Dwayne Johnson cops flack sometimes for being more focused on bodybuilding than strength training. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with sticking to bodybuilding if that’s your jam, of course, but that doesn’t stop eye rolling internet commenters from deriding him (and anyone else) for avoiding squats and deadlifts.
It’s true that when he gave us a glimpse of a full workout last year, it involved a lot of machine work and zero barbell lifts. But in a post he just put on Instagram, he’s showing that he knows how to go heavy on one of our favorite barbell exercises: the hip thrust.
[What’s the big deal with hip thrusts? Check out our article, 6 things I learned from 6 months of hip thrusts!]
This is eleven hip thrusts at 405 pounds with a grueling 15 second hold at the end of the set. That guy’s glutes must be feeling pretty warm today. (Yeah, we’re thinking about Dwayne Johnson’s butt, what of it?)
He added the comment,
These are called the “Hobbs Beef Piston Power Thrusts” 😂🥩 with 405lbs with a 15sec burn, churn and hold at the end.
Then he spends a bunch of time talking about how he’s training his heinie so hard to prepare for the upcoming Fast & Furious spinoff, Hobbs and Shaw, a role that presumably requires a lot of hip extension.
[He’s starring with Jason Statham, who made our list of the 8 most impressive feats of strength from Hollywood actors.]
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Johnson thrusting hard, we saw him doing his barbell butt work this time last year with 225 pounds and a resistance band around his knees for extra bootification. Once again, he has those burning pauses at the end of his reps.
After describing it as an essential part of his warmup to help prevent injury, he added,
Plus this exercise showcases the relentless power in my thrust game which is my jam when we practice making babies. 😉💪🏾🦍
Hip thrusts are pretty great, work the glutes better than deadlifts, and can go a long way toward preventing knee and back pain and improving hip extension. Try them out!
Featured image via @therock on Instagram.