Bodybuilding Diets of Pro Bodybuilders Jay Cutler, Branch Warren and Victor Martinez

We spoke with some of the contestants in the 2010 Mr. Olympia contest to find out what bodybuilders eat to help grow such big muscles. Here’s their bodybuilding nutrition tips.

Three top bodybuilders shared their nutrition and diet with Vince: Jay Cutler (3 times Mr Olympia winner), Branch Warren (came 2nd in the 2009 Mr Olympia) and Victor Martinez (winner of the Arnold Classic in 2007). All these guys are at the top of their game at the moment, and all huge.

Bodybuilding Diet For Cutting

The following are examples of a daily diet 10 weeks from the competition when they are aiming to maintain muscle, build new muscle and strip off as much fat as possible. It is important to note that this is their diets during the pre-comp cutting period, when their goal is to maintain muscle and strip fat away. However, if you are overweight and want to build some muscle, then this is still a good diet plan to follow – you won’t need anywhere as much energy as these guys need every day, so reduce the portions down.


Jay Cutler’s Bodybuilding Diet

Jay Cutler starts his day with some fat burning pills followed by 40 minutes of cardio training before eating breakfast.

  • Breakfast: 15 egg whites, a 6 oz steak, 1/2 an avocado, 4 packs of grits, 1/2 gallon water.
  • Meal 2: 14oz chicken breast with 12oz sweet potato.
  • Meal 3: A 12oz steak with 12oz red potato
  • After these 3 meals he does his weight training workout for the day. One big session working on a specific muscle group.
  • Meal 4: Whey protein – this comes straight after the workout
  • Meal 5: 14oz chicken with white rice
  • Meal 6: 15 egg whites, a 6 oz steak, 1/2 an avocado

So, to tally up, 30 egg whites in one day, 28-30 oz of chicken, 18 oz steak, a bucket of potatoes!

Victor Martinez Bodybuilding Diet

Victor’s daily diet is a little more regimental than Cutlers’ (not to say that Cutlers’ is not very strict too). The timing between each “meal” is carefully planned.

  • 9:30 a.m. Whey protein and water
  • 9:45 a.m. Cardio: 45 minutes
  • 10:45 a.m. 10 egg whites, 1 whole egg, 1 cup of oatmeal
  • 1:30 p.m. 10 oz. steak, 1 cup of brown rice
  • 4 p.m. 10 oz. chicken, 10 oz. potato
  • 5:30 p.m. Pre-workout drink, BCAA
  • A big weight training session.
  • 8 p.m. 10 oz. salmon, 1 cup of steamed broccoli
  • 1 a.m. 8 oz. steak, 1 cup of steamed broccoli

Martinez’s diet is healthier than Cutlers’. He eats brown rice instead of white, and has a salmon dish, replacing one of the chicken meals. He consumers a lot of broccoli as well as his potatoes. He also treats himself to an egg yolk.

Branch Warren’s Muscle Building Diet

Warren likes to start the day with coffee and walks the dogs. This seems a much more chilled way to start the day than fat burners and cardio.

  • Morning: coffee, walk the dogs for 20-30 minute
  • Meal 1: 10 oz. buffalo, 2 whole eggs, 2 slices whole wheat toast, cup of oatmeal
  • Meal 2: 10 oz. chicken breast, 2 and 1/2 cups white rice
  • Weight training session
  • Meal 3: Whey protein and Gatorade straight after the training
  • Meal 4: 10 oz. chicken breast, 10-12 oz. white potato, 10-12 oz. white potato
  • Meal 5: 10 oz. chicken breast, 10-12 oz. white potato, 10-12 oz. sweet potato
  • Meal 6: 6 oz. steak, 6 oz. tilapia (fish)

Branch Warren eats less steak but more chicken. Lots of potatoes again, plus some fish to end the day. His diet seems the most “normal” of the lot, with coffee, eggs and toast for breakfast and chicken and potatoes for his meals.

Summary of the 3 Bodybuilding Diets

The most important things to note with these diets is that although they all take a whey supplement during the day, it is just one supplement after the weight training session. Whey is the most rapidly absorbed protein so is the best one to take straight after a workout. Casein/egg proteins are more slowly absorbed, and these are all obtained from diet – eggs, meats, poultry.

Fruit is kept to a minimum due to its sugar (fructose) content. Potatoes are eaten in abundance – they are a great source of carbohydrate and energy, so long as they are not fried.

None of these bodybuilders are eating cottage cheese, drinking milk or having a protein shake every 3 hours. This is just not required. Food is the best source of protein and carbohydrate and these guys know it. If protein shakes really were the best way to pile on muscle they would be drinking 20 a day. Instead they eat piles of chicken, eggs and meat with vegetables and rice.

9 Comments on “Bodybuilding Diets of Pro Bodybuilders Jay Cutler, Branch Warren and Victor Martinez”

  1. I’m interested in knowing what fat burning pills does Jay Cutler take in the morning?

  2. MotleyHealth says:

    I have had a little dig around but cannot find anything specific. He is sponsored by MuscleTech so it is very likely that he uses one of their fatburners, such as Hydroxycut:

    “the ingredients in Hydroxycut Hardcore have been clinically proven to decrease bodyfat by 7.9%”

    Also available from Bodybuilding.com:
    MuscleTech Hydroxycut Hardcore Pro Series, 120 Liquid Capsules

  3. MotleyHealth says:

    Results are in of the IFBB Professional finals:

    1st place: Jay Cutler
    2nd place: Phil Heath
    3rd place: Branch Warren
    4th place: Dexter Jackson
    5th place: Dennis Wolf
    6th place: Ronny Rockel

    Victor Marinez came in 8th, a very respectable place.

  4. MotleyHealth says:

    See the scorecard here:

  5. Will you lose weight on this or just get toned?

  6. MotleyHealth says:

    It is designed to help cut fat while still maintaining and building muscle. Obviously the volumes of food are specific to the energy needs of each of those bodybuilders.

  7. DAVID DERKACH says:

    Jay Cutler is my role model. I watch his you tube video’s and get all pumped up he is the greatest. He spends time with his fans to take photo’s and sign his pictures etc. Keep up the hard training Jay you make me want to go on everday. Your number one fan David.

  8. I wants to make career in body building please provide me the data about Diet.
    My weight 60 kg height- 5′.6” Age 30

  9. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Kuldeep, if you are serious about a career in bodybuilding, your best option is to get along to a local bodybuilding gym and speak to somebody there. We can advise you to lift more, eat more etc. but the real motivation and guidance will come from those who are actively doing this already in your neighborhood.

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