Men’s Physique bodybuilder Jeremy Buendia has been out of the game for quite some time. Buendia won the Men’s Physique Olympia four consecutive times (2014-17) and finished in the top five in 2013. He stepped away from the competitive stage after falling to fourth overall in 2018.
In 2023, Buendia is cashing in his lifetime Olympia invite and bulking for his return. On June 6, 2023, Buendia published a video on his YouTube channel wherein he details his daily 5,400-calorie off-season diet during his bulking phase. Check it out below:
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Jeremy Buendia’s Off-Season Diet
Buendia’s physique wasn’t at the level he wanted, so for the past four weeks, he’s been navigating a body recomposition. That includes ramping up his metabolism and hitting the gym hard.
A month before updating his bulking diet, Buendia was consuming 3,500 calories per day. Now, his coach has him eating 5,900 calories daily — the highest of Buendia’s career.
Buendia’s bulks last another 10 to 12 weeks. After that, he will undergo an aggressive cut for another 10 weeks before the next 2023 Olympia contest on Nov 2-5, 2023, in Orlando, FL. Below is a breakdown of Buendia’s off-season nutrition:
Meal One
- Liquid egg whites — 10 ounces
- Two whole eggs — scrambled with green Tabasco
- Chicken breast — 50 grams
- Sourdough bread — one slice with margarine
- Oats — 85 grams
- Strawberries — 100 grams
- Two packets of stevia
- Energy drink
Total calories — 785.5
This is the earliest Buendia has ever started his diet for an Olympia contest. Previously, he started at 12 weeks out. However, due to his time away from competition, he wants to step in front of the judges as lean as possible and that involves starting his prep a few months earlier.
Meal Two
- Chicken breast— 200 grams
- Baked sweet potato — 400 grams
- One pickle
Total calories — 796
Buendia regularly consumes a lot of chicken breasts and yams — he approximated about 15 pounds of yams per week. While most bodybuilders don’t look forward to cutting, Buendia would rather cut and feel hungry than overeat and endure indigestion.
Meal Three
- Two scoops of whey isolate protein shake
- One cinnamon raisin bagel
- One tablespoon of peanut butter
- Pineapple — 80 ounces
Total calories — 706
Meal three functions as Buendia’s pre-workout meal. His trainer typically has him eat heavier foods like steak and eggs, but Buendia says that with today’s leg session, he adjusted to prevent puking it up on the gym floor.
Intraworkout Meal — Buendia’s Leg Workout
Buendia had to back off his leg exercises due to a groin/adductor injury sustained in Turkey. However, he’s slowly but surely training his legs harder to put all the extra calories to work.
He warmed up with leg extensions and lying leg curls. He then performed heavy leg presses and single leg presses, followed by seated leg curls with slow eccentrics. Buendia’s intra-workout carbohydrate shake tacked on an additional 200 calories to his daily total.
Meal Four
- Chicken breast — 180 grams
- Sweet potato —400 grams
- One egg white
- One tablespoon of olive oil
- One pickle
Total calories — 885.1
Buendia vomited during leg training, so he added additional calories to his fourth meal. He prefers lean protein sources. He can quickly increase his calorie total via added margarine and olive oil.
Meal Five
- Marinated flank steak — 160 grams
- Rice — 300 grams
- One egg
Total calories — 703
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Meal Six
- Chicken breast — 200 grams
- Rice — 300 grams
- One tablespoon of olive oil
- One pickle
Total calories — 843
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Meal Seven
- Egg whites — 150 grams
- Two whole scrambled eggs
- One and a half servings of Rise n’ Grind (creamed rice)
Total calories — 449.5
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Buendia’s Daily Macros
- Carbohydrates — 680 grams
- Protein — 410 grams
- Fat — 117 grams
- Calories — 5,368
It’s apparent in the video that Buendia is eating more than he’s comfortable with. However, his goal is to win his fifth Olympia title, and that involves adding more muscle mass via a caloric surplus. We’ll see if Buendia can contend for the podium against reigning Men’s Physique Olympia champion Erin Banks after a five-year hiatus from competition in November in Orlando.
Featured image: @jeremy_buendia on Instagram