How John Cena gets those big guns! The WWE Muscleman explains his workout for huge arms!

WWE wrestler John Cena is known for his incredible stature, after all, he's been working out since he was 18. After competing in some bodybuilding shows in his late teens and early twenties Cena set his sights on Wrestling. Now at 31 years old John Cena certainly knows his body and currently standing at 6ft 1" and 240 pounds is certainly in the shape of his life. But how does he do it? Here's a glimpse into Cena's arm routine.

John Cena Workout & Diet

1) SEATED ONE-ARM DUMBBELL OVERHEAD EXTENSION

Cena sits on a bench with a dumbbell raised behind his head, so that his upper arm is vertical and his elbow is extended. To begin the movement, he lowers the dumbbell as far as he comfortably can behind his head, which usually results in the weight touching his upper back lightly in the bottom most position. He pauses for a second in "the hole," feeling an intense stretch along the entire length of his triceps, before raising the weight back to the starting position, making sure to keep the upper half (i.e. the biceps and triceps) of his working arm stationary. However many reps he completes, he matches that with the other arm to prevent the creation of a strength imbalance or exacerbating any existing imbalance.

2) CLOSE-GRIP CHIN

Cena hangs from a bar overhead using a narrow, underhand grip. Pulling, rather than jerking, he lifts his body till his chin approaches the bar. Lowering himself slowly, he returns to the starting position and repeats. (If you have trouble lifting your bodyweight for the number of reps listed, Cena recommends using an assisted version such as the Gravitron machine.)

3) PREACHER-BENCH EZ-BAR CURL

Cena positions the seat pad so that when he sits down his elbows rest nearer to the bottom than the top of the vertical side of the arm pad. He holds a weighted bar with a shoulder-width grip and bends his elbows slightly before the rep even begins. He flexes his elbows in earnest to begin curling the weight at a moderate pace, under control. He stops once the bar nears his chin, squeezes his biceps hard for a one-count, then slowly lowers the bar back down, rather than simply letting it drop.

          

4) PARALLEL-BAR DIP

After selecting parallel dip bars that are slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, Cena lifts himself using a neutral grip (palms facing his body) until his arms are fully extended and his torso is nearly upright. (The closer your arms are to the sides of your body, the greater the triceps stimulation.) In this starting position, his knees are bent 90 degrees and his ankles are crossed. Without letting his elbows flare out and keeping his torso as vertical as possible, Cena bends his elbows to lower his body as far as he comfortably can in a controlled descent, at which point he feels a stretch in his shoulder joints. He straightens his elbows to lift his body back up, pushing until his arms are fully extended.

If you're a beginner and find the dip exercise too difficult, try going through a shorter range of motion and then gradually increasing the depth. Also useful are machines that allow you to do the exercise with less than bodyweight.

5) STANDING ALTERNATE DUMBBELL CURL

Holding a pair of dumbbells at arms' length so that his palms face each other, Cena stands with his feet approximately shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, torso erect, low back slightly arched and abs tight. He begins curling one dumbbell toward his shoulder, turning his wrist as he goes so that by the time the dumbbell approaches his shoulder, his palm is facing up. At full contraction, he squeezes his biceps hard and then lowers the weight back down to his side. He repeats using the other arm, continuing in alternating fashion until he completes his reps.

TRAINING SPLIT

DAY BODYPARTS TRAINED

1 Upper body
2 Lower body
3 Cardio
4 Upper body
5 Lower body
6 Cardio
7 None

THE ROUTINE

EXERCISE SETS REPS

Seated One-Arm DB 3-4 8-10
Overhead Extension
Parallel-Bar Dip* 3-4 8-10
Close-Grip Chin 3-4 8-10
-or-
Preacher-Bench 3-4 8-10
EZ-Bar Curl
Standing Alternate 3-4 8-10
DB Curl

NUTRITION AND DIET:

John's diet is the most important aspect when it comes to keeping in shape. Don't just think he trains hard in the gym, his diet accounts for much of his success in achieving the physique he has.

Typically a days nutrition intake would be:

Breakfast: 8 eggs, 8 whites, two yellows and 100g of oatmeal with applesauce or raisins.

Midmorning snack: protein bar

Lunch: 2 x Chicken Breasts, 100g Brown Rice and veggies

Mid-afternoon snack: Tuna in Wholewheat Pitta Breads

Pre-Post Workout: Whey Protein Shake and a Banana

Dinner: Grilled fish or chicken, brown rice or pasta, vegetables, and salad.

Evening Snack: Casein Protein Shake Protein shake or Low Fat Cottage Cheese Slow Release Proteins)

STATS:

BIRTHDATE: April 23, 1977

FROM: West Newbury, Massachusetts

HEIGHT: 6'1"

WEIGHT: 240 pounds

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Article Excerpts courtesy of Muscle & Fitness Magazine