Born and brought up in Colorado, Brian Shaw was a marvelous player of basketball. He earned the scholarship to play his favorite game of basketball at Black Hills State University. Despite good football player, Brian constantly relished weight lifting. Without taking any training, Brian Shaw participated in a strongman competition in Denver in 2005. His perfection started showing up in 2006 and became the trained one. He secured his position in the top three in various international strongman competitions. He was bound for first place in the 2010 World’s Strongest Man but he came up second in the competition.

Brian Shaw wins the World’s Strongest Man competition in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2016. Adjacently, he won the Arnold Strongman Classic in 2011 and 2015. He was the only person who earned the first positions in both competitions in the same year. In 2019, Shaw was starred in the History Channel’s The Strongest Man in History documentary. He has unlimited followers on his YouTube channel, ShawStrength. The height of Shaw is 6 feet, 8 inches, and his weight is about 430 lbs.

"BE GREAT. In all that you do, be more than average. BE GREAT. This isn’t only within the sport of strongman, but in life in general – professionally and personally." - BRIAN SHAW

Brian Shaw Statistics

• Height: 6ft8in (203cm)
• Weight: 419-440lbs (190-200kg)
• Neck: 20.9in (53cm)
• Biceps: 23in (58.4cm)
• Chest: 60in (152.4cm)
• Thigh: 32.7in (83cm)
• Calf: 21.7in (55 cm)

Brian Shaw Awards and Achievements

• Strongman Deadlift (with straps): 1022.9lbs (464kg) – Arnold Strongman Classic 2016
• Hummer Tire Strongman Deadlift (with straps): 1,128lbs (511kg) – Arnold Strongman Classic 2014
• Hummer Tire Strongman Deadlift (with straps): 1,122lbs (509kg) – Arnold Strongman Classic 2013
• World’s Strongest Man: 2008-2015

Personal Records:

• Bench press: 640lbs (290kg)
• Deadlift: 1001lbs (454kg) with straps, 925lbs (420kg) without straps
• Strongman Deadlift (with straps): 985lbs (448kg)
• Hummer Tire Strongman Deadlift (with straps): 1,140lbs (517kg)
• Log Lift: 441lbs (200kg)
• Squat: 900lbs (410kg)

Brian Shaw Workout Routine

Brian Shaw is one of the strongest men that you would know and it is because he has made himself appear on this list too. If you want to be like it, it is not just read this article but also using a lot of specialized equipment and weights tor each where he is now. To make sure that he never misses a workout, Brian Shaw has made a special gym for himself which is 2000 square feet that is at his home.“My gym has an intense vibe,” Shaw states. “Even before you enter there are a bunch of Atlas stones in the parking lot beside the door, so you know it’s not your average gym.” In there are the common pieces of equipment you’d assume to have in a strongman’s training department: a squat rack, bench press, and deadlift platform, as well as a pulldown machine, cable row, and dip bars.

Upon closer examination, trained lifters will see that some pieces of equipment have been modified to Shaw’s stipulations. “On my pulldown machine I’ve modified the bar with grips at various widths,” Shaw says. “It looks kind of like a ladder, thereby allowing me to grip it at different widths so I can target different areas of my back. And the bar is three inches in diameter, which helps increase my grip strength. After doing a set with this monster, your fingers are killing just from gripping the bar—and the pulldown bar at your local gym seems like a toothpick!”Having a lot of this equipment is important for a strongman like Brian Shaw, which includes various sizes of beer kegs he utilizes for keg throw and keg walk. His Atlas stones and many-size circus dumbbells are also personally design-made; the following are employed for one of the most interesting games at the Arnold Strongman competition.

“Every year I have to get a new dumbbell made because they keep increasing the weight with every competition…and that’s because competitors keep smashing the record for reps!” he says. “It’s going to get to the point where they’re going to need an entire crew just to roll the thing out onstage.”The Austrian Oak Press is another one of my favorites. Shaw prepares for it with duplicate logs. He gives a message of warning to ambitious strongman competitors who do not know the coordination required in the lifts: “All the strongman events are dangerous, so you have to know exactly what you’re doing. For example, with the leg press, not only do you have to lift it off the floor, but you also have to balance the log, which is over two feet in diameter at the ends, on your chest before you press it. It can really put a kink in your neck if you’re not careful.”Brian Shaw has always love lifting weight and it dates back to his college days when he played basketball. He attended his college on a full basketball scholarship and this is when he was hooked on to training. He was strong anyway even before he started lifting because of all the training and practice required for basketball. He spent a great deal of his time in the weight room and that is how he came to be who he is right now.

