If you want to know what a real strongman looks like, take a look at Eddie Hall.
Over the years, his body has changed quite dramatically as he pushed himself towards becoming the world's strongest man. He's gone from a boulder boy to a chiseled Greek god.
I spent countless hours going over all the available information on his diet and exercise to find out what the workout routine was that helped Eddie Hall claim the title of World's Strongest Man.
Read on to find out.
Workout Basics
Eddie Hall's workout has changed over the years, so we're going to look at precisely what he was doing the year he became the World's Strongest Man.
Eddie Hall's always very open about how completely obsessive and insane it was when speaking about this routine.
There is no day off, no free time, no play, and no rest.
We should note that going this hard requires a lot of care and recovery.
During this insane workout routine, Eddie Hall's physical therapist had daily sessions with him.
He says that while training for the World's Strongest Man, he combined his training, unlike other strongmen who had separate gym and event training days.
He felt pushing that much harder and working out when you're already burned out better simulated the competition scenario.
Other workout routines:
Eddie Hall's Workout Routine
Monday - Legs
- Squats
- Leg Press
- Yoke
Right from the start, you will notice that Eddie Hall's workout keeps it relatively simple.
He has said that he stopped working on assistance muscles like biceps, calves, and abs to focus on the big, critical muscles like quads and glutes during the year he won the strongest man title.
He would usually aim to hit about four to five sets with fifteen, twelve, ten, and 8 repetitions at about 80-90% of his max weight for leg day. If he felt good at weight, he would do more, but he would increase weight for the next session. He would do three or four sets of each, with a sizable amount of rest in between each.
When I tried Eddie's Monday leg routine, the focus on quads and glutes was intense. I aimed for four to five sets, just like Eddie, and felt the burn with each repetition.
Tuesday - Chest
- Flat Bench
- Incline Bench
- Triceps
Eddie Hall's chest day is all about building up the bench press, which he considered a vital component of every strongman competition.
Like his leg sets, it's straightforward, but all about pushing your sets to their absolute max.
The sets would be nice and easy, working up to a mega heavyweight to bench press with the flat and incline bench.
After this, Eddie finishes with four to five sets with fifteen, twelve, ten, and eight repetitions, working on the triceps. It's essential to allow enough time for rest and recovery between the sets to push them as hard as possible.
Wednesday - Full Recovery Day
- Tire Flipping
- Sled Pushing
- Boxing
No rest here. Eddie Hall's idea of a full recovery day is a little different.
He starts with a small meal and about an hour of cardio-focused events like tire flipping, popular at strongman competitions.
The rest of the day is dedicated to eating and regular exercise with his trainer, sessions with his physical therapist, and stretching in the pool, followed by hot-cold treatments in the sauna and ice bath. It's not much of a day off, is it?
Thursday - Back
- Deadlifts
- Lat Pulldowns
- Rowing Exercise
Eddie likes to say he keeps it simple with his routine, but you need to realize that there's a lot of sweat in these sets.
The back day starts with four to five sets with fifteen, twelve, ten, and eight repetitions of deadlifts, working up to a bigger and bigger weight until you max out.
After that, he did a couple of assistance exercises, such as lat pulldowns or a rowing exercise.
Given that Hall set the world record as the first-ever person to deadlift 500kg, that's a lot of weight.
These sets can easily take three to four hours. It was a record only ever beaten by Hafthor Bjornsson (most likely out of spite) as part of their blossoming rivalry. It remains true that Eddie was the first, though, and this routine got him there.
Friday - Shoulders
- Dumbell Presses
- Log Press
- Side Delts
On Friday, we focus on the shoulders, and it begins with dumbbell presses as a warmup.
Eddie does four to five sets with fifteen, twelve, ten, and eight repetitions with a 132-pound weight to get the blood pumping.
After this, he would push his log press training and finish with some side delts.
Eddie only heard that the strongman competition would include the Viking press instead of the log press a couple of months before the competition.
Still, he changes his workout routines to accommodate. Luckily, it uses much of the same technique.
