Bodybuilder Samson Dauda had a successful 2023 season, winning the Arnold Classic in March, the bronze at the Mr. Olympia, and a pair of pro competitions overseas, including the Romania Muscle Fest Pro and the Prague Pro.
Dauda understands the importance of post-competition nourishment to pave the way for future contests. On Dec. 1, 2023, Dauda published a video on his YouTube channel sharing what a day of rebound dieting looks like. Check it out below:
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Samson Dauda’s Rebound Diet
After a few weeks of rest and recovery from being depleted for the Mr. Olympia competition, Dauda increases his weight. Dauda explained that a rebound is not the same as off-season dieting.
A rebound dieting ensures the body doesn’t gain too much weight too fast. After a show, the body is devoid of water and body fat, so rehydrating and returning to a manageable body fat percentage is critical. However, if that process happens too fast, the body could gain too much fat. If that were to happen, Dauda would have to put in additional work to trim down to his championship-level physique after an unchecked rebound.
Dauda acknowledged that a rebound is an anabolic window for the muscles to refill their glycogen. That means a rebound is an opportunity to pack on more muscle.
Dauda’s rebound diet is comprised of much more food than his Mr. Olympia prep, where he cuts carbs and calories to dry out his physique.
Meal One
- Five eggs
- Four slices of toast
- Cereal
Dauda calls this a “free meal,” where he can eat fun foods before the more regimented meals later in the day, hence the cereal (which appeared to be Frosted Flakes). Dauda topped the scrambled eggs with hot sauce and put butter and peanut butter on the toast.
During breakfast, Dauda explained he would exert caution during his upcoming chest and arms workout as training after a show, while water was flooding into the muscle, could lead to injury.
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Meal Two
- White potato/Sweet potato — 450 grams
- Steak — 200 grams
Combining sweet potatoes and white potatoes is useful due to the moisture and vitamin content in the sweet potatoes. White potatoes add the desired calories.
Once again, Dauda adorns his meal with hot sauce and boils the potatoes until they’re soft and peelable. The day-old steak was portioned and put in the fridge. He reheats it at mealtime without having to measure anything.
Meal Three
Meal three features complex carbs for slow digestion. Dauda eats it right before hitting the gym.
Intra-Workout Shake
- One scoop of non-stim Whey isolate protein powder
- One scoop of intra-workout powder
- Glutamine
- Creatine
- Beta-alanine
During his workout, Dauda sips on an intra-workout shake. He uses glutamine for muscle recovery, creatine to increase strength and power, and beta-alanine to help with muscle endurance.
Dauda’s Chest & Arm Workout
Below are the movements Dauda performed after eating his pre-workout meal:
- Smith Machine Bench Press
- Machine Low Cable Fly
- Hammer Strength Chest Press
- Machine Single Preacher Curl
- Single-arm Cable Triceps Pushdown
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Meals Four & Five
- Pasta — 250 grams
- Minced beef — 180 grams
- Rice and chicken curry
- Cashews or fruit (night snack)
Samson Dauda ends his day with two meals, prioritizing high-quality protein and complex carbs. He’s thankful that his appetite remains high during his rebound.
Dauda is readying his physique to defend his title at the 2024 Arnold Classic, set to take place Mar. 1-3, 2024, in Columbus, OH.
Featured image: @samson__dauda on Instagram
