4 ms·

One Man's Journey to Eat and Train Like the Rock for 30 Days

38 points by Osiris30 11y ago

ahallock 11y ago
> My arms have gotten a little bigger To get as big as the Rock, it takes more than diet and exercise. Let's be honest about this. These celebrities make huge amounts of money by maintaining a certain aesthetic, so of course they're going to be on the gear. It's still hard work, of course, but it takes more than whey protein and 2-hour weight lifting sessions.
- askafriend 11y ago
  Being Samoan might help with size :) But you're absolutely right, The Rock (and associated celebrities) are on gear. They also put in A LOT of work, time, blood, sweat and tears...but for that to translate into the types of results you see at the pace you see them at, you probably have to short circuit the natural process. They can put in extra effort and have it translate to results because the body is recovering unnaturally fast.
- my5thaccount 11y ago
  As big as The Rock, yes. His mom is Samoan. They are huge. If he didn't exercise like he did, he'd be as big as a sumo wrestler. I feel like this kind of attitude stops people from achieving more, "Oh, I can never be like The Rock, so why bother, clearly he has more going for him, whatever..." But don't let the lack of his genetics stop you! You are in control of your body and yes, your limits may not get you biceps as big as a thigh, but you will get stronger and more fit and be proud of your accomplishment. You will have more self-confidence for no other reason than believing in yourself enough to do it and succeed. Like all things that are hard, people just give up. They don't have the vision to see it through. Don't measure yourself by the achievements of Dwayne Johnson. He's a primo genetic specimen, physically and mentally, not all of us can be like that, but you can put in some hard work and become a better person, be more fit, stronger, and more powerful.
- peteretep 11y ago
  > It's still hard work, of course I think the hard work angle has a lot of mystique attached to it as well. Take a well-known study[0]: 10 week period: No exercise, no gear: no changes No exercise, on gear: 7 lbs of muscle added On exercise, no gear: 4 lbs of muscle added On exercise, on gear: 13lbs of muscle added So it turns out that you can basically double the effects of working out really hard by just juicing. The whole "I juice, but I work out enough I'd be almost this big anyway" thing is unfactual. [0] http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199607043350101 http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199607043350101
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
- cgriswald 11y ago
  That's not honesty, it's assumption. Yes, they make huge amount of moneys, so there may be an incentive to "cheat". But there is also an incentive not to cheat. Getting caught cheating in that way destroys reputations and careers. I used to bodybuild. I worked out 60-90 minutes 4-5 days a week. I ate around 3500 calories a day. My starting physique is naturally slim. I got up to 230 pounds with 9% body fat in about ten months. That was about half the working out and 70% of the eating that The Rock is doing. With his workout and diet I could make 260 pounds. It's probably even easier for him as he's four inches taller than my 6'1".
imaginenore 11y ago
30 days? I'd be surprised if he sees any significant difference.
- saidajigumi 11y ago
  IMO, not surprising at all. Note that he wasn't some random couch potato, but someone who had already been putting in the work of getting into good shape for (at least) two years prior according to the article. So for this guy, he was "just" adding a high-intensity subcycle to his existing training, a cycle which his body was able to adapt to. This is hardly an unusual pattern for those doing serious strength training.
  - mgcross 11y ago
    Yeah, but at ~200lbs with an incline bench at 115 before starting, his focus in the past two years clearly hasn't been weight training.
my5thaccount 11y ago
It is possible to get built. I was a skinny kid, picked on. Got tired of it. Started working out. Upped my protein intake. Went to the YMCA 3 days a week. The dudes in there were humongous and looked at me and smilled, this scrawny kid. The first week I was there, one looked me and said, "It's hard, okay. Don't give up. Commit to 4 months of work and you will notice a difference. You will get stronger. You will bulk up. Don't give up. It takes time." So I did. 4 months was nothing. I got a lot stronger. I put on mass. It worked! This girl I had a crush on, she looked at me one day, looked at my new biceps and said, "Wow, you aren't so skinny anymore." Within a couple years, I was curling 75 lbs on the preacher bench. Before I started, I couldn't bench press 50. If you want to change your life: Exercise. It takes time and energy and commitment, but it really does work and you will feel powerful and in control of your body like you never thought possible. People will look at you differently -- with admiration, with envy, with fear, with lust. Your life will change.
- askafriend 11y ago
  I love this, thank you for your story, I'm on a similar journey to transform from skinny to...monster.
  - jdhawk 11y ago
    Dont underestimate the diet. You can waste a lot of Gym Time & Effort by having a shit diet. That time and effort lifting things will be 1/2 as valueable if you dont eat properly. You dont have to go Dwayne Johnson on it, but eat a little cleaner, get a lot more protein, dont be worried to put on a little pudge (if you're a skinny kid). You can quickly lose the fat, but the muscles are impossible to gain without the food.
