the diet of ufc champion georges st

7/28/2019 The Diet of UFC Champion Georges St

1/10

The Diet of UFC Champion

Georges St-Pierre: How He

Transformed Himself99 CommentsWritten by Tim Ferriss

Topics: Physical Performance, The 4-Hour Body -4HB, The 4-Hour Chef -4HC

George St-Pierre's unique training regimen

0:00/ 5:09

Georges St. Pierre, better known to fight fans worldwide as GSP, iscurrently theUFC Welterweight Champion.

His publicly stated goal is to retire as the best pound-for-pound fighter in

the world and, at a record of 23-2, ESPN currently ranks him as the #3

pound-for-pound fighter in the world. I think hell get there.

His intellectand consistencyis what separates him from the brawlers.

He has a scientific approach to winning.

This isnt limited to training. He considers nutrition a critical part of his

fight prep, just as important as being in the cage. In this respect, 2009

marked an inflection point. That year, after successfully defending his

Welterweight title in his second fight againstBJ Penn, GSP hiredDr.

John Berardiof Precision Nutrition to help him gain lean muscle tissue


2/10

and improve his recovery abilities. Berardi, in charge of the nutrient

science, recommended that GSP hire Jennifer Nickel and Rosario

Ross Gurreri, two chefs in the Montreal area who worked

atCavalliandBicerestaurants, for his meal preparation.

In the next 8 weeks,GSP gained approximately 12 pounds of lean

muscleand bulked up to 195pounds. His upgraded speed and powerhelped him to dominate every subsequent opponent, posting a 5-0record since 2009.

This post will walk you through how GSP ate during his2009transformation

While he no longer has a private chef for everyday meals, GSP still

consults with Berardi and still flies Jen and Ross to his hotel the week

before a big fight to cook for him and his entourage.

First,well look at GSPs meal plan.Second,well look at how yourdesign your own version using Dr. Berardis guidelines.

What Does GSP Eat?

Below is the 2009meal plan designed for GSP by Dr. Berardi.Its based it around anytime (AT) and post-workout (PW)meals.He gave the guidelines to Jen and Ross and they prepared amenu ofroughly 30-40items that adhered to the calorie and macro-nutrient (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) requirements and ratios. Berardi

explains the basic approach:

Georges baseline menu is about 3200-3500kcal per day, with around250 grams of protein, 350grams of carbs, and 100grams of fat. PWmeals are higher in protein and carbs, while being lower in fat, and

eaten right after workouts. AT meals are higher in protein and fat, while

being low in carbs.

The brands and products mentioned are those Berardi recommended

for GSP. Though Berardi formulated the originalSurge Recoveryproductwhile wrapping up his PhD studies in Exercise and Nutritional

Biochemistry at the University of Western Ontario and Yale University,he has no financial interest in the products.

Editorial note: In the descriptions, I use both GSP and you

interchangeably, assuming that you might want to duplicate this foryourself.


3/10

3 Meals Provided by Ross and Jennifer

-1 lower carb anytime meal to be eaten whenever you like:650 calories60g protein, 40g carbs, 30g fat -1 lower carb anytime meal to beeaten whenever you like:650 calories60g protein, 40g carbs, 30g fat -1 high-carb post-exercise meal to be eaten immediately after training (a

recipe that can be eaten cold): 700calories60g protein, 100g carbs,10g fat

Youll findtwo sample recipesat the end of this post.


4/10

Credit:Wikimedia Commons2 Daily Super Shakes

GSP made sure to drink shakes every day, to get sufficient proteinbetween meals. Here is his plan:


5/10

1super shake at a time, between meals,mixed with almond milk orwater. This was used to wash down 4fish oil capsules-1 scoop milk-based protein powder-1 scoop greens supplement-1cup frozen mixed berries (use mixed to avoid developing food

intolerances from eating too much of a single variety) 282calories18gprotein, 25g carbs, 12g fat

Berardissuggested products:Muscle Milk protein powder

fromCytoSport, greens+ fromGenuine Health, Flameout fish oil

capsules fromBiotest.

Workout Nutrition

GSP added protein bars in addition to his two daily shakes. Here is his

daily feeding schedule.

