Estimated reading time: 20 minute(s)
Born as Dwayne Johnson, the world knows The Rock as a pro wrestler who eventually became one of the biggest male stars in Hollywood. The fame he enjoyed rose to the extent that in 2020, he was declared the highest-paid male actor. Hollywood has a history of favoring men with high musculature in lead roles, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger being the primary examples. The trend has become particularly prominent over the past decade as superhero movies have suddenly dominated Hollywood.
Given that the number of superhero movies and their demand continues to rise, producers and directors are looking for men with heavy bodies and musculature to lead them. This is what drives many actors to turn to artificial support for bigger bodies, and for most of them, this support comes from using steroids.
Hollywood is known to have multiple actors using steroids to transform their bodies appropriately for certain movie roles. Among all these actors, Dwayne John remains a notable name.
Does Dwayne Johnson Do Steroids?
Dwayne’s body weight is one of the primary reasons people doubt his steroid use. The actor has gained approximately 40 pounds of muscle since his adult life which can be extremely difficult to achieve without artificial support. At present, the actor weighs more than what Arnold Schwarzenegger did during his peak bodybuilding career. Amidst all the ongoing steroid-related speculations, Johnson admitted to using steroids; however, according to him, it was limited to the early stages of his career.
During an MTV interview in 2009, the actor confessed that he and his friends tried it when he was 18 or 19. Dwayne also mentioned that he did not understand his actions’ nature and consequences. Since his teenage years, The Rock has remained a prominent advocator of avoiding performing enhancing products. He also mentioned that steroid use was not as common now as it was a decade ago, especially among people belonging to wrestling careers. Dwayne further mentioned that back then, there was a culture that allowed steroid use to be easily overlooked. However, stronger penalties are in place for people with suspected steroid use, which act as a good example for kids to follow and understand the repercussions of what may happen if they do not stop.
Among all allegations of steroid use, Dwayne Johnson has been extremely open about his routine to maintain his sizeable body and physique. According to different media sources, Johnson’s good physique results from the combined efforts of a strength-training coach and chefs working together to decide the precise macro count for maintaining Dwayne’s superhero figure. Because the statement sounds complicated, it requires a lot of additional details for the actor to clear the mud off his name.
Decoding Dwayne Johnson Steroids Use: The Optimal Age to Build Strength and Muscle
The biggest reason people are so doubtful of Dwayne Johnson’s steroid use is his current physique compared to his age. According to research, the human body’s ability to build muscle mass increases during the teenage years, ultimately peaking during the late 20s. Testosterone is the primary male hormone required to build muscles, and its production slowly declines by 3 percent every year after peaking at the age of 18 years [1]. Additionally, remember that for most people, the peak muscle strength is around 25 years of age. However, some can maintain this strength for another five to ten years through regular resistance training.
So far, very few athletes over the age of 35 have been the champions of their respective sports fields. The average NBA player is around 26 years old, whereas most sprinters peak in their careers in their mid-20s. Once a person is past this point, their ability to build more muscle mass or maintain it starts declining steadily, so many resort to testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) to combat the decreasing natural testosterone reservoirs. [2]
People doubting Dwayne Johnson steroids use have often compared his photos from an early age, where he looks bulky with high body fat. Twenty years after his prime time, the wrestler is larger than he was during his early adulthood in WWE when he was already taking performance enhancers. This comparison does not make sense and shows that the actor’s muscle mass and physique growth could be due to continued steroid use. Some people also speculate that he is now on a higher dose of performance-enhancing drugs or has chosen more powerful versions of these products to maintain his physique.
The Rock on Steroids: In the Light of WWE’s Well-Documented Steroid Use
Before Dwayne Johnson started starring in movies, he was known to the world as The Rock, an acclaimed wrestler who battled numerous fights as a part of The WWE. The organization has a well-documented history of having wrestlers who depended on heavy steroid use. The Rock got his big break in the mid-1990s when he began his career at The WWE. By the end of 1990s, he had earned a good name for himself. His father was also a professional wrestler who worked under the same organization during the early 1980s under the name Rocky Johnson. Rocky also had an impressive physique with a billed weight of around 262 lb.
During his father’s tenure in The WWE, many wrestlers used to commonly use steroids to get into good shapes. The secrets of steroid use were disclosed many years later by Hulk Hogan, the agency’s top wrestler. This steroid abuse continued by professional wrestlers through the 1990s. According to The Undertaker, another WWE superstar, it was mostly due to the pressure wrestlers bore to look as ripped and huge as possible.
Apart from The Rock, many other WWE wrestlers have been previously implicated for their underlying steroid use. Some of these wrestlers include the following:
- Hulk Hogan
- Randy Orton
- Roman Reigns
- Kurt Angle
- Eddie Guerrero
- Brock Lesner
- Batista
- The Ultimate Warrior
- The British Bulldog
- Jesse Ventura
- Chris Benoit
Many wrestlers mentioned above were caught using steroids in drug tests, while others admitted using them alone. Some even faced serious consequences, such as Eddie Guerrero reportedly died in 2005 due to acute heart failure secondary to prolonged steroid use. While Dwayne Johnson has also accepted that he used steroids at some point in his life, he has negated that he is still using them.
FAQs
Who has raised accusations about The Rock on steroids?
Joe Rogan is the person who has accused The Rock or Dwayne Johnson of using steroids to maintain his body and physique. He is against the idea that the wrestler-turned-actor is clean, especially with such a muscular body at 50. Joe further said that to achieve The Rock’s current physique, even HRT or hormone replacement therapy may not work. He also compared the pictures of The Rock before and after steroids use to make his point.
Does The Rock Do Steroids?
While many accusations have been made regarding Dwayne Johnson steroids use, it remains unclear whether he truly uses them. Most people remain hopeful that his body is natural as the actor is known for doing a lot of good in the world as has earned a position as a good human being.
References
[1] Stanworth RD, Jones TH. Testosterone for the aging male; current evidence and recommended practice. Clinical interventions in aging. 2008 Jan 1;3(1):25-44.
[2] Shoskes JJ, Wilson MK, Spinner ML. Pharmacology of testosterone replacement therapy preparations. Translational andrology and urology. 2016 Dec;5(6):834.
