Dr. Chris Tries The Rock’s Workout and Diet Plan For a Day

From what I’ve read, The Rock and I have a lot in common. We both get up REALLY early in the morning. We are both ex-college football players. We both went to the CFL for a short time. We are both big into health and fitness. We are both in our forties. Both married with children. But there are a few things that make us very different as well: I’m a surgeon; he’s an action movie star. He was a pro wrestler; I wasn’t. He weighs about 260 lbs. I’m not even close to that.

Now, to be honest, I wouldn’t mind being a little more jacked. So I wondered – what would it be like to live like The Rock – to train and eat – just for one day. How hard can it be? I think I can do it. I was an athlete, remember? I AM an athlete [chuckle, chuckle]…

Question is, how will I make out? I’m probably going to be sore, that’s for damn sure. I workout, but not nearly as much as he does. And my workouts are different too. Less heavy weights. More mobility. But hey, I’m up for the challenge.

Let’s go over exactly what I’ll be doing first. Here is the workout routine that I tried. I got it from an article in Bodybuilding.com:  Before doing any of this though, he starts his morning with a 50 minute run. I did the same. It was killer.

After I got home, I ate my breakfast. The meal plan is listed below…

The Workout:

It’s The Rock’s Day 2 – focus on back

Lat pulldown – sub this with something else
Bent over barbell row (4 sets, 12 reps)
One arm dumbbell row (4 sets, 12 reps)
Barbell deadlift (3 sets, 10 reps)
Pull-ups (3 sets to failure)
Dumbbell shrugs (4 sets, 12 reps)
Inverted row (3 sets to failure)
Hyperextensions (4 sets, 12 reps)

The Diet Plan (yes, this is just for ONE day):

Meal 1

10 oz steak
2 cups oatmeal
3 egg whites
1 egg
glass of watermelon juice

Meal 2

2 chicken breasts
2 red peppers
3 cups mushrooms
3 cups broccoli
1 protein shake

Meal 3

8 oz of salmon
8 asparagus tips
2 eggs
2 cups of rice medley
3 cups of broccoli

Meal 4

10 oz steak
3 baked potatoes
8 asparagus tips
1 glass of orange juice

Meal 5

20 grams of protein
10 egg whites

So… what happened, you ask? Well, I did it – you can watch the video above to see – and I was SORE for a few days after. To be honest though, the workout wasn’t the hardest part. It was the eating. I had real trouble with that. It was SO much food. 

So do I think this something anyone could do? Sure, if they had the time, money, and dedication. Without a doubt, training and eating like The Rock is a full time job. What do I think of the workout? Well, this was just one day. He trains differently for different roles he needs to play. I would say that I hope he is working on mobility too, because no matter how big and strong you are, if you aren’t mobile (meaning strong through a full range of motion in your joints), then you are setting yourself up for injury.

The meal was healthy – whole foods, nothing processed. It was just an insane amount to consume.

The bottom line? I survived. Would I want to do it everyday? Not with the job I have, and probably not in general. It’s not realistic – not for me, not for most people, I would guess.

It is part of The Rock’s lifestyle and what HE needs to do to be who he is for the big screen. I certainly appreciate the hard work he puts in to entertain us all though. For real, you rock, Rock, but I’ll leave the action movie star business to you.

So there you have it: my attempt to do The Rock’s workout and diet plan for a day. It was definitely an eye-opening experience, to say the least. 

That’s been a word from me (Dr. Chris) – #notyoureverydayortho