Before training: protein bar .Recommended Brand:Finibar from

Biotest:125calories7g protein, 20g carbs, 4g fatDuring training: 1 workout drink.Recommended brand:Surge WorkoutFuel from Biotest:85calories8g protein, 21g carbs, 0fatImmediately after training: 1 workout drink. Recommended

Brand:Surge Recovery from Biotest:330 calories25g protein, 44gcarbs, 1g fat.Followed by a post-workout meal 1hour later.Optional: 1 Additional Meal

If youre hungry, eat 1 additional meal per day. It can be whatever you

like, as long as its lower in carbs and higher in protein and fat. Given

GSPs leanness, he was given more latitude, as Berardi explains:

The rule was to eat everything on the menu and then, if he wanted

anything else, he could have it. Some days that meant Subway, other

days McDonalds. It didnt matter.

As long as he got his required food

in each day, he could eat whatever discretionary calories he wanted.He

ended up reporting that he had a few extra meals a week. But he was

pretty satisfied from his normal menu, so he didnt need to use too

many discretionary calories.

Approximate Total Baseline Intake:3104calories256g protein(30%), 315carbs (40%), 99g fat (30%)

Q&A With Dr. Berardi

How to Mimic GSPs Results


6/10

What guidelines should someone use if trying to replicate the

above?

When determining a clients macronutrient split, at Precision Nutrition

we use body-type specific guidelines.In essence, we plan someones

nutrition according to their somatotype, as follows:

Ectomorphsaround 25%p (protein), 55%c (carbs), 20%f (fat)Mesomorphsaround 30%p, 40%c, 30%fEndomorphsaround 35%p, 25%c, 40%fDefinitions:

EctomorphThin build, challenging to put on weight (muscle or fat);

Example: long-distance runner.

MesomorphMuscular build, can lose or gain muscle easily (fat gainminimal); Example: sprinter or gymnast.

EndomorphLarge build, easy to put on weight (both good and bad);Example: shotputter or football lineman.

Since GSP is a clear mesomorph, thats why his split looked like it

did.As far as calories, for most people wanting to gain weight, wed

multiply body weight in pounds x 20-22 to determine the total. This

would have put GSP at 3400 to 3700kcal to start with. However, he

was chronically underfed leading up to us working together,so jumping

all the way up to 20 or 22 would have probably led to fat gain. So wechose a multiplier of 18to start with. This ended up being perfect forhim, based on the outcomes described above.

How much did GSP weigh when consuming the above?

We started this plan about 2 months before a training camp when heweighed around 183 lbs. In the 2 months leading up to camp, the plan

took him to about 195 lbs. At that point his weight stabilized, which was

perfect going into camp.We didnt want him much heavier because it

then might be too hard to cut to 170.

In the next 3 months, the diet stayed the same, but the high volume ofcamp helped him come down to about 188 the week before the

fight. That made the cut to 170 pretty easy. We did the cut from 188 to

170 in 5 days (from M-F). Then in 24 hours (fromF-Sa), he rehydratedto about 188lbs for the fight.


7/10

How is the Food Prepared?

In 2009, when the GSP experiment began, Jen had the entireprofessional kitchen of Bice to herself in the morning and prepared 3

meals for Georges during that time: a post-

workout meal (that could beeaten cold, so he could have it directly after his workout), a dinner meal,

and a breakfast meal for the next morning. Meal prep took between 2-4hours.

Jen shopped for 100% organic foods, cooked the meals, and had

someone else deliver the meals to Georges gym once a day. Georges,

having eaten breakfast and workout shakes, would eat the post-workout

meal directly after training in the early afternoon.These below answers

and suggestions are from Jennifer, who has been a chef for 12yearsand now runs a private catering business in Toronto.

Equipment and Methods

First, Jen has the right gear for the job. In Jens tool kit are:

-Microplane zester/grater-7-9 chefs knives (MAC MTH-80 8 ChefsKnife, which stays sharp longer than any knife I have ever used) -Peugeot peppermill- Kuhn Rikon vegetable peelersFor cooking methods, Jen explains the basics: Its important to haveaccess to a stove-top grill (she uses aLe Creusetcast-iron griddle)

and a bamboo steamer. Having this equipment makes it easy to cook

fast meals because they are stationary and easy to clean, so you dont

have to mess around with pots and pans. These cooking vessels stay

on the stovetop and are quickly cleaned on the stovetop so theres no

sink involved.

For example, if I were making grilled tuna with Asian greens and sweet

potato, Iwould station a steamer and a cast-

iron grill on the backburners of my stove, steam the potato first and then use the same

steamer to cook the greens. Using equipment like this guarantees that

you wont be slopping extra cooking fat in your frying pan orkilling yourgreen vegetables in boiling water. Its fast and easy.

