I’m a huge fan of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE at Power Athlete HQ loves The Rock (especially Cali). You have to give him credit, he’s a great entertainer, a legit action star (in my unsubstantiated opinion), he is dedicated to his training, and comes off as a stand up dude. One word defines The Rock…JACKED.
Enough with my weird #bromance, and on to the matter at hand. Recently, The Rock did us a solid and posted his 22 week meal plan via twitter:
My current 22 week diet for the role of HERCULES. Cardio & iron before going to set. (Lion blood is optional;) pic.twitter.com/HaklgWPJW0
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) June 24, 2013
At first glance this seemed like a lot of food, then we sat around the conference table with the help of Google, and crunched the numbers. But before we get to the numbers, let’s take a look at what The Rock is training for. He’s playing a part in Hercules….enough said. He needs to carry a lot of muscle and be very lean…keep this in mind before commenting.
Now back to the meat and potatoes, The Rock’s diet…no pun intended. It consists of roughly 7 meals. While it is rich in veggies, we are going to leave them out for analysis purposes.
| Serving | Protien | Carb | Fat | Calories | |
| Meal 1 | |||||
| Beef Filet | 10 oz | 80g | 0g | 30g | 610 |
| Egg Whites | 4 ea | 16g | 0g | 0g | 64 |
| Oatmeal (dry) | 5 oz | 20g* | 100g | 10g | 530 |
| Meal 2 | |||||
| Chicken | 8 oz | 72g | 0g | 8g | 368 |
| White Rice | 2 Cups | 8g* | 74g | 0g | 338 |
| Meal 3 | |||||
| Halibut | 8 oz | 56g | 0g | 8g | 312 |
| White Rice | 2 Cups | 8g* | 74g | 0g | 338 |
| Meal 4 | |||||
| Chicken | 8 oz | 72g | 0g | 8g | 368 |
| Baked Potato | 12 oz | 12g* | 72g | 0g | 312 |
| Meal 5 | |||||
| Halibut | 8 oz | 56g | 0g | 8g | 312 |
| White Rice | 1.5 Cups | 6g* | 55g | 0g | 254 |
| Meal 6 | |||||
| Beef Filet | 8 oz | 64g | 0g | 24g | 488 |
| Baked Potato | 9 oz | 9g* | 54g | 0g | 234 |
| Meal 7 | |||||
| Casein protein | 30g | 22g | 3g | 1g | 110 |
| Egg Whites | 10 ea | 40g | 0g | 0g | 120 |
| 4758 Cal | |||||
| 540g | 432g | 100g | |||
| 2164 cal | 1728 cal | 900 cal |
Here is the takeaway from the information provided. He is eating ~4800 calories per day. For anyone who takes the time, the math is not exact as we are making generalizations on the food quality and the cooking methods, but for our purposes this is a directional analysis. Dwayne weighs ~265lbs and consumes double body weight in grams of protein per day while utilizing this meal plan. Generally speaking- it’s a high volume of food, there could be some better carb choices depending on which camp you are in and it is very low in fat.
Power Athlete typically recommends foods which are nutrient dense, all the while focusing on removing foods that could be inflammatory and damage the gut. Simply, one ingredient. It is worth noting the majority of plant based proteins (i.e. rice, pea and oatmeal) are not significant contributors to recovery/performance based on their incomplete amino acid profiles. So because they are waste of time, we omit them all together. Ideally, we could cut his carb volume and replace the remaining carb with choices coming from roots and tubers. These are ideal for fueling the glycolitic pathway – an energy system we regularly tap into with our training style or when battling lions. To make up for the lost calories, we would add in a mixture of saturated and monounsaturated fats (olives, olive oil, avocado, coconut, wild caught/free range/grass fed animal fats). Fat is essential for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, development of the proper functioning CNS and healthy androgen profile. And from The Rock’s movies roles, he needs a healthy androgen profile.
