When it comes to rugged muscle mass, few Hollywood action stars can stand alongside John Cena. The former WWE superstar has firmly established himself on the silver screen, thrilling audiences with his acting skills and a truly impressive physique.
In this article, we’ll drill down on Cena’s workout and diet program. We’ll find out what he does on a daily basis to maintain his size, while staying lean and mean for his movie roles.
John Cena Stats
| Full Name | John Felix Anthony Cena |
| D.O.B | April 23, 1977 |
| Nickname | The Prototype |
| Height | 6’1” (185 cm) |
| Weight | 114 kg ( 251 lbs) |
| Chest | 50” |
| Waist | 36” |
| Biceps | 20” |
The John Cena Story
John Felix Anthony Cena was born on April 23, 1977, in West Newberry, Massachusetts. John and his four siblings were raised Catholics. He attended Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, Massachusetts, then transferred to the Cushing Academy, a private prep school, before attending Springfield, Massachusetts. In college, he played football on an NCAA Division III team as a center. Cena graduated in 1999 with a degree in exercise physiology and bodily movement.
After completing his studies, Cena found work as a limousine driver. At the same time, he pursued careers in bodybuilding and wrestling. He began his formal wrestling training in 1999 when he attended Ultimate Pro Wrestling’s Ultimate University in California. He soon took on the persona of a semi-robotic character called The Prototype. He wrestled with the UPW until March 2001.
Cena made his unofficial debut with the WWF in October 2000 under the Prototype billing and signed a developmental contract with the company in early 2001. He got a call up to the main roster in 2004, along with other future luminaries such as Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, and Batista.
Cena has won more than 20 championships in his professional wrestling career, including 13 WWE Heavyweight championships and three world heavyweight championships.
Cena’s film career began with 2006’s The Marine. This movie was a production of the WWE Studios, a division of the WWE. He starred in two more WWE Studios moves, along with the 2010 children’s film Fred: The Movie.
In 2015, Cena appeared in three moves: Trainwreck, Sisters, and Daddy’s Home. He has since kept busy with a succession of roles, including 2019’s Playing With Fire, 2020’s F9, and 2021’s The Suicide Squad.
In July 2009, Cena married Elizabeth Huberdeau, but they divorced three years later. Shortly after, he began dating fellow wrestler Nikki Bella. Cena proposed at Wrestlemania 33 in 2017, but the relationship ended the following year.
On October 12, 2020, Cena married Shay Shariatzadeh, who he met while filming 2019’s Playing With Fire.
John Cena Nutrition Program
John Cena has always been an extremely hard worker in the gym. He leaves nothing in the tank, whether he’s training to add mass, get ripped, or is on a maintenance phase. However, to fuel up that level of activity, he requires a ton of energy.
To supply his body with the energy he needs, Cena eats seven meals a day, spread a couple of hours apart. He averages 3,600 calories per day, with the following macro breakdown:
- Protein: 290 grams
- Carbs: 450 grams
- Fats: 65 grams
Here is a breakdown of a typical day’s worth of eating for John Cena:
Meal 1
- 4 scrambled eggs
- Swiss cheese
- Bacon
- Sautéed vegetables
or - 100g oatmeal with raisins and applesauce
- 6 egg whites
- 2 whole eggs
Meal 2
- A 200-250 calorie protein bar
or - 2 scoops of whey protein & 2 cups of water
Meal 3
- 2 chicken breasts
- 100g of brown rice
- Vegetables or salad
Meal 4
- Whole wheat pita bread
- Tuna
Meal 5
- A 200-250 calorie protein bar
or - 2 scoops of whey protein & 2 cups of water
Meal 6
- Pasta or brown rice
- Vegetables or salad
- Chicken or fish
Meal 7
- Low-fat cottage cheese
- Casein protein shake
Related: TDEE Calculator: Learn Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure
John Cena Nutrition Principles
The WWE star abides by the following dieting principles:
- Eat every two waking hours.
- Focus on high protein, low simple carb foods.
- Eat plenty of complex carbs.
- Casein protein at night for overnight amino acid release.
- Whey protein post-workout, containing about 40 grams of carbs to replenish glycogen reserves.
- Drink half a gallon of water each day.
- No refined sugars or artificial flavors.
John Cena Workout Protocol
Cena’s training regimen includes:
- A 5-day split routine.
- Medium to high reps (10-30) per set.
- Training to near failure in every set.
