With his seamless transition from professional wrestling icon to bona fide movie star, Dwayne Johnson (aka the Rock) has firmly established himself as the ideal leading man. Whether taking center stage in blockbuster reboots like Jumanji and Baywatch, delivering high-octane action in Rampage, San Andreas, and Skyscraper, or steering the massively popular Fast & Furious series, Johnson has proved to be a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood. His latest venture, Red One, only solidifies his place as a true cinematic heavyweight. At the heart of his rise lies an undeniable truth: the Rock’s workout and diet regime have not only defined his iconic physique but also shaped his career, becoming a key driver of his widespread appeal.

Johnson’s grueling workout routines, often shared with fans on social media, have become as legendary as the man himself. Beyond simply maintaining his jaw-dropping 195.5cm, 118kg frame, the Rock’s workout ethic symbolizes the discipline, determination, and relentless drive that have defined his success both in and out of the ring. His larger-than-life persona, built as much in the gym as on set, resonates with audiences who see him not just as a star but as a symbol of perseverance and transformation.

This career trajectory is far from unprecedented; current and former WWE superstars like John Cena, The Miz, and the late Roddie Piper have all attempted to leave their mark on the movie industry. Yet none have achieved even a fraction of the success that Dwayne Johnson has enjoyed. While his early roles were often one-dimensional, focused on showcasing his physicality, Johnson has evolved into a dynamic and versatile performer, blending his natural charisma with a commanding screen presence. It’s this rare combination of talent and dedication—both on-screen and in the gym—that has elevated him to Hollywood’s top tier.

Ups and downs

“Hawaii represents a time in my life where I went through hard times,” the 52-year-old says. “Off and on, I spent seven years of my life there and it was a very special time, but also very tough. My family got evicted from our house when I was 14. I remember coming from school and seeing my mother in front of the house weeping. There was a padlock on the door, and I felt this total sense of helplessness.

When looking atJohnson’s current career trajectory – which sits at an all-time high, repletewith billion-dollar film franchise appearances, World’s Sexiest Man accolades andpotential presidential runs in the mix – it’s easy to think that theCalifornia-born star has always enjoyed such a life. The truth, however, ismarkedly different, with Johnson’s formative years in Hawaii having been besetwith struggle.

“I had a lot ofproblems with my identity and figuring out who I was and who I wanted to be. Iwas getting into a lot of trouble early on in high school and I was arrestedmultiple times when I was 15 and 16. I was mixed up.”

It was then that Johnson found his apparent calling in American football, earning a full scholarship to the University of Miami, where he won a national championship. A draft into the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders seemed to confirm Johnson’s as-yet-untapped potential before events once again took a turn for the worse.

“I was probablyat my lowest at 24 years old when I was cut from the football team I wasplaying with in Canada, and I had just seven bucks in my pocket,” he recalls.“I had nowhere to live and I had to move back into my parent’s house and thatwas a low blow. I was lost, I didn’t know where I was going to go, what wasgoing to come next because I couldn’t see a future.

“All I hadknown was football up until that time in my life and I was crushed. That hadalways been my dream and suddenly the dream was over, and I was left feelingempty and devastated. I was lying on my sofa crying. I didn’t want to doanything or see anyone.”

Fighting spirit

Professional sport, of course, is littered with the half-forgotten remains of would-be champions and nearly men. For Dwayne Johnson, what began as a professional and personal nadir became, in time, “also the best thing to happen to me”.

“I learnedduring that period that no one was going to hand me a life,” he says. “I wasn’tgoing to get back on my feet feeling sorry for myself. I had to pick myself upand keep going and fighting and grasp and claw and scratch at every opportunitythat came my way.

“I decided tostop feeling sorry for myself and find a new dream. I turned to bodybuildingbecause that was something, I knew I could do and enjoy the feeling thattraining gave me. That led to me into wrestling where I was able to use some ofmy natural charisma and all the emotions that I was used to bottling up insideme. I was able to gain self-respect and set definite goals in my life.”

