The Extreme Calorie Diet: What is Eddie Hall's diet for the world's strongest man?

December 12, 2025 •

4 min read

To fuel his 440-pound physique for the World's Strongest Man, Eddie Hall consumed over 12,000 calories daily, sometimes reaching 16,000 calories. This extreme diet involved frequent, dense meals designed for mass and power, bordering on a full-time job in itself.

Quick Summary

An in-depth look at Eddie Hall's extreme, high-calorie diet during his strongman career, detailing his meal structure, staple foods, and immense daily intake to fuel his immense strength.

Key Points

High-Volume Caloric Intake: Eddie Hall consumed up to 16,000 calories daily during his competitive strongman career to fuel his massive body size and intense training regimen.
Macro-Dense Meals: His diet was built around extremely large meals packed with protein, carbs, and fats, including full English breakfasts, massive portions of steak and pasta, and frequent, calorie-dense snacks.
Structured Eating Schedule: Hall ate multiple meals throughout the day, often needing naps to digest, and even woke up at night for protein shakes to meet his calorie demands.
Post-Strongman Dietary Shift: After retirement, Hall significantly changed his diet, famously adopting a carnivore diet to lose weight and body fat while transitioning to other fitness pursuits.
Consistency was Key: His success was attributed not only to the volume of food but also to his relentless consistency in both his diet and recovery protocols.

The Core Principles of a Strongman Diet

For elite strongmen like Eddie Hall, the primary dietary goal is not aesthetic leanness but rather sheer caloric volume to support immense muscle mass and strength. The diet is built on a foundation of high protein for muscle repair and growth, a significant number of carbohydrates for immediate energy and glycogen replenishment, and high-volume fats for sustained caloric intake. Consistency is paramount, with Hall emphasizing that his dedication extended to never missing a meal. During his preparation for the World's Strongest Man, his eating schedule was meticulous and demanding, requiring an 'eating nap' to handle the massive volume of food.

The 12,000+ Calorie Daily Intake

During his peak strongman years, Hall's daily calorie consumption was staggering. Sources estimate his intake regularly exceeded 12,000 calories, with some days pushing toward the 16,000-calorie mark. This was not a luxury but a necessity, as his colossal body mass and intense training sessions burned a phenomenal amount of energy. A study cited by Myprotein revealed that even at rest, his large body would burn nearly 5,000 calories over a 12-hour period, demonstrating why such high intake was required simply to function. To reach these numbers, the focus was on calorie-dense, not always 'clean,' foods.

A Day in the Life: Example Meal Plan

Eddie Hall's daily meals were structured to provide a constant stream of energy. An example of his routine includes:

Morning Kickstart: A giant English breakfast, including sausages, bacon, eggs, fried bread, and black pudding. This meal alone was estimated to be 1,700–2,000 calories.
Second Breakfast: A large bowl of porridge with honey, fruits, whey protein, and sometimes beef jerky.
Heavy Lunch: Typically consisted of a large ribeye steak, a massive portion of pasta, and vegetables.
Mid-Workout Fuel: Eddie would consume snacks like roast beef slices and protein shakes during his extended training sessions.
Enormous Dinner: A staple was a massive pasta bolognese, often accompanied by garlic bread.
Pre-Bed Snack: A protein bar and shake to support overnight muscle recovery.

Strategic Snacking and Supplements

Throughout the day, Hall incorporated strategic snacks to keep his energy levels high. This included nuts like cashews and a litre of cranberry juice, which he believed provided a strength boost based on an unconventional study. He also used multiple protein shakes and a cocktail of supplements, including multivitamins, Omega-3s, and turmeric, to support his body's needs. The inclusion of high-sugar drinks like energy drinks before workouts was part of his strategy to achieve a quick energy spike.

Strongman Diet vs. Carnivore Diet: A Comparison


Feature	Strongman Diet (Peak)	Carnivore Diet (Post-Strongman)
Daily Calories	12,000-16,000+	Approximately 8,000-10,000
Key Food Groups	Meat, dairy, high carbs (pasta, bread), fats, vegetables, sugar	Exclusively meat, dairy, eggs, and fats
Carbohydrate Intake	Very high for energy and muscle glycogen	Extremely low, essentially zero
Dietary Goal	Extreme mass and strength gain	Weight loss and lean mass preservation
Mental & Physical Effect	Constant eating, feeling bloated, but peak strength	Increased energy, better sleep, dropped body fat

The Transition Post-Strongman: The Carnivore Diet

After retiring from competitive strongman, Hall transitioned to new goals, requiring a complete dietary overhaul. He famously adopted the carnivore diet, focusing on meat, eggs, and dairy to rapidly shed body fat while preserving muscle. This allowed him to drop significant weight for subsequent MMA fights. He reported benefits like increased energy and improved sleep, though he later reintegrated some fruits and vegetables for better gut health. This shows the strategic, goal-specific nature of his nutrition, adapting his intake based on the athletic demand. For a detailed critique of his peak diet, read BarBend's analysis BarBend's analysis of his diet.

Recovery and Consistency: More Than Just Food

Eddie Hall's success wasn't solely about the food; it was a holistic approach to his craft. He emphasized that proper rest and recovery were as crucial as his eating plan. This included extensive physiotherapy, hot and cold treatments, and adequate sleep to allow his body to repair and adapt to the immense stress of his training and diet. His unwavering consistency and commitment to this entire regimen were the ultimate keys to becoming the World's Strongest Man.

Conclusion

Eddie Hall's diet for the World's Strongest Man was an extreme, high-calorie undertaking designed to fuel his gargantuan size and phenomenal strength. It was characterized by frequent, massive, calorie-dense meals and strategic snacking, supplemented by a focused recovery protocol. While not a blueprint for the average person, it provides a fascinating look into the immense nutritional demands of elite strongman competition and showcases Hall's dedication to his craft. His later dietary shifts also highlight his ability to adapt his nutrition to different athletic goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

During his strongman career, Eddie Hall consumed a staggering 12,000 to 16,000 calories per day to maintain his 440-pound physique and meet the energy demands of his training.

A staple of his strongman diet was a massive full English breakfast, often including sausages, bacon, fried eggs, fried bread, baked beans, and black pudding.

While he prioritized protein and high calories, his diet was not always 'clean.' He often included calorie-dense junk food like cheesecake and ice cream to hit his intake targets.

After retiring from strongman, Hall transitioned to a carnivore diet, focusing on meat, dairy, and eggs to lose weight and body fat for MMA fights.

His immense body mass and intense, physically demanding strongman training created an enormous energy deficit. The high caloric intake was necessary to fuel his strength and allow his body to recover.

He used various supplements, including whey protein powder throughout the day, multivitamins, and electrolytes, especially when on his carnivore diet.

Yes, but only for a few days. He reported feeling his strength and size decreasing and concluded it was not a viable option for his intense training needs at the time.