No strongman has stated eating 10 000 or 15 000 calories like you said. They only do challenges for fun, it was very clear. All strongman are very transparent on the calorie intake... I don't know what you are talking about.
@@MobaCry making a statement like “all strongman are” is a very general term that I would not use. Over the years through my training and my experience many “strongman” seem to think they constantly need to gain weight. Bigger is better mentality. This has been disproven the last 5 years or so. Eddie Hall is a great example. Any time you hear him talk about winning WSM he will say he was eating 10,000 calories a day. Or he will say 10-15,000. That is “what I’m talking about”
Well I'd have way more respect for a strongman that steps up and discusses what cocktail of peds they are taking. Thor admitted it and I did them back in the day and have no issue with the use only that none of them have the guts to offer insight on what to do or not to do with a disclaimer of course.
Mitch you nailed it 100% in a very simple way, everybody can understand ! I did Body Building for 14 years, was a Heavy Weight Champion and overall winner in 1992. Food intake was VERY strict, i calculated and scaled all my food intake daily. What a job....... Now i am back to gym since 5 years found the love for Strongman and enjoy lifting. I cook my own meals to fuel up sufficiently, 5 meals a day. My metabolism got a lot slower, my recovery too. BUT i got ONE excuse i am soon 62. TANKS for you vid. on the importance on CREATINE, i missed that one out totally..... cheers from Austria, Franz
Put in simple terms anyone can understand. A lot of the myths around stuff like the stupidly high calories and unnecessary overload in protein needed can put people off the sport, especially if they're just starting - so a highly successful pro strongman being honest with their realistic calorie intake and nutrition makes it more accessible for someone wanting to get into the sport or progress further. Definitely gave me some comfort :)
"As strongmen, we're primarily not breaking down our muscle tissue, we're training our nervous systems." Can anyone shed some more light on that statement?
As it pertains to the video about diet, if your goal is to build muscle you would adjust diet for gaining size, if your goal is to get stronger it would be as he suggests. Of course you will gain muscle and size if you are lifting and eating properly but it will grow according to the training input, hence the systemic growth he mentions. In bodybuilding, after you reach a certain point of strength, the training shifts to higher repetitions with the same weight. What this essentially does is it promotes the muscle to get bigger. In strongman you’re adding weight to the reps to be able to move more weight each time but the muscles don’t necessarily keep getting bigger so your nervous system and body react by giving the muscles different signals and nutrients to get the work done. This is extremely oversimplified but hope it helps 😂
Hypertrophy training tends to primarily stress and break down muscle fibres, whereas very heavy work tends to put more stress on the nervous system, which is a large factor in strength/force output. It's how small lifters can still be very strong. Of course there is still some crossover between the two. Hope that helps.
Biggest tip is periodize your meals like you would your lifts. You're not gonna start your lifting career with a 400kg deadlift, so you're not gonna start eating 5000+ calories right away. I plan meals for the week and each week add a little more till it's a constant part of my diet.
I have been waiting for this video. I champion the independent thinking, and admire the courage to voice it. You have challenged some of the strongman indoctrinations when it comes to training, and was interested to hear your thoughts on nutrition; great points.
As someone who is training for a comp, I'd like a video on protecting your CNS. I've only 13 days till my comp, and I've messed up lol. I have zero energy, and feel weak.
Actually that sounds about right. Are you stronger? The tired, feel weak all the time is about right. Previous comp I rested a week before did terrible to ok 8/12. This comp did Wednesday thru Friday off, ran the contest twice on Monday and Tuesdsy 50 to 60% before Saturday did much better took second. Felt terrible a month out like I never wanted to lift another weight but take some time off like I said and I was never gassed during the contest...
Simple and easy to implement advice. Thank you. I would also say build up the calories slowly and work into a larger calorie surplus. Your body need to adjust.
excellent and nice, simple content on strongman nutrition. great point on creatine. Love that you pointed out that very few people need to eat 10,000 calories. also thanks for the reminder regarding the need for carbs relative to protein due to the type of body systems we are building and activating. brilliant.
Studying to become a therapist and Mitch is killing it ramming facts with science. That said, plenty of nuance when it comes to energy in versus energy out. I'm glad the myth got busted because nobody can afford to become strong men on 10K plus cals a day. Period.
is there nuance on calories in v calories out when it comes to overall weight? or is the nuance in how much of that weight loss/gain comes from fat vs muscle vs water weight
Exactly right. People tend to mix strength with bodybuilding which is fine but they require different macro nutrient ratios and calories. I think healthy fats are far more important in strength training but people always focus on protein. Also people with a strong endurance sport background tend to do better in strong man comps so don't neglect your cardio!