More so than any of his sporting or cinematic achievements, it is Johnson’s superhuman physique that has long marked him out from the crowd, and his commitment to exercise and maintaining his physique.

“I’m still abodybuilder at heart,” he says. “I am totally committed to doing the kind oftraining and daily discipline needed for me to maintain my physique. I’vealways trained hard, whether it was as a football player or as a wrestler, butbodybuilding is very special to me. I’ve always enjoyed the feeling that comesfrom going to the gym and spending several hours a day training andtransforming my body to what I want it to look like.

“It’s the onething in my life that I’ve always felt that I could control, even wheneverything else was out of my control and I felt lost. Bodybuilding has givenme a set of goals and a feeling of confidence in my abilities and I use thatkind of mental discipline to push me forward in everything I accomplish inlife. If you have belief and motivation and are willing to work hard, nothingcan stop you.”

Becoming The Rock

Dwayne Johnson was now on a different path, one that would see him follow in the footsteps of his father – Rocky Johnson – and grandparents – Peter and Lia Maivia – as the first third-generation professional wrestler on the WWE (or WWF as it was known then) roster. Over a period of 20 years, Johnson became American wrestling’s greatest asset as “The Rock”, bringing the sport to a new generation of fans and securing a place in the pantheon of wrestling icons.

“Wrestling infront of a live audience is an extraordinary feeling,” he says. “You feel suchan incredible energy when you’re in the ring. It takes a physical toll on you,but it’s incredibly exciting.

“I wouldn’thave had a career in Hollywood if it hadn’t been for wrestling. I made a namefor myself and built up an identity with the public that followed me when Istarted working on movies. Wrestling was also a huge boost to myself-confidence.When you’re standing in the ring in front of thousands andthousands of screaming fans and you’re performing in front of them it’s anincredible feeling. You never forget that.”

Even given hishallowed place in WWE history, Johnson’s desire to make his presence known inHollywood was an uphill struggle.

“It was alwaysmy dream to be an actor,” he says. “Watching Rocky changed my life and that character became my role model. Igot into wrestling because that was a family tradition and that it would be agood way of making a name for myself that one day could lead to Hollywood.

“I actually developed my own Hercules project long before I actually got to play him, but no one took me seriously. I had to slowly, very slowly, work my way into the business doing films like The Mummy Returns and The Scorpion King and even after that it was very hard for me to get parts. I made it a point to learn everything about how the business works and do whatever it takes to succeed. Then I tried doing comedies like Be Cool and Get Smart because comedy came naturally to me and I knew I was good at it.”

Dwayne Johnson gives his all

By 2014,Johnson was finally given the chance to play the eponymous Roman hero in 2014’sHercules. Befitting of the project’slong-held place in his heart, when it came to prepare for the role, Johnsonsays he “gave everything” he had.

“I saw this asone of biggest challenges of my life,” he reveals. “I’m not just talking aboutdoing weights and all the other physical preparation involved, but also studyingthe mythology, immersing myself in a lot of what has been written aboutHercules, and also working with a dialect coach. I have never trained foranything – not for football, not for wresting and not for any other film – theway I prepared for Hercules.”

These days, seeing Dwayne Johnson’s name in proverbial lights is second nature to film fans around the globe. Recent years have seen the star lending his talents to a host of the highest-grossing films to have come out of Tinseltown, and he’s currently staring down a number of similarly big-budget opportunities on the horizon, such as Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, the as-yet-untitled third Jumanji instalment and Disney’s Jungle Cruise theme-park-ride-to-film adaptation.

That’s not tosay that Johnson has ever seen fit to forget the challenges of yesteryear. Hisall-action persona, usually accompanied by that famous wide smile, has madeJohnson an eternal fan favourite, whether that be in the ring or on screen –but in reality, even megastars like Johnson sometimes feel the pressuremounting on their (unusually broad) shoulders.