    - beachstartup 11y ago
      i will add that if you aren't tracking calories, the only person you're fooling is yourself. quantify, quantify, quantify. it's biology, which is a science, not a religion!
  - 11y ago
ardit33 11y ago
I don't think anybody told this guy that the reason the rock is as big as he is is: 1. Good genetics. 2: Working out and nutrition 3. Massive amount of anabolic steroids, test, hgh (human growth hormone), insuline, tren, etc.. He is only doing point 2, without realizing that it takes all three of above to be as large as the rock. He probably will gain muscle, but with that amount of food, he will gain quite a bit of fat. Anywhere you see an article on "How did a celebrity get in shape for movie X", and their routine they did, the most important part of it is the omission of steroids use. http://nattyornot.com/dwayne-johnson-steroids/ http://nattyornot.com/dwayne-johnson-steroids/
- codyb 11y ago
  That link doesn't really say much besides the fact that some highschool footballers, actors, and wrestlers take steroids.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
  - ardit33 11y ago
    I am talking as a person that goes to the gym regularly, (4 times a week), and that have quiet a bit of mass, and usually larger than most of my peers. (working in tech, it is not that hard). But if you start working out, and think with hard work you will be looking just as good as those guys in the cover of the "Men's Health" magazine, you are deluding yourself. Having realistic and healthy goals is much more better.
    - deleted 11y ago
      [deleted]
- mtberatwork 11y ago
  > He probably will gain muscle, but with that amount of food, he will gain quite a bit of fat. That's the strategy. Bulk and then cut.
- 11y ago
h43k3r 11y ago
One thing that I have learnt is the amount of protein one needs to take if you are working out heavily is immense. If you are a pure vegetarian(like many Indians), its very difficult to complete your daily protein intake if you are not eating eggs or drinking some high protein content shakes.
samstave 11y ago
Also there is no way the Rock is prepping any of these meals. He certainly has personal chefs or assignees prepping buying cooking it all, so all that time is saved on his end as he can afford to pay others to do it. Barry's gym should offer this via gobble :-)
mgcross 11y ago
> an hour of cardio and an hour and a half on weights > The exercise routine burns about 3,550 calories every day. I feel like this is an exaggeration.
thenomad 11y ago
For reference on the numerous comments saying that The Rock is only as big as he is thanks to steroid use - he's claimed in a number of interviews that he hasn't used them since he was 18. http://generationiron.com/dwayne-rock-johnsons-steroid-use/ http://generationiron.com/dwayne-rock-johnsons-steroid-use/ http://brobible.com/entertainment/article/rock-answers-steroid-rumors/ http://brobible.com/entertainment/article/rock-answers-stero... https://www.steroidal.com/steroids-news/dwayne-johnson-rock-asked-used-steroids-recently/ https://www.steroidal.com/steroids-news/dwayne-johnson-rock-... It is, of course, possible he's not telling the truth.
- beeboop 11y ago
  People have to lie about steroid etc (gear) use because it's illegal. It's dumb to admit to doing something illegal, especially if you're a celebrity and it'd be front page news. The world's best and biggest body builders publicly say all the time they don't use gear - it's just an accepted aspect of the community that you lie but everyone knows you're lying. No one who's ever read the smallest bit about body building actually believes they aren't using many substances. I am sure they are unhappy about having to lie, but they are asked constantly, even in TV appearances by people who should know better, whether they are using steroids etc. They have no choice. You can also get a fairly decent gauge of what is possible without the use of steroids etc when you've been in the community long enough. Part of this is just through anecdotal experience of people you know to be truthful and part of it can be see in the "natural" body building competitions. They still have cheaters and people have used in the past, which skews what's possible to the slightly too-big side, so take the average of "slightly below average" professional natural body builders and you're looking at what's possible without steroids for the vast majority of people. However, if Dwayne doesn't use gear he's a very gifted and dedicated bodybuilder. I would say his body is absolutely attainable without gear, but it's a ton of hard work and good genetics. He's big, but he's not huge, and he doesn't have any of the characteristic signs or muscle imbalances of a long term steroid etc user.
  - thenomad 11y ago
    Yep, that all makes sense - good explanation, thanks! I mostly commented because HN (and other online forums) have a tendency to assume that the only possible explanation is the most cynical one. That's not always (or even often) true, and it tends to lead people to believe they can't do anything extraordinary, because "obviously anyone who does has hidden cheating advantages I can't match". So I thought it's worth at least considering the possibility that he might be telling the truth :) Thanks again for the detailed explanation - I learned quite a lot from that.

