If you want to lift the heaviest weights on the planet, you’d better be prepared to eat like it.
Mitchell Hooper isn’t just training to win the 2026 Arnold Strongman Classic — he’s fuelling for it with nearly 7,000 calories a day.
The Canadian powerhouse, who stands 6ft3” and weighs around 320lbs, is chasing a fourth consecutive Arnold Strongman Classic title at what is widely regarded as the most difficult strongman competition in the world. Add in his 2023 World’s Strongest Man crown and ambitions to reclaim that throne — plus a potential world-record deadlift attempt at the Enhanced Games — and 2026 is shaping up to be pivotal.
So the margins matter. And that’s where his diet comes in.
Hooper recently opened up on his YouTube channel alongside IFBB Pro Erin Gauley, who has been working closely with him to dial in every gram of food, salt and water.
“I think a misconception with a lot of strong men is that they don’t eat I guess the healthiest,” Gauley noted. “By tracking your food, your salt and your water, you’re able to gauge your strength a lot better as the weeks progress. Just randomly eating is not going to be as effective, and we want to really control what his breakfast is, what his pre-workout meal is in order to get the best performance at the gym.”
This isn’t chaos eating. It’s calculated.
Meal 1 – Breakfast
The day begins with a carb-heavy but structured breakfast:
Pineapple
Orange juice
Oats
Eggs
Bread
Grass-fed butter
Pink salt
Approximate macros:
70–75g protein
180–190g carbs
40g fat
Alongside the food comes a stack of supplements: Choline & Inositol for liver health, Berberine for insulin sensitivity, Telmisartan for blood pressure support, Aspirin and CoQ10 for heart health, plus Fish Oil/Omegas.
It’s fuel, yes — but also protection. At this level, performance and health have to coexist.
Meal 2 – Pre-Workout Lunch
Before he even steps into the gym, Hooper loads up again:
8oz beef
300g rice
150g pineapple (or 2 kiwi/1 apple)
6 Rice Krispie bars
Approximate macros:
60g protein
220g carbs
22g fat
“We try to simplify it a little bit, a little faster digesting, so he’ll be nice and fueled for this workout,” Gauley said.
The carbohydrate intake is relentless — and deliberate.
“One thing that I haven’t talked about in particular that Erin has is water. I drink more water now than ever for sure, and less Diet Coke than ever…” said Hooper.
“If he is irregular or not digesting foods properly, he is not going to perform properly… it’s super crucial that we’re focusing on digestion,” Gauley added.
Pre-Workout & Intra-Workout Fuel
Even before the first lift, the shakes begin.
Pre-Workout Shake:
Non-stimulant pre-workout supplement
1 scoop EAAs (Essential Amino Acids)
10g creatine
5g taurine
50g carbohydrate powder
60g candy (Hi-Five’s)
¼ teaspoon salt
Intra-Workout Shake:
Carbohydrate powder
Salt
EAAs
For an athlete moving world-class loads, glycogen depletion is real. These liquids keep the engine running mid-session.
Post-Workout Recovery
After heavy squats and the kind of sessions most people can’t imagine, the priority shifts to rapid replenishment.
Post-Workout Shake:
2 scoops protein powder
200g banana (~2 bananas)
150g berries
100g honey
“We’re keeping the fats out because the main purpose is to replenish glycogen, to ensure that he’s recovering as quickly as possible and getting an adequate amount of calories,” Gauley explained post-workout.
Supplements here include Berberine and Creatine again.
This is about speed — speed of recovery, speed of adaptation.
Meal 3 – Dinner (Restaurant Reality)
Even elite plans have to function in the real world.
After training, Hooper and Gauley headed to a restaurant, adjusting the ideal dinner plan to match the menu.
The template:
8oz steak
350g rice
20g butter
15g sourdough
Approximate macros:
60g protein
150g carbs
25g fat
“Safest bet typically is going to be something like a steak,” Gauley suggested. “You could even do a 10oz, because I find that they’re undersized when they cook them. Two baked potatoes would be ideal just to make up for his carbohydrates. For the fats, you could add a bit of butter onto his potatoes; however, they do add some fats when they’re cooking the steak. But I would still add a little bit of extra fat just so we’re getting those extra calories in.
“These aren’t going to be exact, which is okay. For someone who’s really trying to be exact, you’re probably going to have to specify or ask them what they’re cooking it in too.”
Nighttime Parfait
Before bed, there’s one final push:
Yogurt
Protein powder
Granola
A quiet but calorie-dense finish to the day.
The Daily Totals
Protein: 350–360g
Carbohydrates: ~1,100g
Fat: 100–120g
Calories: ~6,700
“It’s huge,” Hooper said. “That’s like 1,000 calories more than I’ve ever eaten. But I don’t feel bloated. I feel like I can get it in. I feel like I’ve got more energy than I’ve had in a long time.”
Nearly 7,000 calories. Over a kilo of carbs. More than 350 grams of protein.
And yet it isn’t reckless.
It’s measured, tracked, structured — designed to enhance recovery, maximise strength and sustain peak output through one of the most punishing competitions in sport.
Hooper has already won the last three Arnold Strongman Classics. But in a stacked field, past success guarantees nothing.
So he’s leaving nothing to chance.
Because at this level, greatness isn’t just lifted. It’s eaten.
Featured image credit: YouTube/Mitchell Hooper (screenshots)
