How Dwayne Johnson trained to be the rock-hard Hercules of 2014

Dwayne Johnson was the rock of the box office in 2013, if Forbes’ new list of the highest-grossing actors is any indication,” announced the Huffington Post. His appearances in Snitch, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Pain & Gain, and Fast & Furious 6 chalked up $1.3 billion in global ticket sales.

He has a towering frame of 6 feet and 5 inches, bulging with 260 pounds of hard muscle. His physique is idolized by millions of fans. Dwayne Johnson has the uncanny ability to transform himself and win in various stages of his life as a national championship-winning footballer to a WWE superstar to a top-grossing movie star.

He told Train magazine that his success depended on what he was willing to put in. He dedicates his time and energy to ensure that he steps into the movie set at his physical peak.

“For different roles, my condition and training and diet do alter,” Johnson said. “Depending on the role, it will really dictate the type of training I do. For Hercules, it was a 22-week diet, while for G.I. Joe: Retaliation, it was about a 14-week diet, and for Pain & Gain, I wanted to come out looking bulky, big, and dangerous, so we adjusted accordingly.

“For Hercules, I went for the demigod look: big and mean. When you’re playing a character like the son of Zeus, you only get one shot. The intensity of the training was definitely up, as was the volume of training. I really wanted to make it the definitive version of Hercules. We wanted to make it darker in tone and we based it off Steve Moore and Admira Wijaya’s Hercules: The Thracian Wars graphic novel, which is pretty dark.”

He adds: “And then the intensity of preparation for the movies depends on the role. The training, nutrition, fight choreography, weapons training, and stunt planning are all altered accordingly. I always go in committed and try to make it the best it can be. For Hercules, I wanted to respect the mythology, or with Fast & Furious, I wanted to respect this massive franchise. For the G.I. Joe movies, it was similar because it’s already an established brand and already an established character. You’ve got to look the part.”

To look the part for Hercules, Johnson amplified his training significantly, using a six-days-on, one-day-off schedule for six months to help him bulk up. Every morning, Johnson would complete a 50-minute cardio session, then work on a specific body part depending on what day it was. His legs were the only muscle group that received more than one workout per week.

“I start working out pretty early, around 4 a.m. When I’m filming, I do cardio and I lift before going to the set. I train about six days a week, and even when I’m not filming, I get up between 3 and 5 a.m. just to train. I love training when the sun is coming up because it allows me to put on my headphones and step off the crazy treadmill that is everyone’s life. I have my headphones on and I’m listening to my music, and I’m 100-percent focused. There’s no wasted time or effort when it comes to me and the weights.

“I work out for about 90 minutes, or maybe an hour and 45 minutes. When I hit the gym, I’m coming! I train hard, I come to kick ass — clanging and banging. With something like Hercules, I was in costume and makeup for a few hours before shooting, so I’d have to get in the workout early.”

Johnson is in the gym all year round.

“Working out anchors my day,” he claimed. “For me, training is my meditation, my yoga, hiking, biking, therapy all rolled into one. I love it. Generally, I’m always shooting or preparing to shoot for something, so that’s why I like keeping my conditioning in a certain zone. But even if I wasn’t, it would launch my day. It makes me feel good.”

He also follows an incredibly strict diet before and during filming. Johnson and his nutrition team for Hercules created his “12 Labors” diet filled with large amounts of protein, carbs, and fats.

“Generally, I eat six or seven times a day,” he said. “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 these measured and weighed.”

He added: “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.”

Train reported that “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,” Johnson stated 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.”

“When I first broke into movies, Hercules was one of the projects I had in the back of my mind,” he recalled. “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 laughed. “I’m really happy with what we’ve accomplished with Hercules. We put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into this movie.”

And if Johnson is not enough reason to watch, playing the role of his wife is Victoria’s Secret bombshell and Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover model Airing Shayk from Russia. At 5 feet 10 inches and 119 pounds, this 28-year-old charmer measures 34-23-35.

Muscle & Fitness featured her in its latest issue where she said, “Working with Dwayne was a dream come true. I’ve never taken acting lessons, but he’s so talented, I was able to watch and learn a lot from him. He was very helpful and encouraging on set!”

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Opening across the Philippines last July 23, “Hercules” is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Post me a note at mylene@goldsgym.com.ph or mylenedayrit@gmail.com.