When examining the Power Athlete template you will notice we do not train body parts and we do not focus on aesthetics. Simply, we are performance based. When developing any nutritional recommendations for an athlete, we believe it is vital to know what each athlete is training for. From there, we develop a set of parameters based on that athletes needs and build a macro nutrient balance that is conducive to fueling the energy systems most utilized during training and competition. It is easy to get lost in the details when developing a refueling program. We have some simple, no frills, tried and true rules that work extremely well for the most Power Athletes:
- If it runs, swims, flies and has a face, mother and a soul – Consume it
- Flesh builds flesh – 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight every day
- Earn your carbs – Carb consumption should mirror your energy expenditure
- ROYGBIV – Eat the rainbow in veggies throughout the week
- Fat on the plate does not equal fat on the waist – Fats are essential for Power Athletes
- And last but not least, don’t be weird – Know the consequences of your decisions when it comes to eating.
Train hard, train smart, rest and follow these rules. And the results will speak for themselves.
One thing that is not debatable, is that all we at Power Athlete HQ believe Hercules is going to be one hell of a movie. And we will all be taking a company holiday to support our bro, Dwayne J.
We gave our two cents, what are your thoughts?
Tagged: Nutrition
AUTHOR
John
John Welbourn is CEO of Power Athlete and host of Power Athlete Radio. He is a 9 year starter and veteran of the NFL. John was drafted with the 97th pick in 1999 NFL Draft and went on to be a starter for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999-2003, appearing in 3 NFC Championship games, and for starter for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2004-2007. In 2008, he played with the New England Patriots until an injury ended his season early with him retiring in 2009. Over the course of his career, John has started over 100 games and has 10 play-off appearances. He was a four year lettermen while playing football at the University of California at Berkeley. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Rhetoric in 1998. John has worked with the MLB, NFL, NHL, Olympic athletes and Military. He travels the world lecturing on performance and nutrition and records his podcast, Power Athlete Radio, every week with over 800 episodes spanning 13 years. You can catch up with John as his personal blog, Talk To Me Johnnie, on social media @johnwelbourn or at Power Athlete Radio.
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You talked about his diet without including, “can you smell what the ROCK is cooking???”
Your fan club membership is in serious jeopardy. I might have to pull some strings.
Listen up ya JABRONI!
Adding “can you smell what the ROCK… IS… COOKING?!” is way too cliche, even for PAHQ, to add to a nutrition article…
Plus… It’s about THE ROCK… so IT DOESN’T MATTER IF WE SAY IT!!!!
I agree with your nutritional rx’s 100% but damn is he hot!
What Are The Chances Hes Roided Out?
[…] Power Athlete did a nice little blurb on The Rock. Interesting look at a big-ass man’s diet plan. Check it out here. […]
Is the Rock measuring his rice dry or cooked? 1/4 cup of rice dry is 160 calories on it’s own.
I’m assuming cooked because he qualifies the oatmeal as dry, but not the rice. Good point though…
Holy asparagus, his piss must be rancid!
I don’t mean to be a cynic…but I’m with Jay…to be honest, I’m starting to think all top athletes in every sport are playing with a little vitamin s action…
Woah woah woah woah… The Rock’s not a top athlete… he’s a totally bad ass action hero and the recent COG to the Fast and Furious series!!! Now if you had said you’re “Starting to think all the top action heros” then that’s a different story!
😉
So someone here is probably going to have a shit fit, but does it really matter that he eats white rice and ::gasp:: regular potatoes???? I mean it’s obviously working for him and he doesn’t seem to have gut issues and he hasn’t magically got fat because he had a higher carb macro intake than fat. I have no problem with paleo diets, but it isn’t the end all be all. I mean look at what the Chinese eat generally and then look at their weight lifting team. Obviously white rice isn’t hindering their performance. Each athlete should get to a point where they know what calories they need and what macros they should consume. And if they eat gluten and it works for them, cool
Drew, you’re right it works for him an tons of other athletes. But we have some smart peepz who say there are less risky, just as effective, and just as obtainable carb sources out there… roots tubers and bulbs. It’s not because cavemen did it, we don’t care about that. It’s because they don’t contain a protein called prolamin that can damage the gut an inhibit nutrient absorption and protein synthesis, AND they are converted into glucose through digestion which is the PRIMARY reason we consume carbs.
