Jeff Nippard is a Canadian professional bodybuilder and powerlifter, as well as being a fitness trainer and coach. He’s coached women’s bikini and men’s bodybuilding national and provincial champions, professional natural bodybuilders and IPF qualified powerlifters.
As a teenager Jeff loved basketball and dreamed of playing in the NBA. He grew up idolising Vince Carter and Kobe Bryant, but has labeled Allen Iverson as his favourite to watch. Allen was most-often one of the shortest players on the court, but was still one of the best.
Jeff had to overcome limitations to become good at what he does. His inspiration came from Allen’s tattoo which said, “only the strong survive”. He became obsessed with trying to improve his vertical jump to make up for height, and started training almost everyday.
During his workouts, Jeff started to notice the quick progress he was making, building muscle mass pretty quickly. At this point he became more realistic, brushing his basketball dreams aside. He quickly became obsessed with bodybuilding when he realised there was a scientific approach to strength training.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry, which helped him gain the scientific knowledge to compliment his practical experience.
Jeff has competed in multiple national and international competitions as a powerlifter and bodybuilder. He’s created multiple fitness programs for people to help reach their physical peak.
In this article we look at Jeff Nippard’s diet and workout plan, getting an overview of his recommendations on maintaining an incredible physique.
Jeff Nippard Profile
| Date of Birth | 6 October 1990 |
| Height | 1.64m / 5ft 5″ |
| Body Measurements (Chest/Arms/Waist) | 44/ 18/ 30 (inches) |
| Weight | 81.5kg / 180 lb |
Diet Plan
Jeff Nippard follows a pretty inclusive diet, where he prioritizes certain foods and nutrients. He likes to follow certain principles when deciding on what to eat.
- He aims to have 3-4 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruits per day.
- He also likes to rotate his nutrition sources and eat foods of different colour.
- Fatty fish should be included as part of the diet, consuming it at least once a week.
- He recommends sticking to whole foods, which should be 80-90% of the diet.
- The remaining 20-10% includes foods he enjoys, to keep the diet balanced.
Jeff believes that a diet should not be changed drastically, and instead thinks a gradual approach is more effective, whether bulking or cutting. Dropping calorie intake by too much can have many negative impacts, and even cause muscle loss.
Jeff Nippard has a body fat percentage of around 10%, which is great for a bodybuilder. His calorie intake is usually low, and he keeps it controlled to maintain his physique.
He also recommends not to rely on supplements too much, and focus on getting all nutrition from natural foods. Jeff thinks the only supplement everyone should take is whey protein, because of the scientific evidence supporting it. Other supplements depend on an individual’s personal needs.
Bulking Diet
Bulking is used to increase muscle mass by consuming more calories. Jeff usually has a calorie intake of around 3400-3600 when bulking, trying to consume lean macronutrients.
| Meal 1 | Whole eggs with bacon slices and hash browns, kiwi and supplements, which include creatine, multivitamin and fish oil |
| Meal 2 | Chicken breast sandwiches with cheese and spinach, blueberries and banana |
| Meal 3 | Protein oats |
| Meal 4 | Salmon with chickpeas, kidney beans and cheese |
| Meal 5 | Cottage cheese and kale salad |
Maingaining Diet
Maingaining is the practice of keeping your current body fat percentage, while slowly increasing muscle mass over time. Jeff’s calorie intake when maingaining is around 3000 calories, to maintain his bodyweight, with a high level consumption of lean protein.
| Meal 1 | Breakfast potato hash, with eggs and turkey bacon, kiwi and supplements, which include creatine, multivitamin and fish oil |
| Meal 2 | Turkey with sour cream and cheddar cheese, mixed berries and cantaloupe |
| Meal 3 | Whey protein and banana |
| Meal 4 | Chicken burrito with bell peppers, onions, cheese and brown rice |
| Meal 5 | Greek yogurt with honey and peanut butter |
Cutting Diet
Cutting is eating fewer calories than you burn, in order to lose fat. Jeff usually eats just under 3000 calories when he is cutting, to make his muscles look more defined for bodybuilding competitions.
| Meal 1 | Whole eggs with chicken sausage, kiwi and fruit juice |
| Meal 2 | Turkey sandwich with mayonnaise and cheddar cheese, orange juice |
| Meal 3 | Whey protein and banana |
| Meal 4 | Grilled salmon with roasted potatoes, carrots and black beans |
Workout Plan
Jeff follows a minimalistic approach when it comes to his workouts. In an interview with Barbend, he mentions that it’s more appropriate for people, since “not everyone can spend two-hours plus in the gym everyday”. Most individuals think training with lots of volume and tons of variation is the way to go, but Jeff disagrees.
Recommended article: Greg Doucette Diet and Workout Plan
When Jeff first started training as a powerlifter, his obsession of becoming stronger led to overtraining. He performed the deadlift almost everyday, increasing the weight each time. This caused his first major injury and put him out of the gym for a long time.
He even admitted to being afraid of training again because he didn’t want to injure himself again or cause permanent damage to his body. When he went back to the gym, he eased into training and made sure not to push his body over its limit.
Jeff suggests completing higher quality workouts in a shorter amount of time. Having perfect form when doing exercises is vital in strengthening muscles and preventing injuries. He believes each set should be completed close to failure and loves adding drop sets & supersets in to his workout.
Chest
- Dumbbell chest press 4 sets X 10 reps
- Incline barbell press 4 sets X 8 reps
- Hammer strength press 5 sets X 8 reps
- Decline smith machine press 3 sets X 25 reps
- Cable flys 3 sets X 15 reps
Shoulders
- Standing barbell shoulder press 4 sets X 12 reps
- Dumbbell arnold press 4 sets X 12 reps
- One-arm standing dumbbell front raise 4 sets X 12 reps
- Single arm cable lateral raises 4 sets X 10 reps
- Dumbbell rear delt fly 4 X 12 reps
- Seated dumbbell shrugs 4 X 15 reps
Arms
- Barbell bicep curls 4 sets X 15 reps
- Dumbbell hammer curls 4 sets X 12 reps
- Cable bicep curls 4 sets X 10 reps
- Cable tricep pushdowns 3 sets X 10 reps
- One-arm overhead dumbbell extensions 3 sets X 10 reps
Back
- Lat pull down 5 sets X 12 reps
- Single-arm dumbbell row 4 sets X 12 reps
- Barbell bent over row 4 sets X 12 reps
- Cable pullover 5 sets X 15 reps
- Reverse pec deck machine 5 sets X 10 reps
Legs
- Barbell squat 4 sets X 12 reps
- Romanian deadlift 4 sets X 12 reps
- Alternating dumbbell lunges 4 sets X 12 reps
- Single-leg leg extensions 4 sets X 10 reps
- Lying leg curl 4 sets X 15 reps
- Standing calf raises 4 sets X 15 reps
Abs
- Hanging leg raises 3 sets X 15 reps
- Hanging oblique twists 3 sets X 15 reps
- Cable crunches 3 sets X 20 reps
- Bicycles 3 sets X 20 reps
- Russian twist 3 sets X 20 reps
Jeff Nippard’s diet and workout plan are a huge reason for his success as a bodybuilder and as a fitness coach. He also has a YouTube channel with millions of subscribers, regularly sharing new workouts and updates on his diet plans; all supported by science.