38 points by Osiris30 11y ago

> My arms have gotten a little bigger To get as big as the Rock, it takes more than diet and exercise. Let's be honest about this. These celebrities make huge amounts of money by maintaining a certain aesthetic, so of course they're going to be on the gear. It's still hard work, of course, but it takes more than whey protein and 2-hour weight lifting sessions.

askafriend 11y ago
Being Samoan might help with size :) But you're absolutely right, The Rock (and associated celebrities) are on gear. They also put in A LOT of work, time, blood, sweat and tears...but for that to translate into the types of results you see at the pace you see them at, you probably have to short circuit the natural process. They can put in extra effort and have it translate to results because the body is recovering unnaturally fast.
my5thaccount 11y ago
As big as The Rock, yes. His mom is Samoan. They are huge. If he didn't exercise like he did, he'd be as big as a sumo wrestler. I feel like this kind of attitude stops people from achieving more, "Oh, I can never be like The Rock, so why bother, clearly he has more going for him, whatever..." But don't let the lack of his genetics stop you! You are in control of your body and yes, your limits may not get you biceps as big as a thigh, but you will get stronger and more fit and be proud of your accomplishment. You will have more self-confidence for no other reason than believing in yourself enough to do it and succeed. Like all things that are hard, people just give up. They don't have the vision to see it through. Don't measure yourself by the achievements of Dwayne Johnson. He's a primo genetic specimen, physically and mentally, not all of us can be like that, but you can put in some hard work and become a better person, be more fit, stronger, and more powerful.
peteretep 11y ago
> It's still hard work, of course I think the hard work angle has a lot of mystique attached to it as well. Take a well-known study[0]: 10 week period: No exercise, no gear: no changes No exercise, on gear: 7 lbs of muscle added On exercise, no gear: 4 lbs of muscle added On exercise, on gear: 13lbs of muscle added So it turns out that you can basically double the effects of working out really hard by just juicing. The whole "I juice, but I work out enough I'd be almost this big anyway" thing is unfactual. [0] http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199607043350101 http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199607043350101
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
cgriswald 11y ago
That's not honesty, it's assumption. Yes, they make huge amount of moneys, so there may be an incentive to "cheat". But there is also an incentive not to cheat. Getting caught cheating in that way destroys reputations and careers. I used to bodybuild. I worked out 60-90 minutes 4-5 days a week. I ate around 3500 calories a day. My starting physique is naturally slim. I got up to 230 pounds with 9% body fat in about ten months. That was about half the working out and 70% of the eating that The Rock is doing. With his workout and diet I could make 260 pounds. It's probably even easier for him as he's four inches taller than my 6'1".

imaginenore 11y ago

30 days? I'd be surprised if he sees any significant difference.

saidajigumi 11y ago
IMO, not surprising at all. Note that he wasn't some random couch potato, but someone who had already been putting in the work of getting into good shape for (at least) two years prior according to the article. So for this guy, he was "just" adding a high-intensity subcycle to his existing training, a cycle which his body was able to adapt to. This is hardly an unusual pattern for those doing serious strength training.
- mgcross 11y ago
  Yeah, but at ~200lbs with an incline bench at 115 before starting, his focus in the past two years clearly hasn't been weight training.

my5thaccount 11y ago

It is possible to get built. I was a skinny kid, picked on. Got tired of it. Started working out. Upped my protein intake. Went to the YMCA 3 days a week. The dudes in there were humongous and looked at me and smilled, this scrawny kid. The first week I was there, one looked me and said, "It's hard, okay. Don't give up. Commit to 4 months of work and you will notice a difference. You will get stronger. You will bulk up. Don't give up. It takes time." So I did. 4 months was nothing. I got a lot stronger. I put on mass. It worked! This girl I had a crush on, she looked at me one day, looked at my new biceps and said, "Wow, you aren't so skinny anymore." Within a couple years, I was curling 75 lbs on the preacher bench. Before I started, I couldn't bench press 50. If you want to change your life: Exercise. It takes time and energy and commitment, but it really does work and you will feel powerful and in control of your body like you never thought possible. People will look at you differently -- with admiration, with envy, with fear, with lust. Your life will change.