“If I’m havinga bad day, I need to go off to a quiet space and shut out the noise,” he says.“Because in life, what we do, there’s always a lot of noise. In Hollywood andentertainment there’s a lot of chatter and there is always a lot of noise, anda lot of news that’s cycling and it’s just non-stop. So sometimes I need to getaway from that and find a quiet space, whether it’s my bedroom or my truck ormy trailer, and I’ll just reset myself and be calm and do a little meditating,or I’ll try to figure out exactly what the problem is and what’s bugging me.

“There’s a lotof people who depend on me and I feel like a lot of the work that I do, itstarts with me. Inevitably, I am galvanising a lot of people and bringing themtogether. That in itself will give enough motivation to put your best footforward try to work with a smile.”

Staying hungry

It’s perhapsthis element of Johnson’s identity that has best served him throughout hiscareer. True, even among his Hollywood peers, his imposing physicality hasrendered him unique, but he is quick to stress that regardless of how much hecan bench, a positive mindset is the bedrock of lasting success.

“It’s notnecessarily about being very muscular, I like having that structure to my day,”he says. “When I get up in the morning, I have this need to get active, whetherit’s doing cardio or yoga or Pilates or jogging or meditating. I anchor my dayaround those activities, and it gives me this incredible feeling of energy.

“You need tostay hungry and ambitious. I’m as hungry today for success and accomplishinggreat things as I’ve ever been. Maybe more so because I’ve already had a lot ofsuccess and you want to keep that momentum and go beyond what you’ve alreadyaccomplished.

“You keep raisingthe bar. It’s just like exercising. There will be a lot of days where you don’tfeel like going to the gym, lifting weights, or doing cardio or going jogging,but that’s exactly what you need to do. You need to have that discipline. Themore effort you put into that the more energy you’re going to have the rest ofthe day.”

Dwayne Johnson on…

Cheat days

From dinnerplate-sized cookies to 950g bone-in rib eye steak, Johnson’s Instagram feed isa veritable smorgasbord of cheat day inspo, but his favourite remainsgirlfriend Lauren Hasian’s homemade brownies: “I give myself a ‘cheat day’ onceevery week or every two weeks. Lauren knows that I love chocolate and she’llmake this brownie mix where she puts one layer down and then puts a layer of peanutbutter in the middle and then put another layer of brownie mix on top of that.I’ve never tasted anything better.”

His tattoos

“Tattoos arevery meaningful in Polynesian culture; tattooing is a rite of passage. It’sspiritual. It tells a story. Symbolically these are stories that have beenaround for thousands of years. They tell a story of one’s life. And my tattoostell the story of who I am and my journey in life.

“I’m a HighChief in Samoa. That’s the highest title you can have bestowed on you by theKing. It was a very big day for me, the most meaningful moment in my lifesecond to the birth of my daughter.”

His favourite sport

“I was a prettygood football player and I was good enough to earn a scholarship to go to theUniversity of Miami… but my favourite sport to watch on TV is rugby. I spent afew years growing up in New Zealand and I played rugby in school. There’s notougher sport than rugby!”

His Ford F150 truck

“I love thattruck. I have it shipped with me wherever I’m going. I’m too big for Ferrarisand most sports cars and I hate having a chauffeur drive me around. I lovegetting around in the F150 – it’s got these massive tyres on it and it’s got alot of power behind it. I wouldn’t want to drive anything else.”

The Rock’s Workout Routine

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s workout routine is the pinnacle of dedication, intensity, and focus. From back-breaking gym sessions to targeted muscle workouts,the Rock’s workout is carefully designed to build strength, endurance, and an enviable physique. If you’re ready to push yourself to the limit, here’sthe complete breakdown of his legendary training routine. Follow along or download the workout plan for quick access at the gym.

Download the Rock’s Workout as a PDF

The Rock’s Weekly Workout Routine

Download The Rock’s Workout Plan

Want to take the workout to the gym? We’ve prepared a downloadable PDF version of the routine. Click the button below to get your copy!

Download The Rock’s Workout

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