Workout Summary
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Workout Description
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.
Comments (56)
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Posted Fri, 12/14/2012 - 15:18
Question:??
with dwayne's program here. I notest that in his back training eg. He goes down in reps. when he does that, do you also have to change the amount of weight ..?
Posted Wed, 12/19/2012 - 10:07
Yeah that is probably the case, because I do not think you will be fatiqued that much with your 12max rep that you only can push out 4 more reps at your fifth set.
Posted Tue, 01/15/2013 - 14:20
Yes raise the weight so you add extra mass you potentioly could miss out on
Posted Wed, 01/30/2013 - 10:57
no because each set it 12 rather than dropping reps/set
Posted Fri, 02/01/2013 - 21:26
Im not 100% sure but when i go down in reps I always go heavier. the heavier the less reps its a good pump
Posted Tue, 02/05/2013 - 21:29
Yeah man, any time you go down in reps it's good to go up in weight. Just practice it and get to know your strength in order to get the full benefits. Never forget a spotter either!
Posted Fri, 02/15/2013 - 10:05
Yes, when you go down inn reps, you should go up in weight :-)
Posted Fri, 02/22/2013 - 11:13
Mark and Dwayne used a workout similar to Stronglifts 5x5 and Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength. They focused on strength training and then volume training.
All the high rep stuff is bullcrap, they didn't do 20 bicep curls to get big. It's all about compound exercise.
Posted Wed, 03/27/2013 - 10:47
Unless you're reading something different, those workouts posted above are nothing like Stronglift or Starting Strength. Additionally, Stronglift and Rippetoe program are not designed for people who want to "get big", neither are compound exercises. Your whole post is wrong.
Posted Sun, 03/31/2013 - 20:01
yeah it would be a good idea to lower the reps and increase the weight. push it before u finish
Posted Thu, 04/04/2013 - 03:05
When decreasing number of reps, always increase weight.
Posted Sat, 05/04/2013 - 23:06
yes
Posted Mon, 12/17/2012 - 23:52
Oliver, if he's going down in reps it's generally because weight is being increased.
Posted Thu, 12/20/2012 - 03:54
You can get very fatigued if the rest between sets is almost nothing, like 30 seconds, or less. Each set is almost like extending the previous set. Some people super-set different parts and don't rest at all between sets.
Posted Sat, 12/22/2012 - 17:49
I read somewhere that after Mark finishes his workout routine he repeats it, doing a total of 8 sets of each.
Is this true ?
Posted Sun, 12/23/2012 - 10:45
if the rest period <60 or more likely <30, this is called a rest-pause set, mike. Not a superset. although they are super for gains.
Posted Sun, 12/23/2012 - 12:20
The rock train every body part 2 in week this is not what he does in a week
Posted Sun, 12/23/2012 - 15:27
Would love to see what weight they were using! Great info, just what I need to change things up a bit!!
Posted Fri, 01/04/2013 - 15:38
I have shown Mark's workout to a few people at the gym and they think the back workout is too light at once every 5 days to have posted such big gains in mass that quickly. Other than the diet - which I am sure all of us would love to know - what is being left out of this "nuts and bolts" routine?
Posted Wed, 01/09/2013 - 19:25
Has anyone seen Wahlberg's diet anywhere on the net?
Posted Thu, 01/10/2013 - 15:54
No squats or deadlifts in the rocks routine, interesting.
Posted Fri, 03/29/2013 - 20:24
Squats and deadlifts are for stupid people who want to show off in the gym!! They can kill your back and/or your knees, especially with wrong technique and too much weight! Needing these to get big/strong is a myth as we can see from the Rock's routine. I used to be one of those stupid people. Now my lower back is jacked up.
Posted Tue, 04/16/2013 - 00:48
so because you were stupid your back is messed up, squats and deadlift are exceptional exercises for wanting to maintain and increase strength throughout your entire body especially your core, its not for showing off, that would be for egotistic and immature weight lifters, if your lifting for your self i gaurantee deadlift and squats need to be in your routine
Posted Sat, 04/27/2013 - 16:10
Squats and deadlifts are not for people who want to show off in the gym...they build the most mass in the shortest amount of time...isolation movements are for shaping not mass...the only reason your low back is jacked up is cause you were doing those movements with crappy form..
Posted Mon, 01/14/2013 - 16:47
It says thar Mark used supersets but it does not says which exercises he did supersets on.
Posted Thu, 01/17/2013 - 11:06
don't believe this at all. its BS. its a BS workout someone made up and said its what they did. youre telling me wahlberg got that big by doing 8 sets a week for his back? why do people always waste others time with these fake programs and say its what the actor did?
Posted Sun, 01/27/2013 - 09:45
spot on... look at the rock.... you guys really think he got that big doing that whack routine and taking that artifical junk of a protein powder they got paid millions to have their names printed on them..??.. :p ha!!
if you believe that.. stick to legs bums and tums lol
Posted Tue, 01/22/2013 - 22:34
Of course he increases weight. What kind of question is that?
Posted Sun, 01/27/2013 - 09:39
man their routines are sh*t.. do the 5x5 workout routine for 6 weeks. i went up by 40% on everything.
this consisted of main compounds, 5 sets x 5 reps (heavy-duty strength training) 3 x a week.
On each workout day, increase the weight by 2.5kg in total, for each exercise...
*SQUATS
*BENCH PRESS
*OVER-HEAD PRESS
*SQUATS
*DEADLIFT
*BENT OVER ROWS
and additional:
*BICEP CURLS
*CLOSE GRIP BENCH...... so stop being pussys and get lifting!
