Biography of Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne “Rock” Johnson is a former popular American wrestler, and now a famous Hollywood film actor, who has worked on the sets of the films “The Fast and the Furious,” “Jumanji,” “Second Chance” and many others.
Wrestler and actor Dwayne Johnson
The actor was twice noted in the Guinness Book of Records: for the mind-boggling fee received for playing his debut leading role ($5.5 million), and for the incredible number of selfies taken in a very short period of time (105 photos in 3 minutes).
Childhood
Dwayne was born in early May 1972 in California, into a family that made a living from wrestling. Her father, grandfather, cousins and uncles were professional wrestlers, her mother was her husband's promoter, and her grandmother made a career as the head of a women's wrestling league in Polynesia.
Dwayne Johnson as a child
Their father's work, which involved constant moving, did not allow the Johnsons to sit still. Therefore, Dwayne received his secondary education in three different schools: first in New Zealand, then in Hawaii, and finished his senior year in Pennsylvania.
Dwayne Johnson with his mother
Sports have always been present in the Johnsons’ lives: from childhood, Dwayne’s father took Dwayne with him to competitions and to train in the gym. At the age of 12, during one of these classes, the younger Johnson decided to test his capabilities on a barbell. The forces turned out to be unequal - the barbell crushed the guy.
This incident did not affect Dwayne’s physical health in any way, but helped convince the boy to connect his future with sports. From that moment on, Dwayne's serious training began under the authoritative guidance of his own dad.
Dwayne Johnson. Training Dwayne's father, Rocky Johnson, half African American and half Canadian, was not a good enough wrestler to provide the family with a comfortable life. He grabbed every opportunity to earn money and almost never appeared at home. Over the years, Dwayne saw him less and less, and his life with his mother became more and more difficult. Finally, when he was 14, his parents divorced.
Dwayne Johnson with his father, wrestler Rocky
Dwayne and his mother settled in a tiny house in Honolulu, which they rented with their meager savings. One day they returned home to find an eviction notice on the door. They could have spent the night in the car, but it had been repossessed for tax evasion a week earlier. Looking at his crying mother, Dwayne hated himself for being helpless.
Dwayne Johnson in his youth and early life
Adversity could not but affect the guy’s behavior. His behavior became aggressive, at school he constantly fought with his peers, sometimes it came to showdowns with the police. Quarrels with my mother became commonplace. Dwayne was burdened by poverty and dreamed of the day when he would earn enough to not have to count every cent.
His mother's parents lent them money and they returned to their home, but Duane understood that this was a temporary measure. He was determined to make a living through physical strength, but until he got into shape and finished school, something had to be done. And while his mother worked as a cleaner, he became even more immersed in training and... in the world of crime. He joined one of the gangs in the city of Waikiki, robbing branded clothing stores and jewelry stores. Fortunately, the guy quickly realized that such a path was unlikely to lead him to professional sports, but perhaps to prison.
Set of exercises
Dwayne Johnson noticed that all Hollywood stars have a lean physique, so he changed his training program, which allowed him to lose about 20 kg in a period of 4 months . This allowed him to lose weight from 120 kg to 100 kg. This training involves reducing fatty tissue in the body , i.e. over a period of time he reduced the percentage of fat from 14% to 7%. To get rid of that much fat, Johnson changed up his workout, hitting each muscle group three times a week . I also had to adjust the rest time, speed, weight, and of course the number of repetitions and approaches. The training program was divided into several days and looked like this: Monday, Wednesday, Friday
- Chest, back, biceps, calves: 5 sets of 15-20 reps, 30 seconds rest between each set.
- Cardio: 5 minutes warm up, 12 minutes high intensity
Tuesday Thursday Saturday
- Quadriceps, hamstrings, shoulders, triceps: 5 sets of 15-20 reps, 30 seconds rest between each set.