Along with a strongman-specific foundation, Shaw prepares for a “normal” training routine which includes basic, free-weight compound activities like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, barbell rows, and even dips. He will likewise practice a broad assortment of machines to target specific muscle groups. “I need to keep my body in top shape like any other athlete,” he explains. “So I do so-called ‘bodybuilding’ movements for base strength and fitness. You don’t see someone in the NFL just training on the field; they hit the gym hard, too.”Shaw usually goes with a four-day training split: Monday, he does legs. Tuesday is chest, shoulders, and triceps. Wednesday is a rest day. Thursday is deadlift and back training. Shaw does not train on Friday. “That’s date night for me and my fiancée,” Shaw tells. “I have to make time for myself and my loved ones—all work and no play makes me go crazy!” Saturdays are for event-specific training, and Sunday is a complete and last rest day of the week to help his body fully recover before he begins a new week of training.

Saturday’s training program for him can change, depending on the competitions he is working on. A sample Saturday workout routine would include focusing on the Log Press, Farmer’s Walk, and Atlas Stone events. Previous to arranging for any of these lifts, Shaw warms up with a lighter weight to provide for the muscles and avoid injury. For the log press, Shaw will prepare for 6 sets, going heavier on consecutive sets (pyramiding) while maintaining his reps to 5 per set till he strikes his max potential for the day. Here’s an instance of the weights applied: 225-275-305-335-365-395 pounds.Next up is the Farmer’s Walk. Every “run” is 80 feet. Shaw will each do the full 80 feet all the way through or do 40 feet, and then loop around and reach back to the origin point. He would complete two races with 100 pounds in each hand. The following is an illustration of the weights used: 200-250-300-350 pounds.

The final event is the Atlas Stone. Shaw raises a light stone to a platform (or over a bar) for a few repetitions to warm up. He then works up in weight, doing 2-3 reps per stone. Once he touches the stones he will do his working sets with them. He does 2-3 sets of 5 reps if he is raising them over a bar. If he is utilizing a range of platforms, he will do a five-stone run. Common stones that he uses weigh between 225-500 pounds.

Here is a sample workout routine of what Brian Shaw does in the week to get where he is positioned now:

Monday Brian Shaw Workout: Legs

Exercise: LegsSets: 4 to 5Reps: 8 to 15Rest time: A minute or two minutes

• Weighted Squats
• Good mornings
• Isolation hammer leg press
• Leg extension
• Leg curls

Tuesday Brian Shaw Workout: Chest, Shoulder, Triceps

Exercise: Chest, Shoulder, and tricepsSets: 4 to 5Reps: 8 to 15Rest time: a minute or two minutes

• Military press (8 sets)
• Incline Bench press
• Flat Bench press
• Close grip flat bench press
• Tricep extension

Wednesday Brian Shaw Workout: Rest Day

Brian Shaw takes a day off in the middle of the week so that his body can recover before he could move on to the other day.

Thursday Brian Shaw Workout: Back

Brian Shaw Back Workout

Exercise: BackSets: 4 to 5Reps: 8 to 15Rest time: a minute or two minutes

• Deadlifts ( 8 sets)
• Back pushdowns
• Lat pulldown
• Cable rows
• Shrugs

This exercise does Brian Shaw for his back.

Friday Brian Shaw Workout: Rest Day

Once more in the week, Brian Shaw will take a rest day where he would relax with his family and friends.

Saturday Brian Shaw Workout: Strongman Training

Exercise: Strongman TrainingSets: 4 to 5Reps: 8 to 15Rest time: a minute or two minutes

• Log carry
• Sled drag
• Stone lift
• Atlas stone lift

Sunday Brian Shaw Workout: Rest Day

Sunday is the last rest day for Brian Shaw which he would take to prepare freshly for the next week of intense training. He would do some activities which would let him move so that he is not totally on his couch all day. It is called active recovery which would help him progress in his day-to-day workout routines.Now, Brian Shaw’s workout routine has 2-hour training sessions four days a week, which focuses on various body parts or areas each day. This is what Brian Shaw says during his interview with a sports magazine:

“All the strongman events are dangerous, so you have to know exactly what you’re doing. For example, with the log press, not only do you have to lift it off the floor, you also have to balance the log, which is over two feet in diameter at the ends, on your chest before you press it. It can really put a kink in your neck if you’re not careful.”

