Dwayne Johnson’s 60lb Transformation: Expert Insights Amid Speculation

Famed for his muscular physique, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson stunned fans this week when he debuted a much slimmer frame during the 82nd Venice Film Festival.

The former wrestler, 53, is currently promoting his latest project, The Smashing Machine, where he is nearly unrecognisable as mixed martial arts and UFC champion Mark Kerr. 

Dwayne is said to have used prosthetics and a wig to look more like the 56-year-old former college wrestler-turned-MMA champ – but it’s his striking weight loss which has grabbed the attention of fans, with the actor reportedly shedding a whopping 60lbs for the role. 

This has led to wide speculation among fans as to whether he had jumped on the celebrity trend of using fat jabs, such as Ozempic and Mounjaro.

Dwayne previously admitted that when he made his break into Hollywood in the mid-2000s he was told to lose weight in order to be taken seriously as an actor, but in recent years he has looked more ripped than ever.  

Now, an expert has revealed to the Daily Mail the secrets behind how the star may have achieved such an extreme transformation.

The Smashing Machine, by super-indie production company A24, tells the story of the MMA star Mark, and his struggles with substance abuse and domestic dramas, as well as his sporting journey at a point when the wrestling phenomenon had yet to become a big cultural noise. 

‘This transformation was something I was really hungry to do,’ Dwayne told The Hollywood Reporter on Monday during the Venice Film Festival. 

‘I had been very fortunate to have the career that I’ve had over the years and to make the films that I’ve made, but there was just a voice inside of me, a little voice that said, “Well, what if I could do more — I want to do more and what does that look like?”‘

The transformation shocked fans, with social media users musing over his apparent weight loss and reduction in muscle. 

Kunal Makwana, a personal trainer and the founder of KMAK Fitness, explained that a combination of tightly controlled calorie-deficit eating and a strict training regime could account for the weight loss. 

Speaking to the Daily Mail about Dwayne’s approach to nutrition to achieve the transformation, Kunal said: ‘Losing around 60lbs, especially for someone as muscular as Dwayne Johnson, requires an incredibly disciplined approach. The diet would have been strict and structured, focused on creating a calorie deficit while keeping protein intake high to maintain his muscle mass. 

‘That usually means plenty of lean proteins like chicken, fish, and eggs, alongside vegetables and carefully controlled portions of complex carbs such as rice or sweet potato. It’s less about quick fixes and more about precision so every meal will have been weighed, and every calorie accounted for, with absolutely no processed foods, snacks or takeaways allowed.’

When it comes to Dwayne’s fitness regime, Kunal said he would have had to add lots of cardio and interval training to his weight training in order to shed the weight. 

He said: ‘The Rock is already famous for his gym sessions, but to lose this amount of weight he must have had training sessions throughout each day, like that of an athlete. 

‘Strength training would have been the key focus to preserve his muscle, but he’d also have included a huge amount of conditioning work such as cardio sessions, high-intensity interval training, and fight-specific drills to reflect the role he’s preparing for.’

The speed of Dwayne’s weight loss led some fans to speculate as to whether he had used weight loss jabs such as Ozempic or Mounjaro amid the rising number of celebrities turning to them. 

But Kunal doesn’t believe this is the case with Dwayne, as it would hinder his training rather than help it.  

‘There’s been a lot of speculation about Johnson taking weight loss jabs to achieve the desired shape, but I think it’s highly unlikely,’ he said. ‘The jabs work primarily by suppressing appetite which is not a tool someone like him would benefit from, because he needs to fuel hours of gruelling training every day. 

‘The suggested side effects of nausea, fatigue and digestive upset would also make it very difficult to train at the level required. 

‘His transformation is much more likely the result of a tightly controlled diet and an extreme, sport-specific training regime.’

Kunal went on to give advice to those who might try and replicate Dwayne’s look, as he stressed that safe weight loss results in just one or two pounds a week shedded, with 60 pounds taking over a year to lose.

With a team of world-class professionals to hand, Kunal predicted that Dwayne’s weight loss could have been achieved in six months. 

He said: ‘It’s important to stress that safe weight loss for most people is just one to two pounds per week. At that pace, 60 pounds would take a year or more. 

‘Even with world-class trainers and nutritionists to hand, I’d expect a transformation like this to take around six months. Anything faster would risk losing muscle mass and could cause longer-term health issues.’

In June, Dwayne appeared on the Dr. Mark Hyman Show explaining that he had turned to the functional medicine physician for help with a gut-related problem.

‘You said, very succinctly, “I’m not going to treat your symptoms. I’m going to go deeper than that and treat the root cause of what’s going on”,’ the actor said of their first meeting. ‘And I said, “I love that”.’

Tests showed that multiple rounds of antibiotics he had taken in the past had damaged the lining of his intestines. 

‘We basically rehabbed your gut,’ Dr Mark said, explaining the health regimen he prescribed Dwayne at the time.