Steve Cook Workout and Diet
Fitness Model
Born: 1984
Steven Cook grew up in Boise, Idaho as one of seven kids. His father was an athletic director and eventually became Steve’s coach. Always active, Cook started playing football when he was 7 and lifting weights at age 10. By high school he was setting records. Cook played football in high school and college at Dixie State, but an injury ended his professional football aspirations. After a brief and rocky marriage, he returned to the gym and soon won his first bodybuilding competition. Cook was scouted by Muscle & Fitness in Las Vegas during the 2010 Mr. Olympia competition and became a fitness model. Besides appearing on the covers of Iron Man, Muscle & Fitness, Cook is also a spokesperson for bodybuilding.com, an Optimum Nutrition athlete and has acted as a coach on the tv series The Biggest Loser. He currently lives in LA. Cook has millions of followers on social media. He is 6 feet tall and weighs 210 lbs.
Known For:
Steve Cook’s Diet
Summary
Cook definitely subscribes to the philosophy that abs are made in the kitchen. He sticks to lean protein, healthy fats, plenty of veggies and complex carbs. He says that quality protein needs to be part of everyone’s diet, and his general rule of thumb is 1 gram per pound of your ideal bodyweight. He says people shouldn’t be afraid of carbs as a category, but to stick to high-quality ingredients and steer clear of the junk. He eats 6 meals a day and tracks his macros. He also takes supplements such as creatine, BCAAs and casein protein.
Estimated Macros
- Low-Medium Carb 20%
- Low-Medium Fat 20%
- High Protein 75%
Diet Details
Consistent Diet
Cook says he eats more or less the same things all through the year. He has egg whites, veggies and oatmeal for breakfast, and meat, veggies and carbs for 3 meals, and then protein supplements make up the rest.
Counting Macros
Cook tracks all of his macros. He eats between 250-300 g of protein each day and keeps his fats around 50-70 g. Carbs will vary based on whether he is in training or not.
Carb Cycling
Cook is a fan of carb-cycling, which means some days he eats very few carbs, and then he reloads at certain intervals to restore glycogen levels in his muscles.
Clean Cheats
In his off-season, Cook will indulge in extra carbs, such as fruit and dairy products.
Not Too Strict
Cook says while he makes an effort to eat clean most of the time, he has never been super-strict, and will sneak in some low-sugar jelly or other smalltime treat on a regular basis.
What to Eat
Egg Whites
Whole Eggs
Oatmeal
Oat Bran
Poultry
Fish
Red Meat
Low-fat Cheese
Sweet Potatoes
Vegetables
Salad
Olive Oil
Flax Oil
Apples
Brown Rice
Rice Cakes
Cinnamon
What to Avoid
Refined Sugar
Processed Foods
Junk Food
Fried Food
Trans Fats
Artificial Ingredients
Chemical Additives
Cook on His Diet
‘My diet stays fairly consistent year-round. I am always within 5 pounds of stage-ready.’
Cook on His Cheats
‘I allow myself more carbs, and will enjoy fruit and dairy products in the off-season.’
Cook on the Mental Side of Diet
‘It’s not just what you’re eating, but what’s eating you.’
Steve Cook’s Workout Routine
Weekly Routine
Early Influence
With his dad being a coach, Cook started working out as a kid and virtually never stopped.
Variety Is the Spice
As the saying goes, the only constant is change. Cook doesn’t subscribe to any particular routine but prefers to switch it up every couple of weeks.
Intense Workouts
Cook likes Dorian Yates’ HIIT routine, the Fascia Stretch Training 7 (FST-7) regimen and some Arnold-type workouts with lots of sets and reps.
Daily Dose
Cook hits the gym 6 days a week, doing 4 days of lifting and 2 days of cardio.
Mix It Up
Cook varies his routine by changing his rep tempo, rep range and volume so he always keeps his muscles guessing.
Targeted Workouts
With FST-7, you do a normal bodybuilding workout starting with heavy compound exercises and moving toward isolation exercises, finishing with 7 sets on a targeted exercise.
Get Dense
During his off-season, Cook lifts heavy to build up dense muscle tissue.
Exercise Style
Pavel Tsatsouline Protocol
Day 1 – Legs
Do 1-2 sets of each of the following. Do 10-15 reps in the first set and the second set to failure with a 1 min rest between sets.