It works just as good as grain sources if not better.
That’s all we’re trying to say.
If rice doesn’t bother you, than eat rice. But we like the test retest model. Remove it for 30 days, and reintroduce. Then see how you feel.
Dumb question about eating rule #3: Do all of the DWOD’s on CFFB count as metcons?
Yep. But remember, earn your carbs. Hard DWOD lots of carbs. Manageable DWOD not so much carbs.
Its easy to stay lean, and eat that many carbs when you are on the sauce. Not taking anything away from him, I love the Rock as much as the next guy, and he still puts in massive amounts of work. But there is no way he is natural. Again just want to reiterate that Im a huge Rock fan and the dude is a monster.
Is it easy? Have you tried it? You said in the sentence that he puts in massive amount of work. Work is work, he trains hard. If PEDs are there, it gives him an advantage to recover faster. It doesn’t make it easier.
Indigo was removed from the color spectrum, newton made that ish up. Yes that was nerdy but god damn did it feel good.
Also, please note 4 pizzas were only a single portion of the chest meal.
Finally! I’m sick of looking for indigo fruits and veggies
I like that you respond to all the posts. And I like your response to the Chinese rice eating habits. Good explanation…and I particularly enjoy the “It’s not because cavemen did it, we don’t care about that.” Cheers.
does the rock qualify his rice as dry or cooked? IT DOESNT MATTER IF THE ROCK QUALIFIES HIS RICE AS DRY OR COOKED BECAUSE THE ROCK IS JUICED UP!
Luke,
Love the site and the info but the PED’s don’t make it easier? C’mon man!
C’mon what? PEDs WILL make you a better you hands down. I don’t disagree.
But you need to open your eyes man… it DOESN’T mean the training gets any easier. It doesn’t make it hurt any less. It doesn’t make eating the same 7 meals 22 weeks in a row any more enjoyable.
They help you recover faster so you can do more work and drive adaptation quicker.
You still have to put in the work to get the results. The guys who take PEDs can do more in less time and blast through their genetic potential in comparison to the “clean” athletes.
When you take PEDs, can you put in less work and get better results? I’m not sure, anyone I met who took them trained their balls off, and when they came off they “couldn’t train as hard as before.”
All I am saying is the training doesn’t get any easier.
And let me close with this… GREAT usage of “IT DOESNT MATTER!!!”
haha I love this!
I should have known better than to go down Know Your Role Blvd with Luke.
Luke as always this is awesome and entertaining.
The Rock has risen to the top in multiple entertainment ventures and was a high level D-1 football player with the U.(was second string behind warren sapp) I have mad respect for anyone willing to throw down daily, eat mass quantities of whole foods all for the sake of him being a believable badass in movies and in the ring. Who gives a shit if he supplements, his ass still has to get up at 3am to train then be on the set at 5am to shoot for 14 hours…that’s why he was one of the most dominating entertainers in the world. Don’t hate…appreciate another like minded individual.
Luke,
I hear what you are saying and I agree that, no matter what you are on, training is hard as long as you are training to the limits of your tolerance. However, I have to respectfully, and I mean it when I say respectfully, disagree that ped’s don’t make it easier. If you are training clean (and I assume you are) try hitting your current pr numbers on the cffb total after a cycle of ped’s that artificially elevate your free testosterone level. You will see how much “easier” it really is. Will the weight still be heavy? sure. But will it be noticeably easier? absolutely. Will you still have to train hard on ped’s to push adaptation? yes. Is that adaptation “easier” on ped’s? yes.
Not trying to make this into an argument Luke and I appreciate the back and forth. Thanks for the site and info.
Jay,
Yeah dude, totally agreed. Your training goals “pre PEDs” will be more attainable “post PEDs.” But then once you smash through those numbers, THEN what’s next? New goals. higher numbers. Time to put in the work and move the dirt.
If you know any high level athletes or international athletes, they’ll tell you all the juice in the world will typically make a shitty athlete a stronger shitty athlete.
