Brian Shaw, a four-time World’s Strongest Man (WSM), is renowned not only for his incredible strength but also for his equally impressive diet. After closing the curtain on his WSM career after the 2023 contest, Shaw still had one major contest left before bookending his storied strongman career: the 2023 Shaw Classic. Preparation for that contest starts in the kitchen and a huge caloric surplus. This article delves into the details of Shaw’s diet plan, exploring how he consumes over 10,000 calories a day to fuel his intense training and maintain his formidable physique. It's not easy being the four-time World’s Strongest Man, and it’s even tougher eating to be maintain that status. Shaw mentions that eating is often the toughest part of his training because it’s a continual process. He points out that his diet becomes especially difficult when he just isn’t hungry, which makes absolute sense when you consider how much 12,000+ calories a day really is.
The Rationale Behind the Diet
“I should probably start out at the beginning by saying…This diet is to make me as strong as I possibly can be. I’m eating to be the strongest man on the planet,” says professional strongman Brian Shaw. Standing at six feet eight inches and weighing over 400 pounds, Shaw requires a massive amount of fuel to sustain his energy levels and support muscle growth. His diet is strategically designed to provide the necessary nutrients and calories to maximize his strength and performance. Shaw’s final competitive strongman contest took place at the 2023 Shaw Classic in his home state of Colorado.
A Day in the Life of Brian Shaw's Diet
On June 12, 2023, Shaw shared a video to his YouTube where he diagrams “full day of eating” with more than 10,000 calories. According to Shaw, he eats six meals a day to keep up his current strength and stature at 6-foot-8 height and 181.4 kilograms (400 pounds). Each meal appears to serve its own purpose within Shaw’s overarching strategy. Shaw’s diet is not just about quantity; it's also about the quality and timing of his meals. Here’s a breakdown of a typical day of eating for Brian Shaw:
Meal 1: The Breakfast of a Champion
In his first meal, Shaw eats more than the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) daily recommended general guide of 2,000 daily calories. Shaw starts his day right by consuming 8 eggs, his favorite cereal, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and a large quantity of peanut butter. Shaw starts his day by making some pancakes and mixing eight ounces of bison meat with six whole eggs. Naturally, the pancakes had butter and syrup, while the meat and egg mix had ketchup. Shaw washed this breakfast down with orange juice. The 140 grams of protein help replenish his muscles from previous workouts. The Coke and ravioli provide excess glycogen for his muscles in preparation for the upcoming training session the day after. Shaw freezes and churns the mixture into ice cream with his Ninja blender.
Meal 2: The Quick Refuel
His second meal is consumed about an hour later and includes a protein shake containing whey, peanut butter, and granola bars. Just about an hour later, Shaw makes a whey protein shake with 80g of protein (mixed with water). Next, prior to leaving the house, Shaw whipped up a protein shake with three scoops of whey protein powder, one banana, “a scoop” of peanut butter, and water. He also packed four cookies and an apple to take with him on the go.The nutrition breakdown of this meal comes out to 1,025 calories, 25 grams of fat, 92 grams of carbs, and 115 grams of protein.
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Meal 3: The First Lunch
Shaw dubbed the ensuing meal his “First Lunch.” It essentially involved a significant amount of pasta and bison meat, with the latter coming in at a whopping one-pound portion. For Shaw’s third meal, he often eats eats pasta with meat sauce. His preferred meat is organic grass-fed ground beef, and he recommends that the beef be locally sourced since he believes that it is easier to absorb the nutrients and calories from high quality beef. This is a typical meal. However, as instructed by his nutritionist, on this day, Brian Shaw carbed up with a gargantuan amount of take-out pasta with sauces and meat.
Meal 4: Bison and Rice
Shaw unveiled another pound of bison meat for his next meal. On this occasion, he ate it with a half-can of green beans and “a generous two cups” of rice instead of pasta. There’s also a large helping of barbecue sauce overlaid. For his fourth meal, Shaw goes back to a whey protein shake with almond milk, frozen organic blueberries, and peanut butter.
Meal 5: Pre-Workout Fuel
Shaw eats his fifth meal before his workout for the day.
Meal 6: Post-Workout Recovery
Shaw eats his sixth meal post-workout. For this meal Shaw might treat himself to a huge order of Italian takeout.
The Evening Treat
To close this monster day of eating, Shaw helped himself to dessert. The strongman ate a bowl of homemade ice cream created with milk and a mass-gaining protein shake. As a “sprinkle” of sorts, Shaw had a slice of cheesecake along with his cold treat.
