Are you curious about the Dwayne Johnson Hercules shoulder workout?
Do you want to know Dwayne Johnson trains his shoulders for size and strength?
Then you’ve come to the right place.
In this comprehensive guide, I will teach you exactly how to use the Dwayne Johnson Hercules shoulder workout to take your training to the next level!
Introduction
- Part 1: Dwayne Johnson Hercules Shoulder Workout
- Part 2: Dwayne Johnson Full Hercules Routine
- Part 3: Dwayne Johnson Diet
- Part 4: Dwayne Johnson Cardio
Dwayne Johnson is one of the most muscular men on the planet.
He is famous for playing The Rock in professional wrestling, for starring in Hollywood films like Baywatch and Hercules, and of course, for his muscular physique!
Dwayne Johnson Stats
- Age: 49 Years Old
- Height: 6 Feet 5 Inches
- Weight: 270 Pounds
- Body Fat: About 10%
- Nickname: “The Rock”
Playing Hercules on the big screen is no easy task.
You need a massive upper body, complete with big, strong shoulders, to convince the audience that you really are a God.
Dwayne Johnson did not disappoint: he bulked up to 270 pounds of pure muscle for Hercules, complete with massive 3-D delts that literally popped off his upper body!
Part 1: Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules Shoulder Workout
Dwayne Johnson knows that nothing screams “Hercules” like a pair of big, strong shoulders.
So how did he train his shoulders to get ready for his Hollywood blockbuster film? Was it a secret training routine, or is he just gifted for building big, strong deltoid muscles?
Dwayne Johnson trained his shoulders one day per week using high-volume, high-intensity workouts to prepare for Hercules.
He performed up to 6 exercises per workout using high-rep ranges and short rest periods to build as much muscle mass on his shoulders as possible!
Here is the exact shoulder workout that Dwayne Johnson used to get ready for his iconic movie role. Check it out:
Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules Shoulder Routine
- Exercise #1: Hammer strength shoulder press, 4 sets of 8-12 reps
- Exercise #2: Seated dumbbell overhead press, 3 sets of 10 reps
- Exercise #3: Dumbbell lateral raise, 4 sets of 12 reps
- Exercise #4: One-arm cable lateral raise, 3 sets of 20 reps
- Exercise #5: Single-arm standing cable reverse fly, 4 sets of 12 reps
- Exercise #6: Bent over lateral raise, 4 sets of 10 reps
Here is the training video:
Talk about an intense shoulder workout!
Dwayne Johnson doesn’t mess around when it comes to training shoulders, and it shows in this workout.
He performs a total of 6 exercises for his shoulders, including a healthy mix of compound and isolation exercises.
Dwayne starts this workout with 2 heavy overhead pressing movements: the hammer strength overhead press, and the seated dumbbell overhead press.
After that, he moves onto various isolation exercises for his side and rear delts.
This is a common strategy that many bodybuilders like Chris Bumstead have used to build their 3-D delts!
Part 2: The Dwayne Johnson Full Hercules Routine
Dwayne Johnson did more than just train his shoulders to get ready to play Hercules on the big screen!
He also performed high-intensity workouts for the rest of his body, including his chest, back, arms, and legs.
Here is the exact training Split that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson used to transform his physique for Hercules:
The Dwayne Johnson Training Split
- Day 1: Chest
- Day 2: Legs
- Day 3: Arms
- Day 4: Back
- Day 5: Shoulders
- Day 6: Abs
- Day 7: Off
Talk about an intense training split! This is known as a body part split, or a “bodybuilding bro split.”
You train each muscle group once per week on its own separate training day.
Many internet gurus will say that this kind of split is useless, but Dwayne Johnson believes it is the fastest way to build muscle and transform your physique.
Dwayne wants to train each muscle group with 4-6 different exercises, and the only real way to do that is to train each muscle group on its own separate training day.
Here is the exact chest workout that Dwayne Johnson used to get ready for Hercules. Check it out:
Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules Chest Routine
- Exercise #1: Dumbbell bench press, 4 sets of 12 reps
- Exercise #2: Supine cable fly, 3 sets to failure
- Exercise #3: Barbell bench press, 4 sets of 10-12 reps
- Exercise #4: Incline dumbbell press, 5 sets of 10-12 reps
- Exercise #5: Low cable crossover, 4 sets of 10-12 reps
- Exercise #6: Barbell incline bench press, 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Here is the training video:
Talk about an intense workout!
Dwayne Johnson trains his chest with 6 different exercises, including a huge variety of compound and isolation movements.
It’s hard to believe that someone can recover from 6 all-out chest exercises in a single workout!
Maybe that’s why Dwayne Johnson is playing Hercules on the big screen, and I’m not! LOL!
Here is Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules leg workout. Check it out:
Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules Leg Workout
- Exercise #1: Leg press, 4 sets of 25 reps
- Exercise #2: Walking barbell lunge, 4 sets of 25 reps
- Exercise #3: Leg extensions, 3 sets of 20 reps
- Exercise #4: Seated leg curl, 3 sets of 20 reps
- Exercise #5: Smith machine calf raise, 3 sets to failure
- Exercise #6: Adductor machine, 3 sets of 15 reps
- Exercise #7: Smith machine lunge, 3 sets of 20 reps
Here is the training video:
Talk about an intense leg workout!
