Hey Folks! Every week, I get asked questions such as: “What do you eat?”, “What is your diet like for strongman?” or “How many calories do you eat?” 

Because of the interest in the topic, I decided that the best thing to do was write a blog post about it! Before I get started though, a little disclaimer. A person’s diet, similar to an exercise program, is a very individualized thing. My diet is designed to maximize my performance in the sport of strongman and as such is not necessarily suitable for other purposes (weight loss, endurance performance, etc). So please do not think of this as a blueprint for how you should be eating to achieve your fitness goals!

What I’ve laid out for you is a glimpse into my “average day”. There can be changes in here for meals like breakfast and supper. For the most part though, I stay pretty consistent to what is written below. Enjoy!

Meal 1: Breakfast Skillet

This skillet is 2 sausages, 1/2 of a red pepper, 1 onion, 3 medium potatoes, 2 eggs, and a couple handfuls of cheese. I also had a glass of orange juice with it. This can vary though, some days, it’s bacon eggs, and toast or when I work early in the morning, it’s a protein shake, rice, fruit and orange juice. The rough nutrient breakdown for this meal is: 43 grams of protein, 65 grams or carbs, 50 grams of fat and a total of 960 Calories.

Meal 2: Steak and Rice with Tomatoes

This meal is a 225 gram strip loin steak, 145 grams (measured uncooked) of jasmine rice, and 175 grams of cherry tomatoes. The meal is always rice, beef, and vegetables. Lately, it’s been the striploin but I have had ground beef or the shredded beef (see meal 4) with this meal many times. The rough nutrient breakdown for this meal is: 49 grams of protein, 131 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fat and a total of 830 Calories.

Meal 3: Shake and Fruit

I usually eat this meal at work so it’s on the run. It is a shake made of 1 (35 gram) scoop of protein powder and 1 (100 gram) scoop of weight gain powder. With it I usually have some fruit, often 3 clementines as any of the morning JKC crowd could tell you!. The breakdown for this meal is: 43 grams of protein, 100 grams of carbs, 8 grams of fat and a total of 635 Calories. 

Meal 4: Shredded Beef and Rice with Zucchini

This meal is 175 grams of shredded slow cooked beef roast, 145 grams (measured uncooked) of jasmine rice, 175 grams of roasted zucchini, 75 grams of barbecue sauce and a couple handfuls of cheese. Similar to meal 2, this meal is always beef, rice, and vegetables. The rough nutrient breakdown for this meal is: 49 grams of protein, 170 grams of carbs, 12 grams of fat and 1050 Calories. 

Meal 5: Yogurt, Berries, etc, etc🤣

My last meal of the day varies depending on the day. When I work early in the morning, I usually have something smaller like a shake and some fruit similar to meal 3. When I’m not up as early though, I like to have something a bit larger and lately that’s been a smoothie that consists of 200mL of oat milk, 300 grams of greek yogurt, 200 grams of frozen blueberries, 45 grams of natural peanut butter and 100 grams of weight gainer powder. The breakdown for this shake is about 58 grams of protein, 130 grams of carbs, 35 grams of fat and 1030 Calories.

So, now we get to the fun part, the total amount. So with these meals my daily total is about: 245 grams of protein, 600 grams of carbs, 110 grams of fat and a total of just over 4500 Calories. As I’ve said, this is what I’d call my “average day”. This can change some days based on my work schedule, for example on Monday and Tuesday I generally have breakfast, lunch, a shake, and then supper before bed since I don’t get home until late so I’m not having that evening shake. I hope you all enjoy this post and it gives you a little insight into my diet!

The people and the training set JKC apart from other gyms or programs I’ve tried in the past. Truly Jon and Thomas meet you where are and help you get to where you want to be. There are no expectations and never any judgement. You can go there having the worst day and you always leave feeling better. Truly JKC has given me a level of strength and confidence I would not have had otherwise ❤️.

I’ve always struggled with both my weight and anxiety throughout my life. As a writer you live a pretty sedentary lifestyle filled with both realistic and unrealistic deadlines, so I needed something to get me off my butt and to get me moving. JK has been a godsend during this past year and a half in particular. The pandemic has been tough, but workouts with both Thomas and Jon have really helped reduce the stress and strain of a global pandemic, and added an anchor of normalcy back into my life — which has been worth its weight in gold.

JKC has created an incredibly inclusive environment that’s filled with all kinds of supportive folks from all kinds of different backgrounds. For folks like myself, being surrounded by people with such athletic ability can be intimidating in most gyms. It can actually be a deterrent, and it sometimes has been for me. But, at JKC it’s far from that — it’s inspirational. Everyone supports one another. Which is something that’s not easily found in this day and age, inside of a gym or out. Not to sound like a total cheeseball here, but it really feels like a family.

JKC was recommended to me by my good friend Casidhe Dyke. Cas had been training with JKC for a while, and both he and his father had seen great results from the personal training that Jon and Thomas were giving them. I was and still am primarily a triathlete and I’ve always struggled with injuries. I was talking to Cas about incorporating more strength training in my program to try and prevent injuries going forward and Cas suggested that I give JKC a try. I reached out to Jon not long after, and the rest is history! After working with Jon and Thomas for a few months, I was getting stronger, faster, and most importantly, I was staying injury-free. I ended up being able to train the whole season without significant injury and posted a personal best at Ironman Copenhagen in 2018. A big part of that was due to the strength training and coaching I received at JKC.

I started strength training at JKC in the Spring of 2021. I am in my 60’s but happy to say I feel much younger since joining this gym. I joined JKC upon the advice of a doctor. I went through some difficult medical issues last year, that’s when one of my doctors recommended strength training at JKC. I have been physically active most of my adult life but mainly running and completed many road races as I am a distance runner. Strength training has definitely benefited me by increasing my stamina and energy. It sure has enhanced my recovery over the past year. I have the added benefit of becoming a stronger runner as well.

I’m 43 and started at JKC just over a year ago. I started at JKC because of multiple recommendations from existing clients. There are 2 main elements that distinguish JKC for me. Firstly the sense of community. I’ve been to multiple gyms in multiple cities/countries, you just  can not manufacture the sense of community and support you get from other gym goers and the team. It’s very motivating and happy to say I’ve made some friends at JKC.

The other major distinguishing factor for JKC is the expertise and passion of the team. Jon, Thomas and Craig craft highly personalized programs based on my fitness goals and know how to push me best without being pushy. They pay close attention to ensuring my form is solid before encouraging me to take on more weight for the exercise. Plain and simple they love what they do and it shows.

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