guardianactual
MuscleChemistry Registered Member
by Matthew Power And Aundre Jacobs, TRAIN Magazine.
A FEAST FOR THE GODS
Although Johnson will be the first to tell you his vigorous training sessions have helped him get where he needs to be physically, he also follows an incredibly strict diet before and during filming.
But once again he felt he needed to up his game for "Hercules," so Johnson and his nutrition team created his "12 Labors" diet, filled with large amounts of protein, carbs and fats, to make sure he was in the best shape of his life.
"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.
"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."
"'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.'"
He adds: "It was all about hard work, discipline, and balance. I had carbs with every meal, so there was always a balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Then part of my daily regime was my glucosamine and then also a multitude of multivitamins. Then I had glutamine, branched-chain amino acids, chondroitin, and one protein shake a day, which I drank after training."
After years of playing football and being a wrestler in the WWE, Johnson has had his fair share of injuries, and now at 41 years of age it's become even more difficult to get into top-notch physical shape without his body falling apart.
He adds: "It was all about hard work, discipline, and balance. I had carbs with every meal, so there was always a balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Then part of my daily regime was my glucosamine and then also a multitude of multivitamins. Then I had glutamine, branched-chain amino acids, chondroitin, and one protein shake a day, which I drank after training."
After years of playing football and being a wrestler in the WWE, Johnson has had his fair share of injuries, and now at 41 years of age it's become even more difficult to get into top-notch physical shape without his body falling apart.
"When I hit 40, I really began to start training smarter," he states with a chuckle. "I've always tried to educate myself on my nutrition, about supplements, what I'm eating, when I'm eating, exercises, calories, and so on. Eventually I hired an awesome conditioning coach who helped me.
"He helped me prepare for a variety of these roles, and in between roles, hitting different things. And when we get into our 40s, all of a sudden we start feeling aches and pains. I take glucosamine and chondroitin for my poor joints."
ROLE OF A LIFETIME
With his dedication to fitness and nutrition second to none among Hollywood actors, Johnson has firmly cemented himself as, literally and figuratively, the biggest action hero in the world.
And even though he's dazzled on the big screen as Roadblock in "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" and Luke Hobbs in the "Fast and Furious" franchise, Johnson believes that playing Hercules is not only the biggest role of his career, but a dream come true.
"When I first broke into movies, Hercules was one of the projects I had in the back of my mind," he recalls. "I always thought, 'Man, I would love to do that one day.' And I always wanted to play a dramatic Hercules, a guy who's survived in barren lands and who is haunted, in a way. Here's a man who has to accept and embrace his own myth.
"This was definitely a passion project for me, and I rocked the leather loincloth like a badass with his battle club. And that damn loincloth, there can be mishaps if you know what I mean--when you're swinging about," he laughs. "I'm really happy with what we've accomplished with 'Hercules.' We put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into this movie."
CAN YOU SMELL WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKIN'?
Although Johnson didn't have anything in his diet quite like the blood of the Nemean lion Hercules had to kill, that didn't stop him from taking on the tough "12 Labors" diet, which included several protein-packed meals that helped him portray his character's legendary strength on screen.
Meal 1
Steak Filet
10 oz
Egg Whites
4 egg whites
Oatmeal (or Cream of Wheat)
5 oz
Meal 2
Chicken
8 oz
White Rice
2 cups
Broccoli
1 cup
Meal 3
Halibut
8 oz
White Rice
2 cups
Asparagus
1 cup
Meal 4
Chicken
8 oz
Baked Potatoes
12 oz
Broccoli
1 cup
Meal 5
Halibut
8 oz
White Rice
1 1/2 cups
Asparagus
1 cup
Meal 6
Steak Filet
8 oz
Baked Potatoes
9 oz
Salad
1 salad
Meal 7
Casein Protein
30 g
Egg Whites (with peppers, onions, and mushrooms)
10 egg whites
A FEAST FOR THE GODS
Although Johnson will be the first to tell you his vigorous training sessions have helped him get where he needs to be physically, he also follows an incredibly strict diet before and during filming.
But once again he felt he needed to up his game for "Hercules," so Johnson and his nutrition team created his "12 Labors" diet, filled with large amounts of protein, carbs and fats, to make sure he was in the best shape of his life.
"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.
"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."
"'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.'"
He adds: "It was all about hard work, discipline, and balance. I had carbs with every meal, so there was always a balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Then part of my daily regime was my glucosamine and then also a multitude of multivitamins. Then I had glutamine, branched-chain amino acids, chondroitin, and one protein shake a day, which I drank after training."
After years of playing football and being a wrestler in the WWE, Johnson has had his fair share of injuries, and now at 41 years of age it's become even more difficult to get into top-notch physical shape without his body falling apart.
He adds: "It was all about hard work, discipline, and balance. I had carbs with every meal, so there was always a balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Then part of my daily regime was my glucosamine and then also a multitude of multivitamins. Then I had glutamine, branched-chain amino acids, chondroitin, and one protein shake a day, which I drank after training."
After years of playing football and being a wrestler in the WWE, Johnson has had his fair share of injuries, and now at 41 years of age it's become even more difficult to get into top-notch physical shape without his body falling apart.
"When I hit 40, I really began to start training smarter," he states with a chuckle. "I've always tried to educate myself on my nutrition, about supplements, what I'm eating, when I'm eating, exercises, calories, and so on. Eventually I hired an awesome conditioning coach who helped me.
"He helped me prepare for a variety of these roles, and in between roles, hitting different things. And when we get into our 40s, all of a sudden we start feeling aches and pains. I take glucosamine and chondroitin for my poor joints."
ROLE OF A LIFETIME
With his dedication to fitness and nutrition second to none among Hollywood actors, Johnson has firmly cemented himself as, literally and figuratively, the biggest action hero in the world.
And even though he's dazzled on the big screen as Roadblock in "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" and Luke Hobbs in the "Fast and Furious" franchise, Johnson believes that playing Hercules is not only the biggest role of his career, but a dream come true.
"When I first broke into movies, Hercules was one of the projects I had in the back of my mind," he recalls. "I always thought, 'Man, I would love to do that one day.' And I always wanted to play a dramatic Hercules, a guy who's survived in barren lands and who is haunted, in a way. Here's a man who has to accept and embrace his own myth.
"This was definitely a passion project for me, and I rocked the leather loincloth like a badass with his battle club. And that damn loincloth, there can be mishaps if you know what I mean--when you're swinging about," he laughs. "I'm really happy with what we've accomplished with 'Hercules.' We put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into this movie."
CAN YOU SMELL WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKIN'?
Although Johnson didn't have anything in his diet quite like the blood of the Nemean lion Hercules had to kill, that didn't stop him from taking on the tough "12 Labors" diet, which included several protein-packed meals that helped him portray his character's legendary strength on screen.
Meal 1
Steak Filet
10 oz
Egg Whites
4 egg whites
Oatmeal (or Cream of Wheat)
5 oz
Meal 2
Chicken
8 oz
White Rice
2 cups
Broccoli
1 cup
Meal 3
Halibut
8 oz
White Rice
2 cups
Asparagus
1 cup
Meal 4
Chicken
8 oz
Baked Potatoes
12 oz
Broccoli
1 cup
Meal 5
Halibut
8 oz
White Rice
1 1/2 cups
Asparagus
1 cup
Meal 6
Steak Filet
8 oz
Baked Potatoes
9 oz
Salad
1 salad
Meal 7
Casein Protein
30 g
Egg Whites (with peppers, onions, and mushrooms)
10 egg whites
