The Steve Reeves diet
(from his book - Building the Classic Physique: the natural way)
8:00AM - Breakfast
Blend of orange juice, gelatin and honey + 2 tbsp protein powder
Banana
2-4 whole eggs
or, alternately
apples, carrots, oatmeal, bran
bee pollen, wheat germ
almonds, honey and milk
all mixed together
Noon - Lunch
Cottage cheese + nuts, raisins
Fresh fruits
Early evening - Dinner
HUGE salad
Steak
No fancy stuff, no 6 meals a day stuff, not overtly high on proteins, or fats, and fairly high carb.
The protein powder was homemade stuff as well. Here's what Reeves used as protein powder -
2 parts powdered egg whites
2 parts powdered milk
1 part powdered soy protein
As you can see, this was by no means a very high calorie diet; yet it was good enough to produce a 210-215 lbs physique with reasonably low bodyfat. May be not a good diet for powerlifters and strongmen (the get big and strong at all cost guys), but still good enough for a recreational lifter who wants to build a decent physique.
Reeves was not as strong as Hepburn or Parks, but he was still strong enough to plate pinch deadlift 400 lbs. (Here's how the pinch deadlift or Steve Reeves deadlift as it is commonly known executed):