- Cardio: 5 minutes warm up, 12 minutes high intensity
Sunday - rest Dwayne also advises beginners: “If you spend the whole day at work and in the evening it is not possible to escape to the gym, get yourself a personal trainer and decide with him how much time you can spend on training. Don’t be embarrassed if this time is too short, the coach will be able to find you a suitable program that will work.”
Youth
By the age of 16, Dwayne had been expelled from four schools.
Finally, in Pennsylvania, he entered Freedom Public School, i.e. "Liberty". One day, Dwayne went into the boys' bathroom, but it was so smoky that he used the teachers' bathroom. While he was washing his hands, the coach of the local football team saw him and was indignant - students were strictly forbidden to use the teacher's restroom. To his stern shout, Dwayne replied: “Yeah, I’ll leave now, I’ll just wash my hands home.” The coach seethed with anger, but remained silent. And Dwayne spent the whole day tormented by a feeling of guilt, because he understood that he was too rude. The next morning, he found the coach and asked for forgiveness, after which he gave the high school student an appraising look and invited him to practice. Already in those years, Dwayne Johnson's height was 6 feet 4 inches (about 195 cm), and his weight was 225 feet (105 kg). And these were 105 kg not of fat, but of cast muscle. Because of his size, his teammates were long convinced that Dwayne was not a schoolboy, but an undercover drug agent embedded in a school in a disadvantaged area. “It probably had to do with the stupid mustache I was wearing at the time,” jokes The Rock.
Dwayne Johnson played professional football in his youth
Johnson quickly fell in love with football. He not only achieved good results in the game, but also improved his academic performance. After all, now he had a real chance to get out of poverty - the best universities in the USA were ready to get such a student so that he would play for their national team. By the time he graduated, he chose from many offers from US universities and ultimately chose the University of Miami.
Young Dwayne Johnson at the University of Miami
Dwayne fully lived up to the expectations placed on him, winning the NCAA national student championship in 1991 as a member of the Miami Hurricanes team.
Dwayne Johnson was a successful football player
But a severe back injury received a year later put a spoke in the wheels. Without the opportunity to play football, the university did not need him - his average grade for the first year was 0.7 units.
Under the patronage of the coach, he was eventually reinstated, and in 1995, Dwayne received a diploma in criminology. Immediately after graduation, he signed a contract with the Canadian team Calgary Stampeders. In Canada, he lived with two teammates, ate instant noodles and slept on a dirty mattress, hoping the Calgary coach would soon pull him off the bench. But that did not happen. Two months later he was kicked off the team.
Having lost the opportunity to play professional football, Dwayne discovered new horizons for himself in the ring.
WWE
Football was over.
With his dreams shattered and $7 in his pocket - and nothing else left to him - he contacted his father and asked him to put in a good word for him in wrestling. With his last money, Dwayne bought a bus ticket to Tampa, Florida, and moved into a tiny apartment with his father. Soon the bell rang in the apartment of the aspiring wrestler. On the other end, Dwayne heard the coach of the Calgary Stampeders. He asked the guy to return to the team. Dwayne hung up. His father called him a fool and said that he was missing the best chance of his life. To which Dwayne replied: “Now my place is in the ring.” Dwayne Johnson made his WWE Survivor debut in November 1996 under the stage name Rocky Maivia, a combination of his father's first name and his grandfather's last name. He was, in his own opinion, absolutely unprepared for battle. Why, he even borrowed shorts from his uncle.
Dwayne Johnson began his wrestling career in 1996
At his first performances, he tried to create the impression of a “good guy”, because, as you know, wrestling, especially WWE, is not so much a sport as a theatrical performance. But when he entered the ring, the crowd booed and hooted, and during the fight, “Rocky, you suck” was heard every now and then. Then Dwayne changed tactics and showed the audience his aggressive alter ego under the name The Rock.