askafriend 11y ago
I love this, thank you for your story, I'm on a similar journey to transform from skinny to...monster.
- jdhawk 11y ago
  Dont underestimate the diet. You can waste a lot of Gym Time & Effort by having a shit diet. That time and effort lifting things will be 1/2 as valueable if you dont eat properly. You dont have to go Dwayne Johnson on it, but eat a little cleaner, get a lot more protein, dont be worried to put on a little pudge (if you're a skinny kid). You can quickly lose the fat, but the muscles are impossible to gain without the food.
  - beachstartup 11y ago
    i will add that if you aren't tracking calories, the only person you're fooling is yourself. quantify, quantify, quantify. it's biology, which is a science, not a religion!
- 11y ago

ardit33 11y ago

I don't think anybody told this guy that the reason the rock is as big as he is is: 1. Good genetics. 2: Working out and nutrition 3. Massive amount of anabolic steroids, test, hgh (human growth hormone), insuline, tren, etc.. He is only doing point 2, without realizing that it takes all three of above to be as large as the rock. He probably will gain muscle, but with that amount of food, he will gain quite a bit of fat. Anywhere you see an article on "How did a celebrity get in shape for movie X", and their routine they did, the most important part of it is the omission of steroids use. http://nattyornot.com/dwayne-johnson-steroids/ http://nattyornot.com/dwayne-johnson-steroids/

codyb 11y ago
That link doesn't really say much besides the fact that some highschool footballers, actors, and wrestlers take steroids.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
- ardit33 11y ago
  I am talking as a person that goes to the gym regularly, (4 times a week), and that have quiet a bit of mass, and usually larger than most of my peers. (working in tech, it is not that hard). But if you start working out, and think with hard work you will be looking just as good as those guys in the cover of the "Men's Health" magazine, you are deluding yourself. Having realistic and healthy goals is much more better.
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
mtberatwork 11y ago
> He probably will gain muscle, but with that amount of food, he will gain quite a bit of fat. That's the strategy. Bulk and then cut.
11y ago

h43k3r 11y ago

One thing that I have learnt is the amount of protein one needs to take if you are working out heavily is immense. If you are a pure vegetarian(like many Indians), its very difficult to complete your daily protein intake if you are not eating eggs or drinking some high protein content shakes.

samstave 11y ago

Also there is no way the Rock is prepping any of these meals. He certainly has personal chefs or assignees prepping buying cooking it all, so all that time is saved on his end as he can afford to pay others to do it. Barry's gym should offer this via gobble :-)

mgcross 11y ago

> an hour of cardio and an hour and a half on weights > The exercise routine burns about 3,550 calories every day. I feel like this is an exaggeration.

thenomad 11y ago

For reference on the numerous comments saying that The Rock is only as big as he is thanks to steroid use - he's claimed in a number of interviews that he hasn't used them since he was 18. http://generationiron.com/dwayne-rock-johnsons-steroid-use/ http://generationiron.com/dwayne-rock-johnsons-steroid-use/ http://brobible.com/entertainment/article/rock-answers-steroid-rumors/ http://brobible.com/entertainment/article/rock-answers-stero... https://www.steroidal.com/steroids-news/dwayne-johnson-rock-asked-used-steroids-recently/ https://www.steroidal.com/steroids-news/dwayne-johnson-rock-... It is, of course, possible he's not telling the truth.

beeboop 11y ago
People have to lie about steroid etc (gear) use because it's illegal. It's dumb to admit to doing something illegal, especially if you're a celebrity and it'd be front page news. The world's best and biggest body builders publicly say all the time they don't use gear - it's just an accepted aspect of the community that you lie but everyone knows you're lying. No one who's ever read the smallest bit about body building actually believes they aren't using many substances. I am sure they are unhappy about having to lie, but they are asked constantly, even in TV appearances by people who should know better, whether they are using steroids etc. They have no choice. You can also get a fairly decent gauge of what is possible without the use of steroids etc when you've been in the community long enough. Part of this is just through anecdotal experience of people you know to be truthful and part of it can be see in the "natural" body building competitions. They still have cheaters and people have used in the past, which skews what's possible to the slightly too-big side, so take the average of "slightly below average" professional natural body builders and you're looking at what's possible without steroids for the vast majority of people. However, if Dwayne doesn't use gear he's a very gifted and dedicated bodybuilder. I would say his body is absolutely attainable without gear, but it's a ton of hard work and good genetics. He's big, but he's not huge, and he doesn't have any of the characteristic signs or muscle imbalances of a long term steroid etc user.
- thenomad 11y ago
  Yep, that all makes sense - good explanation, thanks! I mostly commented because HN (and other online forums) have a tendency to assume that the only possible explanation is the most cynical one. That's not always (or even often) true, and it tends to lead people to believe they can't do anything extraordinary, because "obviously anyone who does has hidden cheating advantages I can't match". So I thought it's worth at least considering the possibility that he might be telling the truth :) Thanks again for the detailed explanation - I learned quite a lot from that.