If this is something that you consider visibly hampering your quality of life then you should consult with some experienced doctors-dieticians? Problem is, there is multitude of views and opinions and 2 experienced dieteticians can totally disagreee on things that would seem like basics. The good thing is that one can try to change something and simply evaluate the reation of the body
I'm about 6ft and hard to put some weight, i'm close to 150 pound now, but now that you said and try to get into strongman, i was doubtful of the 10 thounsand calorie diet. But, now that you mentioned that you usually eat 6,000 to put some weight, I increase some calories and max out to 4,500 calories on days and excersize a bit on calisthecnics before getting on a gym, and i put those 4 kg closer to 150. It's a long way to go, but maybe I can grow like you did with the right amount of training and the right calorie consume for my body to grow 💪
Not only a fan of yours as an athlete but I'm enjoying your videos as there informative and you genuinely seem to be trying to help give out advice unlike others like Shaw, Stoltmans Hall with them it's about entertainment videos and bolloks to bring in the viewers which some are okay but a lot of it is like really. Good on you Hooper top guy.
Hey Mitch, I was wondering if you could do a myth dispelling video on PED's? I know they play a role in pro strongman but I'd like to see someone be honest about how much they contribute to success and how far you can get with/without them.
@@bronchoped1 not at all. Steroids are a big deal in Strongman and needs to be talked about. Hence OP's question. We can't live like it's 15 years ago with this stuff. Steroids are the biggest proponent, simply because none of those Strongmen would have the success they have without them, even if everything else is on point. They're all naturally world-class, but wouldn't be at WSM without them.
I'm interested in this too, but there's not going to be any strongmen that are still competing and getting sponsored willing to talk about it. A few have dropped hints about it, namely Luke stoltman and Novikov, however Thor and Oberst have more openly talked about it too. The thing is, they could lose sponsors from talking about it and miss future opportunities as well so it's not in their best interests. All of these strongmen are genetic monsters anyway, adding Peds just pushes them even further. I highly doubt you would get far without the genetics for it anyway, so if you weren't genetically gifted and then used Peds I still doubt you'd be able to get anywhere close to these guys in terms of strength. I'm lucky in that I think I am fairly genetically gifted and natural and have considered using Peds before now, but never have and most of these guys can double my best lifts or more, even some of the strongwomen can outlift me by quite a margin, especially when you consider size (I'm 6'2" and 120kg)
When cutting weight in the healthiest way possible I buck the trend (because of my definition of healthy). I am miserable when I'm cutting weight or hungry in any way, and combined with other things in life my mental health plunges. So I blast through it, reducing to 1,600cal / day. I'm about 100kg/220lb and do experience a little strength loss (maybe 1% per kilo), but I believe I'd experience the same over a longer duration being more miserable. I drop 0.5-1.5kg per week, very fast and it works well. Very high protein, as low carb as I can handle and plenty of fat. That's me
I absolutely agree that no normal person needs that many calories. However half of strongman is the showmanship and the character. So maybe those guys don't need the calories for performance but they do need to put on shows. I think strongman is blowing up because of the characters of these super athletes not just their actual ability.
i'm 5'11" and have only ever been able to drop below 200lbs when i was actively starving. i'm currently 240lbs at a bit over 20% body fat, and i eat around 3000 calories a day. i've been trying to eat more to gain weight, because competing closer to 300lbs would be more comfortable, but eating that much food is just as hard as the workouts, sometimes a little harder.
As someone who thought he was a hard gainer, I managed to gain in a healthy speed from 70 kg to now 96kg, with still outline of abs, what i would recomend is doing up to 16 week bulking periods followed by a maintanance period to get used to eating an amount of food then after 2 or 3 megocycles starting to bulk again
Am a weightclass competitor so can't go crazy with food, whenever I decide it's time to cut I go into some (intermittent) fasting. I know Shane Jerman is a big proponent of fasting for strongman, Martins also did fasting occasionaly (unsure if he still does it). But, I do wonder what your thoughts are on fasting and if you ever use it?
I am commited to eating a keto/carnivore diet because it keeps my sugar addiction in control, hunger to a minimal level, my mental clarity elevated, energy stable and controls blood sugars. Can engage in strongman one a keto/carnivore/low carb diet. I am willing sacrifice strength for the other benefits this way of eating gives me.
Excellent video, thank you for the conversation and being straightforward. I think a video series targeted at people looking to begin a strongman path would do incredibly well, as most of the information is scattered right now. Eat steaks, lift heavy- it has to be more than that?
I love your honesty. Very, very few famous body people are this honest. We all most face that we were born as something. We can improve, we can do a lot of things, but facing realities is very important. If you were the weakest kid in highschool. Chances are, you are not going to be the strongest guy even in your local gym. And that is fine. Because now you are 2x/3x/4x as strong as your former self. And that is huge.
PTSD flashbacks of blended pasta, chicken and vegetables because I hated my "in between meals" food, avoided eating it all day and had to force it down before I went to bed.
Having being raised as a kid under communism where stores were totally empty and there were actual news headlines like 'A ship with oranges is on its way from our Cuban friends', I felt very strange seeing several strongmen do these public feats of gluttony. Very glad we see it in a similar way.
I am trying to get rid of 20kg. Recently been told by my Dr that I am diabetic . For me going low carb and time restricted eating is working. Ten kg down ten to go.
