The Unbelievable Diet of the World's Strongest Man

Hafthor Julius Bjornsson, known as "The Mountain", is recognized as one of the world's strongest men. Recently, he revealed his eating habits as he competes for the title of "World's Strongest Man 2024".

Bjornsson, who has won this title several times, is only 35 but already famous for his massive build. He disclosed that he consumes approximately 8,000 calories daily to maintain his reputation. This energy is needed to lift weights up to 200 kilograms on one shoulder, which is why he needs to "bulk up".

Managing such meals isn't easy; you can imagine fitting 8,000 calories into one day can be quite challenging. He must do it carefully to maintain a relatively healthy lifestyle and prepare several meals throughout the day.

So how does he manage to consume such a high daily calorie intake? "I approach it as if eating is my job," he explains. It turns out his father, a fairly slim man as seen in videos, is the one who prepares his meals.

Bjornsson eats very frequently. Through his research, he found out the stomach feels full after 20 minutes, so he found a method to pack in a lot of food - he eats quickly. Is this hazardous to his health? Yes. Is this eating method healthy? Of course not (don't try this at home). He shares that the nervous system starts signaling only after this time frame, which is why he tries to eat as much as possible in a short span. He's not particularly worried about choking.

Bjornsson follows several "rules of thumb": he keeps his phone away to minimize distractions and focuses solely on eating. After meals, he engages in a ten-minute workout and finishes with a cold bath. Since he consumes a lot of protein, the workout combined with the cold helps him maintain his routine - eat, workout, and repeat.

"There's nothing more boring than eating food you don't love," says Bjornsson, a known fan of burgers, ice cream, and pizza. He starts his day with 3 eggs, half a kilo of rice, half a cup of strawberries, and two cups of milk, followed by a shake featuring oranges, yogurt, and blueberries. Later, about two hours after this meal, he has a "mid-morning snack" - a steak, two cups of rice, and half a cup of vegetables, with avocado on the side. For lunch, it's steak and a shake, followed by another snack including a peanut butter sandwich with sliced banana. What about dinner? A mere 1,400 calories: half a kilo of rice, a steak, and half a cup of beans. Late at night, he consumes another steak with rice, vegetables, and avocado.