It’s crunch time for bodybuilders as Olympia creeps its way nearer. Many athletes are focused on perfecting their physiques and with that comes major nutritional change-ups. In a recent YouTube video, Regan Grimes shares his 1,935-calorie shredding diet with under three weeks left until Mr. Olympia as he aims to cement himself as one of the best in the world.
Regan Grimes is a Men’s Open competitor who has been taking the sport by storm after winning his first Pro show at the 2018 New York Pro in Classic Physique. Following his victory, Grimes would make his Olympia debut in Classic Physique and earn eighth place.
Even though he was an impressive competitor in this division, Grimes made the move to the Men’s Open and has been dominating ever since despite competing against competitors boasting much more size.
In 2022, Regan Grimes would take back-to-back seventh-place finishes at the Arnold Classic and the Boston Pro. Initially, Grimes planned to compete at the 2022 Mr. Olympia and while he sported an absolutely beastly physique in an update, he ultimately decided to pull out to allow himself time to pack on more mass.
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Having sat out last year, Grimes returned in 2023 looking better than ever and stunned on stage at the 2023 Flex Weekend Pro coming in second to Nathan De Asha. However, Grimes quickly avenged his loss against De Asha at the Europa Pro Championships and subsequently secured his ticket to the Mr. Olympia stage.
Regan Grimes Eats Like A ‘Skinny, Skinny Boy’ While Shredding Down For Olympia
Grimes worked hard on honing his ripped physique and just recently posted a video on YouTube depicting what a full day of eating looks like while cutting for Olympia.
Listed below are the six meals Regan Grimes shared:
Starting out his day, Grimes wakes up at 3:30 AM to get to the gym by 4:00 AM. His training session consists of an hour of cardio using the stair-master, then his ab routine, then the sauna for 20 minutes (or for as long as he can stand it). His first meal of the day will contain no carbs.
Meal 1 – 260 Calories
- 200 grams chicken
- 1 gram salt
- Lettuce
- Mustard
- Franks Hot Sauce
Grimes explains how he has to focus on rehydrating after his first gym session since he loses the most water at that time.
“It’s really important to get hydrated in the morning because you know I’m sweating so much in that morning sauna and the posing, everything I’m just soaked so you lose a lot of water so now I need to get that rehydration before getting into the workout” Grimes shares.
Meal 2 – Pre-Workout – 500 Calories
- 40 grams cream of rice
- Cinnamon
- 2 scoops chocolate Yamoto protein powder
- 2 grams salt
- 7 grams coconut oil
Regan Grimes expresses how much he looks forward to this meal and savors it for as long as he can since it is the only meal for the day that has carbs. This meal also keeps the cravings at bay and allows for better digestion since it isn’t a meat-heavy helping.
“I don’t really have any cravings at all the reason why I switched to this in the first place was because I was doing 300 grams of meat per meal six times a day and I was like ‘we need to do something to give my digestion a little bit of a break’ and protein powder is like pretty much not pre-digested, but it’s broken down and bioavailability of protein powder is much higher so you don’t have to do a lot of the digesting and breaking down of the proteins, it’s already done for you so that’s why pre-workout, post-workout I do protein powder for a meal and it’s been working great. My stomach and waist is getting tighter and my digestion is getting better so I’m going to stick with it.”
Meal 3 – Post Workout – 220 Calories
- 2 scoops protein powder
Meal 4 – 260 Calories
- 160 grams cauliflower rice with asparagus and mushrooms
- 200 grams chicken
- 1 gram salt
- Avocado oil
- Sugar-free ketchup
After consuming his fourth meal, Grimes sought medical treatment to realign his shoulder, which had been bothering him during workouts.
Meal 5 – 435 Calories
- 100 grams steak
- 100 grams chicken
- 160 grams cauliflower rice with asparagus and mushrooms
- 1 gram salt
- Avocado oil
- Lettuce
- Sugar-free ketchup
While enjoying his fifth meal, Grimes discusses his trophies and what his toughest prep from previous shows was.
“I remember suffering really hard for the Arnold Brazil. That one was really really hard, but all of them man they all have their challenges like there’s not one show that was easy that’s for sure. It’s all a mental battle and how much you can like put yourself through literally and it’s not a sport for the sane that’s for sure. You gotta go to a place where you have to allow yourself to suffer, who the hell wants to do that you know but that’s what this sport is about and that’s what I signed up for. I honestly, as much as there is the suffering and all that, I just love it, that’s why I continue to do it If I didn’t love it I would just stop. As of now, I love it and I don’t see my self not loving it for a while.”
Meal 6 – 260 Calories
- 160 grams cauliflower rice with asparagus and mushrooms
- 200 grams white fish
- 1 gram salt
- Lettuce
- Avocado oil
After a full day of eating, Grimes consumed a total of 1,935 calories.
“That’s what someone competing in the Mr. Olympia Open category is eating, 1,900 calories just getting huge. More like a skinny, skinny boy but this is like the time for the final push, we are trying to etch in those details, we’re trying to get in the best condition.”
“Super low fat, protein is mid to high, and the carbs are super low.”
Though he does have a few high-carb days to look forward to, most of his days leading to Olympia will look like the diet plan he followed in this video to minimize water weight and any inflammation.
Regan Grimes is looking to make up for lost time at this year’s Mr. Olympia. With his dedication inside the gym and attention to detail regarding his stringent diet, Grimes could easily be a dark horse on stage this year. Standing next to top competitors such as reigning champion Hadi Choopan, Derek Lunsford, Nick Walker, and Samson Dauda, the win will be anything but easy to achieve.
Fans look forward to an explosive showdown with bodybuilding’s biggest names at the 2023 Mr. Olympia stage this November 2-5 in Orlando, Florida.
RELATED: Regan Grimes and Michal Krizo Share Physique Updates from 2023 Mr. Olympia
To check out Grimes’ full video click the link below:
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