Health

Want to Look Like The Rock? Adopt These 8 Health Habits

Although you might need more sleep.

At 50 years old, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is built like a freight train—but he’s always been like that.

The Hollywood titan was six-feet four-inches and 225 pounds at 16—although he looks 35 in his high school yearbook photo—so his journey as a college football phenom and professional wrestler surprised no one.

Scroll through his Instagram feed, and it’s evident that The Rock just keeps getting bigger. And while some—ahem, Joe Roganwant Johnson to come clean about using steroids (which is pure speculation), his habits are a sign that the dude just loves being healthy.

Here’s what we know about The Rock’s health habits.

He Lives in the “Iron Paradise”

The Rock’s home gym, aka the “Iron Paradise,” is his happy place for building his massive thighs and cannon biceps. But short of aesthetics, his grueling workouts help him mentally, too.

“It allows you to take mental inventory,” he said in an Instagram post. “Yes, you can push yourself hard, you can push past your limits, or your perceived limits, and get on the other side of that pain. There’s usually a little bit of greatness waiting for you. But then you can also take that mental inventory a lot of times.”

In an interview with Muscle and Fitness, Johnson said he trains for about one hour and 45 minutes a day, lifting five days a week with cardio every day. But depending on a potential role, training can vary and it isn’t always pleasant.

Johnson told Men’s Journal that training for Black Adam was “the most arduous I’ve ever done in my life.”

But The Rock doesn’t just stop with himself. His partnership with Under Armour is built for “the hardest workers in the room. I don’t care how old you are, what you do for a living, or what your bank account says,” he told Forbes. “This collection is designed for the ones who know that success comes one way—through the work.”

A-LIST HEALTH HABITS

He Eats 7 Meals a Day

It’s safe to say the dude knows how to eat. During his time in the WWE, The Rock was taking in 6,000 to 8,000 calories a day—and his diet has largely remained the same.

“I do eat five to six, sometimes seven meals a day, whether or not I’m training for a role, which usually I am training for some sort of role or trying to maintain for the role that I’m currently in,” he told Delish.

Johnson typically starts his day with cream of rice or oatmeal, topped with some buffalo and eggs. Meal two is a carb—rice or a sweet potato—and some chicken, followed by meal three of either chicken and rice, or buffalo and greens.

Throughout the day he’ll eat some fish like cod or salmon, although he jokingly told Delish he hates the latter (“But it’s a great fish in terms of your health and fitness,” he says).

The rest of his meals have a balance of protein and carbs and some greens before bed.

Johnson’s cheat days have become legendary—and he knows it. “I do believe in working hard throughout the week and earning your cheat meals at the end of the week,” he told Delish.

Even while taking down all these nutrients, Johnson still takes quite the supplement stack. It’s reported that he takes at least seven daily supplements including fish oil, Casein, BCAAs, L-Glutamine, Glucosamine, whey protein, and Amino Acids.

Among his many well-known cheats, Johnson says his favorite would have to be an “amazing cheeseburger” with bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, and of course, fries.

And he doesn’t skip dessert—coffee cake or apple fritter bread are his “sugar blasts” of choice.

He Embraces Ice Cream

Dwanta Claus is coming to town—or at least that’s what he calls himself. Johnson partnered with Salt & Straw, a small-batch ice cream company to create a line of ice cream flavors inspired by his cheat meals.

“I love the holiday season and Dwanta Claus is ready to rock and roll,” Johnson told Forbes. “No better way to do that than with our wonderful partners at Salt & Straw and of course, a splash of my world-famous Teremana tequila,” he said.

If you’re an ice cream lover, The Rock lover, or both, then flavors including PB&J (Pretty Badass & Jolly) Coconut Banana Pancakes, Chocolate Gooey Brownie, and Double Fold Vanilla are right up your alley.

His Fridge Is Stocked With ZOA Energy

ZOA’s energy-packed contents are part of Johnson’s daily routine, he told ScreenRant.

“In the morning, I drink it. It’s my coffee; I’m not a coffee drinker,” he said. “I also take ZOA+ Plus as my pre-workout, and I’ll have ZOA throughout the day. It does play a big part in my day-to-day activities: training, work, etc. And the reason I can say that with confidence is because we took a long time and a lot of effort to make sure that our formulation was up to par, up to snuff, of the highest quality,” he said.

And he’s not lying. With just 15 calories, three grams of carbs, and zero sugar in a 16 ounce can, ZOA has 160 mg of caffeine—right between a hot cup of Joe and a cold brew—making this one of the healthier energy drinks on the market.

He’s Cool With Sacrificing Sleep

In an interview with Variety, Johnson said his daily routine was “not at all regimented” and that his “sleep patterns are always funky and off.” So much so, he’s fine if he gets three to five hours of sleep per night.

“The only thing that’s regimented is I have to wake up before the sun gets up, and I have my two hours alone when no one else is up and the house is quiet,” he said. “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.”

While The Rock needs his alone time—and trust us, we can understand that—three to five hours of sleep is well below the National Sleep Foundation’s ideal seven to nine hours per night.

A good night’s sleep improves physical fitness and recovery and keeps your mood high while lowering stress. It seems The Rock is fit AF and always in a good mood, so maybe three to five works just fine for him—and him alone.

C'MON, GET MORE SLEEP

He Doesn’t Shy Away From Booze

Even if it’s his own supply. Johnson’s tequila Teremana launched in 2020 not as a way to “make a quick buck,” but, “to become a LEGACY BRAND that has a positive impact on generations of our families and proudly serves generations of our consumers,” he wrote in an Instagram post.

Talking with The Spirits Business, Johnson said the goal was “taste, quality, and affordability” for a “flavorful tequila that reflects the earth it comes from.”

Of course drink in moderation, but if The Rock’s on board with booze, we’ll take a glass—or two.

He’s Learned to Prioritize

The Rock asks himself if his priorities are things he loves or is passionate about.

“They could be big things, they could be little things, but either way, whatever they are, if they don’t get me out of bed and if I’m not running toward those things, then I don’t do them,” Johnson told Men’s Health.

It’s the “simple core things that keep the stability,” he said.

He’s Found Ways to Handle Depression

Behind that giant smile and charismatic personality, The Rock battles his own mental health demons with depression.

“The first time I had experienced depression, I was 18 years old, and I had no idea what depression was,” Johnson told People. “Back then, depression was also called ‘get off the couch and get your shit together and change what’s happening here.”

He’s also been open about witnessing his mother’s suicide attempt when he was just 15.

“We both healed but we’ve always got to do our best to pay attention when other people are in pain,” he told Express. “We have to help them through it and remind them they are not alone.”

After years of ups and downs, The Rock has embraced seeking help. “Asking for help is not a weakness,” Johnson told People. “As a matter of fact, asking for help is our superpower, and men, especially us, we fall into this trap of being really adverse to vulnerability, because we always want to be strong and feel like we can take on the world.”

“But the truth is, you have to,” he said, “and hopefully over time, learn to embrace vulnerability and learn to embrace this idea that you can’t always solve everything.”

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