He combines strongman-specific training with a regular workout system that combines free-weight compound activities like squats, dumbbell and barbell bench press, deadlifts, barbell rows, dips, and others, focusing on selective muscle groups. He also makes sure that he is doing 15 minutes of stretching and warmup exercise which will help him prevent any injury or strain on the muscles. Recovery is even more important for him to avoid injuries.

That was all about the workout routine that Brian Shaw does for his week during his competition season and off-seasons. But besides just working out there are also tips and tricks that he uses during his training session. Here are the tricks that he uses:

Brian Shaw Workout Tips and Tricks

For Brian Shaw, it is important that he just not focus on the quantity of the workout but also the quality of the workout. He gives a lot of tips and tricks to his fans and people who are on the same platform which he himself follows. Here are some of the things that he says:

Shaw On His Strength Training Beginnings

Brian Shaw tells his fans that it is important to not forget the roots. You can try and go for gymming even if it is your passion, but it can really turn into something. He says, ‘I first entered a gym intending to condition my body to become a better basketball player.’

Shaw On Technique

Brian Shawregards the technique and form highest. For him, it is more about the quality of the workout than the quantity. It is a great idea to work out like this as it would really make him sure that he has worked to his fullest potential. He says, ‘Be obsessive about using the correct technique.’

Shaw On Lifting

Brian Shaw always sima fo the best and that is what the aim for everyone should be too. He says, ‘I’ve always been able to do this. The biggest tire, the heaviest stone…I’ve always been able to walk up and lift it.’

Shaw On His Personal Power

‘Odd strength is what it is, not weight-room strength. It’s brute strength.’

Shaw On Lifting

For Brian Shaw, he says that no matter what you train or, it should always be fun. In his words, ‘Training is fun. I kinda get to let loose and do what I want to do.’These are some of the workout tips that Brian Shaw has to give to his fans and followers to be on track with their workout. However, there is also the diet that counts and Brian Shaw is luckily very strict about it. Thus his diet plan is shared with the readers below.

Brian Shaw Diet Plan

To maintain his physique and his muscle size, Brian Shaw has to eat at least 10,000 calories every single day which is divided into several meals. “I need to get enough protein in me to grow and stay strong,” Shaw says. “My favorite meal is grass-fed beef, but I do switch up my protein sources—everything from salmon, eggs, chicken, turkey, to bison.” Along with the wide assortment of protein choices, Shaw also takes in plenty of pasta, rice, potatoes, fruits, and vegetables. “You name it, it’s pretty much part of my diet,” he chuckles. “I eat pretty clean and weigh out exact measurements for each meal that my nutritionist sets out for me. I’ve also gotten pretty good at eyeballing portions when I’m unable to weigh my food, like when I’m on the road."

Shaw does not just work hard in the gym but in the kitchen too to maintain his frame and eat as much a possible to keep him intact. “Think about it, how can you compete with the best strongmen in the world, like Zydrunas Savickas and Hafthor Bjornsson, and win if you don’t follow a proper nutrition schedule?” Shaw says. Because he has a huge weight, just some activities like walking burn off more calories for him than some people might burn in the gym. “I have to eat constantly,” Shaw says. “If you want to become a strongman, this is key.”Brian Shaw makes a good strong man and the way you can be one is by eating well like at home. There can be a lot of meals that Brian Shaw can eat but he makes sure that whatever goes into his body is clean and not junk. Thus he eats organic and healthy foods.