Dwayne Johnson in his youth
And it was a success. In this spectacular role, he managed to earn the boundless love of the public and win the championship in various WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) competitions 17 times and even become a fixture in pop culture. Dwayne Johnson in the ring Dwayne finally felt happy. First of all, he bought a house for his mother, helped his father with money, and then fulfilled his childhood dream and bought a real Rolex watch. At this stage he felt empty. The Rock realized that he had achieved everything he wanted in wrestling, and decided, like Mickey Rourke, Hulk Hogan and many other wrestlers who went into films, to become an actor.
Dwayne Johnson with hair
Biceps and triceps
How to pump up massive arms? – Dwayne believes the key to big arms is isolation and lots of repetition. The latter technique ensures active blood flow to the muscle fibers, which subsequently ensures excellent growth. In his arm training, he uses the method of George Farr, a famous bodybuilder and highly qualified trainer. By the way, Farrah is the movie star's personal trainer.
Johnson's arm workout begins with several warm-up sets. At the beginning of each set, The Rock warms up with light weights, then moves on to heavier ones. The main work is 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions for each exercise. To increase power, the actor adds an extra set at the beginning of each exercise, an average of 15 repetitions. While working, you should feel a burning sensation in your muscles.
Johnson training program for arms (photo)
These are the main exercises in the training program that the actor chose to work his arms. Other techniques are also used to diversify the training.
Film career
In 2000, Dwayne Johnson released his autobiographical book “The Rock Says...”, which became a bestseller, which greatly fueled interest in his person, including in Hollywood.
Dwayne Johnson's height is 196 cm
“The Rock” was offered his first supporting role in the film “The Mummy Returns,” and then the main role in its prequel, “The Scorpion King.” In the first film, the wrestler happened to be on the same set with such stars as Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz.
Still from the film “The Scorpion King”
The spin-off "Metaes, the Scorpion King" provided Dwayne with a Guinness World Record and great demand as an action actor. Dwayne Johnson - how to attract girls Since 2011, a new streak of success began for the muscular actor, which was marked by filming in the continuation of the series of popular racing films "The Fast and the Furious", where Johnson played alongside Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. The screenwriter of the fifth part, Chris Morgan, specially rewrote the role of agent Luke Hobbs for Dwayne, so that the viewer could enjoy the brutal Vin Diesel and The Rock in one frame.
"Fast and Furious": Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs
In addition to action films, Dwayne Johnson has established himself as a good comedian (films “The Tooth Fairy”, “The Game Plan”).
Dwayne Johnson tattoo
In the summer of 2014, the film “Hercules” was released worldwide, in which Dwayne Johnson played the Greek demigod. In April 2015, audiences were presented with the seventh film about outlaw racers from the Fast and the Furious series, in which Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Jason Statham starred along with the actor. Dwayne Johnson in the film “Hercules” In 2017, Dwayne Johnson again attracted the attention of “Fast and Furious” fans in the eighth part of the franchise. In the summer of the same year, he could be seen in the beach comedy “Baywatch” along with Zac Efron, Alexandra Daddario, Priyanka Chopra and Kelly Rohrbach.
Dwayne Johnson in "Baywatch"
Exciting action films with the participation of “The Rock” Johnson came out one after another: for example, in 2020, the actor pleased the audience with his participation in the remake of the popular film “Jumanji”, where his partners were Karen Gillan and Kevin Hart, and in April 2018 the adventure film was released disaster movie Rampage starring Dwayne.
Dwayne Johnson in the movie "Jumanji"
In 2020, Forbes recognized Dwayne Johnson as the highest paid actor in Hollywood and the world. The secret of the Rock's success is simple:
Chest muscles and shoulders
Johnson's training begins with working the chest muscles, then the athlete moves on to the shoulder girdle. Large muscle groups require power and explosiveness to work with. For small muscles, it is important to perform more repetitions. The Rock does all exercises (except the last two) in 4 sets of 8-10 times. To get the most out of the workout, after 4 sets the actor performs 2 more approaches. The last two exercises do supersets. The point is to completely exhaust the strength of the target muscles.
