How to Get Big Like The Mountain from Game of Thrones - Eat and Train Like a Strongman

Icelandic strongman, Hafthór Júlíus Björnsson known as a giant from Game of Thrones that crushed skulls with his bare hands, was not always big like he is today. If he didn't start weightlifting when he was 20 he would probably be like the most people and he wouldn't be famous as The Mountain. 

What differs him from most of the people is that he is not only over 2 meters tall (6'9"), his weight is close to 180 kg (396 pounds).

To check how much progression The Mountain made with his training and diet we need to take a look at his picture when he was 20 years old and played basketball:

On the left side is a photo of Hafthór Júlíus Björnsson when he was 20 years old and on the other side we can see how much big he became for six years of weightlifting.

I told you he wasn't "The Mountain" his whole life. He is born tall but he didn't have a lot of muscle mass back then. To be absolutely honest, we can say that he didn't have muscle mass at all. But, after many injuries, he decided to quit playing basketball and to start weightlifting. 



We can't say that he is shredded and that his physique looks great, but the guy is not a fitness model he is a strongman and he doesn't care so much about clean diet and shredded abs. 



Strongmen consume more calories than other athletes and overall their diet consist of healthy foods but they consume some fast carbs from time to time. They are always in the caloric surplus and if that is not the case, they couldn't drag the trucks and lift big rocks like they do. 



If you are looking for lean muscle gains and shredded abs then stop reading. This article is about The Mountain and his diet and training plans that fit his needs.




The Mountain's Diet:


In order to maintain his weight and muscle mass, The Mountain eats 7 - 8 meals every day. He said that he has to eat about every two hours and he has a lot of breaks during the filming when is his time for a meal. 


Take a closer look at his regular daily diet:



7 AM - Meal 1:

- 6 Egg Whites
- 1 Full Egg
- 1 Cup of Oatmeals
- 1 Bowl of Fruits



10 AM - Meal 2:

- 2 Granola Bars
- 1 Cup of Oatmeals
- 2 Scoops of Whey Protein



1 PM - Meal 3:

- 2 Pounds of Chicken / Fish / Turkey / Lean Beef
- 1 Cup of Oatmeals
- 1 Cup of Brown Rice
- 1 Bowl of Cooked Vegetables
- 4 Slices of 100% Whole Grain Bread
- 1 Scoop of Whey Protein



3:30 PM - Meal 4:

- 1 Bowl of Fruits
- 2 Granola Bars
- 2 Scoops of Whey Protein



5:30 PM - Meal 5:

- 3 Cups of Skimmed Milk
- 1 Cup of Whole Grain Pasta
- 6 Egg Whites



7:30 PM - Meal 6:

- Same as Meal 3



9:30 PM - Meal 7: 

- 2 Servings of Blended Whey Protein




The Mountain's Training:


The workout plan that The Mountain is following is a three-day full body workout. For those who want to gain a lot of strength, this workout program is what they need. Also, with the caloric surplus and good diet muscle gain will go along with strength gain.

Day	Exercise	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3
Monday	Barbell Squat	3 x 10	5 x 5	3 x 3
	Military Press	4 x 8	5 x 5	5 x 3
	Power Cleans	5 x 5	5 x 3	5 x 2
	Chin Ups	3 sets to failure
	Bent Over Row	3 sets x 10 reps
Wednesday	Dead Lift	3 x 10	5 x 5	3 x 3
	Conditioning	30 Minutes Sprints
	Push Press	3 x 10	5 x 5	5 x 2
Friday	Dead Lift	5 x 5	3 x 3	5 x 5
	Front Squat	3 x 10	5 x 5	3 x 3
	Bench Press	3 x 10	5 x 5	5 x 3
	Upper Body Assistance Exercises	Two exercises done for 3 sets to failure
	Core Exercises	10 Minutes

You can see that The Mountain make some changes in sets and reps numbers from week 1 to week 3. For those who only want to gain more size, I recommend following the workout routine like The Mountain's Week 1.



Also, check out one of many YouTube videos of his workouts: