Dwayne the Rock Johnson Vs. John Cena – Workout Motivation

February 2, 2022
8 min read

               Dwayne the Rock Johnson and John Cena are former WWE super stars who dominated the rings in the 90s and 2000s. Both have had successful wrestling careers that have seen them bag many awards and honors. Their huge physique and muscular bodies have seen them featured in several films. What many people don’t know is that the two have invested heavily in their physique through Workout training and diet. Surprisingly, the Rock and John Cena have unique approaches to bodybuilding that have worked out well for both of them. In this article, we are going to compare the two legends and see exactly what shaped their careers for so long.

Stats

The Rock Johnson John Cena
Height 6’5” 6’1”
Weight 262 lbs 240 lbs
D.O. B 1972 1977
WWE Titles 17 19
WWE Debut 1996 2001

Training and Exercises

               The Rock – if you usually follow The Rock on Instagram, then you know that he doesn’t shy from sharing his secrets. Recently, The Rock started doing workouts that correspond to a role he was going to play in his next movie. Every role is unique and requires a different body which The Rock must attain at all costs despite his aging physique. For instance, he really worked hard for the movie Adam and Eve where his physique was much needed.

              For his role as Hercules, The Rock had a crazy workout plan very few people can manage. He used to do it 5 days a week for up to 6 weeks. Here is a glimpse of his weekly workout plan in no particular order.

Workout

Body Part Exercises Sets (Reps)
Arms
  • Overhead rope extension.
  • Cable rope curl.
  • Bodyweight dip.
  • Rope pushdown.
  • Standing EZ-bar biceps curl.
  • EZ-bar preacher curl.
  •  12 reps each
Legs and Calves
  • Hack squat
  • Lying leg curl
  • Seated calf raises
  • Standing calf raises
  • Leg press
  • Dumbbell walking lunge
  • Dumbbell Romanian deadlift
  • Leg extension
  • (25) 4 sets
  • (12) 4 sets
  • (50) 5 sets
  • (75) 5 sets
  • (50) 4 sets
  • (40) 4 sets
  • (12) 4 sets
  • (25) 4 sets
Chest
  • Alternating dumbbell bench press
  • Incline barbell bench press
  • Hammer strength incline press
  • Flat bench flye
  • Cable crossover
  • Bodyweight dip
  • 4 sets (12)
  • 6-12 reps
  • 4 sets (12)
  • 3 sets (12)
  • 3 sets (15)
    • until failure 3 sets
Back
  • Pull up
  • Seated cable row
  • Barbell shrug
  • Straight-arm rope pulldown
  • Cable lat pulldown
  • One-arm dumbbell row
  • Cable face pull
  • 4 sets until failure
  • 3 sets (12)
  • 4 sets (12)
  • 3 sets (12)
  • 3 sets (12)
  • 12-10-8-8 reps
  • 3 sets (12)
Shoulders
  • Standing lateral raise
  • Bent over lateral rise
  • One-arm cable lateral raise
  • Hammer strength shoulder press
  • Seated dumbbell overhead press
  • 4 sets (12)
  • 4 sets (10)
  • 3 sets (20)
  • 12-10-10-8 reps
  • 3 sets (10)

              Sometimes The Rock does his workouts while recording himself. This is a good chance to do it along if you have the equipment but trust me, it’s going to be really tough.

                 As for his role in Black Adam, The Rock worked on his upper body from Monday to Friday, with a rest on Tuesday. He would do leg exercises on Saturday and various other exercises that target specific muscles.

John Cena

              Another beast in the gym, the man you cannot see hasn’t got many film roles unlike The Rock. But that does not stop him from performing insane exercises if need be. Some people wrongly assume that Cena’s physique is purely as a result of his genetics. The truth is that this guy works harder than the average bodybuilder, and the results are there to be seen. If you want to know he has earned that amazing body, check his weight in high school and compare it to now; he now weighs 240 pounds, which is twice his weight back then.

                John Cena’s workout schedule is a bit fixed compared to that of The Rock. Apart from regular training, Cena performs 60 sets of crunches after every day of training. Here is a breakdown of the legend’s weekly training exercises.

Workout

Body Part Exercises Sets (Reps)
Arms
  • Preacher curl
  • Standing dumbbell curl
  • Seated dumbbell curl
  • Tricep dip
  • Seated barbell extension
  • Rope pressdown
  • Single arm cable pressdown
  • Lying tricep extension
  • 5 (12)
  • 3 (12)
  • 3 (12)
  • 4 until failure
  • 3 (20)
  • 3 (20)
  • 3(10)
  • 6 until failure
Legs and Calves
  • Standing bodyweight leg raise
  • Seated leg raises
  • Standing single leg curl
  • Single leg extension
  • Leg press
  • Leg extension
  • Squat
  • Hack squat
  • 4 (25)
  • 10 (20)
  • 4 (25)
  • 3 (10)
  • 5 (20)
  • 4 (15)
  • 4 (10)
  • 3 (15)
Chest
  • Bench press
  • Inclined bench press
  • Cable crossovers
  • Inclined machine press
  • Pec dec
  • (10) 3
  • (20) 4
  • (15) 4
  • (20) 4
  • (15) 4
Back
  • Pull up
  • Barbell shrug
  • Deadlift
  • One arm dumbbell row
  • Barbell row
  • High pulls
  • Lat pull down
  • 4 until failure
  • 5 (20)
  • 4 (15)
  • 5 (20)
  • 5 (20)
  • 4 (20)
  • 5 (20)
Shoulders
  • Dumbbell lateral raise
  • Machine lateral raise
  • Machine overhead press
  • Military press
  • Seated overhead press
  • Rear delt machine flye
  • 3 (12)
  • 5 (20)
  • 5 (20)
  • 3 (10)
  • 3 (10)
  • 5 (20)

Diet plans

                    The Rock and John Cena have unique meal plans that have helped them get where they are in terms of physique. We are going to compare seven-day meal plans of the two giants.

Meal (Quantity) The Rock Johnson John Cena
Meal 1
  • Oatmeal (2 cups)
  • Whole eggs (2)
  • Cod (10 oz)
  • Oatmeal (with applesauce)
  • Whole eggs (2)
  • Egg-whites (6)
Meal 2
  • Veggies (1 cup)
  • Sweet potato (12 oz)
  • Cod (8 oz)
  • Protein bar
Meal 3
  • Veggies (1 cup)
  • Chicken (8 oz)
  • White rice (2 cups)
  • Brown rice
  • Chicken breasts (2)
  • Veggies
Meal 4
  • Veggies (1 cup)
  • Rice (2 cups)
  • Fish oil (1 tbsp)
  • Cod (8 oz)
  • Wheat pita bread (whole)
  • Tuna
Meal 5
  • Baked potato (12 oz)
  • Steak (8 oz)
  • Spinach salad
  • Whey protein shake
  • Banana
Meal 6
  • Rice (2   cups)
  • Cod (10 oz)
  • Salad
  • Pasta/brown rice
  • Veggies
  • Chicken/fish
  • Salad
Meal 7
  • Veggies (1 cup)
  • Egg-white omelet (10)
  • Casein protein (30 grams)
  • Omega-3 fish oil (1 tbsp)
  • Cottage cheese (low fat)
  • Casein protein

                As you might have noticed, John Cena’s meals are not restricted very much compared to The Rock’s. However, that diet plan has worked for him as did The Rock’s. It is also important to note that these meal plans are altered from time to time as the circumstances dictate. Also, the overall diet restriction for the two is that they should eat enough food with protein, but at the same time make healthy choices.

Related Article:: The Correct Diet Plan That Complements Your Bodybuilding Cycle!

Workout Equipment

              Workout equipment are universal for everyone that visits the gym but some people tend to prefer some more than others. For instance, apart from regular gym workout equipment, the following is The Rock’s other preferred gear:

  • UA sport wireless train headphones.
  • True wireless flash project Rock buds.
  • UA project Rock 1 sporty kicks.
  • UA HOVR Phantom project Rock shoes.
  • Project Rock Terry short-sleeved hoodie.
  • Project Rock 90 bag.

               The Rock, John Cena, and other successful fitness gurus have one thing in common; the always invest in their equipment. Dieting alone will not help you acquire that amazing body and physique. You need to buy quality equipment that will serve your needs for a long period. Quality gym equipment are characteristically very expensive, but will outlast obsolete ones bought in the streets. So, the first step towards working to become like these legends is to invest in your gear and equipment. Most importantly, ensure your body gear is comfortable enough to allow you perform various exercises.

          One must also have a healthy, well-balanced meal plan to supplement training. You need more protein and measured amounts of calories in your diet. But if you’re not sure of what meals to take, consult your personal trainer for appropriate guidance. It is important to watch your diet so as not to lose the gains you’ve mad at the gym; the reverse is also true.

Discipline

              Finally, you might not make it to the top without a robust training program and discipline. The first sign of failure is not having a workout plan and not sticking to one. The Rock and John Cena are very disciplined when it comes to training and other things related to their careers. You don’t have to adulterate your schedule over petty things that don’t contribute much to your overall success. Additionally, make sure to create time for things you failed to do because something important came up, and don’t procrastinate whatsoever. Do this and watch your star rise above bodybuilding legends we know today.

Overall

               If you’re looking for role models to look up to as far as bodybuilding and fitness are concerned, look no more because you have them in The Rock and Cena. Follow their various social media accounts and see for yourself what we are talking about. However, we would like to warn beginners to be careful about copying everything these pros do because it took them time and a lot of effort to get there. Start small and with hard work and determination, you will get there eventually. There are more inspirational bodybuilding articles on our blog. Consider reading all of them and your bodybuilding career will be a blissful one.