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!

A few years ago, I pinched a nerve in my neck which led me to be stationary as any form of movement would cause extreme pain. During this time, my fiancé (Sean) started at JKC and loved it!! Once I overcame the nerve issue, Sean spent a long time trying to convince me that JKC is exactly what I needed to safely start working out again (I’m slightly stubborn and was super scared of re-pinching the nerve). Long story short, Sean was right… as much as I hate to admit it!

I never had luck at gyms, if it started to hurt I would call it a day. At JKC that is not an option, as Jon & Thomas will push you to finish the workout, whether you want to or not! Working out in a group setting is also a big benefit of working out at JKC, if you’re not feeling motivated you can simply feed off of someone else’s energetic vibes.

I am the oldest client at JKC at 79 years, soon to be 80. I started training at JKC July 2021. I started at JKC because two of my three sons Justin and Michael and their partners Andrea and Keir and one of my doctors recommended JKC. They all train at JKC Now my wife Linda trains at JKC too. My third son Jonathan lives in Kingston. There is a congenial community atmosphere at JKC. People are introduced to each other. There is effective personal training at JKC.

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.

My original reason for joining JKC was to get some sage advice to help with my running. I had been looking for awhile, came across Jon, met for an assessment, and was quite happy with how that all went. Apart from the running specific strengthening and conditioning approaches, JKC is different from other gyms as I am a fan of the small group sessions where everyone has their own goals and individualized programs. As well, the run coaching is super. All the coaches go the extra mile to make sure you get the best out each training session. They are fantastic motivators! My favourite memory is deadlifting 330lbs. Making a lot of great friends and meeting some really cool people is pretty high up on that list, too.

As Seen On: