Brian Shaw has just one strongman competition left in his career — the eponymous 2023 Shaw Classic (SC) on August 19-20, 2023, in Loveland, CO. The sport of strongman will soon officially soldier on without one of the greatest strongmen of all time, at least with him as an active competing participant. While the former World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion (2011, 2013, 2015-2016) will undoubtedly try to maximize his time away from competition, Shaw clearly wants to make the most of his last competitive appearance. A look at his recent nutrition says as much.
On June 12, 2023, Shaw shared a video to his YouTube where he diagrams “full day of eating” with more than 10,000 calories. The diet is part of Shaw’s last planning steps as an elite strongman before he vies for the SC title one last time. Shaw won the inaugural SC in 2020 and finished as the runner-up to two-time defending champion Trey Mitchell in 2021-2022.
According to Shaw, he eats six meals a day to keep up his current strength and stature at 6-foot-8 height and 181.4 kilograms (400 pounds). Each meal appears to serve its own purpose within Shaw’s overarching strategy. Here’s a general overview of each of Shaw’s meals from his 10,000-calorie day.
Note: Shaw disclosed nutritional numbers but did not provide precise measurements for every element.
Meal 1
Shaw started his day by making some pancakes and mixing eight ounces of bison meat with six whole eggs. Naturally, the pancakes had butter and syrup, while the meat and egg mix had ketchup. Shaw washed this breakfast down with orange juice.
- Calories — 2,260
- Protein — 104 grams
- Carbs — 240 grams
- Fat — 95.5 grams
Meal 2
Next, prior to leaving the house, Shaw whipped up a protein shake with three scoops of whey protein powder, one banana, “a scoop” of peanut butter, and water. He also packed four cookies and an apple to take with him on the go.
- Calories — 1,190
- Protein — 85 grams
- Carbs — 132 grams
- Fat — 36 grams
Meal 3
Shaw dubbed the ensuing meal his “First Lunch.” It essentially involved a significant amount of pasta and bison meat, with the latter coming in at a whopping one-pound portion.
- Calories — 1,495
- Protein — 131 grams
- Carbs — 153 grams
- Fat — 43 grams
Meal 4
Shaw unveiled another pound of bison meat for his next meal. On this occasion, he ate it with a half-can of green beans and “a generous two cups” of rice instead of pasta. There’s also a large helping of barbecue sauce overlaid.
- Calories — 1,532
- Protein — 129 grams
- Carbs — 161.5 grams
- Fat — 40 grams
It is here where Shaw clarified that the size of his portion would only grow as the 2023 SC nears. He explained that the proof is in the pudding as the increased eating has translated to better training.
“Some of the contests previously to this, I’ve talked about, ‘Hey, I want my scale weight to be down. I’m worried about my speed or I’m worried about that.’ The Shaw Classic is not about any of that. It’s just about being big and strong. So I’m going to eat like I want to be big and strong.” Shaw said. “My portion sizes from this point will only get bigger, they will not get smaller … How I am feeling in the gym is also showing me that eating this way is translating to the gym and my performance.”
Meal 5
As Shaw neared the end of his day, bison meat made yet another appearance. In this instance, the American athlete cooked 12 ravioli, eight chicken meatballs, a large bowl of salad with vinaigrette dressing, and eight-ounces of bison meat.
Shaw also drank two cans of Coca-Cola, explaining that the soda was “only a pre-training thing.” Shaw clarified that this meal was designed in anticipation of a heavy deadlift session the next day, with the goal of “carbing up and fueling up” for the strenuous workout.
- Calories — 2,555
- Protein — 145 grams
- Carbs — 209 grams
- Fat — 135 grams
Meal 6
To close this monster day of eating, Shaw helped himself to dessert. The strongman ate a bowl of homemade ice cream created with milk and a mass-gaining protein shake. As a “sprinkle” of sorts, Shaw had a slice of cheesecake along with his cold treat.
- Calories — 1,420
- Protein — 97.5 grams
- Carbs — 153 grams
- Fat — 47 grams
One of the most important weekends in Shaw’s strength life awaits him at the 2023 SC. To finally unseat someone like the reigning champion Mitchell, Shaw seemingly understands that his preparation has to go into overdrive for a curtain-call win. His 10,000-calorie day of eating certainly fits that bill.
Featured image: @shawstrength on Instagram
