The Rock Legs Workout delivers a massive lower body. Dwayne Johnson first revealed this workout while getting in shape for Hercules. Fresh off filming for Baywatch, this is The Rock’s routine for developing huge quads, hamstrings and calves. The Rock uses a higher rep range when doing leg workouts. This is the key to helping him get a huge lower body.
For Leg Extensions, Seated Leg Press and Walking Lunges, he uses 20 repetitions. For Hack Squats, Romanian Deadlifts, Lying Leg Curls and Leg Abductors, Dwayne Johnson uses 12 reps. To finish his legs workout, The Rock works his calves with both standing and seated calf raises. For these two final calves exercises, The Rock does at least 25 reps per set.
The Rock Legs Workout Routine
Here’s The Rock Legs Workout Routine in a format you can print and take to the gym with you. It was put together directly from tweets The Rock provided while he was training for the movie, Hercules.
The Rock provided this superhero workout to his fans on Twitter and Instagram while training for the movie, Hercules. He may also have used a similar workout for Baywatch.
Tuesday – Legs Day
- Leg Extensions (4 x 20 reps)
- Seated Leg Presses (4 x 20; Superset Leg Presses with exercise #3 (below) to work the hamstrings and quads, back to back)
- Weighted Walking Lunges (4 sets with dumbbells, note: 20x each leg)
- Hack Squat Machine (4 sets x 12 reps)
- Romanian Deadlifts (4 sets of 12 reps)
- Lying Leg Curls (4 sets x 12 reps)
- Leg Abductor (4 sets of 12 reps)
- Standing Calf Raises (3 sets x 25 reps)
- Seated Calf Raises (3 sets x 25 reps)
Leg Exercise Tutorials: The Rock Legs Routine will help you get huge legs. Two things needed to deliver massive growth are diet and technique. You must consume a lot of calories before and after each workout. Your technique must also ensure that you focus on working the correct muscle group. Muscle Building Workouts are all about diet and technique.
Seated Machine Leg Extensions
- Sit on the seated leg extension machine, placing your legs under the pad with your feet pointed forward. The pad should rest comfortably on your lower shin. Adjust the brace to make sure you’re comfortable. This is the starting position.
- Focus on using your quads to complete the exercise. Fully extend your legs, close as you can to 90 degrees, or as far as the machine allows. Don’t go past 90 degrees.
- Exhale as you perform the extension, using both legs to drive the machine. Hold for a count of 1 second, then return to starting position.
- Inhale, as you are return to starting position. Rest for 60 seconds between sets. If you don’t rest enough, you won’t be able to push your muscles to the max.
- Repeat, until you finish your desired number of reps. The Rock Legs workout routine incorporates 4 sets of 20 reps. Before filming, The Rock says he increases this to 4 x 25 reps before filming Baywatch and other movies.
Don’t have access to a seated leg press machine?
As a substitute, use these other exercises, working the same primary muscle group:
- Box Jumps
- Barbell/Dumbbell Squats
- Explosive Leaps
Seated Leg Press
- Sit down on the leg press machine, placing your legs on the ledge directly in front of your body. This is starting position. Your feet should be shoulder width apart, with toes generally pointed slightly outward.
- Push all the way up until your legs are almost fully extended, but refrain from locking your knees. Your torso and legs should be at a 90degree angle to each other. This is the start position.
- Inhaling, slowly lower the platform until your upper and lower legs form a 90-degree angle.
- Exhale as you return to starting position. Drive through with the heels of your feet, engaging your quads as the focus of the exercise.
- Repeat until you’ve reached your goal/target/required number of reps. The Rock Legs workout routine incorporates 4 sets of 20 reps.
- If you’re up for a challenge, do what Dwayne Johnson does. He says he ‘supersets’ Seated Leg Press with Walking Lunges. This means you do one set of Leg Press, then immediately do one set of Walking Lunges. Finally, rest and repeat.
Don’t have access to a seated leg press machine? Then, use one of these exercises, which focus on the same primary muscle group:
- Frog Jumps
- Mountain Climbers
- Swiss Ball Ab Pike Press
Leg Abductors
- Set up an abductor machine by selecting and appropriate weight and adjusting the seat and leg pads to a comfortable position.
- If fitted, grasp the handles on each side of the machine.
- Keep your entire upper body straight and stationary with your back pressed firmly against the back rest. This is the start position.
- While exhaling, press against the legs pads of the machine with your legs, by slowly spreading them.
- When you feel a slight stretching in your abductors, hold for one second, before squeezing them as you do so.
- In a controlled movement, return to the start position, inhaling as you do so.
- Repeat for your desired amount of repetitions. The Rock Legs workout routine incorporates 4 sets of 12 reps.
Don’t have access to a leg abductor machine? Then, use one of these exercises, which focus on the same primary muscle group:
- Barbell Snatch
- Single Leg Glute Bridge
- Hip Extension with Leg Lift
The Rock Calves Workout
The Rock is famous for having exceptional calves. The capstone to getting a huge lower body is working your calves. Dwayne Johnson revealed on Twitter and Instagram what he does to sculpt his calves. Johnson says to get them in shape with the following two exercises: Standing Calf Raises and Seated Calf Raises.
Although he normally does 3 x 25 reps, he increases this to 5 sets of 75 reps right before filming a movie. Like he does here:
Standing Calf Raises
- Use a Standing Calf Raise machine, or simply place an elevated step 2-3 inches high in front of you.
- For added resistance, hold a dumbbell in each hand to perform standing dumbbell calf raises.
- Place your toes and the balls of your feet on the step. The higher the elevation, the harder the exercise / workout.
- Avoid placing the arches of your feet on the step. Instead, keep your arches and heels flat on the ground. This is starting position.
- Now, raise your the back portion of your feet as high as you can. Use the balls of your feet, along with your toes, to gain elevation.
- Repeat for your desired number of repetitions. The Rock Legs workout routine incorporates 3 sets of 25 reps.
- In the weeks before shooting a movie, he increases the intensity by doing more reps and sets.
While filming Hercules, The Rock says he increased his number of reps over time. In fact, he told Twitter he got up to 5 sets of 75 reps (just days before filming a Hercules movie fight scene).
Seated Calf Raises
- Start the Calf Raise exercise by getting into the seated calf raise machine.
- Position your upper thighs along the upper part of the pad.
- Place your feet on the foot plate. Focus on using the balls of your feet to drive your power during the exercise. This is starting position.
- Make sure to use as much weight as you can. No need babying your calves.
- Raise your heels, as if you were about to stand up on your toes. Continue until you feel a stretch in your legs. Feel the weight drive up using just your calf muscle, especially focusing on lower calves.
- Hold at the apex for just a slight moment, before returning to starting position.
- Repeat for your desired number of repetitions. The Rock does 3 sets of 25 reps at a minimum.
- In the weeks before shooting a movie, he increases the intensity by doing more reps and sets. (5 x 50-75 reps for Hercules)
The Rock’s Leg Workout Routine Intensity
Normally, The Rock’s leg workout routine is only performed on Tuesdays. On Twitter, Johnson said Hercules must have huge legs from the 7 Labors he had to complete. Therefore, The Rock’s goals were to have huge legs. If that’s also your goal, consider doing this workout twice (2x) per week.
The Rock upped his routine, while filming Hercules by doing this workout on Tuesdays, and again on Saturdays. Intensity is the most important thing. Whether you choose to work your legs once or twice a week, the important thing is to make sure you go as hard as you can. Maintain proper technique and a high-calorie diet (especially post-workout), too.