After a 26-year wrestling career, the legendary John Cena retired in 2025 and recently revealed his post-retirement workout philosophy. The active actor still prioritizes his health and fitness, but now he aims for functional training and longevity.

Post-retirement, Cena doesn't follow a specific workout split. In fact, he regularly adjusts his training approach. Instead of pushing himself to train hard, nowadays, he listens to his body and acts accordingly.

"Last week, when I went to the gym, literally everything in my body, including my attitude, was grumpy, short—just nothing could cheer me up," Cena said, as per Men's Journal. "That’s the body’s way of saying, ‘Yo, get some rest.’ So I literally drove to the gym, walked in, did a U-turn, and went home and slept for two hours."

The reason for going back home from the gym without working out was simple. He did not want to train and force himself to do something he wasn't mentally prepared for. And with working out, injuries can happen due to this.

Cena revealed that, with a busy schedule, he trains a couple of sessions per week and even shifts his training to weekends. 

Similarly, with a less-packed schedule, Cena can fit in 4 workout sessions per week. These days, along with strength training, he is obsessed with mobility training and performs it every day. His key focus areas, as per Men's Journal are:

• Hip flexor
• Quads
• Spine
• Hamstrings 

For mobility training, Cena uses a couple of tools, such as: 

• Sorinex’s Mobility Maker Bench
• Gravity boots
• GHD

Speaking about his mobility routine, he said, “It also gives me a chance to be present and just calm down.”

For Cena, both training and diet play important roles in his health and fit physique.

John Cena’s diet

To fuel such a huge body, Cena follows a very healthy, nutrient-dense diet. According to MANOFMANY, he eats a protein-packed diet and eats 7 meals in a day. His 7 meals include:

Meal 1

• Bacon
• Swiss cheese
• Sauteed vegetables
• 4 scrambled eggs 

or

• Oatmeal with apple sauce and raisins (100g)
• 2 whole eggs
• 6 eggs white

Meal 2

• Protein shake (2 scoops whey protein and water)

or 

• Protein bar of 200-250 calories

Meal 3

• Brown rice (100g)
• Salad or vegetables
• 2 chicken breasts

Meal 4

• Tuna
• Whole wheat pita bread

Meal 5

• Protein bar 200 to 250 calories
• Whey protein (2 scoops and 2 cups of water)

Meal 6

• Fish or chicken
• Pasta or brown rice
• Salad or vegetables

Meal 7

• Casein protein shake
• Low-fat cottage cheese

This protein-heavy diet provides him with constant energy throughout the day and also helps to maintain his busy lifestyle. 

This perfect combination of regular training and healthy eating is the real secret of a 49-year-old former bodybuilder.

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi