To Failure – 60-second Rest
- Hyperextension (Back) – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 60-second Rest
Dwayne Johnson uses a hammer machine with independent handles to isolate each side of his back. If you don’t have access to a similar machine, you could perform one-arm cable pulldown on a pulley machine.
Pause and squeeze the life out of your muscles with each rep. Make sure you are keeping your rest periods under 60-seconds. It will help maintain the intensity of your workouts and will keep them short.
Day 3: Shoulders
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Standing Military Press – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Front Dumbbell Raise – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Side Lateral Raise – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Reverse Machine Fly – 4 Sets 15 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Seated Bent-Over Rear Delt Raise – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 60-second Rest
Don’t make the mistake of biting off more than you can chew while following The Rock’s workout. Most people let their egos get the better of them in the gym.
No matter how many The Rock training videos you have watched, don’t try to be him while working with unforgiving iron.
Day 4: Arms / Abs
- Dumbbell Bicep Curl – 4 Sets 15 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Hammer Curl – 4 Sets 15 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Spider Curl – 4 Sets To Failure – 60-second Rest
- Triceps Pushdown – 4 Sets 15 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Overhead Tricep Extension – 3 Sets 15 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Hanging Leg Raise – 4 Sets 20 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Rope Crunch – 4 Sets 20 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Russian Twist – 4 Sets 20 Reps – 60-second Rest
This workout might not turn you into the people’s champ, but it will surely leave your muscles sore and begging for mercy.
For the exercises that require you to hit failure, use a weight you can lift for at least 20 reps. Your goal with this workout program is to achieve muscle hypertrophy. You should have a muscle-ripping pump by the end of your workouts.
Day 5: Legs
- Barbell Walking Lunge – 4 Sets 25 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Leg Press – 4 Sets 25 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Leg Extension – 3 Sets 20 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Barbell Squat – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Hack Squat – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Single-Leg Hack Squat – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Romanian Deadlift – 4 Sets 10 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Seated Leg Curl – 3 Sets 20 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Thigh Abductor – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 60-second Rest
The Rock arguably has the best pair of wheels in Hollywood.
Although you will be performing the same number of reps in each set, you shouldn’t stick with the same weight. If you have something left in the tank after a set, you should up the ante and target failure in the next set.
Day 6: Chest
- Barbell Bench Press (Medium Grip) – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Incline Dumbbell Press – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Dumbbell Bench Press (Neutral Grip) – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Flat Bench Cable Fly – 4 Sets To Failure – 60-second Rest
- Hammer Strength Incline Press – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 60-second Rest
- Dip (Chest Version) – 4 Sets To Failure – 60-second Rest
While performing the dumbbell bench press, grab the dumbbells with a neutral grip (palms facing each other) and focus on contracting your inner pecs with every rep.
On the last exercise, don’t lock out your elbows at the top of the movement. Maintain constant tension on your chest by going 1/4th of the way up on the dips.
Rest/Cheat Day
After you are done with these grueling workouts, you have earned yourself a cheat day. Raise a Teremana tequila toast for making it through The Rock’s training program in one piece. And by ‘raise a toast,’ we mean – raise a bottle.
Read also:
- Wolverine Workout Program
- Michael B. Jordan’s ‘Creed’ Diet & Workout Program
- Bane Workout Program
Conclusion
If you are a beginner or an intermediate lifter, you should ease into The Rock’s training and diet program. Since you are probably not accustomed to Johnson’s level of training intensity, eating everything he eats and lifting the way he lifts can put you in trouble. Give your body time to acclimatize to the carnage you are about to put it through.
Following The Rock diet and training program is not a matter of access as much as it is a matter of conviction. Only a few people have Johnson’s grit and determination to see this program to its end.
