Samson Dauda shares the champions' diet ahead of the Arnold Classic 2024

Samson Dauda has his sights set on defending his Arnold Classic title in 2024. The competition will be held from March 1-3, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio.

Samson Dauda is a Nigerian-British bodybuilder who has made rapid strides in his career over the past two years. Dauda made his professional competition debut with a fifth place finish at the 2018 EVLS Prague Pro and became an instant sensation with his massive size, muscle definition and conditioning. He earned his first pro show win at the 2021 EVLS Prague Pro and made huge strides in the years that followed. Dauda first stepped onto the Olympia stage in 2022, finishing sixth behind former two-time Mr. Olympia titleholder Mamdouh 'Big Ramy' Elssbiay.

He made a quick turnaround and returned to competition at the 2023 Arnold Classic. The 'Nigerian Lion' defeated Nick Walker to take the Arnold Classic trophy, securing an invitation to the 2023 Olympia. In his second appearance at the Olympia, Dauda fought his way into the top three behind champion Derek Lunsford and runner-up Hadi Choopan.

Samson Dauda capped off the 2023 competition season with a crushing victory at the 2023 Romania Muscle Fest Pro. He will now attempt to defend his Arnold Classic title at the 2024 Arnold Sports Festival, which will be held February 29-March 3, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio.

A whole day of Samson Dauda's food

Eight weeks before the 2024 Arnold Classic, Samson Dauda shares the diet he follows to be ready for the competition stage.

"Literally 99 percent of my food is whole foods. It's all whole foods that are prepared at home, prepared from scratch."

First Meal

Dauda starts his day with a 30-minute cardio workout in the morning on an empty stomach and then continues with the first meal of the day. He recently suffered a partial tear in his hamstring while training and has been trying to resolve the injury. However, that hasn't stopped him from going about his daily routine and making sure he comes back with the second Arnold Classic trophy of his career.

To keep his body in good shape, his first meal looks like this:

• Oatmeal - 100 grams
• Whey protein isolate - 1 scoop
• Eggs - 4 whole

Second meal

Dauda follows a simple motto when eating year-round - "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". Through years of trial and error, the IFBB Pro bodybuilder has figured out the foods that work for him and sticks to them no matter the season.

"Between prep and (off-season), my food doesn't change throughout the year. I eat the same food in the same structure. The only difference is that the portions increase and decrease based on the off-season and prep."

He eats his food as "part of the job" and not to satiate his taste buds. The second meal is a basic combination of meat and potatoes that serves its function well and helps him achieve the goal he has set. He prepares proteins such as chicken and steak two weeks in advance so that he doesn't spend too much time cooking during the meal.

• Steak - 200 grams
• Sweet potatoes (steamed) - 300 grams

Third meal

Dauda eats a high-protein diet, which is essential for bodybuilders to maintain the necessary muscle mass. However, he tries to eat protein from a variety of sources and alternates protein sources during different meals of the day.

"The ability to rotate different protein sources just gives you that ability to digest different types of foods. Never limiting your diet to just one source of protein really helps not only with digestion, but also with muscle growth."

He changes the protein source, he explained, and eats a meal that consists of:

• Rice - 2 cups
• Ground beef - 180 grams

Meal 4 and Meal 5

Samson Dauda's fourth and fifth meals of the day have essentially the same composition. He finishes the meal before 9 pm. The rice that Dauda eats at this meal is the last bit of carbohydrate that he will consume until the next noon. However, it is a necessary part of his work, and he will endure the craving for carbohydrates until the next day.

Both meals consist of:

• Rice - 1.5 cups
• Chicken - 250 grams
• Green vegetables

In the off-season, Dauda eats one more meal before bed because the goal is to gain muscle. In addition, a meal closer to bedtime fills him up and keeps the nightly hunger pangs at bay.

Check out the full video below, provided by Samson Dauda on his personal YouTube channel: