Written by Garett Reid | NSCA, CSCS, CISSN, M.S.E.S.S
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is one of the biggest personalities this world has ever seen. We say this metaphorically and literally as he stands around 6'3" to 6'5" (different sources) and 260 to 270 pounds. Regardless of his size, The Rock is one of the busiest men you would ever meet both in the business world and in the gym.
Known for his incredible physique that he seems to hold onto, even at the age of 51, he is the epitome of physiques for most men. Luckily for us, Dwayne Johnson is very active on social media, giving us an inside glimpse of the real Rock workout plan.
Table of Contents:
- Who is Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson?
- What Is The Rock's Workout Routine?
- What To Know About Dwayne's Training Style
- What Is The Rock's Diet?
Let's find out what the Rock's been training!
Who Is Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson?
Dwayne Johnson was born in 1972 and started his journey to fame as a professional wrestler in the WWF and WWE. He quickly became a crowd favorite due to his personality and ability to connect with the crowd.
Taking advantage of this notoriety, he was able to find himself opening for SNL in 2000. From here, his career took off. The Rock began working in movies and working his way up the proverbial staircase, climbing his way to the top.
Today, he has become a household name and blockbuster movie star appearing in some of the biggest movies in the modern era. During this time, the public really began to pick up on his impressive physique which has taken off on a life of its own. Today, The Rock has earned a prominent place in the fitness industry.
There's a ton more to discuss about Dwayne, which we'll get into later on in the article. First thing, though, let's talk about his workouts!
The Rock's Workout Routine: Our Interpretation
The Rock is notorious for following a 6 day workout split. By combining different variables of his workout, we've put together this 6-day training routine for you.
We still want you to train each muscle group 2 times a week, which is what you'll do, excluding the shoulders, arms, and abs. This is because you already train these muscle groups when you perform any compound lift. It's also important to note that this is a scaled-back version of his program, as many of us don't have the time to dedicate to half-day-long gym sessions.
So we've taken his workout strategies, favorite exercises, and principles and created a 6-day split that will get you great results without requiring hours on end in the gym.
As mentioned above, there are two common training methods seen in The Rock's training program:
- Pyramid Schemes
- Giant Sets
We will use both of these in one program to alter the stimulus. Let's get into it!
The Rock's Training Program: Week 1
As you look through these workouts, you'll find that The Rock loves his giant sets. To perform those, you'll cycle through each exercise within the set one after another, with a short rest, around 30-45 seconds, in between exercises. Take a longer break when you're done with 1 set, resting 1 minute to 1 minute and 30 seconds, and then cycle through the set again.
After your first week, you are going to alter the rep schemes for most of the stand-alone exercises. Notice the rep schemes that have parenthesis next to them. Those represent the reps for weeks 2, 3, and 4.
You can also experiment with exercise angles and equipment. For example, rather than traditional hammer curls, try failure incline hammer curls. Or, instead of a cable lateral raise, try a dumbbell raise. Try the single leg hack squat in place of the hack squat. You can personalize this to your goals!
On the 5th week, you will drop some weight and go back to 12 reps. Be sure to track your weight so you can increase the weight the next cycle.
Monday (Back Day):
|
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
|
Bent Over Row |
4 |
12 (10, 8, 6) |
|
T-Bar Row (Medium Grip) |
4 |
12 (10, 8, 6) |
|
Barbell Front Shrug |
4 |
12 (10, 8, 6) |
|
Giant Set: |
3 |
15 (per exercise) |
Tuesday (Leg Day):
|
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
|
Safety Squat Bar Squat |
4 |
12 (10, 8, 6) |
|
Romanian Deadlift |
4 |
12 (10, 8, 6) |
|
Hack Squat |
4 |
12 (10, 8, 6) |
|
Giant Set: |
3 |
15 (per exercise) |
Wednesday (Chest Day):
|
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
|
Incline Bench Press |
4 |
12 (10, 8, 6) |
|
Swiss Bar Bench Press (Neutral Grip, Medium Grip) |
4 |
12 (10, 8, 6) |
|
Dips |
4 |
12 (10, 8, 6) |
|
Giant Set: |
3 |
10 (per exercise) |
Thursday (Shoulders, Arms, and Abs Day):
|
Exercise |
Sets/Rounds |
Reps |
|
Standing Military Press |
3 Sets |
12 (10, 8, 6) |
|
Shoulder Giant Set: |
3 Rounds |
8-12 |
|
Biceps Giant Set: |
3 Rounds |
8-12 |
|
Triceps Giant Set: |
3 Rounds |
8-12 |
|
Abs Giant Set: |
3 Rounds |
15-20 (per exercise) |
|
Biceps 21 (Finisher) |
1 |
To Failure |
Friday (Back & Chest Day):
|
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
|
Incline Barbell Bench Press |
4 |
12 (10, 8, 6) |
|
Bentover Row |
4 |
12 (10, 8, 6) |
|
Giant Set #1: |
3 Sets |
15 (per exercise) |
|
Giant Set #2: |
3 Sets |
15 (per exercise) |
|
Finisher: |
1 set |
To Failure |
Saturday (Leg Day):
|
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
|
Hip Thrusts |
4 |
12 |
|
Leg Press |
4 |
12 |
|
Walking Lunges |
4 |
25 (weighted as necessary) |
|
Giant Set: |
3 Sets |
25 (per exercise) |
|
Belt Squat (Finisher) |
3 |
15-25 (complete sets to failure) |
Sunday: Rest Day
Even Dwayne needs a rest day. Make sure you support muscle recovery by taking a full day to let those muscles grow!