I remember that vid with you at dinner with your family enjoying some brews haha, i'm the same way, lifes to short, gotta live it up and enjoy.... usually with winter bulking its about the same as spring cutting, focus on a rough 1,000 calorie increase/decrease but its the carbs that really do the trick with weight gain/loss.... cut out carbs and the weight drops super fast, likewise add in the carbs and the weight piles in, I know your body only metabolizes 50 grams of glucose/per day and stores the rest (resource: cancer killers, the cause is the cure by Dr. Charles majors and Dr. Ben Lerner, also the "glucose goddess- Jessie Inchauspé "(i have more sources but this should be fine)) clearly i think additional calories via protein and micros (aka veges) is key (ronnie coleman used to eat 600 grams per day, i've noticed myself too with a deluge of protein recovery is quick)
luckily i enjoy very large meals, so 2xDay I can maintain my 100kg body pretty decent, maybe a snack here or there. Not shy about ordering food but it can get expensive. I also mealprep and don't mind eating the same thing 4-5 daysin a row. Usually a pasta with a meat or a rice with a meat and sauces to make it taste good. Protein shakes, mixed nuts as snack, maybe a protein bar/protein cookie if I'm lacking in protein for the day bc i ordered pizza instead lmao
Losing weight in a healthy way. Not sustainable but relatively healthy is to get your daily protein intake with as few calories as possible (don't binge on protein powder). I try to stick to 1g of protein per 10 calories. If your craving something it should also be plenty of wiggle room for a snack every day or as needed. Extra low intensity cardio maybe 3 times a week. Gaining weight? I usually just remove the diet options of a weight loss phase, increase portion size, and make my shake much more substantial with added oats and 6oz of condensed milk. And generally just don't worry about my calories and try not to be an all out glutton. Though gluttony is marginally more acceptable when gaining weight. Reduce cardio. Maintenance. On training days (4 days per week) eat 400 calories above maintenance on non training days (other 3 remaining days) eat around 500-550 below maintenance for a weekly caloric maintenance. I feel maintenance is always the hardest phase but calorie cycling on a weekly caloric maintenance is much easier and more beneficial than eating daily maintenance.
In 2017, Eddie Hall had a bunch of tests done, on stationary bike etc, and they said he would need to eat 12000 calories to maintain his size and output, which is what he was eating already. And Brian has done many "what I eat" videos, counting the calories
i weigth 162kg, at 181cm natural and around 35% bf, no near the strenght of this dudes(285kg squat, 270kg deadlitf, 192kg bench), amateur lifter 33 yo, i strugle to eat around 3000kcal (i want to trim down), i know the feling in reverse for those who cant gain weight and in my case is quite the oposite i try all my life to NOT TO get to this weight and without veggies is hard to get the number for a sustain deficit. i would love to have to eat a few thousand more per day to mantain or to make easer the deficit, that 6k calories per day sounds like a dream in my case.
I would just point out that for myth 2 it is true that you can't just eat your way to becoming a muscle monster, BUT for a situation where you have excess weight (especially excessive body fat) to lose, you most certainly can eat your way to a different body. One of the best pieces of advice I ever heard is "You can not out train a bad diet".
I think some competitors over the years probably have done 10k leading up to comps, and it shows. They go in fat. But there is an element to social media and creating the impression they're monsters because it's good for getting views and building a brand. Definitely better for the sport if people don't think they have to spend 2 grand a month on food just to be in with a shout.
Thor never really even ate much (relatively). When you looked at what he ate, he never really ate as much as Eddie or Brian did. I think he's said himself he could never really eat those giant meals either.
I began using creatine monohydrate and suffered from severe stomach cramps. I made sure I was consuming a ton of water, but it still continued to happen. Do you have any suggestions for that?
Correct, Thor and Brian really do need like 8000 ish calories daily when they are around 440 lbs and are actively working hard cause they really do like to train quite hard even fro strong men those two. So I wouldn't be shocked if their exercise in the gym burned an extra 500 or so calories in the gym compared to other strongmen, but they are also like 30% bigger meaning they need to eat about 30% more, they are so tall and such wide shouldered guys that if they tried to compete with most other pros, their levers are so long and their body is so big that if they tried compete at 320 lbs congrats they'd be terrible. They would be so weak, because they probably lose roughly 30lbs to their completion just by being taller and wider, and then that's likely 30 lbs of muscle (since those guys would be shredded if they tried to compete at 320) that they didn't have to work on those longer levers. That being said Brian and Thor probably could compete around 380-410, I don't think 440+ helps those guys in this current generation of smaller faster guys, even if in the static events, being 440+ was an advantage in the age of giants with Terry Holland's Robert Oberst Thor Brian big z and Travis ortmayer and a few other huge dudes. Personally that was my favorite era I loved watching 400 lbs. Titans duke it out. That being said Mitchell you're fun to watch cause you are putting up really close static numbers as those giants, but just thrashing em in the movement events.