Posted Sun, 02/17/2013 - 08:55
n00b gains
Posted Sun, 02/17/2013 - 11:59
Except this isn't their full routines.
The Rock said himself that he stepped up his workout routine to 6 days a week for Pain and Gain.
And Wahlberg actually did 5 days a week.
They both hit their muscle groups at least twice a week even three times,
Don't believe me? Look it up yourself it's plain and simple facts.
Posted Mon, 02/25/2013 - 06:52
how often do you repeat the routine
Posted Mon, 03/04/2013 - 20:39
From my knowledge in Exercise Physiology these splits are off for the results they are claiming.
Mark Wahlberg workout
4 sets of everything with 8-12 repetitions. And short 30-40min workouts filled with supersets (two workouts back-to-back targeting the antagonist of the workout. ie. Biceps curl then Triceps Push downs).
Unless the food has a HUGE factor in what he is doing (which it does) then his workouts are based around "Hypertrophy" and not "Power/Strength Gains." This means his workouts aren't technically allowing him to get stronger ("bigger" the "stronger" you get the larger your muscles become). To build muscle you need to do heavy set routines 4-7sets of 2-4reps with 3-5min breaks between each set. So for users that read this workout routine and believe they are going to get big and swole from it you will be disappointed. (there is a lot more to it, but this is in rough layman's terms)
And as for the Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson he already has a extremely built body. So his routine is based on a very advanced bodybuilding strategy. By focusing only on one muscle group per exercise you allow your body too much rest before you hit that muscle again. For a beginner this can be an issue, obviously not for him since he is The Rock and huge. So essentially all the "gains" you made on leg day (Thursday) will be for the most part gone by the time you hit them again the following Thursday.
Don't get me wrong. They are decent splits, but without the diet you won't hit Mark's gains, and without the body you won't sustain you current gains like The Rock.
Posted Fri, 03/29/2013 - 20:39
Pier, You sound like you are knowledgable in this area. Where can I find a workout routine for the entire body like the one to which you were referring? (heavy set routines 4-7sets of 2-4reps with 3-5min breaks between each set.)
Posted Sun, 05/12/2013 - 00:24
Hey man as a few other people mentioned you seem pretty knowledgeable about the workout routine. I feel like I know a decent amount about lifting and of course lower sets higher weight and focus on your diet. However I am looking for a better routine to add to my lifts. I was hoping you could send me something of a great schedule that would help me gain that additional strength. I would be focusing on usually 5 days a week. Anything you can suggest would be greatly appreciated. Thanks bud
Posted Tue, 03/05/2013 - 00:32
can u tell me for rocks workout if u should add or minus weight for his drop reps?!?!
Posted Sun, 03/24/2013 - 13:53
per now i will use the rock's program
Posted Wed, 03/27/2013 - 12:32
And lots of test and hgh
Posted Fri, 03/29/2013 - 08:17
The workout posted here for the Rock is from a 2002 edition of Muscle and Fitness - so I highly doubt he did this workout recently or even ever
Posted Sun, 03/31/2013 - 15:30
What are people's opinion on abs and cardio? Go about those as you would on a regular basis? And what kind of calories and carbs should be focused ? ( I know everybody is different for what their bodies need) just a general answer would work.
Posted Mon, 04/08/2013 - 04:39
Hi, I am James
I am a student at Stanford University and I see myself as the perfect candidate to answer your question. you should do 6 press ups a week and if you're feeling good maybe push for 8. This will turn you into a 'TANK' (after about 786 years). I hope this helps and you will be well on your way to becoming a WWE Champion
Posted Fri, 04/05/2013 - 21:43
you don't go down on weight it builds the muscle to continue the same weight in all sets
Posted Fri, 04/05/2013 - 21:46
No you do not lower the weight. It increases muscle when you leave the weight the same each rep. Shocks the muscle, after the 3rd rep the muscle gets "tired" by doing this you keep it burning.
Posted Sun, 04/07/2013 - 16:40
Wahlberg's workout is good if you do it twice a week and do abs on the off days. Not bad - done it one round - 2 days and 3rd one in about an hour.
But then again - I'm 51 years old. I lift in my garage. I like Marky Marks workout lol. I fine tuned it a bit.
Posted Mon, 04/08/2013 - 04:32
If I do this will I become a WWE Champion?
Posted Thu, 04/11/2013 - 17:56
Steroids period.
Posted Mon, 04/15/2013 - 10:50
Man hold up???, lots of feedback regarding the two workouts. Dude, I you really know what works put it out there, so for some of you have comment on you prefer and some just seem to be critiquing the workouts. We just want to know what's working to get us at least close to that superstar look.
Posted Fri, 04/19/2013 - 12:01
Amazed that Dwayne does not have many compound lifts - No BB Bench, Heavy Squats, Deadlifts, Military Press, Really shows the difference of lifting for hypertrophy compared to berserk strength. Dude is massive.
Posted Sun, 04/21/2013 - 21:33
There was not much core work on heavy sets such as dead's noticed here.
Posted Wed, 04/24/2013 - 11:48
Ive been doin this workout for a few weeks now but i add a few thing on.
Monday an added 4 sets of barbell uprows 12 reps
Tuesday i did 5 sets of one arm rows with sets 12-10-8-6-4 and added a light barbell row 4 sets of 8
Thursday i added a superset of calf raises after lunges
Friday i do wrist curls 4x12 and reverse barbell curls for forarms 4 sets 12-10-8-6
Saturday an extra set of 4 dumbell pullovers 12 reps
i work my abs monday wednesday friday an do a 15 cardio warm up each training day along with a full 2 hour cardio session on a sunday.
I only do slow reps both up and down.
Let me know what you think guys is this a good addin to this workout im quite new to this
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