Inside The 7,000 Calorie Diet That Powers World's Strongest Man Mitchell Hooper

Athletes are famous for eating like it's a competitive sport in itself. But for the rest of us, just hitting a 140g protein goal can feel like a full-time job involving way too many Greek yogurts. The idea of inhaling 7,000 calories like strongman Mitchell Hooper sounds less like a nutrition plan and more like a total nightmare, especially if your peak activity is just a brisk daily walk and hitting the gym a few times a week. But when you are a guy who deadlifts 1,047 pounds and manhandles a 308-pound circus dumbbell like it is a bag of groceries, that massive volume is the only thing keeping the wheels from falling off.

This weekend, Hooper is back to defend his reputation at the World's Strongest Man, a title he already snatched in 2023. He's also coming off a massive hot streak after taking the Arnold Strongman Classic for the fourth year in a row. So what exactly does the strongest man on earth put on his plate to fuel that kind of hardware?

The Mitchell Hooper Meal Plan

Breakfast

• 4 hard-boiled eggs
• 4 pieces of sourdough bread with a tablespoon of grass-fed butter
• 3 packages of instant oatmeal
• 1 scoop of whey protein mixed in

Lunch

• 1 package of Uncle Ben’s rice
• 8 ounces of beef
• 6 Rice Krispies Treats

Training Fuel & Snacks

• Pre-workout: 50 grams of powdered carbohydrates
• Intra-workout: 50 grams of powdered carbohydrates
• Post-workout smoothie: assorted fruits, 2 scoops of protein, creatine, and almond milk
• Post-workout treats: candy and honey for extra carbs

Dinner

• A "family style" portion of meat and a carb source

Late Night Snack

• Granola topping
• 300 grams of Greek yogurt
• 2 scoops of protein

Related: Mitchell Hooper Wins the 2026 Arnold Strongman Classic for the 4th Year in a Row

Bodybuilders have spent years roasting strongmen in locker rooms and on Reddit forums for treating their stomachs like a garbage disposal. We've all seen the clips of these giants crushing Big Macs and entire pizzas, which look like a fever dream compared to the sad, unseasoned chicken and broccoli that bodybuilders live on. But Hooper has been in the game way too long to fall for the "see food, eat food" trap.

"It's this delicate balance of like, yep, you want to be big and heavy, but you also want to be light on your feet to move, and you want to be able to recover," he says. "So it's a balance."

He knows that if you eat crappy foods, your systemic inflammation is going to skyrocket, your recovery will hit a wall, and you're going to be stuck behind the eight ball before the heavy lifting even starts.

"If you think about it, like, yeah, is eating six Rice Krispies the best idea for the average person? No, it's a pretty bad idea," he says. "But if you have that combined with rice and with beef...you're getting a lot of really easy to digest carbohydrates that are slowed down by the beef and rice. You can still get them in practically without being so bloated."

source https://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/inside-the-7000-calorie-diet-that-powers-worlds-strongest-man-mitchell-hooper