Ever wondered what it takes to fuel the World’s Strongest Man? When your alter ego is ‘the Beast’, fuelling your body is just as important as lifting the weights. Eddie Hall, 2017 World’s Strongest Man, knows a thing or two about bulking, and we’ve been privileged enough to get a rare glimpse into Eddie’s kitchen to find out what it takes to feed the Beast!
Read on to find out how Eddie keeps his legendary physique in shape, and find out his top diet tips.
How much does the Beast weigh?
Nature gave Eddie a head start - even as a teenager, he was a natural athlete whose size and power made him stand out from the crowd. He’s adapted his formidable frame to build the stamina and strength needed to excel in swimming, powerlifting, boxing, and now MMA. But exactly how does the Beast measure up physically? How tall is Eddie Hall, and how much does his incredible form weigh?
“I’m 6 foot 3. During my strongman days, I was close to 200 kilos – that’s around 430 pounds. When I switched to boxing, I dropped a lot of that weight and came down to 160–170 kilos. More recently, for my MMA fight at KSW 105, I weighed in officially at 334 pounds, which is about 151 kilos. My weight’s always shifted depending on what I’ve been training for, bulking muscles for pure strength, or leaner when I need speed and endurance.”
How many calories does Eddie Hall eat in a day?
The recommended daily calorie intake for an average man is around 2,500 calories. This might increase due to individual physical build or exercise regimen. Eddie’s personal goals have been extreme, and required an extreme number of calories!
“Back in my strongman era, I was eating crazy numbers - I’d need to eat up to 16,000 calories daily just to keep up with the training. For boxing, I cut that right back to around 6,000 calories a day. When I’m following a carnivore-style plan, I eat closer to 9 or 10,000 calories. It’s a tool in the toolbox, and when I need more variety or I’m training differently, I’ll bring carbs and other foods back in. It all depends on the goal.”
A day on Eddie Hall’s plate: how many meals does the Beast eat a day?
A meal plan for the average man would typically consist of three main meals - breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with a couple of supporting snacks. Eddie may have a monster appetite, but eating to support his goals was a chore at times.
“Back in my strongman days, I’d get through eight to ten meals or snacks daily. At my peak, I even set alarms during the night to ensure I hit my daily macros, waking at 3 am to eat a raw steak with a glass of water. It sounds mad, but at the time, it was the only way I could keep my body fuelled for training.
It wasn’t enjoyable - I was often eating when I wasn’t even hungry - but it was part of the job. These days I stick to five or six proper meals with a couple of shakes, which still gives me the calories and protein I need, but without taking over my whole life.”
Mighty macros: How many grams of carbs, protein, and fats does Eddie Hall eat a day?
Macros differ depending on height, weight, and fitness goals. A reasonably active man of average size might need 50-70g of protein, 250-300g of carbs, and about 70g of fat. By comparison, Eddie consumes monster macros!
“When I was on the monster bulks building muscle, I was probably hitting around 700g of protein, more than a kilo of carbs, and 500 grams of fat every single day. It was hard work just getting it all in. On the carnivore-style diet I’ve done recently, the carbs are next to nothing - it’s basically meat, eggs and dairy - so protein’s sky-high, 800-900g a day, and fat does the rest of the heavy lifting. It’s not for everyone, but it works for me at this stage.”
Eddie Hall’s favourite bulking meals
When you have serious fitness goals, it’s great to have some tried-and-tested go-to meals. Eddie shared some of his favourites with us:
“Some of my favourites when I was bulking were a big ribeye steak with pasta and veg, or a proper full English breakfast with sausages, bacon, eggs, black pudding – the lot. I’ve always liked a good ‘second breakfast’ too – oats with honey, fruit, whey protein, maybe some jerky on the side. Prep Kitchen is a godsend - the Muscle Gain range makes lunch and dinners easy. There is always a new, tasty, macro-balanced option to choose from, which helps me keep my diet fresh and varied. They’re tasty, hearty meals that give me the calories I need without it feeling like a chore.”
What is Eddie’s favourite PK meal?
When you train like Eddie Hall, your food has to work hard. Every mouthful has to count, but it helps if it’s also convenient and delicious! We asked Eddie which Prep Kitchen meal is always in his fridge.
"I’m a big fan of meaty meals with pasta, and BBQ Beef Mac n Cheese is my go-to. It’s got 46g of protein, helps me hit my macros, tastes great, and keeps me full, which is exactly what I need when I’m training."
Oven-roasted beef brisket, glazed with sweet and smoky BBQ sauce, served on a bed of gooey mac and cheese with Cajun-spiced veggies on the side.
The new PK Chicken Wings are the perfect snack for me - high in protein, easy to heat, and delicious. I love both flavours - BBQ and Buffalo when I want more spice. When you’re having to eat large quantities of food to fuel your training goals, it’s really important to have healthy snacks on hand that are quick, appetising, and tasty. These really hit the spot!
Eddie Hall’s Bulking Diet Tips
Nobody knows more about the importance of eating the right food for your needs than Eddie. We asked him for his top diet tips
- “My first tip is always match your food to your goal. If you’re training for pure strength, you’ll need to eat more. If you’re trimming down, cut it back.
- Consistency is key. Don’t overcomplicate it, just stick to your plan. If you find meal planning and macro balancing a chore, get started with a meal prep service like Prep Kitchen. They do all the thinking and planning for you.
- Calorie-dense foods are your friend when you’re bulking. Shakes, peanut butter, healthy fats in nuts, avocados and oily fish, dairy, meat, eggs – they all help get the numbers up without endless chewing. Keep it healthy and don’t fill up on rubbish like cakes, biscuits, and junk food.
- Listen to your body, especially if you’re following a special diet like the carnivore diet. If a food doesn’t sit right, don’t force it. Everyone is different - find what suits you.
- Finally, be patient. Whether you’re bulking or cutting, results take time - they don’t happen overnight.”
We're very grateful to Eddie for taking the time to share his thoughts and diet tips. If you, too, want to eat like the Beast, get a Prep Kitchen meal prep subscription!
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