1. 1g of protein per 1lb of body mass seems to be quite beyond what we really need. Sure, if you are lean, then 1g might be necessary, but in most cases 0.8g should be enough to build muscles. In my case it's 200g+ for my 120kg BW. 2. Try to eat less processed food - those can contribute to inflammations and you will have enough of those just by training heavy 3. Don't make protein shakes with like 100g of protein. Your body won't be able to use that and will turn excesive amount of protein into carbs during process called gluconeogenesis. 4. Steady amount of proteins, a bit more carbs on training day, a bit more fats on rest day 5. Suplement lots of Omega 3 or eat products stuffed with that. I use up to 3-4g of Omega 3 and being 35 years old, I feel difference in having less inflammations 6. I'm not focused on kcal at all - it's impossible to predict your daily energy expense, especially when lifting - you are not doing treadmill to count your activity with certain degree of perception how many extra kcal were burnt. I try to stick to several principles - count proteins, eat clean 80% of the time or more, use reasonable amount of carbs and fat, avoid overeating and being hungry. If you want to drop weight, eat less. Eat more if you want to gain. 7. Food with potasium (potatoes, tomatoes) is highly recommended. 8. Most proteins from meat and dairy, but it's personal, veggie proteins in high quantity doesn't work well for me.
I also recommend doing genetic testing and finding out what your body has trouble absorbing. It helps direct you to tailored suppliments. I also find meat/dairy a vastly superior protien source. Red meat in particular. Eating beef and bison more frequently during heavy training is like super charges fuel for me. The difference in my energy and fullness is night and day better than eating chicken or veggy protien sources. Knowing your own body is key. It yours, and may not reflect the requirements of others.
Very solid advice Mitch 👌 I compete in amateur strongman comps at 6'6 and about 315 bodyweight but I was no where near that when I was eating and training like a bodybuilder newbie. Focusing on the time of day I could eat the most (dinner) and sticking to strength movements and being consistent shot me from struggling to be 250 to barely trying and maintaining my weight over 300lb. Love the channel and can't wait to see you in the Arnold ..................🫎
He eats "healthy" food. Real food. Not processed food. Find food that works with your genetics. His genetics is not yours. Go get testing, pay attention to what works for you, and tailor your diet around your own requirements and cultural traditions. Eat well, enjoy food, and enough to support your energy output.
A 500 calorie surplus will have you gain a pound a week, which is faster than you can build muscle, so a large proportion will be fat. So yeah, a 10,000 calorie diet isn't good for anything.
Difference is usually quantity and balance vs output. I'd bet the primary differences are based on the tastes of the person more than anything. I feel it should be less of asking what others eat, and more about learning to cook and discover what you can make for yourself.
Finally a strong man giving good diet advice instead of showing 10 to 15,000 cal intakes! Thanks for the video bud
Any strongman day of eating video I've seen has never shown their diet as advice just purely entertainment for viewers
No strongman has stated eating 10 000 or 15 000 calories like you said. They only do challenges for fun, it was very clear. All strongman are very transparent on the calorie intake... I don't know what you are talking about.
@@MobaCry brian shaw and Eddie hall has both said that they use to eat over 10,000 calories a day as a norm.
@@MobaCry making a statement like “all strongman are” is a very general term that I would not use. Over the years through my training and my experience many “strongman” seem to think they constantly need to gain weight. Bigger is better mentality. This has been disproven the last 5 years or so. Eddie Hall is a great example. Any time you hear him talk about winning WSM he will say he was eating 10,000 calories a day. Or he will say 10-15,000. That is “what I’m talking about”
Well I'd have way more respect for a strongman that steps up and discusses what cocktail of peds they are taking. Thor admitted it and I did them back in the day and have no issue with the use only that none of them have the guts to offer insight on what to do or not to do with a disclaimer of course.
Mitch you nailed it 100% in a very simple way, everybody can understand ! I did Body Building for 14 years, was a Heavy Weight Champion and overall winner in 1992.
Food intake was VERY strict, i calculated and scaled all my food intake daily. What a job.......
Now i am back to gym since 5 years found the love for Strongman and enjoy lifting.
I cook my own meals to fuel up sufficiently, 5 meals a day. My metabolism got a lot slower, my recovery too. BUT i got ONE excuse i am soon 62.
TANKS for you vid. on the importance on CREATINE, i missed that one out totally..... cheers from Austria, Franz
Put in simple terms anyone can understand. A lot of the myths around stuff like the stupidly high calories and unnecessary overload in protein needed can put people off the sport, especially if they're just starting - so a highly successful pro strongman being honest with their realistic calorie intake and nutrition makes it more accessible for someone wanting to get into the sport or progress further. Definitely gave me some comfort :)
"As strongmen, we're primarily not breaking down our muscle tissue, we're training our nervous systems." Can anyone shed some more light on that statement?
