Can you smell what the Rock is cooking? Chances are that he’s cooking something that’ll help him maintain his rock-hard physique. Having started out as a WWE superstar, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson knows all about following a healthy lifestyle to maintain an athlete’s body.
Now, while the Samoan has left the wrestling ring for Hollywood, that doesn’t mean that the multi-hyphenate has stepped back from his training regime. In recent years, he’s become one of the world’s biggest action stars, and this of course means that he’s constantly training and watching what he eats.
Having recently turned 50, it doesn’t seem like the Black Adam actor has any plans to slow down, especially when it comes to gladiatorial exercise and dietary routine. So, how exactly does he maintain the Herculean body, and what can we learn from the most electrifying man in sports entertainment?
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s Health and Fitness Tips
1. Don’t let age hold you back
If you ever come across The People’s Champ’s Instagram page, you’ll find that it’s filled with him breaking a sweat in every possible way and there’s zero chance of him slowing down following his 50th birthday, especially because for him, age is just a number when it comes to fitness.
Speaking to Men’s Health, the actor shared that with age, comes an increased chance of better muscle gains thanks to the fact that your muscles have great maturity and muscle memory.
therock/instagram
Now while we would never discourage someone from getting active, it’s important to remember that your joints may not be as ready and active as your muscles, so it’s important to be conscious of this before starting your new workout.
2. Make every session count
“Go hardcore, balls to the wall every time you work out. Leave it all in the gym.”
If you’re going to work out, might as well give it your all? After all, this is the same mentality that you have in regards to your professional and personal life.
3. Listen to your body
Having spent the earlier part of his adult life in the wrestling ring and the latter part doing stunts on a movie set, Dwayne Johnson is no stranger to injury.
Thankfully, over the years he’s adopted the mantra of “work smarter, not harder” when it comes to his fitness regime, which serves to protect his physical health. Admitting that he was once guilty of ignoring the pain when exercising, the Central Intelligence actor now shares that “these days, when your body speaks to you, you’re smart to listen to it.“
4. Diet is key
The Rock understands that when it comes to his physique, diet plays a critical role. So what exactly are his eating habits? Well, the former WWE Champion eats five to seven meals a day.
therock/instagram
Each meal is high in protein, carbs, and vegetables, all of which can help to build muscle. Now, as serious as Johnson is about his eating habits, that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t enjoy the occasional cheat day, with the actor sharing that he turned his cheat days into Olympic events, “pizza, brownies, pancakes, as much as I could eat,” he said.
5. Talk about your problems
“I grew up an only child, and a dude And you know, it’s not in our nature to just talk about it because it makes us feel vulnerable. We don’t want to feel vulnerable.
It makes us feel weak, we shouldn’t feel weak. We should have our s*** together. But that’s not life.”
Johnson dealt with depression in the earlier part of his life when injuries disrupted his college football career. Sadly, Johnson admits that at the time, he wasn’t as open about the issue at the time. However, he’s now realized that the only way to overcome those feelings is by confronting them.
It’s quite comforting to see that Johnson is following the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Siya Kolisi by being open about men’s mental health, which is often a stigmatized topic.
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While Dwayne Johnson is an incredible action star, it would be hard to take that mantle away from Tom Cruise. At 59, The Maverick the Mission Impossible actor is as active as ever. Cruise was even spotted piloting his helicopter into Limpopo, South Africa. So, how does the Risky Business star stay this active at nearly 60?
