# Eat For Mass The 5% Way - Part 1! **By 5 Percent Nutrition** · 2024-04-12 When it came to eating for size, Rich was undoubtedly ahead of his time. While many other “authorities” were suggesting adding a few hundred calories a day, Rich talked about adding extra _meals_ a day. Of course, he wasn’t necessarily alone, Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler was also a big believer in eating a lot of quality food. In this 2-Part series - Eat For Mass The 5% Way, we’ll look at Rich’s eating guidelines. Plus, we’ll see how the meal plans of other Mr. O’s, like Jay Cutler stack up. Finally, we will present a sample meal and 5% supplement plan so you can get started right away! # Rich’s Extreme Approach To Mass Gaining Meals! Rich always believed in eating a lot of meals for mass. In 5% Nutrition’s exceptional [Bigger By The Day](https://5percentnutrition.com/blogs/bigger-by-the-day) series, Rich advocated up to 10-12 meals a day. When he was competing and seriously training for mass, he ate every hour and a half. He would even break up his sleep to get more meals in. Beyond those extremes, if you’re serious about eating for mass, you should be eating around 8-9 meals a day. If you can, follow Rich’s advice and go even higher! Some of these meals can be shakes, and with that in mind, you could easily hit a high number of meals every day. # How Did Mr. Olympia Eat? Depending on who you talk to, Mr. O Jay Cutler ate as few as 5-6 or as many as 9 meals a day. Of course, it would depend on the time of year as well. He’d eat more meals off-season than during contest season. Yet even during the contest season, Jay tried to take in around 5,000 calories per day. As noted, one key to eating a high number of meals is to use shakes. Jay Cutler counted his various shakes as a meal. # Real-Life Scenarios That Impact Your Meal Plan For those of us who lead active lifestyles, it’s going to be hard to sit down to a high number of meals per day. In fact, without the use of 5% Nutrition shakes and high protein snacks, it may be impossible. With this in mind, let’s consider some real-life scenarios.  #### _Example # 1 - You Work From Home._ If you work from home, you’ve got no worries. You can eat whenever you want. That means you can follow Rich’s prescription of whole-food meals. Still, it makes sense to use 5% shakes at least 2 key times of the day: when you wake up, and immediately post-workout. Have a 3rd shake if that helps you reach your meal goal. #### _Example # 2 - You Work At Your Place Of Business._ Despite the current trend to work from home, this is the scenario that may fit the lives of many 5%ers. It’s not ideal, but with a couple of pre-made meals, a couple of [Real Carbs + Protein](https://5percentnutrition.com/collections/functional-foods/products/real-carbs-protein-legendary-series) shakes, maybe some [Snack Time](https://5percentnutrition.com/collections/functional-foods/products/snack-time-protein-box-10-pouches) pouches, and you can maintain your macronutrient goals. #### _Example # 3 - You Work A Job That Keeps You From Eating For Most Of Your Shift._  Here’s the most challenging scenario. You work a job that makes it difficult to eat during your shift. This means retail jobs where you work alone for most of your shift, jobs where you’re traveling a lot, or any job where you just can’t sit down to a meal when you’re hungry. This means you have to depend on 5% Nutrition [functional foods](https://5percentnutrition.com/collections/functional-foods), such as a shake, which can be Real Carbs + Protein and Snack Time pouches. It’s all you may have time for, especially if it’s a busy day. In this scenario, convenience matters. ## Part 1 Recap We’ve looked at some good information in Part 1. Next up, we will calculate calorie needs, break down macronutrients, and check out a sample meal plan. The meal plan will include a sample 5% Nutrition supplement schedule as well. Until then, keep eating! --- > Source: [5% Nutrition](https://5percentnutrition.com/blogs/articles/eat-for-mass-the-5-way-part-1)