As it pertains to the video about diet, if your goal is to build muscle you would adjust diet for gaining size, if your goal is to get stronger it would be as he suggests. Of course you will gain muscle and size if you are lifting and eating properly but it will grow according to the training input, hence the systemic growth he mentions. In bodybuilding, after you reach a certain point of strength, the training shifts to higher repetitions with the same weight. What this essentially does is it promotes the muscle to get bigger. In strongman you’re adding weight to the reps to be able to move more weight each time but the muscles don’t necessarily keep getting bigger so your nervous system and body react by giving the muscles different signals and nutrients to get the work done. This is extremely oversimplified but hope it helps 😂
Hypertrophy training tends to primarily stress and break down muscle fibres, whereas very heavy work tends to put more stress on the nervous system, which is a large factor in strength/force output. It's how small lifters can still be very strong. Of course there is still some crossover between the two. Hope that helps.
Search for "CNS fatigue", it's an issue with strongman training but not so much for bodybuilding
Biggest tip is periodize your meals like you would your lifts. You're not gonna start your lifting career with a 400kg deadlift, so you're not gonna start eating 5000+ calories right away. I plan meals for the week and each week add a little more till it's a constant part of my diet.
I would like to see him do a full day of eating though. Those videos always do well, whether it's on Thor, Eddie or Brian's channels
More please. Your have a great ability to keep your points short and clear
I have been waiting for this video. I champion the independent thinking, and admire the courage to voice it. You have challenged some of the strongman indoctrinations when it comes to training, and was interested to hear your thoughts on nutrition; great points.
Moooooose, thank you for explaining things in a palatable way. Would really like to hear you explain PEDs in the same way.
Congratulations on your win. Big strongman fan. Saw you kill it last year. Happy to see you take the win this year. Keep it going
I love these no-nonsense, to the point videos. Everything makes sense and you don't beleaguere the points.
Very concise delivery. Congratulations on your WSM win- 2yrs?- Outa This World!
I love the science backed info and level headed way you provide information.
"You cannot eat your way into a new body". This is absolutely correct.
Ur easy to listen to. And explain things well. Thanks from. 🇨🇦
As someone who is training for a comp, I'd like a video on protecting your CNS. I've only 13 days till my comp, and I've messed up lol. I have zero energy, and feel weak.
Good luck!
Actually that sounds about right. Are you stronger? The tired, feel weak all the time is about right. Previous comp I rested a week before did terrible to ok 8/12. This comp did Wednesday thru Friday off, ran the contest twice on Monday and Tuesdsy 50 to 60% before Saturday did much better took second. Felt terrible a month out like I never wanted to lift another weight but take some time off like I said and I was never gassed during the contest...
Simple and easy to implement advice. Thank you. I would also say build up the calories slowly and work into a larger calorie surplus. Your body need to adjust.
Really appreciate the information and how you deliver it. Thank you.
short and simple. excelent video!!!
Congratulations on your win. great straightforward advice from a World champion. Loved the creatine 1st 5 seconds comment.
Thor and Brian are hella big. They like 6’8” and 6’9” respectively . I’m lean and short. Weightlifting, track and field and soccer are my sports.
Mitchell: I went from 190 to 320 in 2 years
Mitchell: You can't eat yourself into a different body
😁 I get the point though - excellent vid
My thoughts exactly lol
The juice probably helps 😂
I appreciate you being respectfully honest. ✌️
Eddie hall did really eat 10000 calories before competition . He really did , so did thor .
excellent and nice, simple content on strongman nutrition. great point on creatine. Love that you pointed out that very few people need to eat 10,000 calories. also thanks for the reminder regarding the need for carbs relative to protein due to the type of body systems we are building and activating. brilliant.
Finally some sane, rational food and eating advice from a pro-strong man!
Think this might be the best diet and nutrition video on youtube.
Learned a great from this video, thank you!
Studying to become a therapist and Mitch is killing it ramming facts with science. That said, plenty of nuance when it comes to energy in versus energy out. I'm glad the myth got busted because nobody can afford to become strong men on 10K plus cals a day. Period.
is there nuance on calories in v calories out when it comes to overall weight? or is the nuance in how much of that weight loss/gain comes from fat vs muscle vs water weight
Literally making videos responding to discussions from the subreddit, brilliant
Gotta say I loved this video. I do find all the eating videos weird and not good content overall. Great advice and succinctness.
Exactly right. People tend to mix strength with bodybuilding which is fine but they require different macro nutrient ratios and calories. I think healthy fats are far more important in strength training but people always focus on protein. Also people with a strong endurance sport background tend to do better in strong man comps so don't neglect your cardio!
Love theese kind of videos Mitch💪💪💪
Finally someone who knows what he is talking ❤ Love this video
This was beautiful thanks man
Eddie did do it though, he was 30 stone at his peak 420lbs
Diet I would say is the hardest thing you need to do to get strong . Eating all the time gets old really quick and I love to eat .
A.K.A. just listen to your body. Great stuff
Great advice thank you
Thanks for the info. I always get tired after eating, no matter my energy output throughout my day or what I eat.
If this is something that you consider visibly hampering your quality of life then you should consult with some experienced doctors-dieticians? Problem is, there is multitude of views and opinions and 2 experienced dieteticians can totally disagreee on things that would seem like basics. The good thing is that one can try to change something and simply evaluate the reation of the body
You could be diabetic
I find short 10 minute walks right after eating help to curve that feeling
Thanks for the input, I’m going to discuss this with my M.D when I see him in a couple weeks.
I'm about 6ft and hard to put some weight, i'm close to 150 pound now, but now that you said and try to get into strongman, i was doubtful of the 10 thounsand calorie diet.
But, now that you mentioned that you usually eat 6,000 to put some weight, I increase some calories and max out to 4,500 calories on days and excersize a bit on calisthecnics before getting on a gym, and i put those 4 kg closer to 150.
It's a long way to go, but maybe I can grow like you did with the right amount of training and the right calorie consume for my body to grow 💪
find what works for you, eat, lift, SLEEP.
consistency in your own lifestyle 1000%
I'm considering stopping creatine given how ridiculous the prices are currently... I hope they go back down after the shortage...
Love this thank you!
Not only a fan of yours as an athlete but I'm enjoying your videos as there informative and you genuinely seem to be trying to help give out advice unlike others like Shaw, Stoltmans Hall with them it's about entertainment videos and bolloks to bring in the viewers which some are okay but a lot of it is like really. Good on you Hooper top guy.
Hey Mitch, I was wondering if you could do a myth dispelling video on PED's? I know they play a role in pro strongman but I'd like to see someone be honest about how much they contribute to success and how far you can get with/without them.
Mitch has said many times that there are some personal things he doesn’t want to talk about and that’s that.
@@bronchoped1 not at all. Steroids are a big deal in Strongman and needs to be talked about. Hence OP's question. We can't live like it's 15 years ago with this stuff. Steroids are the biggest proponent, simply because none of those Strongmen would have the success they have without them, even if everything else is on point. They're all naturally world-class, but wouldn't be at WSM without them.
its an open secret that they do them and dont want to talk about because of sponsorship.
I'm interested in this too, but there's not going to be any strongmen that are still competing and getting sponsored willing to talk about it. A few have dropped hints about it, namely Luke stoltman and Novikov, however Thor and Oberst have more openly talked about it too. The thing is, they could lose sponsors from talking about it and miss future opportunities as well so it's not in their best interests. All of these strongmen are genetic monsters anyway, adding Peds just pushes them even further. I highly doubt you would get far without the genetics for it anyway, so if you weren't genetically gifted and then used Peds I still doubt you'd be able to get anywhere close to these guys in terms of strength. I'm lucky in that I think I am fairly genetically gifted and natural and have considered using Peds before now, but never have and most of these guys can double my best lifts or more, even some of the strongwomen can outlift me by quite a margin, especially when you consider size (I'm 6'2" and 120kg)
@bronchoped1 rude to ask? Lol
Coach Greg will be pleased with this.
When cutting weight in the healthiest way possible I buck the trend (because of my definition of healthy). I am miserable when I'm cutting weight or hungry in any way, and combined with other things in life my mental health plunges. So I blast through it, reducing to 1,600cal / day. I'm about 100kg/220lb and do experience a little strength loss (maybe 1% per kilo), but I believe I'd experience the same over a longer duration being more miserable. I drop 0.5-1.5kg per week, very fast and it works well. Very high protein, as low carb as I can handle and plenty of fat. That's me
I absolutely agree that no normal person needs that many calories. However half of strongman is the showmanship and the character. So maybe those guys don't need the calories for performance but they do need to put on shows. I think strongman is blowing up because of the characters of these super athletes not just their actual ability.
This drive me crazy, dudes being 160kg and having just to eat 6k calories to grow where I'm stuck at 118 eating 5k5
i'm 5'11" and have only ever been able to drop below 200lbs when i was actively starving. i'm currently 240lbs at a bit over 20% body fat, and i eat around 3000 calories a day. i've been trying to eat more to gain weight, because competing closer to 300lbs would be more comfortable, but eating that much food is just as hard as the workouts, sometimes a little harder.
As someone who thought he was a hard gainer, I managed to gain in a healthy speed from 70 kg to now 96kg, with still outline of abs, what i would recomend is doing up to 16 week bulking periods followed by a maintanance period to get used to eating an amount of food then after 2 or 3 megocycles starting to bulk again
This is a very informative video!
Great video!
Am a weightclass competitor so can't go crazy with food, whenever I decide it's time to cut I go into some (intermittent) fasting. I know Shane Jerman is a big proponent of fasting for strongman, Martins also did fasting occasionaly (unsure if he still does it). But, I do wonder what your thoughts are on fasting and if you ever use it?
“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!”
*bites into Big Mac
I am commited to eating a keto/carnivore diet because it keeps my sugar addiction in control, hunger to a minimal level, my mental clarity elevated, energy stable and controls blood sugars.
Can engage in strongman one a keto/carnivore/low carb diet. I am willing sacrifice strength for the other benefits this way of eating gives me.
Excellent video, thank you for the conversation and being straightforward. I think a video series targeted at people looking to begin a strongman path would do incredibly well, as most of the information is scattered right now. Eat steaks, lift heavy- it has to be more than that?
honesty love it
I love your honesty.
