Are you curious about the Dwayne Johnson Hercules Workout?
Do you want to know Dwayne Johnson trained to get ready for his leading role as Hercules?
Then you’ve come to the right place.
In this comprehensive guide, I will teach you exactly how Dwayne Johnson trained to become a real-life Hercules!.
Introduction
- Part 1: Chest
- Part 2: Back
- Part 3: Shoulders
- Part 4: Arms
- Part 5: Legs
- Part 6: Diet
- Part 7: Cardio
Dwayne Johnson is one of the biggest Hollywood movie stars in the world.
He is famous for starring in blockbuster action movies like Baywatch, The Red Notice, and of course, Hercules!
Dwyane Johnson Stats
- Age: 49 Years Old
- Height: 6 Feet 5 Inches
- Weight: 270 Pounds
- Body Fat: About 10%
- Nickname: “The Rock”
Playing the role of Hercules is a daunting task for anyone – even Dwayne Johnson!
However, he transformed his physique in record time and gave one of the best Hercules performances the world has ever seen.
So how did Dwayne Johnson transform his physique for his role in Hercules?
Is it a secret training routine, or is he just gifted for building muscle?
Dwayne Johnson trained 7 days per week for his role in Hercules.
He lifted weights 5 days per week, hitting 1 major muscle group per workout, and performed fasted morning cardio 7 days per week.
Here is the exact training split that Dwayne Johnson used leading up to Hercules:
The Dwayne Johnson Training Split
- Day 1: Chest
- Day 2: Back
- Day 3: Shoulders
- Day 4: Arms
- Day 5: Legs
- Day 6: Off
- Day 7: Off
As you can see, Dwayne Johnson trained 1 major muscle group on each training day.
Dwayne Johnson likes to perform anywhere from 4-6 exercises per workout, so for him, training each body part on a separate workout is absolutely essential.
He also performed fasted cardio every single morning, and followed an extremely strict nutrition plan to pull off his incredible transformation.
Now let’s take a closer look at the exact workouts that Dwayne Johnson used to transform his physique for this Hollywood movie role!
Part 1: Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules Chest Workout
Dwayne Johnson trains his chest one day per week using high-volume workouts with at least 4-6 exercises!
Of course, when he was getting ready for his role in Hercules he increased the volume and intensity of his routine even more to shock his chest into growth!
Here is the exact chest workout that The Rock to play the role of Hercules:
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 performs 6 total exercises for his chest, including a healthy mix of compound and isolation exercises.
He starts the workout with one of his favorite chest movements: the dumbbell bench press.
Now that he is older, Dwayne Johnson prefers dumbbells over barbells, as they are much easier on his joints.
After that, he performs cable flies, the regular bench press, and a wide variety of other chest movements to blast his chest from all angles!
If you respond well to high-volume chest workouts, then you have to give this Dwayne Johnson Hercules chest routine a shot!
Part 2: Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules Leg Workout
Dwayne Johnson trains his legs on the second day of his Hercules training split.
Now that he is older, he avoids heavy squats and other movements that might bother his knees.
Instead, he focuses on different machine and isolation exercises that let him train hard while avoiding injuries.
Here is the exact leg routine that Dwayne Johnson used to get ready for the Hercules movie. 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 workout! Dwayne Johnson likes to perform quads first in his leg workouts, before moving onto hamstrings and calves.
For this workout, he starts with the 45 degree leg press.
This is his main “mass building” leg movement for the day – he wants to make sure his legs look strong on the big screen, so this movement is absolutely essential for him.
After that, he moves onto barbell lunges, leg extensions, and different exercises for his calves and hamstrings.
If you are looking for a joint-friendly leg workout to transform your legs, then you have to give this Hercules leg routine a shot!
Part 3: Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules Arm Workout
Dwayne Johnson is known for his massive arms. However, when he signed up to play the leading role in Hercules, he knew he had to take his arm training to a whole new level!
After all, can you imagine the incredibly strong Hercules character with small, weak arms?
I didn’t think so!
When it comes to arm training, Dwayne Johnson likes to keep things simple.
He performs about 3 exercises each for his biceps and triceps, and he always trains in higher rep ranges to keep his joints safe.
Here is the exact arm routine that Dwayne Johnson used to get ready for the Hercules movie. Check it out
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 workout! Dwayne Johnson performs 8 different exercises in this workout, including 5 for his arms and an extra 3 exercises for his abs.
For biceps, The Rock keeps things simple and performs 3 different exercises: barbell curls, hammer curls, and spider curls.
For triceps, he performs just two exercises: tricep pushdowns and dips.
Both of these exercises have been shown to recruit all three heads of the triceps, so Dwayne Johnson can save time and hit his entire triceps muscle in two movements!
Finally, Dwayne Johnson finishes the workout with hanging leg raises, rope crunches, and Russian twists for his abs.
If you want to build biceps and triceps worthy of the name Hercules, then you have to give this Dwayne Johnson Hercules arm routine a shot!
Part 4: Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules Back Workout
Everyone knows that a strong man has a big, strong back!
When Dwayne Johnson signed up to play the character Hercules, he knew he had to take his upper back size and strength to a completely different level!
So what did his upper back routine look like?
Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules back routine uses 7 different exercises, including deadlifts, rows, pulldowns, and shrugs. 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!
When it comes to training the upper back, Dwayne Johnson uses everything plus the kitchen sink!