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The Importance of Protein
Consuming nearly 700 grams of protein daily is a colossal endeavor. It’s part of the reason Shaw is able to compete with the best strongmen in the world, some of whom are a decade and a half younger. Protein is crucial for muscle repair and growth, making it a cornerstone of Shaw’s diet. He incorporates various sources of protein, including bison meat, eggs, whey protein, and peanut butter, to ensure he meets his daily requirements.
The Role of Carbohydrates and Fats
While protein is essential, Shaw’s diet also includes a significant amount of carbohydrates and fats to provide energy and support hormone production. He consumes pasta, rice, pancakes, and other carbohydrate-rich foods to replenish glycogen stores and fuel his intense workouts. Fats are derived from sources like peanut butter, butter, and the fat content in bison meat.
Adjusting the Diet for Competition
It is here where Shaw clarified that the size of his portion would only grow as the 2023 SC nears. He explained that the proof is in the pudding as the increased eating has translated to better training. “Some of the contests previously to this, I’ve talked about, ‘Hey, I want my scale weight to be down. I’m worried about my speed or I’m worried about that.’ The Shaw Classic is not about any of that. It’s just about being big and strong. So I’m going to eat like I want to be big and strong.” Shaw said. As Shaw neared the end of his day, bison meat made yet another appearance. One of the most important weekends in Shaw’s strength life awaits him at the 2023 SC. To finally unseat someone like the reigning champion Mitchell, Shaw seemingly understands that his preparation has to go into overdrive for a curtain-call win. His 10,000-calorie day of eating certainly fits that bill.
The Mental Aspect of Eating
Shaw emphasizes that eating is often the most challenging part of his training. Consuming such a large volume of food requires dedication and willpower. He acknowledges that there are times when he simply isn't hungry, but he pushes through to meet his caloric goals.
The Cost of Eating Like a Strongman
Brian Shaw eats a lot, and he eats a lot frequently, at least 8000 calories daily. (He spends $3000 per month on his own food, over three times what the average four-person American family spends!) Maintaining such a high-calorie diet is not only physically demanding but also financially taxing. Shaw spends a significant amount of money on food each month to support his training regimen.
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Lessons from Brian Shaw's Approach
While most people don't need to consume 10,000+ calories a day, there are still valuable lessons to be learned from Brian Shaw’s approach to nutrition:
- Prioritize Protein: Protein is essential for muscle growth and repair, regardless of your fitness goals.
- Fuel Your Workouts: Consume enough carbohydrates and fats to provide energy for your training sessions.
- Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to your hunger cues and adjust your diet accordingly.
- Consistency is Key: Maintaining a consistent diet is crucial for achieving long-term results.
- Quality Matters: Opt for high-quality, nutrient-dense foods whenever possible.
Additional Tips from Brian Shaw
Beyond his diet, Shaw emphasizes the importance of other factors that contribute to his success as a strongman:
- Make working out as accessible as possible: for Brian Shaw this means that he has all of his workout equipment in his garage so he does not have to leave the house on his training days. The other added advantage to working out at home is that he doesn’t have to drive home from the gym, wasting precious time before he eats one of his legendarily huge meals.
- Make getting flexible as much of a priority as lifting weights: For Shaw, flexibility is incredibly important. According to Shaw, more flexibility translates into more strength. Moreover, you are much less likely to get injured if your joints and muscles are limber; this is especially important for people like Shaw who are lifting massive amounts of weight. If you are reading this article, lifting larger and larger amounts of weight is probably your goal too, so do some research into the best stretches and get to it.
- Start small and build your strength incrementally: Someone doesn’t become a strongman overnight, and although it may be tempting to push yourself to the max from the start, its more effective to pace yourself.
- It's all about technique: For Shaw, weightlifting is all about quality instead of quantity.
Is This Diet For You?
If you feel a little overwhelmed after reading this article, don’t worry: Brain Shaw did not become a world renowned strongman competitor overnight, and you certainly don't have to. Being patient with yourself. It takes a lot of willpower and motivation to do what Brian Shaw does. The Brian Shaw diet plan is an extreme example of how nutrition can be tailored to meet the demands of elite athletic performance. While it may not be suitable or necessary for the average person, it offers valuable insights into the importance of proper fueling and recovery for achieving peak physical condition. If you are serious about bodybuilding, you may eventually want to consult a nutritionist. While emulating Shaw's exact diet is not recommended without professional guidance, adopting some of his principles, such as prioritizing protein and fueling workouts, can be beneficial for anyone looking to improve their strength and fitness.
Common Misconceptions
Although you may think working out everyday will get you results, taking recovery days play an important role in muscle growth and performance. The more intense your workout routine, the more recovery you need. Because we all need one.