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Lou Ferrigno
Every fitness enthusiast and Sci-fi geek knows Lou Ferrigno. He is a legendary bodybuilder, a great actor, and an honest man with a terrific sense of humor. I'll never forget his work in 'I love you, man': Lou had the funniest scene in the whole movie - putting Jason Segel in a headlock!
I gained a great deal of respect for Mr. Ferrigno when I read his book, 'Lou Ferrigno's Guide To Personal Power, Bodybuilding, and Fitness'. He is one of the few fitness celebrities that provide a concise, honest explanation of what it takes to be a successful athlete. Lou doesn't sell ab machines!
Lou Ferrigno's typical daily diet should be no suprise to anyone.
Lou Eats every 2 to 3 hours. Larger meals in the morning, smaller low-carb meals at night. He eats in excess of 6,000 calories a day to mainain his muscle mass. His lean waist is maintained by never eating till he's full, and never waiting till he's hungry to eat.
There are tons of theories about which workout technique is best, and each of them can point to a number of success stories. But there's one thing all these success stories have in common, and it's not drugs:
Successful weightlifters eat every 2 or 3 hours!
There are tons of theories about which workout technique is best, and each of them can point to a number of success stories. But there's one thing all these success stories have in common, and it's not drugs:
Successful weightlifters eat every 2 or 3 hours!
If you want to get big and lean, workout on a regular basis and eat like Lou Ferrigno.
Meal 1:
Cheese omelet with 4-5 eggs, whole-grain toast, 1 piece of fruit, 1-2 glasses of whole milk.
Meal 2:
2 meat or cheese sandwiches on whole-grain bread, 3 ounces of raw nuts, 1-2 glass of whole milk.
Meal 3:
Tuna Salad, Fresh fruit and yogurt, 1-2 glasses of whole milk.
Meal 4 - Pre-workout Meal:
1 Protein drink - 1 pint of whole milk, 1/3 cup of milk-and-egg protein powder, and fruit or another flavoring for taste.
Meal 5:
Steak, vegetable, baked potato, 1-2 glasses of whole milk.
Meal 6:
3oz hard cheese, 3oz raw sunflower seeds, 1-2 glasses of whole milk; or a low carb protein drink.
Mr. Ferrigno eats his last meal of the day pretty close to bed-time. He feels this is one of the more important meals of the day. Most tissue repair and tissue building is done at night while you sleep. This meal should be low in carbohydrates though; you can accumulate fat pretty easily if you eat carbs at night.
Lou follows a very strict diet. That's the only healthy way to acheive success in the gym! But when he's at a party (or a social function), he's careful to honor the host by eating what's put in front of him. He suggests that athletes familiarize themselves with foods that are healthy and/or high in protein, so you can make good choices at almost any dinner table.
(I agree with this approach. When I'm at a party, my diet goes on hold. The party is considered my cheat meal: That doesn't mean I go crazy though!)
Cheese omelet with 4-5 eggs, whole-grain toast, 1 piece of fruit, 1-2 glasses of whole milk.
Meal 2:
2 meat or cheese sandwiches on whole-grain bread, 3 ounces of raw nuts, 1-2 glass of whole milk.
Meal 3:
Tuna Salad, Fresh fruit and yogurt, 1-2 glasses of whole milk.
Meal 4 - Pre-workout Meal:
1 Protein drink - 1 pint of whole milk, 1/3 cup of milk-and-egg protein powder, and fruit or another flavoring for taste.
Meal 5:
Steak, vegetable, baked potato, 1-2 glasses of whole milk.
Meal 6:
3oz hard cheese, 3oz raw sunflower seeds, 1-2 glasses of whole milk; or a low carb protein drink.
Mr. Ferrigno eats his last meal of the day pretty close to bed-time. He feels this is one of the more important meals of the day. Most tissue repair and tissue building is done at night while you sleep. This meal should be low in carbohydrates though; you can accumulate fat pretty easily if you eat carbs at night.
Lou follows a very strict diet. That's the only healthy way to acheive success in the gym! But when he's at a party (or a social function), he's careful to honor the host by eating what's put in front of him. He suggests that athletes familiarize themselves with foods that are healthy and/or high in protein, so you can make good choices at almost any dinner table.
(I agree with this approach. When I'm at a party, my diet goes on hold. The party is considered my cheat meal: That doesn't mean I go crazy though!)
Images and content for this article were provided with permission by Lou Ferrigno. No republication of these photos or content is allowed without his express permission.