Dwayne Johnson almost never performs back squats in his leg routines.
Instead, he likes to attack his quadriceps muscles with different machine and isolation exercises, like leg presses and leg extensions.
This is an interesting strategy that Dorian Yates and many other world-class bodybuilders have used.
Dwayne Johnson wants to build big, strong legs, but without putting a heavy barbell on his back. For him, this kind of workout works like a charm.
Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules Arm Workout
- Exercise #1: Barbell curl, 4 sets of 10-12 reps
- Exercise #2: Hammer curl, 4 sets of 10-12 reps
- Exercise #3: Spider curl, 4 sets to failure
- Exercise #4: Tricep pushdown, 3 sets of 10 reps
- Exercise #5: Dips, 3 sets to failure
- Exercise #6: Hanging leg raise, 4 sets of 20 reps
- Exercise #7: Rope crunch, 4 sets of 20 reps
- Exercise #8: Russian twists, 4 sets of 20 reps
Here is the training video:
Talk about an intense arm workout!
Dwayne Johnson is known for his high-volume arm workouts, and this one certainly fits the bill.
He performs 5 exercises for his biceps and triceps, including a wide variety of compound and isolation exercises.
Finally, let’s take a quick look at Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules back routine. Check it out:
Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules Back Routine
- Exercise #1: Lat pulldown, 4 sets of 10-15 reps
- Exercise #2: Deadlift, 4 sets of 10-15 reps
- Exercise #3: Barbell shrug, 4 sets of 15 reps
- Exercise #4: Pull ups (wide grip), 4 sets of 15 reps
- Exercise #5: 90 degree back extensions, 4 sets of 15 reps
- Exercise #6: One-arm dumbbell row, 4 sets of 15 reps
- Exercise #7: Inverted row, 3 sets to failure
Here is the training video:
Talk about an intense back workout!
Dwayne Johnson performs a total of 7 exercises for his upper back, including pull ups, pulldowns, deadlifts, rows, and back extensions.
Talk about a high-volume back routine!
Part 3: The Dwayne Johnson Diet
Dwayne Johnson knows you need more than just a great shoulder routine to build 3-D delts.
If you want to transform your physique as fast as possible, then you also have to follow a strict muscle-building diet!
“Generally, I eat six or seven times a day.
It's about getting enough protein to aid lean muscle growth, and everything is very precisely measured depending on what targets I'm looking to hit for that day.
Lots of protein, good carbs, and veggies. Nutrition is so important, it can't be stressed enough.”
So how much food does Dwayne Johnson eat in a day?
When he was getting ready for the movie Hercules, he was eating up to 5,000 calories! Check it out:
Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules Diet
- Protein: 547 grams
- Carbs: 469 grams
- Fat: 99 grams
- Total: 4,940 calories
Now that is a lot of food!
It’s hard to believe that someone could eat that many calories in a day, but Dwayne Johnson is not your average Hollywood actor!
“For ‘Hercules,' it was a 22-week diet, full on.
I'd eat a bunch of egg whites, filet mignon, chicken, fish, oatmeal, broccoli, asparagus, a baked potato, cream of rice, salad and complex carbs.
All of this measured and weighed.”
Of course, Dwayne Johnson also squeezed in the occasional cheat meal during this time.
Here is a video compilation of some of his biggest cheat meals:
WOW – I’m getting hungry just looking at this video!
Part 4: Dwayne Johnson’s Cardio Workout
Of course, Dwayne Johnson also performed plenty of cardio to get ready for his iconic role as Hercules.
Dwayne says he performed fasted morning cardio every single day while completing his body transformation.
“I do steady state cardio for about 45 to 50 minutes at my home gym.
Or, I might hit the road out in the neighborhood. And then, I’ll go train.”
Dwayne Johnson says he performs most of his cardio on different machines, such as the elliptical or recumbent bike.
These machines are easier on his joints than running, but they still give him the same benefits for cardiovascular health and fat loss. Here is Dwayne Johnson’s exact cardio regimen. Check it out:
Dwayne Johnson’s Cardio Workout
- Warm up: 5 minutes
- Elliptical: 40 minutes steady pace
- Cool down: 5 minutes
Keep in mind, Dwayne Johnson is performing this cardio routine every single day!
For inspiration, here is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson demonstrating his superior cardiovascular conditioning on the big screen:
For a big guy, Dwayne Johnson sure knows how to sprint!
Conclusion | The Dwayne Johnson Hercules Shoulder Workout!
Dwayne Johnson had massive shoulders in the movie Hercules, and it’s easy to see why.
He trained his delts one day per week using high-volume / high-intensity workouts to build muscle mass as quickly as possible.
If you are looking for a new shoulder routine to shock your delts into growth, then let it be the Dwayne Johnson Hercules shoulder workout.
It may be just what you need to take your training to the next level!
“Think back five years ago.
Think of where you’re at today.
Think ahead five years and what you want to accomplish.
Be unstoppable.”
Thank you for reading and I wish you the best of luck on your strength training journey!
