Strongman diets are often extremely caloric, frequently reaching five figures. 2018 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) and current deadlift record holder Hafthor Björnsson recently invited Dr. Mike Israetel to evaluate his daily meals.
Björnsson’s day starts with one and a half liters of water mixed with Hydrate, an electrolyte powder, and creatine. His daily nutrition plan consists of five meals, which are organized when he wakes up and coordinated with his workout schedule.
Björnsson consumes approximately 400 grams of protein en route to 8,000 daily calories. “I used to eat 10,000 calories daily. When I was younger, I was more active and needed more calories,” Björnsson recalled. “Now, I am old, lazy, and eat only 8,000.”
Meal One
- 300 Grams of Mixed Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes
- 100 Grams of Rice
- Four Large Eggs
- 100 Grams of Strawberries
- 100 Grams of Blueberries
- 245 Milliliters of Orange Juice
- 200 Grams of Greek Yogurt with Two Scoops of Olive Oil
- 30 Grams of Oats
- One Scoop of Colostrum
Meal one contains approximately 1,640 calories, earning Israetel’s approval as a quintessential bodybuilding meal.
- Eggs are an excellent source of high-quality protein and healthy fats. (1)
- Sweet potatoes, potatoes, and rice offer minimal fat as carbohydrate sources. (2)
- Strawberries are packed with fiber and benefit cardiovascular health. (3)
When Björnsson feels sluggish during training, removing olive oil or another easily-controllable, high-calorie condiment from his diet can help alleviate the issue.
Meal Two
- 300 Grams of Rice
- One Liter of Milk
- 100 Grams of Mixed Vegetables
- Half an Avocado
- 150 Grams of Beef Tenderloin
Björnsson’s second meal packs approximately 1,390 calories.
- Steak is rich in protein and fat. (4)
- Vegetables support digestion. (5)
- Avocados are among the healthiest sources of natural fats. (6)
High-calorie liquid additions to meals make strongman dieting easier,” Dr. Israetel said.
Meal Three
- 300 Grams of Rice
- 200 Grams of Ribeye Steak
- 245 Milliliters of Orange Juice
- 200 Grams of Greek Yogurt with Two Scoops of Olive Oil
Meal three provides approximately 1,350 calories.
- Full-fat Greek yogurt is packed with protein and calories. (7)
- Olive oil can easily boost calorie intake without increasing food volume. (8)
Meal Four & Meal Five
For meals four and five, Björnsson repeats meals two and three. His current meal plan has resulted in noticeable gains in strength and size, fueling him to attempt another deadlift world record at the 2025 World Deadlift Championships on Sept. 6, 2025, in Las Vegas, NV.
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References
- Myers, M., & Ruxton, C. H. S. (2023). Eggs: Healthy or Risky? A Review of Evidence from High Quality Studies on Hen’s Eggs. Nutrients, 15(12), 2657. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15122657
- Agarwal, S., & Fulgoni, V. L., 3rd (2021). Intake of Potatoes Is Associated with Higher Diet Quality, and Improved Nutrient Intake and Adequacy among US Adolescents: NHANES 2001-2018 Analysis. Nutrients, 13(8), 2614. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13082614
- Afrin, S., Gasparrini, M., Forbes-Hernandez, T. Y., Reboredo-Rodriguez, P., Mezzetti, B., Varela-López, A., Giampieri, F., & Battino, M. (2016). Promising Health Benefits of the Strawberry: A Focus on Clinical Studies. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 64(22), 4435–4449. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.6b00857
- Klurfeld D. M. (2018). What is the role of meat in a healthy diet?. Animal frontiers : the review magazine of animal agriculture, 8(3), 5–10. https://doi.org/10.1093/af/vfy009
- Slavin, J. L., & Lloyd, B. (2012). Health benefits of fruits and vegetables. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 3(4), 506–516. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.112.002154
- Dreher, M. L., Cheng, F. W., & Ford, N. A. (2021). A Comprehensive Review of Hass Avocado Clinical Trials, Observational Studies, and Biological Mechanisms. Nutrients, 13(12), 4376. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13124376
- Baranowski, R. W., Skelly, L. E., Josse, A. R., & Fajardo, V. A. (2021). Exploring the Effects of Greek Yogurt Supplementation and Exercise Training on Serum Lithium and Its Relationship With Musculoskeletal Outcomes in Men. Frontiers in nutrition, 8, 798036. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2021.798036
- Bilal, R. M., Liu, C., Zhao, H., Wang, Y., Farag, M. R., Alagawany, M., Hassan, F. U., Elnesr, S. S., Elwan, H. A. M., Qiu, H., & Lin, Q. (2021). Olive Oil: Nutritional Applications, Beneficial Health Aspects and its Prospective Application in Poultry Production. Frontiers in pharmacology, 12, 723040. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.723040
Featured image: @thorbjornsson on Instagram
