2018 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion Hafthor “The Mountain” Björnsson has made the full transition from competitive strongman to professional boxer. His first professional fight against Devon Larratt resulted in a TKO victory for the former strongman.
With the change of career came a change of physique — a massive slimming down from well over 400 pounds to 344 pounds at the time of his fight against Larratt. The physical changes to Björnsson’s physique came not only from trading yokes for punching bags in the gym but a significantly lower daily caloric intake as well. On Oct. 27, 2021, Björnsson took to his YouTube channel to share what a full day of eating looks like for him. Check it out below:
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Björnsson’s Full Day of Eating
Each morning, Björnsson’s first order of business in the kitchen is getting his vitamin stack in, which is planned out a full week ahead of time. As he recently entered fatherhood, his vitamin stack is designed to ensure that he maintains his health for the long term.
I take these vitamins…to make sure my heart, my liver…everything is taken care of.
For breakfast, Björnsson leans towards a longstanding go-to of his: red meat.
Breakfast
During his strongman tenure, Björnsson consumed 8,000 to 10,000 calories per day — eating until he felt “uncomfortable — with five to six meals per day including red meat (mainly rib eye). Nowadays, he maxes out red meat to two meals per day and opts for leaner cuts of beef.
Meal Two
- 140 grams rice (made with one cup of chicken stock for flavor)
- 250 grams beef tenderloin
- 100 grams spinach
- Salt
Björnsson espouses athletes getting their bloodwork done to help isolate the best diets for them.
If you want to get the most out of your diet, that’s the way to do it.
Following meal two, Björnsson heads to the gym with meals three and four prepped to go with him. His training aims to put less pressure on his knees by incorporating more work in the pool, on an Assault® bike, and on a rowing machine.
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Although he does run every once in a while, because Björnsson is so heavy, it is a much tougher experience on his knees. As of late, he’s avoided running to lower his risk of injury.
Meal Three
- 225 grams cod
- 100 grams spinach
- 250 grams potatoes
Meal three is the most carb-loaded of the day — the potatoes pack approximately 42.5 carbs — and is his least favorite. He admits he would rank it as a five on a scale from one to 10, 10 being the best.
Meal Four
- 224 grams salmon
- 100 grams rice
- 100 grams zucchini
Björnsson’s diet is noticeably absent of chicken. Not because chicken is unhealthy, but because it lacks the flavor Björnsson yearns for.
Chicken breast is quite dry. Eating day-old chicken is not nice.
Following meal four, Björnsson spends some time in the hot tub followed by a cold bath. This is primarily done for recovery as The Mountain is “a big believer in hot and cold.”
Meal Five
- 250 grams Thor’s Skyr (high protein, low-sugar yogurt)
- 30 grams of almond or peanut butter
- 100 grams berries
Björnsson eats the above five meals six days per week. The result has been visible abs on a more chiseled physique. Cheat days are not off the table as Björnsson does indulge from time to time, though he did not say what his go-to foods are on such an occasion.
The Mountain vs. The Beast
The boxing match between Björnsson and 2017 WSM champion Eddie Hall originally scheduled for Sept. 18, 2021, was postponed due to Hall suffering a biceps injury during a sparring session. Hall has since fully recovered and advocated for a new date and venue to be confirmed for their highly anticipated bout.
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The tentative timeframe for the two former strongmen to clash in the ring is March 2022 in a location TBD. Both men predicted early knockouts of the other and Hall has taken it a step further, offering Björnsson a wager where the loser of their fight donates $100,000 to a charity of the winner’s choice. Björnsson has not yet responded to that wager at the time of this article’s publication.
When “The Heaviest Boxing Match in History” takes place, both Björnsson and Hall are likely to enter the ring in the best shape of their lives. We’ll see what the tale of the tape looks like come fight night.
Feature image: @thorbjornsson on Instagram
