Sam Sulek is less than three weeks from making his IFBB Pro League debut. On Feb. 17, he broke down his 2,449-calorie contest prep diet for the 2026 Arnold Classic.
Sam Sulek‘s transition from influencer to bodybuilder was seamless. He made his amateur debut at the 2025 NPC Legends Classic and won overall Classic Physique gold. This allowed him to compete at the Arnold Amateur, where he presented conditioning improvements en route to victory.
In light of his triumph, Sulek was automatically invited to the 2026 Arnold Classic. However, he’ll face a stacked roster of threats, including reigning champion Mike Sommerfeld, Wesley Vissers, and Andrea Mammoli. With the show approaching, Sulek is keeping his diet clean and strict.
Sam Sulek Shares Full Day of Eating for 2026 Arnold Classic
Find his full meal breakdown from the video below:
Meal 1
- Half sleeve of rice cakes
- 2 servings of sugar-free barbecue sauce
- 3 cans of canned chicken
Sulek starts his day with crushed-up rice cakes and blends them with canned chicken. To enhance the flavor, he used sugar-free barbecue sauce.
“I’m going to crush up the rice cakes completely inside the sleeve, pour them into the bowl. Strain off the cans of chicken and throw those in, and put the whole setup on the kitchen scale, zero it out, and weigh out two servings of the sugar-free barbecue sauce. That leaves me with this chicken, rice, barbecue sort of blend. “
Meal 2
- 3 white cheddar rice cakes
- 70 grams of protein worth of ground beef
- 2 servings of sugar-free barbecue sauce
His format for most meals stays the same: a lean protein source, a condiment, and rice cakes.
“Basically the same format as most of my meals. A lean protein source, some type of low-sugar, low-carb, low-fat condiment, and rice cakes on the side.”
Meal 3
- 3 plain rice cakes
- 30 grams of sugar-free barbecue sauce
- 10 ounces of ground beef
Rice cakes and ground beef were on the menu again, helping him stay on top of his protein and carbs.
“It’s been hours since my last meal, which is a good thing. That’s actually what I want,” he shared. “I’ve got one more big meal later, which I’m actually excited for. It’s a little more fun.”
Meal 4
- Sashimi Platter
- Ginger
- 1 bowl of miso soup
His most flavorful meal of the day was a sushi dinner, complete with a serving of miso soup.
“I’ve got an assortment of sashimi. So, tuna, salmon, yellowtail, a big ass bowl of ginger; I’m not going to eat all of this, but I’ve been eating a ton of ginger with my sushi. I don’t know, something about it is just freaking sweet,” said Sulek.
Meal 5 (Bedtime Snack)
- 3 white cheddar rice cakes
He had more rice cakes as a bedtime snack, sharing that this is the average diet he’s been following in prep.
“2,449 calories for today, that’s about what I want. Also, today was a total rest day. I don’t want to go any higher than that. That’s going to be my strict average over these next two weeks, and in combination with my regular training, plus two one-hour cardio sessions per day. I expect I will get just a touch leaner before showtime.”
Sulek has kept fans close during his prep for the 2026 Arnold Classic. In addition to physique updates and intense workouts, he’s shown off how he stocks his grocery cart to make his diet simple, effective, and low-effort.
Sulek looks shredded and still has time to dial in his physique. The 2026 Arnold Classic is set for March 5-8 in Columbus, Ohio.
Watch the full video from the Sam Sulek YouTube video below:
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