Pulling off incredible feats of human achievement is commonplace for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. His movies have grossed more than $3.4 billion in the U.S. alone; his social media presence is so overwhelming that a mere photo of his Flintstonian dinner on Instagram can gather over 4 million likes in a matter of days; and in recent years, he’s become an annual fixture on TIME’s hallowed list of the 100 Most Influential People.
But that’s not enough for the most decorated man in Hollywood—not even close. Because for his upcoming movie, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Johnson is looking to do the unthinkable: get even bigger. Well, physically, at least.
We talked to Johnson’s trainer, Dave Rienzi, about the strict workout program the actor took on as he prepared to once again appear on screen as Luke Hobbs, and he made it clear that Team Rock was insistent on pushing the boundaries of his physique ever further, saying, “Historically with the Hobbs character, everyone knows him as being massive, big, and very strong. For this version we were looking to refine his physique by adding size and dimension while achieving a new level of leanness.”
In short, the team needed to create “Hobbs 2.0.”
To hit their marks, the team had to balance the aesthetics that make Johnson look like a larger-than-life bulldozer of an action star with the functional muscle that helps him actually pull off the stunts and fights that fans love. “[We] knew it was going to be physical—we knew there were going to be a lot of fight scenes,” Rienzi told us. This meant workouts were designed for both form and function, ensuring that, “all the muscles are firing properly, [and that] there are no muscle imbalances.” The result? Well, look for yourself:
For just a taste of the grueling workouts Johnson put himself through, you can take a look at his Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw back routine below. Think you can keep up? We believe in you, but it also can’t hurt to make sure your life insurance policy is in order. Ya know, just in case.
Perform the first 5 reps as half reps, going from the bottom position to halfway up. Then do 10 reps at full range of motion, pausing for 2 seconds at the bottom of the rep.