He also drinks a lot of supplements throughout the day and a lot of water which is mandatory to keep his system working. He drinks several protein shakes, fat burners, and other stuff. He likes to eat every two hours and consumes about 10,000-12,000 calories in the whole day. There are all the kinds of food groups that are involved in this meal plan so that he is not devoid of anything. Although as a person as huge as Brian Shaw is three, he still feels that eating like a strong man is one of the most difficult things that is possible because of the quantity of food needed.Here is a sample diet plan that Brian Shaw consumes throughout the day:Meal 1:To start the day right, Shaw downs eight eggs, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and peanut butter. “One thing that I’ve learned over the years with eggs is that you don’t want to cook them too long,” he says. “You want to make sure they’re still soft because, in a big quantity, they’re easier to eat if they’re a little bit softer.”

• 8 whole eggs (scrambled)
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereals with milk
• Peanut butter
• Multivitamin

Nutrition: 68g protein, 74g carbs, 68g fat, 1,180 total caloriesMeal 2:Just about an hour later, Shaw beats up an iSatori whey protein shake with 80g of protein (mixed with water). He covers the meal off with two granola bars and some peanut butter.

• 3-4 scoops of whey protein shake
• Peanut butter
• 2 granola bars

Nutrition: 115g protein, 92g carbs, 25g fat, 1,053 total caloriesMeal 3:Shaw takes pasta with meat sauce to the succeeding level with remarkably ample parts of organic, grass-fed ground beef, angel hair pasta, and red sauce. He promotes organic, grass-fed beef (preferably purchased directly from the farmer) because he believes it’s a lot simpler to absorb than regular grocery store ground beef.

• Bison or turkey burgers (12oz)
• 2 cups of cooked white Jasmine rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes with 1 tbsp of duck fat
• Red sauce

Nutrition: 172g protein, 191g carbs, 82g fat, 2,190 total caloriesMeal 4:His second shake consists of 80g of iSatori whey protein combined with almond milk, frozen organic blueberries, and peanut butter. “This is a nice one for me because I can get it in quick,” Shaw explains. He just combines it up and “slams it down.”

• 3-4 scoops of whey protein with 2 cups of unsweetened almond milk
• Blueberries
• Peanut butter

Nutrition: 112g protein, 89g carbs, 22g fat, 1,002 total caloriesMeal 5 (pre-workout):Shaw makes 93% lean organic ground turkey, white Jasmine rice, and broccoli for his fifth meal of the day. This sets his everyday total at about 7,000 calories with a few snacks to go.

• Salmon or lean beef burgers (12oz)
• 1 cup of cooked white Jasmine rice or 1 bag of sweet potato fries
• 1 cup of green beans
• Red sauce

Nutrition: 117g protein, 145g carbs, 41g fat, 1,417 total caloriesMeal 6 (post-workout):Dinner is Italian takeout, which Shaw describes is complex than what his typical meal would be. “The scenario that we have is that tomorrow is a huge even training day for me, so I’ll be putting out a lot of effort for training,” Shaw describes. After renewing his nutritionist, Nathan Payton, on the preceding night’s deadlift and the next day’s exercise, Payton suggested he go big on the carbs. Unusually, meal five would be another pound of beef with potatoes and asparagus. They measured the calories to be about 3,430.

• Beefsteak (14oz)
• Baked potato or rice noodles (4oz)
• Asparagus or mixed green salad with balsamic dressing
• Red sauce
• 1 apple or another piece of fruit

Nutrition: 16g protein, 704g carbs, 72g fat, ~3,430 total caloriesMeal 7:Everyone wants to snack in bed before they hit the sack but only a few do it as Brian Shaw does. This meal includes 4 pieces of cheesecake and an iSatori Bio-Active whey protein shake with 80g of protein.

• Whey protein shake (around 3oz)
• Cheesecake (2-4 pieces)
• Multivitamin

Nutrition: 105g protein, 107g carbs, 89g fat, 1,649 total calories

DAILY TOTAL: 12,019 calories, 705g of protein, 1402g of carbs, 399g of fat

Clearly, doing 1,000-pound deadlifts needs a lot of energy. “This was a big day of eating, especially because I didn’t get to spread it out as much as I would’ve liked,” Shaw explains. Yes, if you are wondering, all of this is done in just 13 hours. However, Brian Shaw explains that eating so much is rather tough even if you work out a lot just like he does. He says that it is something constant and tougher than working out which he finds. However, he does it for the sake of it.“It’s constant,” he says, “all day long I have to eat, but it’s part of the job.”