Leg extensions
Machine leg press
Hack squat on machine
Seated leg curl
Stiff-legged barbell deadlift
Calf press with leg press machine
Seated calf raise
Day 2 – Chest, Abs & Biceps
Do 1-2 sets of each of the following. Do 6-10 reps in the first set and the second set to failure with a 1 min rest between sets.
Decline barbell bench press
Incline dumbbell press
Dumbbell flys
Concentration curls
Hammer curls
Barbell curls
Super set 1
3 sets to failure
Knee raise on parallel bars
Superset 2
3 sets to failure
Cable crunch
Decline reverse crunch
Crunches
Day 3 – Cardio
Run on treadmill: to failure
Day 4 – Back, Triceps & Calves
Do 1-2 sets of each of the following. Do 8-10 reps in the first set and the second set to failure with a 1 min rest between sets.
Straight-arm dumbbell pullover: increase weight between sets
Close-grip front pulldown
One-arm dumbbell row
Seated cable row
Barbell deadlift
Triceps pushdown
Cable lying triceps extension
Seated triceps press
Calf press on leg press machine
Seated calf raise
Day 5 – Delts, Traps & Abs
Do 1-2 sets of each of the following. Do 6-10 reps in the first set and the second set to failure with a 1 min rest between sets.
Dumbbell should press
Side lateral raise
Low pulley row to neck
Reverse flys
Barbell shrug
Upright barbell row
Repeat supersets from day 2
Day 6 – Cardio
Run on treadmill to failure
Day 7 – Rest
Cook on his Exercise Regimen
‘I don’t think just one workout works the best.’
Cook on How to Get Ripped
‘Having a plan that lasts 2 weeks is ideal. Then it’s a good idea to change it up.’
Cook on His Off-Season Routine
‘I try to focus on the basics and doing heavy compound movements to build that dense, hard muscle.’
Steve Cook’s Supplements
Whey Protein
Cook supplements with whey protein which boosts the growth of lean muscle and supports recovery.
Get it hereCasein
Cook also takes casein protein. Casein is slower-acting than whey protein, and is a popular for bodybuilders to take before bed to decrease muscle wasting and improve recovery.
Get it hereBCAAs
Another one of Cook’s staples is branched-chain amino acids or BCAAs. BCAAs do everything a bodybuilder is looking for: grow muscle, improve endurance and speed recovery.
Get it hereCreatine
Cook also takes creatine which increases muscle mass, boosts strength and supports cognitive function.
Get it hereMultivitamin
Cook takes a multivitamin each day to cover his essential micronutrients.
Get it hereSteve Cook’s Lifestyle
Active Recovery
Cook is a fan of ice therapy. An ice bath causes the blood to retreat from the extremities to the core of the body, increasing circulation and reducing recovery time.
Tough Trials
A broken ankle ended Cook’s football career aspirations one semester before he graduated. He then got married, but his wife cheated on him. At 23, he was divorced and living at home with his parents while working as a waiter when he decided to try bodybuilding.
Biggest Winner
Cook found that helping people on a one-to-one basis on the show The Biggest Loser brought him a renewed sense of purpose.
Early Influences
Cook is an influencer himself these days, but when he was a kid, he idolized Arnold Schwarzenegger and other classics like Lee Haney, Frank Zane and Steve Reeves.
Cook his Early Training
‘If I wanted to watch TV as a kid, I had to do push-ups during commercials.’
Cook on Failure
‘I learned how to lose in college.’
Cook on his Commitment to Bodybuilding
‘I had no social life but I had a sense of purpose.’
Cook on Motivation
‘I make sure to surround myself with positive influences. I have great people I associate with at the gym. I also make sure I always read new things and watch motivational videos, like Pumping Iron.’
Cook on Life
‘I live my life knowing that I can’t always control what happens to me, but I can control how I react to those things.’
Cook on his Life Philosophy
‘I strive to stay positive and to treat people with respect.’
Recommended Products
Optimum Nutrition
References
https://proteinteacher.com/steve-cook-diet/
https://www.greatestphysiques.com/male-physiques/steve-cook/
https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/steve-cook-muscle-building-program.html
https://www.borntoworkout.com/bodybuilder-steve-cook-workout-routine-diet-plan-body-stats/
https://www.bodybuilding.com/author/steve-cook
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KN2I4cRnf8
https://www.distractify.com/p/steve-cook-biggest-loser
https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a33807210/steve-cook-bodybuilder-nfl-combine-workout-tryout/
https://www.gymshark.com/blogs/athletes/steve-cook