Very, very few famous body people are this honest. We all most face that we were born as something. We can improve, we can do a lot of things, but facing realities is very important.
If you were the weakest kid in highschool. Chances are, you are not going to be the strongest guy even in your local gym. And that is fine. Because now you are 2x/3x/4x as strong as your former self. And that is huge.
Such a good dude
PTSD flashbacks of blended pasta, chicken and vegetables because I hated my "in between meals" food, avoided eating it all day and had to force it down before I went to bed.
Having being raised as a kid under communism where stores were totally empty and there were actual news headlines like 'A ship with oranges is on its way from our Cuban friends', I felt very strange seeing several strongmen do these public feats of gluttony. Very glad we see it in a similar way.
I am trying to get rid of 20kg. Recently been told by my Dr that I am diabetic . For me going low carb and time restricted eating is working. Ten kg down ten to go.
I remember that vid with you at dinner with your family enjoying some brews haha, i'm the same way, lifes to short, gotta live it up and enjoy.... usually with winter bulking its about the same as spring cutting, focus on a rough 1,000 calorie increase/decrease but its the carbs that really do the trick with weight gain/loss.... cut out carbs and the weight drops super fast, likewise add in the carbs and the weight piles in, I know your body only metabolizes 50 grams of glucose/per day and stores the rest (resource: cancer killers, the cause is the cure by Dr. Charles majors and Dr. Ben Lerner, also the "glucose goddess- Jessie Inchauspé "(i have more sources but this should be fine)) clearly i think additional calories via protein and micros (aka veges) is key (ronnie coleman used to eat 600 grams per day, i've noticed myself too with a deluge of protein recovery is quick)
luckily i enjoy very large meals, so 2xDay I can maintain my 100kg body pretty decent, maybe a snack here or there. Not shy about ordering food but it can get expensive. I also mealprep and don't mind eating the same thing 4-5 daysin a row. Usually a pasta with a meat or a rice with a meat and sauces to make it taste good. Protein shakes, mixed nuts as snack, maybe a protein bar/protein cookie if I'm lacking in protein for the day bc i ordered pizza instead lmao
Regarding creatine, when is the best time to take this? Before or after training?
Every 24 hour, doesn't matter when
Losing weight in a healthy way. Not sustainable but relatively healthy is to get your daily protein intake with as few calories as possible (don't binge on protein powder). I try to stick to 1g of protein per 10 calories. If your craving something it should also be plenty of wiggle room for a snack every day or as needed. Extra low intensity cardio maybe 3 times a week.
Gaining weight? I usually just remove the diet options of a weight loss phase, increase portion size, and make my shake much more substantial with added oats and 6oz of condensed milk. And generally just don't worry about my calories and try not to be an all out glutton. Though gluttony is marginally more acceptable when gaining weight. Reduce cardio.
Maintenance. On training days (4 days per week) eat 400 calories above maintenance on non training days (other 3 remaining days) eat around 500-550 below maintenance for a weekly caloric maintenance. I feel maintenance is always the hardest phase but calorie cycling on a weekly caloric maintenance is much easier and more beneficial than eating daily maintenance.
i have a feeling you're a fantastic coach whether for powerlifter or bodybuilder.🔥 would give you two thumbs up if i could, so i subscribed instead.👍👍
In 2017, Eddie Hall had a bunch of tests done, on stationary bike etc, and they said he would need to eat 12000 calories to maintain his size and output, which is what he was eating already. And Brian has done many "what I eat" videos, counting the calories
i weigth 162kg, at 181cm natural and around 35% bf, no near the strenght of this dudes(285kg squat, 270kg deadlitf, 192kg bench), amateur lifter 33 yo, i strugle to eat around 3000kcal (i want to trim down), i know the feling in reverse for those who cant gain weight and in my case is quite the oposite i try all my life to NOT TO get to this weight and without veggies is hard to get the number for a sustain deficit. i would love to have to eat a few thousand more per day to mantain or to make easer the deficit, that 6k calories per day sounds like a dream in my case.
From 5,9 to 6,9 is great for strongman
1:01 that was close, glad I'm 5'7" then :p
Legend
Personal journey and goals at 57 for strength.
Have done very well(imo) but would like and can afford the personal trainer.
How does one find that?
Damn nearly 10 stone in 2 years is crazy!
I would just point out that for myth 2 it is true that you can't just eat your way to becoming a muscle monster, BUT for a situation where you have excess weight (especially excessive body fat) to lose, you most certainly can eat your way to a different body. One of the best pieces of advice I ever heard is "You can not out train a bad diet".
I think some competitors over the years probably have done 10k leading up to comps, and it shows. They go in fat. But there is an element to social media and creating the impression they're monsters because it's good for getting views and building a brand. Definitely better for the sport if people don't think they have to spend 2 grand a month on food just to be in with a shout.
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Thor never really even ate much (relatively). When you looked at what he ate, he never really ate as much as Eddie or Brian did. I think he's said himself he could never really eat those giant meals either.