Brian Shaw eats:Here are some food groups and choices that Brian Shaw makes and includes in his diet. He makes sure that he is eating all these foods which are whole and organic so that he does not have any problems with indigestion. These foods include the following:

• Organic grass-fed beef
• Organic turkey
• Organic chicken breast
• Organic eggs
• Coconut milk
• Peanut butter
• Simple carbs (pasta, cereal)
• Jasmine rice

• Potato
• Organic veggies
• Organic fruit
• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Blueberries
• Granola bars
• Cheesecake

Shaw doesn’t eat:

• Non-organic, GMO food
• Junk food
• Artificial additives
• Preservatives
• Chemical ingredients

Shaw On His Diet says that it is an essential part of his routine and it is important that he follows a great pattern. In his own words, he says, ‘This diet is to make me as strong as I possibly can be. I’m eating to be the strongest human being on the planet.’ Shaw On Consuming Huge Amounts Of Food states that it is not something that he wants but ‘It’s a necessary evil.’ Shaw On Eating A Lot says that one must make efforts to make it taste good otherwise, you will not be able to do it. In his words, ‘You definitely got to try to make it taste good.’ Shaw On Good Digestion says that he wants that his dietician should be burning up all day because he has to eat a lot of food. Thus in his words, good digestion is important because 'We want the engine burning all day long.’

That was all about what Brian Shaw eats in a matter of a day and it is quite a lot. So if you are hoping to follow him, well, all the best. However, he also gives some of the diet tips he uses to make sure that he has achieved the goal. Take a look.

Brian Shaw Diet Tips

Brian Shaw gives some of the tips to his followers so that they can do the food part correctly as it is quite important to take care of what goes in your body. Here are some diet tips that Brian Shaw gives:

Breakfast of Champions

The average day for Shaw starts with a bowl of cereal of his choice in which Cinnamon Toast Crunch is his favorite and having 1,200-1,300 calories, followed by multiple eggs approximately a dozen, and a big spoon of peanut butter.

Power-Packed Snacks

Shaw absorbs protein shakes as part of his meals. His snack or meal will consist of a protein shake and extras such as granola bars, peanut butter, blueberries, and much more to his list.

Pure Power

Among Shaw's favorite foods is accredited and grass-fed unadulterated meat from a Colorado farm. Besides tasting better, grass-fed beef has a more digestible texture and is wholesome as said by Shaw. To make it easier to swallow, he usually eats hamburgers from his favorite place.

Simple & Effective

Almost all of the cooking is done by Shaw himself. Even though he isn't that perfect cook, but he put flavors to his food to make it delicious and more comfortable to eat. He advises that you keep eggs slightly runny so they are easier to swallow if you want to consume a lot of them.

The Power of Cheesecake

Sometimes Shaw will end his day with tasty cheesecake, followed by another 80g protein shake. There is no beating around the fact that it is a tough job.Besides just food and having a consistent email plan, Brian Shaw also focuses a lot on the supplements which he thinks is necessary because it replenishes the lost nutrients. Here is all about the supplements that Brian Shaw takes.

Brian Shaw Nutrition and Supplements

Proper supplementation before, during, and after training, in extension to the meals that he has, keeps the movement of nutrients into Shaw’s flesh. “The secret to strength is making sure you’re always in a state of healing and growth,” Shaw states. He further goes on to say:

“You can’t have a kick-ass workout and then not supply your body with what it needs to repair itself and grow. That’s ass-backward, and you’ll never advance in strongman training, bodybuilding, or whatever sport you do. You’ll actually hurt your gains and make yourself worse off than when you didn’t train at all!”

Shaw’s preferred choice of supplements includes MHP’s Up Your Mass, Power Pak Pudding, and Dark Matter.

WHEY PROTEIN

To help support his muscle mass, Shaw regularly has 3 protein shakes a day. Whey protein is absorbed swiftly and is simpler to digest than some other proteins.

PRE-WORKOUT

Shaw takes a pre-workout supplement that optimizes testosterone to get the greatest muscle growth and strength.

POST-WORKOUT

Shaw also takes a post-workout supplement with creatine which helps him to replenish his system, stimulate muscle growth and improve recovery.

WEIGHT GAINER

Even with his strong and tiresome diet routine, Shaw still takes a weight gainer to up his muscle mass and strength. He says his supplements help keep him in an anabolic state.