Related Article: Eddie Hall's Shoulder Workout
Saturday - Full Recovery Day
- Tire Flipping
- Sled Pushing
- Boxing
Much like Wednesday, this recovery day is focused on sets of cardio and regular sets of exercise.
He combines this with some serious sets with his trainer and a couple of intense physical therapy sets. Saturday? More like sets today.
Somehow, amongst all of this, the man still finds time off of training to organize all his press, personal appearances, and media interviews.
If you're looking for weight loss, this routine will do it.
Sunday - Light Recovery Day
- Swimming
- Stretching
- Hot-Cold Treatments
If you're looking for a day off from sets, reps, and strongman training, this is the closest you'll get.
Sunday involves much more gentle exercises, giving the body time to recover for the brutal week of strength training ahead.
Sunday is a great day for swimming exercises and stretching in the pool before hitting the sauna and ice bath for hot-cold treatments for those aching muscles.
The Beast knows that training exercises only work as well as his body allows, and so the strongman puts in some work for recovery.
In my own experience following Eddie's routine, I quickly realized the sheer dedication it demands. There's truly no day off. Every session pushes you to your limits, requiring not just physical strength but immense mental resilience.
Mental Toughness and Resilience
But what keeps a champion like Eddie driven day after day, year after year? It's a blend of intrinsic motivation – a deep, personal desire to excel and push the boundaries of human potential – and extrinsic factors, such as the thrill of competition and the acclaim that comes with success.
Eddie's ability to set both short-term and long-term goals and his relentless pursuit of these objectives are a testament to his extraordinary mental discipline.
His journey reveals the importance of having clear, well-defined goals and the unwavering commitment to achieve them.
Stress and Anxiety Management
Competing at the highest levels in strongman sports brings its own set of stresses and anxieties. Eddie Hall's approach to managing these pressures is as important as his physical training.
His ability to stay calm under pressure, to focus on the task at hand, and to maintain a positive mindset in the face of intense competition is what sets him apart.
This aspect of his training – often less visible to the public eye – is crucial to understanding the complete athlete that is Eddie Hall.
How Many Calories Does Eddie Hall Consume A Day?
Eddie Hall aims to consume around 10,000 calories a day.
He mainly focuses on nutrient-rich foods such as fruit, veggies, animal protein, and eggs.
If you want to get an insight into how much the man can and does eat, you can look at his YouTube channel or the Eddie Hall Eats America TV program.
Eddie does know how to do a cheat meal, too, and he is known to have ordered just plates of fat from around the gammon, which, while disgusting in texture and taste, is excellent at quick, dense calories.
Supplements
Yes, Eddie Hall uses a specially tailored range of supplements to achieve his gym goals.
Various newspapers and fitness magazines reported that after winning Europe's Strongest Man, he had a supplement range that supercharged all his separate supplements into a single shake.
Incorporating a similar use of supplements into my routine, I've noticed a significant improvement in my performance and recovery times. It's a crucial component of training at such high intensity.
According to an article published in the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, most bodybuilders use supplements to help with fat loss while still packing in the nutrients [1].
That is even more true when you're aiming to become the biggest and best you can be. Less time focused on what you're eating means more time focused on setting a new PB.
FAQs
How Much Does Eddie Hall Workout?
When training for the World's Strongest Man, Eddie Hall would workout every day. Some days were more intense and focused than others, but there is no proper "day off" from the Eddie Hall workout.
How Long Does Eddie Hall's Strength Training?
Eddie Hall's workout strength training would last around 3–4 hours a day. That is, with long rests in between sets of reps. This figure isn't taking into account the regular exercise, stretching, and physical therapy he would do alongside this, though.
Why Is Eddie Hall so Rich?
Eddie Hall could be considered rich due to his very successful YouTube channel and many sponsorships and promotional deals. The money he earned winning strongman competitions is likely offset by the cost of his training and diet.
References:
1. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/providers/digest/dietary-supplements-marketed-for-weight-loss-bodybuilding-and-sexual-enhancement-science
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