Though the name likely needs no introduction, Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson is one of Hollywood’s highest paid actors known for his large, strong physique.

Equally as dedicated to his workouts as his career, the Rock is infamous for his demanding workout routines paired with a high calorie diet to meet his energy needs.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to exercise and eat like the Rock, this article will tell you more about the food he eats and his workout plan.

The Rock’s diet

The Rock eats a lot of food to sustain his body’s needs. He sticks to a pretty strict diet most days, but he does indulge in his favorite foods from time to time.

Calories per day

Because he’s so active, most days the Rock will eat over 5,000 calories. To put this into perspective, that’s about twice the number of calories recommended for most men his age (1Trusted Source).

He needs this energy to sustain his workouts and continue to build significant muscle mass.

Foods he eats

For 6 days a week, the Rock sticks to a very strict diet. He uses his rest day as a day for “cheat meals,” which he believes allows flexibility and prevents him from feeling deprived.

According to his Instagram and online interviews, on an average day, the Rock will eat 5–7 high protein meals, with cod, chicken, steak, eggs, and protein powder as his main protein sources.

He also eats plenty of complex carbohydrates with rice, sweet potato, oatmeal, and baked potatoes being some of his favorite choices.

For fat, he adds lots of healthy fats from peanut butter, eggs, coconut oil, and fish oil supplements.

He adds at least a cup of vegetables to the meal, which provides a good amount of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

Foods he avoids

Aside from cheat days, the Rock limits his intake of foods that are highly processed and high in calories due to their sugar and refined carb contents.

Beyond this, the Rock does not follow a specific restrictive diet that removes any food groups.

Sample meal plan

For 6 days a week, the Rock follows a strict high protein diet. On Sundays, he lets loose with an “epic” cheat day.

His usual diet

Most days of the week consist of 5–7 meals to fuel his highly active lifestyle.

While each day will vary, the Rock sticks to main staples in his diet, such as lean proteins (cod, steak, chicken, eggs), complex carbs (rice, potatoes, oatmeal), and mixed vegetables.

“Power Breakfast” (meal #1)

According to his Instagram, the Rock enjoys a “Power Breakfast” after he finishes his first workout of the day:

flank steak (8 ounces)

eggs (whole and egg whites)

brown rice (1.5 cups)

sautéed mushrooms, onions, and peppers

Mid-morning (meal #2)

cod (8 ounces)

sweet potato (12 ounces)

vegetables (1 cup)

Lunch (meal #3)

chicken (8 ounces)

white rice (2 cups)

vegetables (1 cup)

Mid-afternoon (meal #4)

cod (8 ounces)

white rice (2 cups)

vegetables (1 cup)

fish oil (1 tbsp.)

Late afternoon (meal #5)

steak (8 ounces)

baked potato (12 ounces)

spinach salad

First dinner (meal #6)

cod (10 ounces)

white rice (2 cups)

salad (leafy greens)

Second dinner (meal #7)

egg white omelet (10 eggs)

vegetables (1 cup)

fish oil (1 tbsp.)

whey protein (30 grams)

The Rock gets a bulk of his calories throughout the day from protein and carbohydrates and a moderate amount of fat. His diet is balanced with lots of vegetables, protein, and complex carbohydrates.

Post-workout shake

The Rock also sometimes consumes a post-workout smoothie within 10 minutes of finishing his workout.

According to his Instagram, his post-workout smoothie contains:

65–70 grams of whey protein

1 apple

30 grams of carbohydrate powder

1 scoop of electrolyte powder

creatine

water

ice

Cheat day

The Rock allows himself one “epic” cheat day — usually Sunday — to indulge in foods he restricts during the week. He states that cheat days should be as extreme as possible, since they’re “earned.”

These cheat meals can involve various food combinations, such as 12 pancakes with peanut butter and syrup, 3–4 double dough pizzas, a box of donuts, sushi, pasta, bagels, two “Big Daddy” burgers with the works, french fries, and plenty of desserts.

While his cheat meals vary considerably, most of his cheat days likely surpass 5,000–7,000 calories.