Inside Mr. Olympia Training & Meal Prep
Mr Olympia is one of the most prestigious bodybuilding events in the world, known for its displays of finely honed, oiled muscles and perfect poses. This year, Ryan Terry is determined to take home the top prize.
With the competition just around the corner, Ryan is working hard to be in perfect condition. He must get everything exactly right if he wants to win. That includes his meal planning — to the point of weighing everything he eats to the gram.
It takes a little bit of time, and patience, but when he’s on that stage, the prep will be a distant memory.
With a lifelong dream on the line, Ryan is not one to waste time in bed in the morning. After quickly downing a cup of peppermint tea, he heads straight to his home gym for 45 minutes of fasted cardio at 6am, even on the coldest winter mornings. The cardio typically consists of a slight incline walk at a fast pace, enough to leave him a bit breathless if he tries to talk at the same time.
Determined to leave nothing to chance, Ryan is focusing on core work to prevent lower back or hip injuries and allow him to train his legs and back more effectively. Every other day, he follows his cardio routine with a series of bodyweight exercises, including planks, side planks, lying leg raises, heel taps, and exercise ball crunches.
While working out, Ryan likes to fuel his body with EAAs, Nutri-Greens, and L-carnitine.
- Banana
- Oats
- Blueberries
- Peanut butter
- Almonds
- 3 poached eggs
- 6 rice cakes
- Smoked salmon
- Chicken
- Rice
- Asparagus/broccoli
- 2 salmon fillets (250g)
- 185-200g rice
- Asparagus/broccoli
- 2 fillet steaks (300g)
- 200g rice
- Asparagus/broccoli
Meal prepping may seem dull or time-consuming to some, but for Ryan it’s a non-negotiable if you want to succeed. Food is fuel, and he measures it out perfectly to match his training and prep. And with two fillet steaks and two salmon fillets a day, I’m sure many people could get used to it.
Shop Ryan’s diet on a budget
Supplements:
Ryan, a high-level athlete, aims to get most of his nutrients from his food but supplements his diet with various nutrition products.
First up, pre-workout. Ryan prefers to train without it usually, but when he does need a boost, he opts for Alpha Pre-Workout.
Impact Whey Protein, an essential. Ryan takes 50g a day to make sure he’s reaching his protein goals. And it’s low-carb and low-sugar — win, win.
Next, Maltodextrin — a favourite of Ryan’s. Ryan takes 100g three times around training: pre-workout, intra-workout and post-workout.
Impact EAA — a pre- and intra-workout staple for Ryan.
Creatine. Since creatine monohydrate can cause fluid retention, Ryan uses it up until one week before competition.
Take home message
Training to be a bodybuilder requires consistency, dedication, and motivation – Ryan’s drive to be the best is inspiring. The whole Myprotein team is rooting for Ryan every step of the way.