We say “look like Tarzan play like Jane.”
Oh and don’t worry dude, it’s not an argument it’s a friendly internet battle!! I totally get what you’re saying dude and you’re right on, but here’s the thing, training never ends tomorrow.
Thanks Luke for a lot of very useful info! I learned alot about dieting in this article and even in some of the comments. I’m only 15 i play multiple sports and absolutely love being in the weightroom and hitting prs , but i don’t know just a whole lot about training and ex specially dieting. Now I understand that the rock is prolly doing some extra stuff to help him that I can’t but do you have any pointers on how to just put on weight. I’m trying to just eat as much as I can and my coach told me to drink a gallon of milk a day and also I’m taking protein and creatine, and I have put on about 5-10 pounds but I’m still only about 150 so I was wondering if you could just help me out and tell me how to make even more gainz !
Hey Colton,
Start here:
http://johnwelbourn.powerathletehq.com/2010/06/27/what-should-i-eat/
Then here:
http://johnwelbourn.powerathletehq.com/category/diet/
I know you’re 15 and just a kid, but an athlete is an athlete. Take responsibility, find smart people (like us), and do your research too. Take an hour or so to read through the list of “Diet” articles on John’s blog and you’ll hopefully get some guidance.
Good luck with your training
As for carbs after metcons on,ply, earning them etc… One of the biggest mistake I’ve ever done in my training career was undereating. I don’t do CF of CFFB in those days, just work on rings, gymnastic stuff and bodyweight and some hill sprints here and there. But I’m approaching 40 so recovery is not that fast anymore especcialy with my baby daughter demanding attention at 5 am… But adding more carbs (what ever not only veggies and fruit but pasta, rice, pancakes 🙂 help me A LOT to recover better and my advances in training are so much bigger now.
So don’t undereat yourself
Freakish athletes can do freakish things…on the field, in the gym, and even in the kitchen! I’m a rookie to the Power Athlete world…currently in Afghanistan and 2 other marine buddies and I have been following the CFFB model now for 3 weeks. Sometimes we don’t get a good source of carb for chow…what is your take on cliff bars for post-workout or with a meal when ideal carb choices are not available? Thanks. David.
David,
We have athletes who train in asia who’s primary carbs are rice, in south africa who’s carbs are plantain, beans, or rice. We have tactical athletes who do what they can with their MRE’s and whatever else is around. It’s not ideal but sometimes you have to lean towards practical. Eat what you can and fuel the machine. Even if it’s Cliff bars!
These recommendations are for folks in the states who have plenty of options and are looking for optimal results.
Thanks for your service dude.
Saw elsewhere him mention eating a dozen liquid chickens; half second later when the light bulb went off I laughed my ass off. Had to steal that one…
Oh yeah, it was the chive album linked above…
When I first saw the Rock’s tweet about it, I thought massive insulin response. insulin = anabolic. If the Rock is going from 265 to 285 and staying that lean, isn’t rice and potatoes the easiest choice for such a response? Seems a lot like carb backloading without the timing and the sweets to me. As a power athlete it seems like the easiest way to gain big weight (while staying lean) without Big John’s just drink olive oil at dinner move. Thoughts?
Luke,
I wasn’t saying training gets easier. I apologize for the miscommunication. I was however saying that someone not using PED’s is going to have a harder time staying that lean when eating that amount/ratio of Macro’s.
This entire post is centered around diet, therefore people are going to walk away with the presupposition (The Rock is Jacked>He eats this>If I eat this>I will be jacked) when in reality this isnt true, because there is one giant variable in that equation. Most regular gym guys are not on the sauce.
Yeah dude totally agree. Anyone who goes on “The Rock Diet” will not come out the other end looking like The Rock. There is much more to the equation.
have to disagree with your carb replacement recommendations. Clean carbs are great, and most athletes I meet are underfed, especially in the carb dpt. Want to have a month of having at least 1 or 2 new 1rm’s a week? If you’re coming from a low carb diet, just load 150-300g of carbs nights before your workouts and you’ll be amazed.
