Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s Body Transformation For Black Adam Is Jaw-Dropping

Actors usually have to undergo a serious physical transformation to play a superhero on celluloid. They earn admiration for their lean physique and washboard abs and rightly so. Having said that, fans don’t realize that their efforts are nowhere close to that of the antagonist, whose aim is to not have a slim and sexy body, but a massive and monstrous one. There’s nothing pretty about the anti-hero workout plan, and perhaps that’s why they aren’t as widely talked about. But trust us when we say this, it’s way harder to be the bad guy. Not only do you have to leave behind your conscience, but also train like a beast.

Wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson, who’s fondly referred to as The Rock, is known for his drastic body transformations for different roles. Be it Hobbs and Shaw, Baywatch or The Fast & The Furious franchise, he’s always seen in his best shape. Just when we thought there was no scope for improvement, he gave a nod to DC hit ‘Black Adam’. As the eponymous character and the archenemy of Captain Marvel, he is working harder than ever and has promised to change the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe with his performance. And going by the first look of the film, we know that he wasn’t kidding.

While we can’t wait for The Rock to mesmerize with his body transformation all over again, let’s take a look at what exactly he did to make it all happen:

Workout

Daily dose of cardio

Dwayne Johnson credits his success to his hard work. Wherever he goes and no matter how tired he is, he makes sure he’s the hardest worker in the room. That he wakes up at 3:30 am to work out is a testament to that. He spends the wee hours of the morning shedding calories while running on the treadmill. This makes for a good cardio routine. It boosts the circulation of blood across his body after being in a state of dormancy for a few hours. It also improves his stamina and endurance levels.

Time for Iron Paradise

Next, he goes to Iron Paradise, a name he’s given to his at-home gym. This is where The Rock trained for Black Adam all throughout the lockdown. His routine always starts off with some stretching exercises to eliminate stiffness and prevent injuries. Then, he gets into beast mode and bludgeons the giant sets. These are high intensity sets performed with little to no rest periods in between. That’s how he gets that bulked up physique.

Targeted weight training

Dwayne Johnson has been working out six days a week for Black Adam, with Sundays set aside for rest and recovery. Each muscle group is worked on on different days of the week. On Mondays and Thursdays, he trains his back and biceps. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, he works on his shoulders. On Fridays, he builds his chest and triceps, whereas on Saturdays, he strengthens his legs – which he considers the toughest day of all. Some of his go-to upper body exercises are flyes, chest press, incline press and bodyweight dips.

For the lower body, he usually does leg curls and leg extensions, compound pressing movements, chain lunges, shark pit squats and barbell squats. As mentioned above, he does a high number of sets and reps with little to no rest periods in between. He also keeps trying new variations and making progressions by adding heavier weights.

Diet

Post-workout meals

Looking at The Rock’s body, one can tell that his diet contains a high amount of protein with a little control over the carb and fat intake. It’s no surprise. But let’s keep that aside for a moment and focus on his post-workout food. Since a large part of his day goes into training and toning his body, he gives a lot of emphasis to this meal. Right after a strenuous sweat session, he drinks a big glass of protein shake. This gives his body a boost of electrolytes and restores his energy levels.

An hour later, he has a wholesome plate of chicken breast with rice and greens, as it is now that his muscles will be able to absorb the nutrients optimally.

Cheat days

Going by The Rock’s physique, you may think that he hasn’t had a cheat day in a million years, but that’s not true at all. The actor takes his cheat days seriously, because he’s willing to work extra hard and burn those excess calories the next day. A shed load of sushi, a packet of cookies, pancakes and cheeseburgers are his go-to choices.

Cover artwork by Dhaval Punatar/AskMen India

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