Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson‘s downsized physique transformation has caught the attention of Joe Rogan and Derek of More Plates More Dates. On December 2, 2025, they discussed The Rock’s new look, his use of peptides, and his latest health phase.
Fans have watched The Rock evolve as an actor over the years. He began his career in the Pro wrestling sphere before committing to his Hollywood takeover. From the Fast & Furious franchise to his hulking role in Black Adam, Johnson has become one of the top-grossing actors in the world.
In his most recent project, the 53-year-old bulked up his physique for The Smashing Machine, where he played a struggling MMA fighter. Fans were blown away by The Rock’s unrecognizable facial prosthetics and size. However, shortly after the film’s release, Johnson downsized his physique.
This sparked intrigue from fans who suspected that he had stopped using performance-enhancing drugs. Now, Rogan and Derek of MPMD are providing insight into why he decided to stop pursuing a muscular physique in favor of a streamlined appearance.
Joe Rogan, Derek MPMD Unpack The Rock’s Peptide Use and Downsized Physique
In the video, Derek and Rogan opened up about The Rock talking about peptides. Rogan called his transformation crazy, with Derek suggesting it was part of The Rock’s latest health phase.
“I actually saw The Rock talking about peptide use recently,” said Derek MPMD.
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“Interesting, dipping his toes in the water,” laughs Rogan. “He’s lost a ton of weight, man. It’s kind of crazy.”
“Yeah, there’s a lot of speculation about if it’s a health thing or what. That’s tough to know because he just had the role where he gained the most size he ever has too,” said Derek.
“God, that had to be terrible for him,” adds Rogan.
They presume that Johnson knew about the risks associated with a bigger, more muscular physique at 300 pounds.
“You would think proactively he would know how close he is to kind of an issue,” Derek said.
“Probably pretty close, 50 years old and getting up to 300 pounds.”
If Derek were to guess, he believes The Rock will eventually add back the muscle he lost.
“He probably had more preventative screenings before that role to know he could even subject himself to it without dying because it’s a pretty risky endeavor to go become the biggest you’ve ever been at that age.
To then downsize after, the theory is that he was literally about to die, essentially, so that’s why he lost so much weight now.”
“I think maybe he’s trying to take a health phase and come down in weight for a bit, and then he’ll probably crank it back up.”
They emphasized that The Rock has remained deceptive about his suspected gear use:
“He’s been very coy about it, actually not even coy, probably just deceptive.”
“He’s just strategically perfect in his tact for avoiding it,” shared Derek.
“Instead of saying I’ve never taken steroids, he’s kind of like, look over there!” Joe Rogan said.
The Rock has gone public, admitting that he ‘100%’ was not using steroids. In an interview, he shared that he was having heart trouble. Many believe this nudged him to look after his health instead of going after the biggest physique possible.
At 53 years old, The Rock’s focus has shifted to longevity and health. Time will tell if he decides to pack on more weight for another big movie role.
RELATED: The Rock Talks 2025 Leg Workout Routine Using Monster Sets for ‘Steady Progress & Gains’








He’s a weak-ass liberal loser!