What does it take to be a strongman?

Do you ever watch these mountains of men pulling trucks, lifting 300 pounds stones, and farmer walking with the weights of small cars, and think “I can probably do that”?

Me neither…

Obviously, being a strongman isn’t for everyone.  I doubt that any average gym goer can properly do even one thing in a strongman’s daily routine.  I’m not just talking about lifting extraordinary amount of weights.  Not just talking about having to train with specialized equipment.  I’m talking about something we all already do: Eating!

Eating like a strongman is no joke.  If you think it’s simply eating as much as you want without having to count calories, you’re dead wrong! 

In this video we found by Super Training, the 4 times World’s Strongest Man, Brian Shaw, shows you what he ate in one complete day.  And, let me just say… it looks anything but easy…

Here’s a breakdown of his meals:

Meal 1: 1180 calories (4:58)

68 g protein, 74 g carbs, and 68 g fat

Consists of: Cereal, almond milk, eggs, and peanut butter

Meal 2: 1053 calories (6:55)

115 g protein, 92 g carbs, and 25 g fat

Consists of: Protein shake, granola bars, and peanut butter

Meal 3: 2190 calories (9:10)

172 g protein, 191 g carbs, and 82 g fat

Consists of: Pasta with marinara sauce and ground beef

Meal 4: 1002 calories (11:12)

112 g protein, 89 g carbs, and 22 g fat

Consists of: Protein shake with almond milk, blueberries, and peanut butter

Meal 5: 1417 calories (12:42)

117 g protein, 145 g carbs, and 41 g fat

Consists of: Turkey, rice, and broccoli

Meal 6: 3400 calories (15:02) estimated

Consists of: Italian takeout meals

Meal 7: 1649 calories (17:22)

105 g protein, 107 g carbs, and 89 g fat

Consists of: Cheese cake and protein shake

Day’s total: 12,019 calories (17:33)

Protein: 705 grams

Carbs: 1402 grams

Fat: 399 grams

It is exhausting just watching his whole day of eating.  As much as I love eating, I cannot imagine eating all that in just one day.  Not to mention, having to repeat that every day.

In order to keep his huge body fueled to perform at a high level, he has to be constantly putting in calories, especially in forms of protein and carbs.  Just like his training, eating at this quantity is just a part of the job to keep his mass and strength.

You may notice some of the things he’s ate weren’t something you would normally considered as “healthy”.  He ate things like sugary cereal, cheese cake, and seemingly way too much peanut butter that are all sure things to avoid for average Joes.  However, at his size and his training intensity, these things help add needed calories in his diet fast so he doesn’t have to literally spend all day eating his required daily caloric intake.

If you’re an aspired strongman, it is important to note that Brian works with a nutritionist to come up with his meal plan, and each meal is designed to achieve specific goals. 

So simply copying his meals will probably do you more harm than good…

After seeing this, do you still feel like you have what it takes to be a strongman?  If so, what will be in your strongman meal plan?