If you really are what you eat, then Hafthór Júlíus Björnsson has earned his nickname as “The Mountain.”
The towering Icelandic strongman, who inherited his nickname from the character he played on Game of Thrones, Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane, took to Facebook last week to share his titanic nutrition plan. At 6’9″ and nearly 400lbs., Björnsson needs a helluva lot more fuel than the average dude—and that’s especially true as he trains for The World’s Strongest Man competition. What kind of training? GLAD YOU ASKED:
Naturally, since we love a good nutrition plan (especially one so rich in clean carbs and lean proteins), we decided to drill a little deeper into Björnsson’s impressive grocery haul and figure out exactly how many macros—meaning protein, fat, and carbs—this guy needs to eat every day to pull tractor-trailers down the road.
We did have to make a few assumptions:
– 1: We interpreted a Mountain-sized “handful” as 1 dry cup. (That’s about two handfuls for the average man.)
– 2: In cases where Björnsson chooses between two options (protein OR eggs, for example) we averaged the nutrient profile of both options.
– 3: All nutrition facts are sourced from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s official National Nutrient Database. Björnsson isn’t specific about all his foods, so we made our best guesses and noted the variety we chose.
The Thor Björnsson Nutrition Plan
| TIME | FOOD | Volume (g) | Protein (g) | Fats (g) | Carbs (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6:50 | MORNING WORKOUT: BCAAs | — | ||||
| Glutamine | — | |||||
| Handful of almonds | 92 | 19.5 | 46 | 20 | ||
| 7:30 | 8 eggs | 400 | 50 | 42 | 4.5 | |
| 200gr Oats | 200 | 5 | 3 | 24 | ||
| blueberries & strawberries | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| avocado | 200 | 4 | 29 | 17 | Assuming 1 avocado | |
| 9:30 | 400gr beef | 400 | 112 | 52 | 0 | Braised flank steak, fat removed |
| 400gr sweet potatoes | 400 | 8 | 0.6 | 82 | ||
| handful of spinach and greens | 30 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Assuming spinach | |
| 11:50 | BCAAs, glutamine | — | ||||
| 12:00 | 400gr chicken | 400 | 122 | 12 | 0 | Boneless skinless chicken breast, grilled |
| 400gr potatoes | 400 | 8.4 | 0.6 | 84 | White, flesh and skin, baked | |
| greens + some fruits | 30 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Assuming spinach | |
| 14:00 | 150gr oats or sweet potatoes | 150 | 3.5 | 2 | 24 | Average of oats/sweet potatoes |
| 2 bananas | 200 | 3 | 0.9 | 62 | Assuming large bananas | |
| 150gr Kellogg’s Rice Krispies | 150 | 10 | 3 | 128 | Standard Rice Krispies | |
| frozen berries | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| handful almonds | 92 | 19.5 | 46 | 20 | ||
| peanut butter | 50 | 11 | 25 | 12 | USDA commodity | |
| glutamine | — | |||||
| 14:30 | STRONGMAN TRAINING: BCAAs, Glutamine, Vitargo | — | ||||
| 17:30 | 60gr protein | 60 | 60 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 bananas | 200 | 3 | 0.9 | 62 | Assuming large bananas | |
| 18:00 | 500gr beef | 500 | 140 | 65 | 0 | Braised flank steak, fat removed |
| 500gr potatoes | 500 | 10.5 | 0.75 | 105 | Asssuming white, baked | |
| greens | 30 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Assuming spinach | |
| 20:30 | 500gr salmon | 500 | 127 | 40 | 0 | Baked wild Atlantic salmon |
| 500gr sweet potatoes | 500 | 10 | 1 | 103 | ||
| 22:30 | 50gr casein protein or 6 eggs* | 50 | 50 | 18 | 3 | Assuming whole jumbo raw eggs |
| avocado | 200 | 4 | 29 | 17 | Assuming 1 avocado | |
| 30gr almonds | 30 | 6 | 15 | 6.5 | ||
| 50gr peanut butter | 50 | 11 | 25 | 12 | ||
| 23:59 | 50gr casein protein or raw eggs | 50 | 50 | 0 | 0 | |
| TOTAL | 5.924 | 850.4 | 456.75 | 789 | ||
| kg | g | g | g |
If that seems like a lot to read, imagine eating all that. (For the record: Björnsson recommends you don’t try this.) He puts away nearly 6 kilograms of food—about 13 pounds—every day, including nearly a kilogram of protein. Measuring roughly, his macro balance is about 2:1:2 protein to fat to carbs, although he prioritizes protein and gets slightly more healthy fats than that ratio would imply.
It’s also worth mentioning that he does eat plenty of nutrient-rich greens and fruits, which aren’t reflected in his macro total but do provide essential nutrients, fiber, and a little taste to his otherwise bland diet.
Bottom line: The guy eats a lot. “I feel for any toilet you come across,” one insightful commenter wrote on his post.
For more nutrition content from Men’s Fitness, check out our “what to eat” page.
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