In her work, the star alternates techniques using free weights. Training with dumbbells ensures the development of equal arm strength. For example, if some people have more strength in the right hand, dumbbell techniques correct this imbalance.
Chest and shoulder workout Rocks Johnson (photo)
Dwayne Johnson's personal life
Dwayne Johnson met his future wife, Cuban Dany Garcia, at the age of 20, while he was studying at the University of Miami. In 1999, seven years later, the couple legalized their relationship, and on August 14, 2001, the Johnsons became the parents of a beautiful girl, Simone Alexandra.
Dwayne Johnson with his first wife and daughter
But in June 2007, Dani and Dwayne made an official announcement of divorce: the daughter remained with her mother. Simone Alexandra Duane pays $22,000 a month for daily expenses, not counting another five thousand for her education. Despite the breakup, the couple nevertheless managed to maintain friendly relations.
After the release of the film “Hercules,” Johnson was credited with an affair with his partner in the film, top model Irina Shayk, who allegedly left football player Cristiano Ronaldo because of the Hollywood actor. But this information was not confirmed, and soon the tabloids were filled with photographs of Irina with the equally famous actor Bradley Cooper.
Dwayne Johnson and Irina Shayk
As for Dwayne, he has been dating singer Lauren Hashiyan since 2007. Their romance began after the star’s divorce from his first wife.
Dwayne Johnson and Lauren Hashian
And in 2020, there was an addition to the couple: Lauren gave birth to a girl, Jasmine Leah. In 2020, the couple had a second daughter, Tiana, in whom Dwayne dotes.
Dwayne Johnson and his daughter Leah
In April 2020, there was another addition to the Johnson family, and Dwayne touched fans with a joint photo with his third newborn daughter, Tiana Gia. In August 2019, the lovers got married.
Dwayne Johnson and Lauren Hashian's wedding
Dwayne Johnson now
The actor has colossal plans - he has been cast in at least five major projects, including the sequels to Suicide Squad and Jumanji. At the same time, the directors of more than 10 other big-budget films expressed hope that he would join their cast.
Still from the movie “Jumanji 2”
In 2020, the number of The Rock’s followers on Instagram crossed the 150 million mark, and this figure is growing every day. In the fall, Dwayne Johnson made peace with Vin Diesel (the actors had a conflict over filming in “The Fast and the Furious,” which is why Dwayne did not appear in the ninth film in the series), so The Rock will appear again in the tenth part of “The Fast and the Furious.”
Nutrition
To maintain muscles in such wonderful condition, you have to adhere to a strict diet. Under no circumstances should you eat fried foods or fast foods. But of course there were times when you managed to treat yourself to a big cheese pizza, a cheeseburger or a donut. Dwayne Johnson's diet consists of 6 meals every day containing proteins, carbohydrates, fibrous vegetables and limited fats. Meals:
- #1: 10 beaten egg whites, 1 cup oatmeal, 3 rice cakes, 0.7L water
- #2: 170g chicken breast, 1 cup cereal, 170g yams (similar to potatoes), 1 cup asparagus, 0.7L water
- No. 3: 170g tuna, 1 cup brown rice, oddly enough, 1 cucumber, 0.7l water
- No. 4: 170g perch fillet, 1 cup barley, 170g baked potato, 1 cup green beans, 0.7l water
- #5: 170g pork tenderloin, 1 cup brown rice, 170g sweet potatoes, 1 cup peas, 0.7L water
- No. 6: 10 beaten egg whites, 1 cup oatmeal, 0.7 liters of water
Of course, we couldn’t do without taking sports nutrition. Before training, Dwayne Johnson consumed protein, beta-alanine, creatine; during BCAA; post-workout glutamine, beta-alanine, creatine.
Find out more about proper nutrition:
- Nutrition during training
- Breakfast of the champion
- The whole truth about the benefits of buckwheat