He uses lat pulldowns, deadlifts, rows, and barbell shrugs to blast his back from every possible angle!
Most people cannot recover from 7 different exercises in their back workout.
However, Dwayne Johnson isn’t most people!
For him, this high-volume / high-intensity back workout was absolutely essential for building an upper back worthy of the name “Hercules!”
Part 5: Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules Shoulder Workout
There is an old saying: “the shoulders make the man.”
This is even more true when you are playing a mythical god named Hercules!
To get ready for his blockbuster movie role, Dwayne Johnson took the volume and intensity of his shoulder routine to a completely different level! 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!
Once again, Dwayne Johnson leaves no stone unturned in his quest to build the greatest Hercules physique that has ever graced the movie stage.
He performs 6 different exercises for his shoulders, including 2 heavy overhead pressing exercises and 4 different isolation exercises for his front, side, and rear delts.
Are you looking to blow up your shoulders?
Do you have what it takes to train your shoulders like The Rock?
Then you have to give this Hercules shoulder workout a shot!
Part 6: Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules Ab Workout
To play the leading role in Hercules, Dwayne Johnson knew he would have to build an impressive six pack.
So how did he do it?
How did he train his six pack abs to play the character Hercules?
The truth is, Dwayne Johnson performed 3 different exercises for his Hercules ab workout: hanging leg raises, rope crunches, and Russian twists. Check it out:
Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules Ab Routine
- Exercise #1: Hanging leg raise, 4 sets of 20 reps
- Exercise #2: Rope crunch, 4 sets of 20 reps
- Exercise #3: Russian twist, 4 sets of 20 reps
Here is the training video:
Talk about an intense workout!
Dwayne Johnson performed all three exercises with high reps and short rest periods.
The abs are more of a “showy” muscle, so Dwayne Johnson wanted to focus on high reps to burn off any unwanted belly fat.
If you are trying to build six-pack abs, then you have to give this Hercules ab workout a shot!
Part 7: The Dwayne Johnson Diet
Dwayne Johnson says getting ready for Hercules is about more than just training: you also have to follow a strict diet, and perform plenty of cardio.
“Generally, I eat six or seven times a day,” he says.
“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.”
Here is the exact diet that Dwayne Johnson followed to get ready for Hercules:
Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules Diet
- Protein: 547 grams
- Carbs: 469 grams
- Fat: 99 grams
- Total: 4,940 calories
Wow! Now THAT is a lot of calories!
Keep in mind that Dwayne Johnson is a monster of a human being.
He weighted almost 280 pounds for his role in Hercules, and when you’re carrying that much muscle mass, you have to eat enough food to fuel your intense workouts.
“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.”
Here is a great video of Dwayne Johnson talking about his Hercules diet:
So what did Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules meal plan actually look like?
The Hercules star says that he ate 7 balanced meals per day.
Each meal had a protein source, like fish or steak, plus different vegetables and carb sources. Check it out:
Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules Diet Meal Plan
Meal 1
- 10 ounces of filet mignon
- 4 egg whites
- 5 ounces of oatmeal
Meal 2
- 8 ounces of chicken
- 2 cups of white rice
- 1 cup of broccoli
Meal 3
- 8 ounces of halibut
- 2 cups of white rice
- 1 cup of asparagus
Meal 4
- 8 ounces of chicken
- 12 ounces of baked potato
- 1 cup of broccoli
Meal 5
- 8 ounces of halibut
- ½ cup of white rice
- 1 cup of asparagus
Meal 6
- 8 ounces of filet mignon
- 9 ounces of baked potato
- 1 small salad
Meal 7
- 30 grams of casein protein
- 10 scrambled egg whites
- Onions, peppers and mushrooms
Now that is a lot of food!
Keep in mind, this was Dwayne Johnson’s fat loss meal plan! Just imagine what he has to eat when he is trying to gain weight!
If you are interested in following Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules meal plan, then I strongly recommend you downsize the portions for each meal.
Otherwise, you are probably going to gain weight, not lose weight!
Part 7: Dwayne Johnson’s Cardio Workout
Dwayne Johnson says you have to do more than lift weights and follow a strict diet to get in shape for a major Hollywood movie like Hercules.
You also have to perform plenty of cardiovascular conditioning!
His favorite way to perform cardio is to do it first thing in the morning before he eats breakfast.
He says this is a great way to start your day, as you burn more body fat and get a big boost in energy.
“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.”
Here is the exact cardio plan that Dwayne Johnson performs every single morning. Check it out:
Dwayne Johnson’s Cardio Workout
- Warm up: 5 minutes
- Elliptical: 40 minutes steady pace
- Cool down: 5 minutes
Of course, Dwayne Johnson sometimes likes to mix things up.
He is also famous for performing sprints on his Hollywood movie sets. For example:
For a big guy, Dwayne Johnson really knows how to sprint!
Talk about impressive!
Conclusion | The Dwayne Johnson Hercules Workout!
Dwayne Johnson was the idea fit for the Hercules movie, and it’s easy to see why.
He has one of the most muscular physiques in all of Hollywood, and when he signed up for the Blockbuster movie role, he took his training and diet to a completely different level!
If you are looking for a Hollywood workout routine to help you get in shape and pack on pounds of new muscle mass, then let it be the Dwayne Johnson Hercules workout.
It may be just what you need to take your physique 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!