I am 5'6 220lbs and rather strong for my size is there hope for me? Mind u i just turned 30 and im interested in gaining more strength
I began using creatine monohydrate and suffered from severe stomach cramps. I made sure I was consuming a ton of water, but it still continued to happen. Do you have any suggestions for that?
What would you recommend for someone with a sedentary desk job to maintain a healthy diet/exercise balance? I.e cal intake/workout load @120kg bdw?
Correct, Thor and Brian really do need like 8000 ish calories daily when they are around 440 lbs and are actively working hard cause they really do like to train quite hard even fro strong men those two. So I wouldn't be shocked if their exercise in the gym burned an extra 500 or so calories in the gym compared to other strongmen, but they are also like 30% bigger meaning they need to eat about 30% more, they are so tall and such wide shouldered guys that if they tried to compete with most other pros, their levers are so long and their body is so big that if they tried compete at 320 lbs congrats they'd be terrible. They would be so weak, because they probably lose roughly 30lbs to their completion just by being taller and wider, and then that's likely 30 lbs of muscle (since those guys would be shredded if they tried to compete at 320) that they didn't have to work on those longer levers. That being said Brian and Thor probably could compete around 380-410, I don't think 440+ helps those guys in this current generation of smaller faster guys, even if in the static events, being 440+ was an advantage in the age of giants with Terry Holland's Robert Oberst Thor Brian big z and Travis ortmayer and a few other huge dudes. Personally that was my favorite era I loved watching 400 lbs. Titans duke it out. That being said Mitchell you're fun to watch cause you are putting up really close static numbers as those giants, but just thrashing em in the movement events.
1. 1g of protein per 1lb of body mass seems to be quite beyond what we really need. Sure, if you are lean, then 1g might be necessary, but in most cases 0.8g should be enough to build muscles. In my case it's 200g+ for my 120kg BW.
2. Try to eat less processed food - those can contribute to inflammations and you will have enough of those just by training heavy
3. Don't make protein shakes with like 100g of protein. Your body won't be able to use that and will turn excesive amount of protein into carbs during process called gluconeogenesis.
4. Steady amount of proteins, a bit more carbs on training day, a bit more fats on rest day
5. Suplement lots of Omega 3 or eat products stuffed with that. I use up to 3-4g of Omega 3 and being 35 years old, I feel difference in having less inflammations
6. I'm not focused on kcal at all - it's impossible to predict your daily energy expense, especially when lifting - you are not doing treadmill to count your activity with certain degree of perception how many extra kcal were burnt. I try to stick to several principles - count proteins, eat clean 80% of the time or more, use reasonable amount of carbs and fat, avoid overeating and being hungry. If you want to drop weight, eat less. Eat more if you want to gain.
7. Food with potasium (potatoes, tomatoes) is highly recommended.
8. Most proteins from meat and dairy, but it's personal, veggie proteins in high quantity doesn't work well for me.
I also recommend doing genetic testing and finding out what your body has trouble absorbing. It helps direct you to tailored suppliments. I also find meat/dairy a vastly superior protien source. Red meat in particular. Eating beef and bison more frequently during heavy training is like super charges fuel for me. The difference in my energy and fullness is night and day better than eating chicken or veggy protien sources. Knowing your own body is key. It yours, and may not reflect the requirements of others.
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Sanity at last.
Weight gain drinks just pack on size especially if you have five a day with meals
Very solid advice Mitch 👌 I compete in amateur strongman comps at 6'6 and about 315 bodyweight but I was no where near that when I was eating and training like a bodybuilder newbie. Focusing on the time of day I could eat the most (dinner) and sticking to strength movements and being consistent shot me from struggling to be 250 to barely trying and maintaining my weight over 300lb. Love the channel and can't wait to see you in the Arnold ..................🫎
Maybe you could show us example of what to eat? Not necessarely eat in front of us but tell us what you eat
He eats "healthy" food. Real food. Not processed food. Find food that works with your genetics. His genetics is not yours. Go get testing, pay attention to what works for you, and tailor your diet around your own requirements and cultural traditions. Eat well, enjoy food, and enough to support your energy output.
Me at 6' 200lbs more or less untrained: So you're telling me there's a chance...
Maybe not for the open weight pros but absolutely nothing stopping you from competing locally or in a weightclass division!
MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE!!!
I personally appreciate you not eating in front of us. I agree, it's weird to watch. Just tell me about it. Lol!
My tip for gaining weight, eat more ice cream. 🍨😋
A 500 calorie surplus will have you gain a pound a week, which is faster than you can build muscle, so a large proportion will be fat. So yeah, a 10,000 calorie diet isn't good for anything.
What does a “strongman” eat versus what does an “athlete” eat?
Looks quite different, right? Well it shouldn’t be…
Difference is usually quantity and balance vs output. I'd bet the primary differences are based on the tastes of the person more than anything. I feel it should be less of asking what others eat, and more about learning to cook and discover what you can make for yourself.
I 100% could eat 10,000 cals and wish I could eat 10,000 calories without getting fat lol
Healthy keto and intermittent fasting has been helping me lose lots of weight. I am feeling and looking 10 years younger.
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