Professional bodybuilders typically follow a regimented diet throughout the year. Their meals are meticulously measured even further during their contest prep as they trim calories to dial in their physiques to reveal the muscle tissue added during the off-season.
2023 Arnold Classic champion Samson Dauda is a top contender for the 2023 Mr. Olympia title. The contest is scheduled for Nov. 2-5 in Orlando, FL, and Dauda’s victory at bodybuilding’s second most prominent show suggests that he will be in first callouts with reigning Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan and 2022 Mr. Olympia podium finishers Derek Lunsford and Nick Walker.
On Oct. 4, 2023, Dauda took to his YouTube channel to share what he eats in a full day just over a month out from the 2023 Olympia. Check it out below:
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Samson Dauda Full Day of Eating For 2023 Olympia
Dauda woke up at 6 a.m. and did 40 minutes of fasted cardio on a bike, followed by a 30-minute posing session. “[Posing] hurts and takes a lot more out of me than cardio,” said Dauda. “That’s just a sweat series.”
Meal One
- Three whole eggs
- Black coffee
Dauda had his first meal at 9 a.m. The low food intake exhausts him throughout the day, but he knows this is part of the prep process. The 2023 Olympia prep is Dauda’s admitted best prep of his bodybuilding career.
“I’ve always struggled in prep, but not because of its physical challenges. Physically, I can deal with it; it’s no big deal,” said Dauda. “But the mental pressure, struggle, and everything of that sort tends to get me.” With enough experience with major contest prep at this point in his pro bodybuilding career, Dauda is better equipped for the mental hurdles.
Meal Two
- Sweet potato — 250 grams
- Lean steak — 200 grams
Dauda ate pre-cooked barbecued lean steak and steamed sweet potato for his second meal. He emphasized the importance of following a strict daily schedule to remain focused on consistent progress.
You can’t [go about] your day as you feel like. It’s more about keeping that discipline.
[Related: How Bikini Bodybuilder Phoebe Hagan Trains Shoulders For the 2023 Olympia]
Meal Three (Pre-Workout Meal)
- White rice — 1.5 cups
- Five percent lean mince beef — 180 grams
Dauda had a cocktail of dextrin powder, EAAs, citrulline, glutamine, and beta-alanine with his white rice and lean mince beef before hitting the gym for a leg workout. His pre-workout shake ingredients can help sustain energy, enhance pumps and endurance, reduce muscle fatigue, and aid recovery.
[Related: What’s In Jeremy Buendia’s 800-Carb, Nearly 6,000-Calorie Refeed?]
Meal Four (Post-Workout Meal)
- White rice — 1.5 cups
- Chicken breast — 250 grams
- Vegetables
For his post-training meal, Dauda consumed a classic bodybuilding meal of white rice, chicken breast, peas, and corn. Although Dauda is cutting calories to achieve a peeled physique, he eats high-quality animal protein with each meal.
Meal Five
- Chicken breast — 250 grams
- Vegetables
Dauda’s last meal is at 8 p.m. every day. It mirrors his previous meal, except for the white rice. Dauda feels hungry again by 11 p.m. Nevertheless, he’s found his low-carb diet enhances the effectiveness of his fasted cardio.
[Related: 2 Top-10 Bikini Bodybuilders Reveal Their Glute Training]
Samson Dauda Leg Workout
Here is a snapshot of Dauda’s leg workout:
- Superset — Seated Hamstring Curl & Standing Leg Curl Machine
- Triset — Hack Squat, Pendulum Squat, & Leg Extension
[Related: Brett Wilkin Withdraws From the 2023 Mr. Olympia Contest]
Road To 2023 Olympia
After a sixth-place finish at his debut Olympia in 2022, Dauda seeks gold in 2023. While he won’t have to contend against the likes of former two-time Mr. Olympia champion Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay, who withdrew from the 2023 contest, Dauda will still face a stacked roster that includes 2019 Mr. Olympia Brandon Curry, a hungry Hunter Labrada aiming to improve upon his seventh-place from 2022, and Andrew Jacked, who seems to be a top pick heading into Orlando.
Featured image: @samson__dauda on Instagram