#6 “don’t be weird”. Words to live by!!
I’m still pissed about The Rock not getting the roll of Jack Reacher. Stupid Tom Cruise.
[…] Then for Time: 50-40-30 KB Thrusters 35-26 Sit Ups Double Unders The Rock Meal Plan […]
best stop eating the dangerous tubers too
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691500000405
silly rock, doesn’t he know that rice and oatmeal will mess him up?
[…] THE ROCK’S MEAL PLAN […]
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[…] The Rock’s Meal Plan. […]
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Monsteeerrr
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That picture is insane. He is looks borderline unnatural, if you catch my drift. Great post.
It doesn’t matter what his meal plan is
hey guys great stuff and i appreciate all the info. i’m sure that i’m outclassed by every person on this site, so help me to understand…i dont think the Rock juices. when i look at the workout plan, the diet plan, add into the equation that he’s a Samoan from a big family of Power Athletes, and that he’s been doing this kind of thing most of his life, i crunch those numbers and don’t find it hard to believe that the results are natural. what am i missing?
I don’t think he takes illegal substances either. He probably takes everything in the book that’s legal to look how he does, but that doesn’t mean it has to be illegal. Just getting some cod post workout nutrition with BCAAs, creatine, protein, and carbs can get you a long way. That, and the fact that he can just spend all day in the gym, and afford to eat 5 or 6000 calories a day!
I just came across this article and found it very humorous. Did anyone bother to think that maybe the Rock likes to eat rice and potatoes and will not do with out them.
I find it very funny when people see a big guy and automatically think he takes steroids no he just know how to eat and work hard anybody that consumes almost 120 grams of protein just in there first meal is gonna gethuge iit’s common sense
You guys don’t think he’s on roids? Look at the change in the size of his dome!
I found this article on Google after watching Pain & Gain, and I gotta say that still pic of “Little Rocky” versus “Boulder Rocky” blows my mind. He’s huge!
[…] great example of how to eat a large amount of food in a day. After he tweeted his diet, the guys at CrossFit Football broke down the numbers to see how much he was taking in each day. Below is what they came up […]
What? Since when does the rock cook his rice?
idiot….1 cup rice is 200 gramm
Why his eating so much carb, and he still got lean body mass
Huh? Are you asking how he can eat so many carbs and stay so lean? As we have said countless times, you need carbs to mobilize fat and for healthy thyroid function.
Overall it looks like a very clean and healthy diet. I don’t think everyone needs this much protein but for some people it may be necessary. The quality of the food looks very good though. Foods like whole grains have a lot of great nutrients that refined grains don’t and the fish is great too because of the Omega 3’s.
Are you serious?
Hey Luke,
Im a trainer at a small gym in the uk, ive gotta say how nice it is to here someone talk in simple terms and not try to baffle/confuse people, Keep up the great work!
Why is he eating white rice? Isn’t brown a better option. And is there much variation in nutritional value in terms of long, medium, or short grain?
[…] I admire The Rock’s willpower for his diet plan, but I would go insane. I need variety. Having a few servings of this dip in my fridge is a delicious, filling treat for a snack or as a great side along with breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and it keeps for a very long time! […]
[…] I admire The Rock’s willpower for his diet plan, but I would go insane. I need variety. Having a few servings of this dip in my fridge is a delicious, filling treat for a snack or as a great side along with breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and it keeps for a very long time! […]
Luke,
Great post bro. Best part is that you took the time to respond to so many comments. This is exactly why I stick with PAHQ. Keep up the great work. Thanks.
I have been researching how often to consume protein in order to absorb the maximum amount. I have found that the body can only absorb 30g of protein per 2 hours, and if it’s a liquid (protein powder), you can only absorb 15g per 1.5 hours. If I maximized my eating by eating seven meals a day every two hours (with 30 grams of protein each), that would be 210 grams of protein. The rock weighs 260 pounds! He eats way more protein than I just listed if he’s eating at least 1g per pound of body weight. With all that said, my concern is that all this research on how much protein we consume is BS. Thoughts and help?