Dwayne Johnson is notorious for being one for the hardest working people in the sports-entertainment business.
The charismatic WWE wrestler-turned-actor is one of the highest-paid stars in Hollywood and has the relentless work ethic to match.
The hulking mass of muscle is an enviable physical specimen with bulging biceps, a colossal chest and stupendous shoulders.
This, though, doesn’t miraculously all come together by accident – rather it’s the result of unwavering self-discipline and hours upon hours of gruelling gym work.
Like all outliers and one percenters, Johnson’s day starts with a world class morning routine that involves rising at 3:30am.
In 2017 he told Variety: “I often sacrifice two hours of sleep just so I can have the quiet two hours that I need before the whole house wakes up, including the animals.”
Earlier this year Johnson explained that waking up early isn’t actually a big deal for him because he doesn’t need much sleep, getting around three to five hours per night.
He said: “I love putting in that hard work as early as possible to get my day started off on the right foot, mentally and physically.”
Johnson then jumps straight into his daily exercise routine where he’ll do anywhere from half an hour to an hour’s worth of cardio in the form of jogging outside or the elliptical cross trainer.
Then it’s onto strength work and resistance training – usually in preparation for a movie – which can be anywhere from three to four hours and sometimes up to six, daily.
The intense regimen often takes place in his ‘Iron Paradise’ – portable gym made up of 45,000 pounds of equipment that gets assembled at every location by his film crew.
“I work out six days a week, and usually in the morning,” he says.
“My workout is constantly changing and adapting, but for the most part, I do four sets of 12 reps with a 60-90-second rest. I don’t play around in the gym. I always aim to be the hardest worker, and I make sure I clang and I bang to the best of my ability.”
As you’d expect, Johnson’s workout routine is meticulous, exhaustive, and prone to changing depending on whether he’s trying to bulk, cult, or maintain weight.
He will split his days into legs, back, shoulders, arms/abs, legs, chest, and will start off with a higher amount of reps and a lower weight before slowly progressing each week into higher loads and fewer reps.
Here’s how that might look, and would be repeated over a three-four month spell:
- Week 1: 4 sets x 12 reps
- Week 2: 4 sets x 10-12 reps
- Week 3: 4 sets x 8-10 reps
- Week 4: 4 sets x 6-8 reps
The specifics of every single exercise for every single muscle are too extensive to list, but the 51-year-old has shared snippets of his workouts to Instagram to give fans a flavour of what they involve.
One shoulder workout in particular has been named ‘running the rack’ – which is a ‘phenomenal shocker to your muscles and system for progress, gains and stamina’.
Here’s what it entails:
- 10 reps with 50lbs
- 8 reps with 45lbs
- 8 reps with 40lbs
- 8 reps with 35lbs
- 8 reps with 30lbs
- Proceed to go all the way down until you reach the last dumbbell
Meanwhile, a full day of chest work might look something like the following:
- Run on Treadmill – 30-50 minutes
- Barbell Bench Press – Medium Grip – 4 sets, 12 reps
- Incline Dumbbell Press – 4 sets, 12 reps
- Dumbbell Bench Press – 4 sets, 12 reps
- Flat Bench Cable Flyes – 4 sets, to failure
- Incline Hammer Curls – 4 sets, 12 reps
- Dips – Chest Version – 4 sets, to failure
Doing that amount of volume would be utterly pointless if Johnson were not fuelling his body with thousands of calories.
Johnson starts the day as he means to go on, with a typical breakfast consisting of three whole eggs, at least three egg whites, some fruit, some oatmeal (or toast, if oatmeal is unavailable)and an enormous steak which he poetically calls “dead cow”.
“Diet-wise, I generally eat five meals a day,” he says. “I’m very prepared and organized, and everything is planned out in advance. It’s all measured depending on what I’m training to achieve.
“Usually I start off my day with some dead cow and oatmeal for breakfast. The other staples in my diet include chicken, steak fillets, egg whites, oatmeal, broccoli, halibut, rice, asparagus, baked potato, leafy salads, peppers, mushrooms, and onions, and then also some casein protein.”
Johnson also stresses the importance of replenishing your body’s fuel, in the form of a shake, as fast as possible after workouts in order to maximize your recovery.
“Don’t overlook the importance of getting in your protein/carb/sugar immediately after your workout,” he wrote on Instagram. “It’s that critical time where your muscles will optimally absorb these nutrients after you’ve torn the muscles down from your workout.”
Here’s the ingredients for one of his post-workout shakes:
- 65 to 70 grams protein powder
- 35 grams carbohydrate powder
- 1 whole apple
- 1 scoop electrolytes
- creatine
- water
- ice
Johnson will stick to his rigid meal plan for most of the week, eating healthy meals between five to seven times a day.
But on Sundays, Rocky allows himself one of his legendary cheat meals which have gone super viral over the years.
The infamous cheat meals can hit between 5,000 to 6,000 calories and include all sorts of goodies ranging from cookies and cheesecake, pancakes and pizza to copious amounts of doughnuts, sushi and fries.
“I do believe in working hard throughout the week and earning your cheat meals”, he once said.
To normal human beings, this all may seem a little… extreme. However, there’s no doubt that Johnson’s ‘extreme’ approach to life has enabled him to achieve things most could only dream of.
Nevertheless, as he gets older, Johnson is learning to have more balance in his approach to fitness and diet, and recently admitted to changing his routine to do less.
“I used to have this mentality … that, ‘Well, my plate is full. However, I’m going to make room for [more]’ — and I would find a way to do that,” he said.
“In many ways, I was forcing a lot of the things throughout the years that caused somewhat of an imbalance,” he went on.
Now, he has practised the art of stepping back, taking a break, and surrounding himself with “much smarter” people who can properly support him.
“That really helps my day move along nicely,” Johnson added.