7 Things To Know About The Rock's Training Style
Just like any other person, The Rock doesn't have just one workout routine. Instead, he'll use a mix of best workout splits, rep schemes, and exercise selection for optimal training. Still, there are defining characteristics you can find in the way he trains.
One of the defining characteristics of The Rock's training style is his dedication. Johnson trains up to 6 days a week with his notorious cheat day on the seventh day. Even with his hectic lifestyle, Johnson's workouts are rarely missed.
Granted, Dwayne has a traveling gym, known as Iron Paradise, that comes with him on the road to make this easier. And we mean a literal gym, not some Bow-Flex and a couple of pairs of dumbbells. His Iron Paradise consists of over 40,000 pounds of weight so he can push and pull real iron.
He begins his training with 30 to 60 minutes of cardio. Next, he makes sure to eat a big breakfast to fuel up. This meal is very important as he needs the energy to then proceed to weight lift for 1.5 hours. And his training is always done at maximum intensity.
Here are 7 more facts about Dwayne's workout routine.
1) Dwayne Loves Fasted Cardio:
As mentioned above, Johnson does 30 to 60 minutes of cardio every day. Before we go any further, can we now agree that cardio will not kill your gains!
Regardless, we don't know if he loves it, but The Rock workout plan would not be what it is without it. It should be noted that he likes to perform fasted cardio (on an empty stomach) to speed up his metabolism.
Sure we love his insane leg press workouts or massive barbell rows, but we actually love the fact he does so much cardio. The fitness industry is over-saturated with influencers who have turned the word "cardio' into a negative thing. It's not.
2) Dwayne Johnson's Workout Routine Has A LOT Of Volume:
Johnson's primary goal for his training seems to be muscle hypertrophy for every muscle group. Of course, this doesn't mean he is weak, but the main purpose of his training is to prepare for roles.
He obviously loves training for the grind and pump, but Johnson routinely talks about he manipulates his training to prepare for different roles. This means he attempts to alter his size which is done with building muscle mass.
We have discussed this many times before that the main driver of muscle hypertrophy is volume. You can see this in his programs.
You will routinely see exercises prescribed a rep scheme of 4 sets x 15 reps, 4 sets x 20 reps, or even 4 sets x 25 reps. Johnson also routinely utilizes "giant sets" which are 3 or 4 exercises performed in succession.
If you're looking for a routine with less volume that will still achieve muscle hypertrophy, check out the Jason Momoa workout!
3) The Rock's Workout Utilizes Multiple Angles:
If you view his Instagram for any length of time, you will quickly see that he works various angles to optimally hit a muscle, target different muscle groups, and get that detailed muscle appearance. For example, during his chest workout, he may perform one of his giant sets as so:
- Bench Press: 3 sets x 12 reps
- Dips (Chest version): 3 sets x 12 reps
- Incline dumbbell press: 3 sets x 12 reps
- Flat bench cable flyes: 3 sets x 12 reps
4) He Changes His Movements Routinely:
In addition, The Rock tends to use quite a bit of variety with his program. He mentioned before how he switches up his program more than his diet.
To be clear, this doesn't mean he's promoting the "muscle confusion" nonsense. He simply understands the value of variability in his training program.
5) He Likes To Use A Pyramid Routine:
The Rock will use a variety of rep schemes as he's constantly fine-tuning his training. One of his favorite methods it's what's known as a pyramid routine.
A pyramid routine is just a form of periodization in which you alter the load and rep scheme across multiple sets. He will begin with a lighter weight and perform more reps. He will then add some weight and perform fewer reps. For example, a pyramid routine for leg press might look like this:
- 500 x 15 reps
- 475 x 12 reps
- 450 x 10 reps
- 575 x 8 reps
In addition, he will utilize a slight variation of this every week as well. Instead of altering the load on each set, he will use the same load. Then the next week, he will use a heavier load. For example:
- 4 sets x 15 reps (500lbs)
- 4 sets x 12 reps (475lbs)
- 4 sets x 10 reps (450lbs)
- 4 sets x 8 reps (425lbs)
- 4 sets x 15 reps (525lbs)
Notice that after 4 weeks, he jumps back to doing 8 reps but has increased the weight. This is a basic form of periodization training, and we love it. Altering the load and rep scheme is vital to hit all training variables and provide a workout based on real science.
6) The Rock's Favorite Exercises:
It's hard to say what is the Rock's favorite exercise is as again, he does a lot. That said he does seem to gravitate towards traditional weight lifting and uses a lot of free weights.
- Barbell walking lunge
- Leg Press
- Belt Squats
- Barbell Row
- One Arm Dumbbell Row
- Dumbbell Shrug
And so on. One interesting point is that Dwayne doesn't seem to perform barbell squats or deadlifts. Most of the posts he has concerning squats have him performing squats with a safety squat bar (SSB).
