Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Explains Why He Pees In Water Bottles During Workouts

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is known, among other things, for his intensity in the gym. The actor is so serious about his workout time, in fact, that he refuses to waste time on bathroom breaks while in his “Iron Paradise”—preferring to repurpose empty water bottles, as he explained in a new interview with Esquire. 

Johnson, 49, opened up about the unusual gym habit he first revealed incidentally during an Instagram video in 2017, in which a water bottle full of transparent yellow liquid is clearly visible at one point. “I just realized you all just saw my big bottle of pee,” Johnson said in the video. “Look, I go hardcore when I train. I don’t have time to go to the bathroom. I find a bottle, I pee in it, and I keep training like a beast.” 

Speaking to Esquire, Johnson clarified that he was indeed being 100% serious about relieving himself into water bottles so he can pump metal more efficiently. “Well, yeah, the headline is actually true, I do pee in my water bottles,” Johnson said. “But let me give context to that, because everyone’s leaning in now to what this means.” 

Johnson wants people to know he is careful to keep the bottles he pees in and the bottles he drinks out of separate. “It’s not a water bottle that I’ve actually purchased solely for water that you wash and you clean when you’re done using it,” Johnson explained. “These are just bottles that I’m no longer using.” (In the 2017 Instagram video, the bottle is a disposable VOSS brand one.) 

Elaborating on his rationale here, Johnson said that he drinks a lot of water while exercising and his gyms are hardcore operations equipped with weights and machines, but no restrooms. “I usually stay pretty hydrated. I need to go to the bathroom a lot. Not a lot, but probably a couple of times during every workout I have to go to the bathroom. So I break out the bottle,” Johnson said. “Usually the gyms that I work out in don’t have a bathroom, ’cause they’re the Iron Paradise and there’s no bathroom there. It’s just hot, sweaty and dirty.” (Johnson has long dubbed his impressive at-home and on-the-road gym setups his “Iron Paradise.”)

We can’t deny that it’s always a good idea to stay well-hydrated while exercising, especially when you’re pushing yourself pretty hard like Johnson. As SELF has explained, your cells require water to convert nutrients like fat into the energy that powers your muscles. Staying hydrated also keeps your blood volume up, which is key for proper functioning of your cardiovascular system and body temperature regulation. That’s why you never want to be dehydrated during a workout. 

As for how much water to drink while in your Iron Paradise, no need to overthink it. Pausing to sip water throughout is always a good idea, and experts agree that feeling thirsty is the best indicator you’re starting to become dehydrated, as SELF has explained. (While overdoing it is possible, it’s also extremely rare for most exercisers, as SELF has reported.) So having to pee during a workout is completely understandable—as is coming up with creative solutions for your pee breaks when there are no bathrooms available. 

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