Bodybuilding legend Rich Gaspari built his famous physique on a simple rule: the 40-40-20 diet. Before modern tracking apps, he followed this method to push on-stage conditioning to its limits in the 80s.

'The Dragon Slayer' perfected a formula of protein, carbs, and fats that fueled his success on stage. The 62-year-old broke down the approach during his Mar 25 interview with Muscle & Strength.

"I work very well with using complex carbohydrates overall in my diet and having around 40–45% protein, 40–35% complex carbs, and essential fats making up the rest," he told Muscle & Strength.

"I would include egg yolks, olive oil, and keep fats at around 20%. Dieting this way, my muscles stayed full, and I maintained good glycogen levels," added the three-time Mr. Olympia runner-up.

While the IFBB Hall of Famer didn't have the size advantage over then reigning Mr. Olympia Lee Haney, his conditioning always stood out.

And a big part of his ripped conditioning on stage was thanks to his unique approach to dieting.

Rich Gaspari experimented with his diet as well

Gaspari's 40-40-20 diet laid the foundation for his conditioning, but he also went further. He experimented with carb intake.

“Let me just eat bread and pasta and experiment to see what’ll happen.” So I was eating bread and pasta and those types of carbs, but exactly the same amount of carbs." Said Gaspari

'The Dragon Slayer' knew that gluten was something that was often overlooked by bodybuilders. However, he tired see how it woud effect his physique.

"You know, people say bodybuilders are just dumb. It’s not true because a lot of us study nutrition, biomechanics, training properly, and resting," added the bodybuilding icon.

What do you think, was Gaspari ahead of his time with his nutrition approach, or is this still underrated in bodybuilding today? Tell us your take.

You can read more on Bodybuilding Bros.

Written by

Proma Chatterjee

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi