There are countless second- and third-generation WWE Superstars who have followed in their ancestors’ footsteps to the squared circle. Names like Charlotte Flair, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, and Natalya Neidhart come to mind.

But for the first time, a fourth-generation Superstar will lace up their boots and grace a WWE ring. Her name is Simone Johnson, and she just so happens to be The Rock’s daughter.

Simone, 18, recently reported to the WWE’s Performance Center in Orlando, where up-and-coming wrestlers are put through the ropes in the gym and in the ring.

 

 

 

 

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@simonegjohnson, daughter of @therock and @danygarciaco, has reported to the @wwepc to begin training!

A post shared by WWE NXT (@wwenxt) on Feb 10, 2020 at 10:26am PST

 

The Rock is thrilled that his oldest daughter—whose mother is The Rock’s ex-wife and still-business parnter, Dany Garcia— has decided to join the family business.

 

 

 

 

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Dreams ain’t just for dreamers. Congrats to my #1 born, Simone Johnson on officially signing her wrestling contract with @wwe @wwenxt and on her way to becoming the first ever 4th generation WWE athlete. Carry our family name proudly, but your road will always be yours to create, earn & own. So proud. Live your dream. Let’s work. #humblehungry #hardestworkersintheroom #4thgeneration

A post shared by therock (@therock) on Feb 10, 2020 at 10:11pm PST

 

After all, wrestling is in Simone’s blood. Her great-grandfather is the Samoan wrestling legend, the High Chief Peter Maivia, and his daughter was the wife of Rocky Johnson, the late WWE Hall of Famer and one-half of the first-ever Black WWE tag team champions. Those two are The Rock’s parents.

We’re sure Simone will create her own in-ring character, but we’re also excited to see how she channels her wrestling heritage in the future.

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Protein, that macronutrient that helps repair and regrow damaged muscles, is undoubtedly the most important nutrient in an athlete’s diet. Not only that, protein (in any form, whether it be whey, casein, or plant-based) helps keep bones, cartilage, and blood healthy. 

So it’s important to eat enough protein, but eating excess amounts won’t get you any more jacked any quicker, and in fact it might be slowly killing you. 

That’s according to a recent study that found a lower-protein diet, specifically a vegan one, may be the key to lowering your risk of heart disease. 

Researchers at Penn State College of Medicine found that Americans typically eat two-and-a-half times more sulfur amino acids—a subcategory of amino acids that occur in protein-rich foods—than needed, and that the amino is tied to cardiovascular disease. 

Sulfur amino acids include methionine and cysteine, both of which are needed for growth. Too much of them, though, can increase the rate of heart disease according to prior research. 

“This study provides the first epidemiologic evidence that excessive dietary intake of sulfur amino acids may be related to chronic disease outcomes in humans,” John Richie, a professor of public health sciences at Penn State College of Medicine, said in a release. 

For the study, published in The Lancet, researchers looked at the bloodwork of more than 11,000 people and found that those who ate fewer than 15 mg of sulfur amino acids per kilogram of body weight per day were less likely to contract heart disease than those who ate above the suggested amount. 

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Most of the people who fell under the limit ate a primarily plant-based diet. 

“People who eat lots of plant-based products like fruits and vegetables will consume lower amounts of sulfur amino acids,” Zhen Dong, lead author on the study and a Penn State College of Medicine graduate, said in a release. “These results support some of the beneficial health effects observed in those who eat vegan or other plant-based diets.”

While the study isn’t suggesting you totally eliminate protein, telling bodybuilders to limit their protein intake is bound to be controversial. 

Nutrition expert Dr. Gabrielle Lyons has previously criticized studies that link excess protein to diseases such as cancer, and any old-school bodybuilder will tell you the secret to gains is to pound as many whey protein shakes as your body can handle. 

The study’s authors though claim the gains are not worth the risk. “Here we saw an observed association between certain dietary habits and higher levels of blood biomarkers that put a person at risk for cardiometabolic diseases,” Richie said.

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Ronnie Coleman, the eight-time Mr. Olympia, set the standard for freaky size and conditioning that, in all likelihood, won’t be equaled anytime soon, let alone surpassed for the foreseeable future. His pecs outsized the rest of the competition’s, and, if not for his equally preposterous back, he would surely have toppled over face-first from their immense weight.

Unlike most of his generation, he trained chest twice weekly, devoting the first workout to barbells and the second to dumbbells. Coleman preferred free-weight pressing movements with heavy weights for eight to 12 reps.

NOTE: Each workout was performed once per week, three days apart.

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Hoop Dreams

Everyone in my family loved sports, and I picked up basketball from a very early age. I was fortunate to grow up with an older brother [Errick McCollum plays overseas in the VTB United League] who had to take me with him wherever he would go. From an early age, I was working on my game with him. We’ve pushed each other to get better since we were younger, and that’s still true today.

Fueling His Fitness

I always want to make sure I’m doing everything I can to do my job well and help my team succeed. In-season, I work with my teammates and with my team’s health and performance staff to make sure my off-court training and nutrition is maximized to be as effective as possible. In my free time, I put in extra hours at the gym, getting shots up and continuously working on my game. I also invest time in recovery—yoga, massages, steam room, and using both hot and cold tubs.

Focus on Recovery

I believe in hard work, but I also believe in balance, and for me, that comes in the form of rest. Recovery is a significant part of making sure that I am prepared to do my job at the highest level. On top of cryotherapy and other recovery techniques, I was introduced to Cherrish tart cherry juice last season and was immediately attracted to its anti-inflammatory properties. One of the major benefits that I’ve experienced so far is great sleep and waking up feeling refreshed. It’s become another staple in my recovery toolbox.

Giving Back

I recognize that my platform allows me to serve others, and this is a privilege I take very seriously. Two of my biggest platforms are the Press Pass program and the CJ McCollum Dream Centers. The Press Pass program is a mentorship program that provides opportunities for local Portland high school students to get experience in journalism. I also work with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland on the CJ McCollum Dream Centers, an initiative that allows us to provide safe spaces for youth from underserved communities to learn, explore, create, and grow.

Try It

Cherrish is available at cherrish.net and on amazon.com.