- Training every muscle group once per week.
- Testing one-rep max at least once a month on key exercises like squats, the bench press, and deadlifts.
John Cena Workout Program
John Cena began working out with weights at the age of 12. That’s when he caught the bodybuilding bug. In the decades since then, he’s used all sorts of routines. Over the last few years, his training focuses on maintaining his sizable gains while staying lean for his movie roles.
As with all actors, Cena trains for specific roles. So, if a script demands spending a lot of time wearing a tank top, he’ll prioritize working his arms. The following program is an example of the maintenance type training he is currently doing.
Monday: Legs & Calves
- Seated Calf Raise: 10 sets of 10-20 reps
- Standing Calf Raise: 4 sets of 25 reps
- Standing 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
41 years old. 500lbs x3 “clean grip” deadlift. #EarnTheDay #NeverGiveUp #RAW pic.twitter.com/U9b4q1KioI
— John Cena (@JohnCena) April 24, 2018
Tuesday: Chest
- Incline Machine Press: 3-4 sets of 20 reps
- Incline Bench Press: 3-4 sets of 20 reps
- Machine Fly: 3-4 sets of 15 reps
- Cable Fly: 3 sets of 15 reps
- Bench Press: 3 sets of 10 reps
Wednesday: Arms
Biceps
- Standing Barbell Curl: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Preacher Curl: 5 sets of 12 reps
- Dumbbell Curl: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Standing Cable Curl: 3 sets of 12 reps
Triceps
- Rope Push-down: 3 sets of 20 reps
- Single-Arm Cable Push-down: 3 sets of 10 reps
- Lying Triceps Extension: 6 sets to failure
- Standing Overhead Skull Crusher: 3 sets of 20 reps
- Seated Barbell Triceps Extension: 3 sets of 20 reps
- Tricep Dips: 4 sets to failure
Thursday: Shoulders
- Rear Delt Cable Fly: 5 sets of 20 reps
- Machine Overhead Press: 5 sets of 20 reps
- Machine Side Lateral Raise: 5 sets of 20 reps
- Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press: 3 sets of 10 reps
- Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 3 sets of 12 reps
- Seated Military Press: 3 sets of 10 reps
- Standing Barbell Press: 3 sets of 10 reps
Friday: Back
- Lat Pull-down: 5 sets of 20 reps
- Barbell Row: 5 sets of 12-20 reps
- Single-Arm Dumbbell Row: 5 sets of 12-20 reps
- Deadlift: 4 sets of 8-15 reps
- High Pull: 4 sets of 20 reps
- High Row: 4 sets of 20 reps
- Pull-up: 4 sets to failure
- Shrug: 4 sets of 20 reps
John Cena Supplement Regime
To ensure that he has all his nutritional bases covered, John relies on three key supplements:
Protein Powder
John typically has three protein shakes per day. These are usually in meals number two, five, and seven. In the first two meals, he uses a whey protein isolate, which has most of the carbs and milk fats removed. Whey protein is a fast-acting protein. It facilitates the quick release and absorption of amino acids into the muscles, promoting protein synthesis.
The last meal of the day will be a casein protein drink. Casein is slower acting and provides a slow release of amino acids throughout the night.
Check Out: 10 Best Protein Powders Reviewed
Protein Bars
Cena uses protein bars as a substitute for whey protein. However, he only buys bars free of artificial flavors and preservatives.
Related: 14 Absolute Best Tasting Protein Bars In 2022
BCAAs
John adds a BCAA powder to his pre-workout shake. The powder provides six grams of branch chain amino acids in the 2:1:1 ratio so that there is twice as much leucine as valine and isoleucine.
Check out the best BCAA Supplements of 2024
Multi-Vitamins
John takes a daily multivitamin that covers at least twice the daily value (DV) of the following key vitamins:
- Vitamin A (DV = 5000 IU)
- Vitamin C (DV = 60 mg)
- Vitamin D (DV = 400 IU)
- Vitamin E (DV = 30 IU)
Hardcore athletes require more vitamins than sedentary people, prompting Cena to opt for a multivitamin that delivers a higher dose of the most important vitamins.
These are the 8 Best Vegan Multivitamins of 2023
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Conclusion
John Cena is one of the most successful athletes to emerge from the WWE universe. After attaining legendary status in the ring, he has carved out a space for himself as an action hero in Hollywood. In this article, we’ve covered how he trains and eats to maintain his A-level physique.
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