In order to get and stay in shape for his titular role in the movie Hercules, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson ate seven meals a day for a total of 4,500 calories. His three daily breakfasts alone consisted of a 10-ounce steak, 8 ounces of chicken, 8 ounces of fish, 4 cups of white rice, a cup of broccoli, a cup of asparagus, 5 ounces of oatmeal and four egg whites—all consumed before Johnson began the day’s work.

Oh, and forget plates. “I preferred a bigger (plastic) container,” he told USA Today. “I take a spoon, and in a polished, poised way I shove it all in.” The daunting requirements haven’t stopped people from trying to emulate the diet, hoping to look a bit more like “The Rock.” (USA Today)

Paul Asay has written for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for PluggedIn and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He recently collaborated with Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family, on his book The Good Dad. He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and his two children. Follow him on Twitter.