We love SSB squats and are a fantastic addition to your leg workout. Just know that if you want to train like Dwayne, you won't be doing barbell squats.
7) No Deadlift Love From Dwayne:
Deadlifts seem to be absent from his training. While he does do the Romanian deadlift, traditional deadlifts aren't present. He has mentioned that he doesn't perform back squats or deadlifts for safety concerns.
Instead, his leg workout routine will contain a variety of other exercises such as:
- Leg press
- Romanian deadlift
- Hack squat
- Seated leg curls
- Lunges
The one exercise that one exercises Dwayne does perform that we want to specifically mention is pit squats or belt squats. These are fantastic movements to train the legs while taking the stress off the lower back. This makes it the perfect exercise to add volume while mitigating the risk of injury.
What Is The Rock's Diet?
To fuel this regime, Dwayne consumes a lot of calories. Depending on his role, The Rock admits to eating anywhere from 5,000 to 7,000 calories daily. Luckily it's not all at once as he will divide this up into 5 or 7 meals throughout the day.
Of course, Johnson enjoys a plethora of food items but if you want to eat like him, your "Rock diet plan" should include some of these basic bodybuilder foods:
- Oatmeal
- Rice Medley
- Fish (specifically cod)
- Chicken
- Baked Potatoes
- Steak
- Sweet Potatoes
- Egg Whites
The Rock eats casein protein and whey on the regular as well to get more protein. When you're hitting protein goals, investing in one of the best protein powders and consuming protein shakes are a daily strategy.
Apart from eating properly, we can only assume The Rock is taking advantage of multiple supplements to achieve his intimidating body. We don't know exactly what he is using and whether it's legal. However, we do know that there is a trio of supplements that can aid you in your quest of building a better body. These three supplements include whey protein, pre-workout, and creatine. With this supplement stack, you can build muscle, gain strength, recover faster and train harder. Check out our favorite supplement stack below!
The Ultimate Fitness Stack by Crazy Nutrition is the best jump-start package that can help athletes of all skill levels maximize their energy, stamina, muscle build, and focus....
The Rock's Cheat Day Diet
Perhaps more famous than his actual training are Dwayne's epic cheat meals on his rest days in which he eats a shed load. He routinely posts his cheat meals on his Instagram and claims a cheat day should be as extreme as possible as "they're earned".
Some of his favorite foods to eat at this time are:
- Sushi
- Peanut butter pancakes
- Assortment of cookies and cake
- Pizza
- Hamburgers
These insane meals can range from 4,000 to 7,000 calories a piece! Together, it's not uncommon for him to eat more than 10,000 calories on his cheat days.
Why You Probably Don't Want To Follow The Rock's Diet Cheat Day
This type of eating can be challenging for new lifters. To begin with, you need to have great discipline so that one cheat day doesn't become two cheat days or three.
If you are just learning healthy eating habits, a cheat day can steer you in the opposite direction if you're not ready for it.
Also, consider that most people don't have as much room to play with concerning calories. Remember that Dwayne Johnson is a massive individual who takes time to train 4 hours a day. This means he burns a ton of calories which is evident by his not gaining weight.
This implies that his daily caloric intake of 5,000 to 7,000 calories is probably actually putting him in a deficit. Therefore, after 6 days of being in a deficit, he can eat a crazy amount on his cheat day.
In comparison, unless you're training for 4 hours a day, you'll likely gain weight. And we're not talking about the good kind of muscle weight you gain from body recomposition. We're talking just straight up, packing on the pounds, weight gain. For example, if you're eating 3,000 calories for maintenance, and then eat 10,000 calories on Sunday, you're going to be in a caloric surplus of 7,000 calories which means you just gained two pounds of fat.
Just keep this in mind before you dig into 4,000 calories worth of pancakes. Can you have a cheat meal or cheat day? Absolutely. Just make sure you're not blowing all of your hard work for one day. Moderation is key.
For lifters looking to build lean muscle and shed body fat, check out the Michael B Jordan Workout And Diet Plan!
The Rock’s Workout Plan: Stay Dedicated!
Dwayne Johnson's extreme dedication is the number 1 reason he is so successful in and out of the gym. We have said this before, the one who never misses a session will be the better man 9 times out of 10.
You need to get in the gym and put in hard work week in and week out just like Dwayne. If you do this, we can promise you will achieve the goals you’re striving for. You might not look just like him, but you'll look pretty awesome.
Interested in more celebrity workout plans? Check out The Mark Wahlberg Workout Routine, the Chris Evans Workout, and the Chris Hemsworth Workout Routine!
Prepare to maximize your gains with our exclusive 12-week hypertrophy training program. Choose between a 4 or 5 day training split and gain 2-12 pounds of muscle over 90 days...
References:
-
Figueiredo, V.C., de Salles, B.F. & Trajano, G.S. Volume for Muscle Hypertrophy and Health Outcomes: The Most Effective Variable in Resistance Training. Sports Med 48, 499–505 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-017-0793-0
Garett Reid
Author