Lewis MacLean has a dream.
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“I want to beat Arnold (Schwarzenegger),” he said.
The Austrian-born movie star first made his name as a bodybuilder, winning the Mr Universe title at 20.
MacLean can bench press 220kg, and wants to break the magical 500 pound barrier, or 227kgs.
And he’s doing it drug-free.
“I want to prove steroids aren’t the answer,” he said.
“Steroid users believe they can’t do it (get stronger) by themselves.
“I see it as lazy, I’d rather be the best by earning it.”
MacLean has certainly been offered steroids.
And plenty of people think he must be on the ‘gear’.
“The style of person I am, with my weight, definitely attracts attention,” he said.
MacLean has actually asked for drug tests.
“But they cost a minimum of $900 each,” he said.
“Everyone locally accuses me of taking steroids, but in competition, the drug testers know it’s not worth testing me because I ask so often, it’s almost a waste of time, they know I’m clean.
“But I believe I can beat the people on steroids, I adopt the attitude that I’m going to prove people wrong.”
It takes a tremendous amount of hard work though, and one of the biggest appetites you’ll ever see.
“I eat every hour of the day for 12 hours,” MacLean said.
I want to prove steroids aren’t the answer ...I'd rather be the best by earning it.
- Lewis MacLean
“I also drink four to five protein shakes, as well as six to eight litres of water.”
It’s difficult to sum up every meal in this story, but the 190cm, 117kg hulking giant starts with six eggs, and a protein shake combining eggs, oats, bananas and honey.
Then there’s chicken, pasta, vegies, beef, sweet potatoes and a stack more too.
All up, MacLean burns through 10,000 calories a day, and $300 a week.
It’s a long journey from the skinny 70kg kid who started boxing in his early teens.
His dad Glenn introduced him to dieting, and a passion for fitness was born.
MacLean teamed up with the Border’s Gary Smith, who has a passion for lifting weights, and the coach pointed him towards a handful of records.
“I contested the Australian Drug-Free Powerlifting Federation’s national single lift championships in South Australia in March, and broke two records in the bench-press categories I was in,” he said.
He’s now in heavy training for next year’s world titles.
But the ultimate aim is competing at the Olympics, in weightlifting.
Now that’s something not even Schwarzenegger could manage.
