When we think of athletes and their diets, the image that often springs to mind is that of chiseled bodybuilders and sprinters munching on lean proteins and green veggies. However, the nutritional needs of a multi-time World’s Strongest Man winner Brian Shaw are on an entirely different level.
Approaching the Shaw Classic Strongman competition – where the Strongest Man on Earth will be crowned on the weekend of August 19th/20th – Shaw recently shed light on his herculean diet that fuels his intense training sessions and maintains his massive physique.
“The diet is all about eating for strength,” Shaw shared with his 1.91 million YouTube subscribers.
So, what does one guy eat in order to become the World’s Strongest Man? Here it is:
The Morning Fuel
Starting the day strong, Brian’s breakfast consists of five American-style pancakes, 8 ounces of bison meat, and six eggs, all seasoned with salt and ketchup. To quench his thirst, he opts for a glass of orange juice.
The meal punches in at 2,260 calories – which is already what most people eat in a day. Reflecting on this hearty breakfast, Brian commented, “A good start to the day, definitely filled me up. But, the good part with this is I’ll get through this quickly and move on to meal number two because I’ve got a lot of eating to get done today. So even though that was a big meal, typically I’m hungry in about an hour/hour-and-a-half or so.”
Meal 1: 2,260 calories, 104g of protein, 240g of carbs, and 95.5g of fat.
The On-the-Go Refuel
Meal number two, in contrast, is more portable. Perfectly encapsulating Shaw’s sentiment: “The work still has to happen, but the eating also still has to happen.”
He combines a blend of ice, water, Undefined Nutrition’s vanilla-flavored whey protein, a banana, and peanut butter. Complementing this, he has an apple and oatmeal-chocolate cookies. Shaw remarked, “Meal number two is in the books. That was delicious – and like I said, on the go, real easy getting work done, getting the food in.”
Meal 2: 1,190 calories, 85g of protein, 132g of carbs, and 36g of fat.
The Lunch Rounds
Lunch was definitely an experience of two halves.
Labeling meal three as his “first lunch”, Brian indulges in a pound of ground bison meat and spaghetti, smothered in a tomato pasta sauce.
Speaking about his focused approach to meals, Shaw shared: “That was delicious, and as you guys see, with I’m eating, I don’t have my phone anywhere near me. […] it really wastes a lot of time. And if I draw out my eating time too long then this kind of bleeds into the next meal.”
Meal 3: 1,495 calories, 131g of protein, 153g of carbs, and 43g of fat.
His fourth meal – which I guess would be Shaw’s “second lunch” featured a pound of bison, a can of green beans, and a “generous” two cups of white rice, all drenched in barbecue sauce.
Meal 4: 1,532 calories, 129g of protein, 161.5g of carbs, and 40g of fat.
The Evening Carbo-load
With an impending heavy deadlift session the following day, Shaw’s fifth meal is all about loading up on carbs. This includes ravioli, chicken meatballs, bison meat, and pasta sauce, all accompanied by a refreshing Coke – a rarity, as Shaw denotes it a “pre-training treat”.
Despite tasting delicious, he did confess: “That is meal number five down. Definitely a great tasting meal. I had to work a little bit toward the end of that as I wasn’t quite as hungry.”
Meal 5: 2,555 calories, 145g of protein, 209g of carbs, and 135g of fat.
The Sweet End
Capping off the day, Shaw relishes in the Undefined Nutrition Gigantor, prepared innovatively as ice cream.
This pre-bed treat, combined with a slice of cheesecake, adds 1,420 calories to his daily total.
Meal 6: 1,420 calories, 97.5g of protein, 153g of carbs, and 47.25g of fat.
When all was said and done, Shaw’s day consisted of him consuming a whopping 10,432 calories, 690.5g of protein, 1,048.5g of carbs, and 396.75g of fat. (For context, that’s more than five-times the amount of calories the average woman is advised to eat in a day.)
The Bigger Picture
Beyond the awe of these gargantuan meals, there’s a strategy. Brian is focused on how these meals translate to his performance. “[The Shaw Classic] is just about being big and strong and so I’m going to eat like I want to be big and strong. […] So my portion sizes from this point will only get bigger,” Shaw says.
He emphasizes the irrelevance of the scale, stating: “At the end of the day, scale weight doesn’t matter – the performance in the gym is what matters and being strong in the gym is what matters.”
At 41 years old, Brian Shaw is gearing up for his final Strongman competition at the Shaw Classic. “I’m going to roll in to the Shaw Classic probably heavier than I have been in quite some time,” he acknowledges.
Shaw concludes, looking forward to the contest: “Hopefully you guys are excited about the contest. I’m excited the lineup is ridiculous. It’s going to be a really, really amazing weekend and, you know, a great way to finish out my competitive strongman career.”
Whether you’re a budding athlete or just someone intrigued by extreme diets, Shaw’s routine underscores the commitment, dedication, and sheer willpower required at the pinnacle of the strongman sport.
Featured image credit: YouTube/BrianShaw
