He's the face that runs the place, and the only thing that works harder than the WWE megastar is the workout routine John Cena follows to stay in shape.
As a trainer and fan of the wrestler, I wanted to understand how John Cena maintains an aesthetic and powerful physique.
So, after a week of research, watching his fights, and delving into WWE training principles, I've unearthed John Cena's workout and diet plan.
Let's dive right in.
Quick Summary
- John Cena's workout examples are seated calf raises, leg presses, squats, single-leg extensions, bench presses, preacher curls, rope press downs, triceps dips, and pull-ups.
- Cena's exercises can be grouped into back workouts, shoulder workouts, arms workouts, chest workouts, and leg exercises.
- Cena prioritizes a strong pre-workout mentality, which, according to research from Ranganathan et al., helps build strength.
- Cena advises anyone who tries his exercises to always start low on reps and gradually increase them with time.
John Cena Stats
- Date of birth: April 23, 1977
- Height: 5’11’ (180 cm)
- Weight: 250 lbs (113 kgs)
- Chest: 50 in (127 cm)
- Waist: 36 in (91 cm)
- Biceps: 19 in (48 cm)
What Is John Cena's Workout Routine?
John Cena's workout routine is a five-day split with low-frequency training using several sets and reps once a week, all focused on particular muscle groups.
That was his peak. Cena now follows a four-day split.
Here's what his peak workout routine looks like.
"I work out four times a week. The day I can't handle four times a week, we'll go down to three. It's not too complicated."
- John Cena
Other workout routines:
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Day 1: Legs and Calves
Cena performed two calf exercises, followed by six leg exercises:
- Seated calf raises: 10 sets of 10–20 reps
- Standing bodyweight calf raise: 4 sets of 25 reps
- Standing single leg curl: 4 sets of 20–25 reps
- Leg press: 5 sets of 20 reps
- Leg extension: 4 sets of 15 reps
- Squat: 4 sets of 10 reps
- Hack squat: 3 sets of 15 reps
- Single-leg extension: 3 sets of 10 reps
Crunches: 60 reps at the end of training
Day 2: Chest
Here's what Cena's chest workout comprised:
- Incline machine press: 3–4 sets of 20 reps
- Incline bench press: 3–4 sets of 20 reps
- Pec dec: 3–4 sets of 15 reps
- Cable crossovers: 3–4 of 15 reps
- Bench press: 3 sets of 10 reps
Crunches: 60 reps at the end of training
Day 3: Arms
Cena began his arm workout with the following bicep exercises:
- Preacher curls: 5 sets of 12 reps
- Standing barbell curl: 3 sets of 10–12 reps
- Seated dumbbell curl: 3 sets of 10–12 reps
- Standing cable curl: 3 sets of 12 reps
The WWE star then followed up with the following tricep workout:
- Rope pressdown: 3 sets of 20 reps
- Single-arm cable pressdown: 3 sets of 10 reps
- Lying tricep extension: 6 sets AMRAP (as many reps as possible)
- Overhead EZ bar extension: 3 sets of 20 reps
- Seated barbell tricep extension: 3 sets of 20 reps
- Tricep dip: 4 sets maximum reps
Crunches: 60 reps at the end of training
Day 4: Shoulders
Cena didn't take shoulder day lightly. The following exercises were key in his bulging shoulders:
- Rear delt machine flyes: 5 sets of 20 reps
- Machine overhead press: 5 sets of 20 reps
- Machine lateral raise: 5 sets of 20 reps
- Seated overhead press: 3 sets of 10 reps
- Dumbbell lateral raise: 3 sets of 12 reps
- Military press: 3 sets of 10 reps
Crunches: 60 reps at the end of training
Day 5: Back
John Cena built a powerful back with the following exercises:
- Lat pulldowns: 5 sets of 20 reps
- Barbell rows: 5 sets of 12–20 reps
- One-arm dumbbell rows: 5 sets of 12–20 reps
- Deadlifts: 4 sets of 8–15 reps
- High pulls: 4 sets of 20 reps
- Pull-ups: 4 sets maximum reps
- Barbell shrugs: 5 sets of 20 reps
Crunches: 60 reps at the end of training
Workout Principles
John Cena's success in the gym goes beyond physical strength; it's deeply rooted in his psychological resilience and mental fortitude.
And I don't say that lightly; it's backed by research. A 2004 study by Ranganathan et al. found that having positive mental power may improve strength gains [1].
His approach to training involves a strong mental game: he focuses on setting realistic goals and maintaining a positive mindset, even in the face of challenges.
Cena's philosophy is about pushing limits while maintaining a clear focus on his objectives, whether it's preparing for a wrestling match or a movie role.
John Cena Diet Plan
John Cena eats as seriously as he trains.
Here's what a day of eating might look like for the WWE Champ:
- Meal 1: Oatmeal with applesauce and raisins, two whole eggs, and six egg whites
- Meal 2: Protein bar
- Meal 3: Brown rice with vegetables and two chicken breasts
- Meal 4: Whole wheat pita bread with tuna
- Meal 5: Banana and a whey protein shake
- Meal 6: Pasta or brown rice, vegetables, salad with chicken or fish
- Meal 7: Low-fat cottage cheese along with a casein protein shake
Diet Principles
John Cena is a bulky man, and as such, he has to eat a lot to maintain and build muscle.
If you take a look at John Cena's diet plan, you'll notice that the WWE superstar is eating significantly more than your average of three square meals a day. It's a lot of calories and a superhero amount of protein.
A recent review in Frontiers in Nutrition suggested that consuming more calories (and, I'd like to add, clean calories) might be beneficial to muscle growth [2].
As part of his diet plan, John Cena eats a balanced combination of brown rice and vegetables to fuel his weight training and professional wrestling career.
His Supplement Stack
While I haven't found anything specific about John Cena's supplement stack (probably because he's not public about it), our dietician recommended the following supplements based on Cena's diet:
- Whey protein powder
- Creatine
- BCAAs
- Multivitamins
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4836564/
- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2019.00131/full
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