Shane Storey sits down with Irish powerlifter Ryan McCann to unpack the habits, training decisions, and nutrition strategies that helped him build an Irish squat record and a personal best total of 822.5kg. Ryan shares how he navigates international travel, maintains performance while eating over 5,000 calories a day, and manages life as a celiac while competing at the highest level in Ireland.
Timestamps
00:00 — Intro and Ryan’s recent All-Ireland win
00:28 — Returning to Ireland, travel, and competition schedule
01:45 — Training while moving between countries
03:41 — Upcoming travel and competition calendar
04:32 — Nutrition while traveling and hitting 5,000+ calories
05:15 — Protein, carbs, and managing meals abroad
06:38 — Travel sickness and digestion issues
08:07 — Gluten-free food challenges in Southeast Asia
09:34 — Bali food quality and macro-friendly eating
11:18 — Ryan’s celiac diagnosis and the blood work that led to it
13:16 — Confirming celiac disease with testing and endoscopy
14:46 — How going gluten free improved his training
16:11 — Symptoms he noticed before diagnosis
18:23 — Transitioning to gluten-free eating
20:08 — Food quality, alcohol, and lifestyle adjustments
22:13 — Moving from 82.5kg to 120kg
23:23 — Best totals and bodyweight changes
24:46 — Why Ryan recomps instead of staying at 120kg year-round
25:44 — Health markers, blood work, and cardio work
27:37 — Training consistency and why body composition matters
28:55 — Why higher body fat can hurt long-term progress
30:34 — Mental benefits of phase changes and goal setting
33:11 — Prep for Westerns in Luxembourg
33:39 — Higher-rep hypertrophy block and training structure
34:36 — Lower volume, higher intensity, and recent PBs
35:03 — The importance of nutrition, sleep, and recovery
37:54 — Why year-round buy-in matters
41:51 — Tracking food and staying consistent while traveling
44:05 — Estimating meals when eating out
46:11 — Managing macros with restaurants and takeaways
47:04 — Hunger cues, fullness, and appetite awareness
49:02 — Eating high calories, meal frequency, and digestion
51:15 — Meal timing while cutting versus gaining
53:45 — Fermented foods and digestion hacks
54:15 — Oats, protein milk, fruit, and meal enjoyment
55:40 — Making meals interesting with sauces and seasonings
58:29 — Meal prep, convenience, and cooking in bulk
59:21 — Rice cookers, frozen veg, and simplifying prep
62:04 — Biggest accelerants in Ryan’s training progress
63:18 — Squat technique changes and the squat breakthrough
65:11 — The carryover from wraps to sleeves
66:08 — Early programming and coaching influences
67:06 — High volume to low volume: what changed and why
68:44 — Why program hopping is different from long-term adaptation
71:50 — Periodisation, joint health, and managing intensity
73:37 — Building strength through muscle, technique, and load management
77:38 — Future goals: nationals, Euros, Worlds, and a 900kg total
80:15 — Recent training numbers and squat confidence
81:34 — Final thoughts on mindset and competition preparation
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