What the World’s Strongest Man Eats in a Day — Eat This Not That

By Ghuman

Introduction

The World’s Strongest Man is an impressive feat of strength and endurance. But what does it take to fuel such an incredible athlete? We’re taking a look at what the World’s Strongest Man eats in a day, and how you can make healthier food choices to fuel your own body. From protein-packed meals to nutrient-rich snacks, we’ll show you how to make the most of your diet and get the most out of your workouts. So, if you’re looking to get strong and stay healthy, read on to find out what the World’s Strongest Man eats in a day.

What the World’s Strongest Man Eats in a Day — Eat This Not That

The world’s strongest man is no ordinary athlete. To stay at the top of their game, they need to fuel their body with the right foods. So what does the world’s strongest man eat in a day? Here’s a look at the diet of the world’s strongest man and what you can learn from it.

Breakfast

The world’s strongest man starts their day with a hearty breakfast. This usually consists of a protein-rich meal such as eggs, oatmeal, and Greek yogurt. They also add in some healthy fats such as nuts and seeds, as well as some fresh fruit. This combination of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates provides the energy they need to power through their workouts.

Lunch

For lunch, the world’s strongest man opts for a balanced meal. This usually includes a lean protein such as chicken or fish, along with some complex carbohydrates such as quinoa or brown rice. They also add in some healthy fats such as avocado or olive oil. This combination of macronutrients helps to keep them energized throughout the day.

Dinner

For dinner, the world’s strongest man opts for a high-protein meal. This usually includes a lean protein such as steak or salmon, along with some complex carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes or quinoa. They also add in some healthy fats such as olive oil or avocado. This combination of macronutrients helps to keep them energized and fueled for their next workout.

Snacks

The world’s strongest man also snacks throughout the day. This usually includes a combination of protein-rich snacks such as nuts and seeds, as well as some fresh fruit. This combination of macronutrients helps to keep them energized and fueled for their next workout.

Takeaways

The world’s strongest man eats a balanced diet that includes a combination of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. This combination of macronutrients helps to keep them energized and fueled for their next workout. So if you’re looking to get strong like the world’s strongest man, make sure to fuel your body with the right foods.

A person’s daily calorie needs vary slightly based on gender and age, ranging from 2,000 to 2,600 calories a day. Brian Shaw, 40, is a healthy, active adult, but one for whom even 2,600 calories aren’t going to cut it. In fact, that’s usually not even enough calories for a single meal. For Shaw, that “active” part of his lifestyle includes competing in top-level strongman competitions, the biggest of which, the official World’s Strongest Man competition, Shaw won four times. And he has placed in the top tier of that competition many more times than that.

To win a competition like that, which includes events like lifting the Atlas Stones—some of which weigh more than 350 pounds—overhead presses of weights as heavy as 835 pounds, and vehicle pulls of busses, fire trucks, and airplanes, Shaw has to spend a lot of time exercising and training with immense amounts of weight.

He also has to eat a lot of food every day that he is in training or competition. As in enough food to help him maintain a weight that often well exceeds 400 pounds as he preps for an event, that provides him thousands of calories to burn through each day, and enough protein to build muscles that can, quite literally, lift cars. Here’s what the world’s strongest man eats in a day. Plus, don’t miss What a Celeb Trainer Eats in a Day.

brian shaw
SBD World’s Strongest Man / Facebook

And that’s less fun than you’d think it would be. One of the hardest parts about being the World’s Strongest Man is the eating, says Shaw. He explained that as he begins training for an upcoming event, he’ll look to consume “8,000 calories a day, give or take, as I’m starting to ramp up, and then at the top end, for those biggest, most challenging competitions, I get up in the 10,000 to 11,000 calorie per day range.”

bison steak
Shutterstock

When Shaw is training for a strongman challenge the go-to choice is meat. “On a daily basis, in a given meal, I’m eating probably close to a pound of meat. And a lot of the measurements that I take are after cooking, too. It really is a tremendous amount of food, and you have to do that every couple of hours when you’re in training,” he said. I always looked at it like: ‘What’s the best bang for your buck?’ If I was going to be eating something, what was I going to get out of it? What nutrients? In my opinion, for a strength athlete, red meat always offers the best reward.”

The only time meat isn’t the star of his meal is breakfast. Breakfast is usually eight eggs scrambled with two cups of rice and orange juice blended with spinach, he told Men’s Health, the rest of the day is dedicated to meat. For some of his meals he also adds in Honeycrisp apples, blackberries, and blueberries. There’s always a ton of rice and sometimes he has a spinach salad on the side. Where does he get all of this food? Costco, of course! Ride along on a shopping trip with Shaw to Costco to see his expensive grocery haul.

man making protein shake
Shutterstock

Shaw also will rely on shakes while training he finds it difficult to actually chew as much as he needs to, He would eat six whole meals as well as a shake and various supplements while in training: “For me, the eating was the hardest part of everything. I enjoyed walking into the gym each day, I enjoy the training. But that’s only a short part of it. Eating was from when I woke up in the morning until I went to bed at night.”

RELATED: 4 Protein Shakes With the Highest Quality Ingredients

tons of cheesecake
Shutterstock

Shaw does allow himself the occasional “cheat” treats even when training. Asked what his go-to cheat food was, he answered at once: “Cheesecake.” Working with a nutritionist who would literally “program in cheat meals” during Shaw’s grueling fitness and diet routine, Shaw knew that now and then he could have that favorite food slipped in, and thus every once in a while he could actually enjoy eating. Unlike us, though, Shaw has been known to eat four pieces of cheesecake at a time! He picks up the Mini Cheesecake Treats from Costco for those special moments.

Steven John

Steven John is a freelancer writer for Eat This, Not That! based just outside New York City. Read more about Steven