Understanding What is Eddie Hall's Diet Through His Strongman and MMA Career

October 4, 2025 •

4 min read

With a top calorie intake estimated at over 16,000 calories per day during his strongman peak, 'The Beast' famously ate immense quantities of food. The answer to "what is Eddie Hall's diet?" has, however, changed dramatically as he transitioned from World's Strongest Man to a lean, fight-focused MMA athlete.

Quick Summary

Eddie Hall's diet underwent a massive transformation, shifting from an extremely high-calorie bulk for strongman competitions to a high-protein, animal-based carnivore diet to prepare for MMA. This dietary evolution was driven by health concerns and changing athletic demands, resulting in significant weight loss and improved performance.

Key Points

Strongman vs. MMA Diet: Hall's strongman diet involved consuming over 15,000 calories for size, while his current MMA diet uses nearly 10,000 calories from mostly animal products to reduce fat and increase endurance.
Carnivore Focus: His recent diet for MMA training, and for weight loss, is based on the carnivore approach, consuming only meat, eggs, and dairy.
Significant Weight Shedding: The dietary change enabled Hall to lose over 45kg (around 99 pounds) by shifting from carb-heavy foods to high-protein sources.
Performance Goals: The extreme caloric intake was to maximize bulk for strongman, while the leaner carnivore diet is to optimize cardio and stamina for fighting.
Health Impact: Concerns over the strongman diet's long-term health risks, including high cholesterol and liver indicators, prompted the change to a more disciplined regimen.
Hydration and Supplements: Both diet phases involve significant hydration and the use of supplements, particularly protein powder and electrolytes, to support intense training.

The Strongman Bulk: Fueling the 500kg Deadlift

When Eddie Hall was dominating the world of strongman and preparing to break the 500kg deadlift record, his nutrition strategy was about one thing: consuming an immense number of calories to fuel his massive frame. This was necessary because a larger body mass was directly correlated with the ability to move more weight in competition. His diet during this phase was characterized by sheer volume, with calorie counts that astonished even fellow strength athletes.

His day was a constant cycle of eating and resting. In a video from 2020, Hall attempted to re-create a typical day of eating from his strongman era, showcasing the sheer difficulty of consuming such vast quantities of food. The meals were not always focused on 'clean' eating, as calories were the priority. He regularly included high-fat and high-sugar items to pack on mass quickly.

A Day on the 'Beast' Diet

Meal 1 (Morning): A monstrous full English breakfast with multiple sausages, bacon, eggs, fried bread, and black pudding, estimated at around 1,700-2,000 calories.
Meal 2 (Late Morning): A second breakfast of oatmeal, honey, fruit, and whey protein shakes to add another 1,400 calories.
Meal 3 (Lunch): A huge portion of ribeye steak, pasta, and vegetables, often accompanied by half a family-sized cheesecake.
Snacks (Throughout the day): Frequent consumption of high-calorie foods like nuts, jerky, protein shakes, and energy drinks to keep calorie intake high.
Meal 4 (Dinner): Another massive meal of pasta with minced meat, garlic bread, and the other half of the family cheesecake.
Dessert & Pre-bed: A litre of ice cream and multiple protein bars to finish the day.

The Shift to MMA and the Carnivore Diet

After retiring from competitive strongman, Hall faced serious health warnings from doctors, leading him to overhaul his lifestyle entirely. The goal was no longer to be the heaviest, but to be a lean, agile fighter capable of sustained cardio performance. This led to a dramatic reduction in daily calories and the adoption of a strict carnivore diet.

The carnivore diet for his MMA preparation focused solely on animal products: meat, eggs, and dairy. While initially challenging and requiring adjustments for digestion, Hall praised the diet for helping him maintain muscle mass while shedding significant body fat. He recorded his journey and findings on his YouTube channel, detailing the meal plan that powered his transition.

A Typical Carnivore Diet Day

Meal 1 (Breakfast): Smoked salmon, multiple eggs, cottage cheese, and a protein milkshake, totaling around 1,500 calories.
Meal 2 (Lunch): A large ribeye steak with more eggs and another protein shake.
Mid-workout Fuel: A protein shake to maintain energy levels during intense training sessions.
Snack: Biltong for an extra protein boost.
Meal 3 (Dinner): Two ribeye steaks with eggs and butter, followed by a unique dessert of protein-enhanced yoghurt and broth.

Strongman vs. MMA Diet Comparison

To better understand the radical dietary shift, let's compare the key components of Hall's nutritional plans.


Feature	Strongman Diet (Peak)	MMA Diet (Carnivore)
Daily Calories	Up to 15,000+ kcal	Approximately 9,000-10,000 kcal
Primary Goal	Maximize body mass and raw strength	Reduce body fat while maintaining muscle and endurance
Key Macronutrients	Very high carbs, protein, and fat	Very high protein and fat, near-zero carbs
Carb Sources	Pasta, bread, cheesecake, ice cream	None (except for some added fibre from vegetables)
Protein Sources	Steak, minced meat, chicken, whey	Steak, salmon, eggs, dairy, whey, biltong
Food Variety	Wide variety of foods, often unhealthy	Extremely limited, exclusively animal-based
Health Focus	Prioritized mass over long-term health	Focused on fat loss, energy, and joint health

Conclusion

Eddie Hall's dietary evolution highlights the fundamental difference between powering for maximum brute strength and preparing for peak athletic performance. His time as a strongman necessitated a reckless, high-calorie bulk that eventually posed serious health risks. In contrast, his transition to MMA forced a more calculated and intentional approach, prioritizing a lean physique and endurance. The shift to a carnivore diet, while extreme and requiring careful management, proved effective for achieving his goals of shedding fat and boosting energy for the octagon. While neither diet is suitable for the average person, Hall's journey offers a powerful testament to how nutrition can be specifically tailored to a person's athletic needs and goals, as long as the associated health risks are carefully managed with expert advice.

For a general audience looking for healthy dietary practices, consulting a registered dietitian is always recommended over following extreme athlete protocols. For those interested in the science behind dietary choices for peak performance, organizations like the International Society of Sports Nutrition offer valuable, evidence-based resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

The main difference is the caloric intake and macronutrient focus. His strongman diet was extremely high in carbohydrates and overall calories (over 15,000) for maximum size, while his MMA diet is a lower-calorie (around 9,800), high-protein, zero-carb carnivore diet aimed at fat loss and endurance.

Yes, for his strongman training, Eddie Hall prioritized mass over 'clean' eating, often including unhealthy but calorie-dense foods like cheesecake, ice cream, and fried meals to reach his extreme daily caloric goals.

During his peak as a strongman, Eddie Hall consumed as many as 15,000 calories or more per day. He once attempted to eat 20,000 calories in a single day, but this resulted in extreme sickness.

For his MMA training and weight loss, Hall followed a carnivore diet, which consists exclusively of animal products like meat, eggs, and dairy, with the occasional supplement of vegetables for fibre.

Hall reported better sleep, increased energy, and a reduction in aches and pains after switching to the carnivore diet. It also proved highly effective for fat loss while preserving muscle mass.

Early on, Hall experienced digestive issues. A medical review also showed concerns related to high triglycerides and cholesterol levels, indicating potential long-term health risks if not managed properly.

Supplements, particularly protein powders and shakes, have been a crucial part of both his strongman and MMA diets to meet his high protein demands. He also uses electrolytes for hydration during intense training.