Shopping Tips

In terms of buying fruit, always buy what appears to be heavy for its

size. And for vegetables, look for bright colors and perky leaves.Fish

should have glossy flesh, bright eyes and have the slight aroma of seawater. Meat should be freshly butchered whenever possible and should


8/10

be devoid of any sulfur-type smell or brownish, greenish tinges.

Above all, according to Jen, try to incorporate more fresh herbs, spices

and vinegars into your shopping list. Its amazing how much flavor (not

to mention health benefits) you can get from these ingredients without

having to add calories.

Shortcuts

Prepare certain things in bulk so that you have them for the week,

something like braised lima beans or lentils, which can be used later in

many recipes. If you store them in their own cooking liquid in an airtight

container in the fridge, they have a surprisingly long shelf-life.

This is an important step for having access to nutritious carbohydrates,

especially if you dont have time to cook them throughout the week. The

same beans and legumes can be used for so many different recipes, so

thats a huge time saver.

How Much does it Cost?

Having a private chef may seem like it would cost a fortuneand a

single, full-time person definitely can. Rates (by hour and year) vary

widely depending on location, but a good starting point is $50,000 per

year. If thats your preference, you can searchhere

by state for chefs.

But there are other optionsyou can search on Craigslist or use mealdelivery, which is whatPhil Caravaggio, CEO of Precision Nutrition,

does. He stopped cooking years ago to focus on business and other

priorities.

Phil usesEssential Meal Deliveryout of Toronto: The meals cost $13-

$17 each. Every week, I call them and tell them my goals (intermittent

fasting, Paleo, etc.) and they make a menu based on my food likes and

dislikes. Then theyre delivered to my apartment every morning, and I

get a bill at the end of the week. I only have them delivered MondayFriday. I save the weekends for going out and cooking with family and

friends.

Depending on where you live, there are a variety of options: check

outHome Cooking for YouandDine In 2Nite,for instance.

For those who want to get a private chef for as little at $5 a meal, thereis a real-

world Craigslist template inThe 4-Hour Workweek

. I

ll expandon this in future posts.


9/10

Sample GSP Recipes

Grilled Tuna with Recovery Salad and Soy-Ginger VinaigrettePost-Workout (PW) Meal

Calories: 758/ protein: 60g / carbs: 100g / fat: 10g-160 grams fresh sushi grade yellowfin tuna -100 grams cooked lentils -190 grams cooked quinoa-28 grams shelled edamame beans -28grams shaved red cabbage-30 grams dried apricots or prunes,chopped-50 grams cherry tomatoes, cut in half -28 grams sliced redonion-1 teaspooon extra virgin olive oil-1 tablespoon light soy sauce-1tablespoon cider vinegar-1teaspoon grated ginger-1 tablespoonchopped coriander/cilantro-1 tablespoon chopped green onion/scallion-1handful baby spinachDirections:Set your grill pan to medium heat. Grill the sliced red onion,dry, until it starts to char and wilt. Remove from the pan and chop. Turn

your grill pan to high. Prepare the salad: In a large bowl mix together the

lentils, quinoa, edamame, cabbage, cherry tomatoes, and chopped red

onion. Cover and set aside. Prepare the vinaigrette: in a small bowl mixtogether the olive oil, soy, vinegar, ginger, coriander, apricots, and

green onion.

Grill the tuna evenly on all sides, seasoning with sea salt as you go,until rare or medium rare. Remove from heat immediately and slice into

4-6 thin slices. Mix half of the vinaigrette into the salad. Spoon the salad

onto a plate of raw spinach.Plate the sliced tuna on top of the salad

and garnish with the remaining vinaigrette.

Steak and Eggs Anytime Meal

Calories: 700/ protein: 60g / carbs: 40g / fat: 30g-150 grams mashed steamed sweet potato or squash-200grams ofveal tenderloin

The crust/rub for the veal:

-3 chestnuts, dry roasted, peeled and chopped-1 teaspoon oldfashioned or dijon mustard-1 tablespoon honey -Salt and fresh crackedpepper

Sauteed topping:

-1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil-50 grams wild mushrooms like


10/10

chanterelle or matsutake, brushed not rinsed -1 teaspoon cider or redwine vinegar-Fresh herbs like basil, parsley and/or tarragon, roughlychopped

Sides:

-1 egg or 3 quail eggs -5 spears steamed asparagus or broccoli###

For full meal plans of competitive bodybuilders aiming for sub-6%

bodyfat, see The Last Mile chapter of 4HB.

the diet of ufc champion georges st

Documents