Pain & Gain: Dwayne Johnson And Mark Wahlberg Workout
Pain & Gain is the soon to be hit bodybuilding-centric movie starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Mark Wahlberg.
Directed by Michael Bay, Pain & Gain is an action comedy about two bumbling, drug-abusing bodybuilders who end up in an extortion ring.
Both Dwayne Johnson and Mark Wahlberg worked extremely hard to get (and stay) in top shape for the film. The Rock went through 150 days of clean dieting without a single cheat meal.
The reward for this supreme dedication? An epic 3 round cheat meal that looked like this:
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Round One: 12 pancakes
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Round Two: 4 double dough pepperoni pizzas
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Round Three: 21 brownies with a huge mug of milk
So the obvious question is...how did Dwayne Johnson and Mark Wahlberg prepare for the film? Let's take a look.
All Kinds of Gains!
Before we dive into what the Rock is cooking, let's take a look at Mark Wahlberg's movie prep. For Pain & Gain Mark ate what Hollywood reporters were calling a "crazy 10 meal per day diet." He told E! News:
I was eating 10 meals a day and drinking mass gainers...It was a lot of work. A lot of getting up at 2 in the morning to eat another meal and I was still full from the meal at 10 o'clock.
This was the training split that Mark Wahlberg used:
- Day 1: Legs, Back, and Biceps
- Day 2: Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps
- Day 3: Legs and Biceps
- Day 4: Off
- Day 5: Off
Rumor has it that his workouts were brief but intense 30-40 minute sessions, relying heavily on the use of supersets. Where's the ab work, you ask? Mark only performed light ab work, as he is generally not a huge fan of direct abs training.
Mark Wahlberg also focused heavily on progression, or getting stronger. He is currently bench pressing around 335 pounds.
Mark Wahlberg Workout
Here are the nuts and bolts of his workout routine:
Day 1 - Legs, Back, and Biceps
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Lunge | 4 | 8-12 |
| Leg Curl | 4 | 8-12 |
| Squat | 4 | 8-12 |
| Bent Over Row | 4 | 8-12 |
| Pull Up | 4 | 8-12 |
| Barbell Curl | 4 | 8-12 |
Day 2 - Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Bench Press | 4 | 8-12 |
| Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | 4 | 8-12 |
| Skullcrushers | 4 | 8-12 |
| Cable Tricep Extension | 4 | 8-12 |
| Seated Arnold Press | 4 | 8-12 |
| Cable Crossovers | 4 | 8-12 |
| Push Up | 3 | Failure |
For day 3, repeat the day one workout without training your back.
The Rock Says, Know Your Role!
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson uses a more conventional bodybuilding-style split:
- Monday - Shoulders
- Tuesday - Back
- Wednesday - Off
- Thursday - Legs
- Friday - Arms
- Saturday - Chest
- Sunday - Off
Dwayne Johnson Workout
Monday - Shoulders
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Machine Press | 3 | 21 |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise superset w/ Front Dumbbell Raise | 3 | 8 |
| Cable Bent Over Reverse Flye | 5 | 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 |
| Hammer Strength Shrug | 5 | 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 |
| 4-Way Neck Machine | 4 | 12 |
Tuesday - Back
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Wide Grip Lat Pull Down | 5 | 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 |
| Close Grip Lat Pull Down | 5 | 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 |
| One Arm Machine Row | 4 | 12 |
| Hyperextension | 4 | 15, 15, 12, 12 |
Thursday - Legs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Leg Press | 4 | 25, 20, 18, 16 |
| Smith Machine Lunge | 4 | 8 |
| Leg Curl | 4 | 12, 10, 8, 6 |
| Standing Calf Raise | 6 | 6 |
Friday - Arms
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Curl | 5 | 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 |
| Machine Curl | 6 | 12, 10, 8, 6, 21, 21 |
| Cable Tricep Extension | 5 | 12, 10, 8, 6, 20 |
| Overhead Cable Tricep Extension | 4 | 12, 10, 8, 20 |
| One Arm Reverse Grip Cable Tricep Extension | 2 | 15 |
Saturday - Chest
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Incline Dumbbell Press | 5 | 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 |
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 5 | 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 |
| Cable Crossover (super set with Push Ups) | 4 | 12 |
| Push Up | 4 | 15 |
Note: 21 rep sets are "bicep 21's". Perform 7 upper half reps, 7 lower half reps, and 7 full reps.