Hunter Labrada has nutrition locked in as he sets his sights on his 2024 bodybuilding campaign. In a recent YouTube video, Labrada answered questions about his current diet, how to keep cholesterol down, and the benefits of low-volume workouts.
It didn’t take the world long to notice Hunter Labrada, IFBB Pro League Hall of Famer Lee Labrada‘s son. He has placed as high as fourth at the prestigious Mr. Olympia competition and has toppled heavy hitters of the Men’s Open class.
Last year, Labrada set the bar high with a dominant victory at the 2023 Tampa Pro; this secured him a qualification for Olympia. When it was time to step back on the 2023 Olympia stage, Labrada showcased improvements to his physique, securing sixth place. Before taking to the guest posing stage at the annual Pittsburgh Pro, Labrada opened up about his latest diet and training habits.
Hunter Labrada Opens Up on 2024 Season Diet, Cholesterol Management and Low-Volume Lifting Benefits
Labrada discussed his six-meal diet, which mainly consists of 300 grams of protein at each feeding and 300 grams of rice. His last meal of the day does not include carbohydrates.
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“Couldn’t really tell you the macros on my current diet right now. But right now, I’m eating 200 grams of either cooked chicken or cooked beef per meal for the protein source and then doing 300 grams of rice across-the-board training days or non-training days with meals one through five. Meal six is still a carb-less meal.”
As for cholesterol control, Labrada underscored the importance of daily cardio for 15-20 minutes. In addition, he believes omega-3s, 6s, and 9,s from various oils can help with homeostasis.
“A couple things right off the top of my head. In terms of managing cholesterol, first off, we are going to make sure you’re getting daily cardio in 15-20 minutes bare minimum of steady state. Second thing we want to do is make sure you’re getting a lot of healthy fats.”
“A lot of people especially in bodybuilding diets typically take their fats really really low and not the best for your health, especially for your lipids. If your lipids are off I would say make sure you’re getting good omega-3, 6’s, and 9’s like whether it be from fish oil, olive oil, certain nut and seed oils,” says Hunter Labrada.
Although bodybuilders often steer away from fats, Labrada believes they are important for cholesterol health. He also advocated for the use of citrus bergamot for cholesterol control.
“Make sure you’re getting enough fat in. Finally, the thing that we can do for our lipids is to take things that help manage them the one that comes to mind first and foremost is citrus bergamot. It’s a great great great herbal supplement that is tried and true for keeping your cholesterol in check.”
According to the rising Men’s Open competitor, low-volume training has helped him throughout the 2024 season. He believes this is because it has allowed his body proper rest in between training periods.
“Very simple, the lower you’re able to have your volume while still being able to progress, the more energy your body is able to put into recovery and the less it has to recover from. I’m very much a huge proponent of the minimum effective dose of all things bodybuilding, whether it be training, food, supplementation, etc, you name it.”
“We want to use as little as possible to achieve the desired effect. I would definitely say that’s why it helps you grow. That being said, I’ll put the caveat in here, you have to have a certain level of training intensity in order to train super low-volume, it’s not something you can pussyfoot through you have to actually work hard.”
Bodybuilding veterans have been open about Hunter Labrada’s potential as a top-tier IFBB Pro. Recently, former Mr. Olympia Samir Bannout took a closer look at Labrada’s future, emphasizing that if he wants to win a competition, he will need to be ‘shredded to the bone’ on stage, more on par with the conditioning levels of his father.
With a six-meal whole-food diet, Labrada is continuing to add mass and refine his physique. Fans look forward to seeing him guest pose alongside a star-studded lineup at the Pittsburgh Pro.
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