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Home / Sport

'Embodiment of inspiration': Inside Dwayne The Rock Johnson's crazy new workout and diet routine

news.com.au
23 Apr, 2019 11:30 PM4 mins to read

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Wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson has wowed fans with his latest workout routine. Photo / YouTube
Wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson has wowed fans with his latest workout routine. Photo / YouTube

Wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson has wowed fans with his latest workout routine. Photo / YouTube

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If you ever thought that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's training regimen was intense — you'd be right.

He may be gifted with the amazing genes of his bodybuilding father's broad shaped figure — but to maintain a physique like The Rock, it involves plenty of dedication and commitment.

Just ask his strength and conditioning coach Dave Rienzi who revealed the crazy workout sessions behind his photo shoots.

Safety bar squats form an important part of the workout. Photo / YouTube
Safety bar squats form an important part of the workout. Photo / YouTube

For his latest shoot with Under Armour's new Bend Boundaries collection, Rienzi put the former gridiron player and pro wrestler through a gruelling training session — and fans were in awe, describing The Rock as being "the most hardworking and muscular guy Hollywood has ever seen".

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"Looking shredded Dwayne! Gain city," said one.

"This man is the embodiment of inspiration," another commented.

"Powerful. Keep up the work legend."

In a behind-the-scenes YouTube clip of the shoot, Rienzi said: "Going into this shoot DJ is going to be the leanest he's ever been and the most muscular he's ever been.

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"He really is in the best shape of his life."

That's what you call a pair of solid quads. Photo / YouTube
That's what you call a pair of solid quads. Photo / YouTube

Rienzi, who has been coaching The Rock for seven years, said the goal for the shoot was to bring out his best ever look.

"The important thing we tried to focus on is really dialling in his conditioning so that he is defined as possible, but also that his muscles are as round and full as possible," Rienzi said.

In the clip which has already garnered more than 1 million views, Renzi explained that The Rock's current training plan was really all about mind, muscle, connection.

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"It's really a lot of fine-tuning," Renzi said.

"With all the injuries DJ has had over the years, the warm-up is crucial to make sure his joints are warmed up and were not aggravating any of those injuries."

View this post on Instagram

Unlike traditional training shoots, all of DJ's content is created through an actual workout that I structure in advance depending upon his physical state. For this shoot he had just landed in LA from London 2 days prior as Hobbs and Shaw went on holiday hiatus. The peaking diet started 7 days before the shoot and finished with 2 days of very high carbs. Being mindful of hydration and electrolyte balance after extensive travel. The workout for the shoot was full body including key exercises and techniques that are currently part of DJ’s training programs. Click the link in the bio to see more. #RienziStrength #BendBoundaries #BuildTheBelief @UnderArmour @ProjectRock @sevenbuckscr

A post shared by Dave Rienzi (@daverienzi) on Mar 30, 2019 at 6:14am PDT

The workout for the shoot was full body including key exercises and techniques that are currently part of The Rock's training programs including unilateral leg press, safety bar squats and single arm dumbbell row.

"Unlike traditional training shoots, all of DJ's content is created through an actual workout that I structure in advance depending upon his physical state," Rienzi said in an Instagram post.

Shredded is an understatement when describing The Rock in his most recent photo shoot for Under Armour. Photo / YouTube
Shredded is an understatement when describing The Rock in his most recent photo shoot for Under Armour. Photo / YouTube

For this shoot, The Rock had just landed in LA from London two days prior as his upcoming Fast & The Furious: Hobbs and Shaw movie went on holiday hiatus.

"The peaking diet started 7 days before the shoot and finished with 2 days of very high carbs," Rienzi explained. "Being mindful of hydration and electrolyte balance after extensive travel."

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THE WORKOUTS:

The Rock's strength and conditioning coach Dave Rienzi explains each workout for the photo shoot

Unilateral leg press: This is so unique because it allows you to isolate each leg individually while doing both legs at the same time. The trickiest thing about this exercise is that it really shows you the disparity in leg strength.

Safety bar squats: They are very unique and really tax the legs and the core, the glutes, quads and hamstrings. The whole entire body is really challenged by this movement. As we like to say in bodybuilding, the back wins the show.

Single arm dumbbell row This is a classic back exercise that really isolates one side at a time. It's a great mass builder for the back and the lats.

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