Vegan Bodybuilders: Proof Plant-Based Diets Build Muscle

Vegan Bodybuilding for Body Transformation

Vegan bodybuilders – does that sound like a contradiction to you? Can you build muscle even if you do not eat animal protein? And what if you have no interest in bodybuilding, but only want to change your physique from obese to fit, will vegetables help or will you starve to death on plant-based foods? After many decades of seemingly endless obesity, while I was staring at a blueberry muffin I craved at midnight one fateful evening in 2012, I finally thought of an idea that led me to transform my body from obese to fit in only 6 months. However, whenever I spoke with people about a real food plant-based diet, meaning vegetables, as the key to body transformation, to say that there was a lot of derision is an understatement. But more evidence keeps unfolding that shows the benefits of real food plant-based nutrition, not only to lose weight but even to gain muscle, a lot of it. It is interesting to note now how many vegan bodybuilders are actually using a plant-based diet to fuel their muscle growth, such as:

Nimai Delgado IFBB Pro Bodybuilder

Nimai is the first vegan male professional bodybuilder to compete in the IFBB, the prestigious International Federation of Bodybuilding. He is also a famous Instagram star and has appeared on the cover of Muscle & Fitness, the first vegan ever to do so. You might wonder how is it possible that Delgado grew up in America without ever having a piece of meat. The answer is that Nimai grew up on a Hare Krishna farm in South Mississipi. His parents from Argentina had converted from Catholicism to Hinduism and raised him as a lifelong vegetarian. Nimai Delgado has a fascinating and inspiring story of the benefits of a healthy vegan lifestyle that he reveals in this Google talk:

“How Eating Plants Changed My Life – How It Could Change Yours” | Talks at Google

Powerlifter, Strongman, and Vegan Bodybuilder Patrik Baboumian

Patrik Baboumian is a powerlifter, strongman competitor and bodybuilder. He is also known as ‘Germany’s Strongest Man’ after winning the German Strongman Nationals in 2011. Baboumian became a vegetarian in 2005 and went vegan in 2011. He did not get weaker. Instead, he beat his own record in 2015 with a yoke walk carrying 1,230 pounds. As a vegan powerlifter, Patrik achieved the following personal records:

• Squat: 820 lbs (370 kg)
• Bench Press: 474 lbs (215 kg)
• Deadlift: 790 lbs (360 kg)

555 kg (1223.57 lbs) 2013 World Record Yoke Walk by Vegan Strongman Patrik Baboumian

There are other examples of vegan bodybuilders reported in this Daily Mail article:

Vegan bodybuilders reveal how they got ripped by eating just vegetables ¹

By Naomi Greenaway ²

The new tribe of body-builders, who abstain from meat and swear by the power of a vegan diet, are gaining popularity on social media and taking the bodybuilding and fitness world by storm.

Strongman Dr. Amen Ra Eats One Vegan Meal A Day

What Do Vegan Bodybuilders Eat?

In Germany, heavily tattooed Arvid Beck, 33, from Düsseldorf, says he packs his diet with legumes, grains, and oatmeal to help maintain a buff physique.

Talking of his vegan fitness lifestyle he says: ‘My body is fuelled by plants and compassion.’

Arvid Beck’s Vegan Bodybuilding Meal Plan

This is an example of what fat-burning and muscle-building vegans eat:

Breakfast:

• Oatmeal,
• wheat germ,
• bananas and
• blueberries or cherries

Lunch:

• A combination of grains,
• legumes and
• vegetables,
• rice with lentils, curry, and cauliflower

Dinner:

• Similar to lunch, or
• a huge salad with a variety of legumes

Vegan Bodybuilder Barny du Plessis

Last year, Mr. Universe was won by Norwich-based Barny du Plessis, who says ditching meat from his diet has helped give him more energy and improved his recovery times after exercise.

He is an excellent example of gaining muscle without eating meat. Following a vegan bodybuilder’s plant-based diet, Barny has seen his body gain even more body weight, spurring him on to continue competing. Also, the drastic diet change and his bodybuilding success inspired him to open a stall dedicated to vegan produce in his hometown of Norwich.

Barny du Plessis follows a vegan bodybuilders diet and still competes

Although not exclusively for vegans, The Naturally Fit Games, a sporting event held in Austin, Texas, has seen a rising number of plant-powered bodybuilders and athletes competing.

Erin Fergus, 31, from Greenville, in South Carolina, is one such body-builder, who last year won first place in the novice heavyweight bodybuilding category at the competition.

She saw her new diet pay off when she won a novice heavyweight body-building competition.

‘I wanted to prove that a body can be powered by and built on nothing but cruelty-free, plant-based foods,’ she explains.

The Story of 78-year-old Jim Morris Vegan Bodybuilder

Protein for Vegan Bodybuilders

Despite the common wisdom that meat equals muscle mass, nutritionist Michelle Storfer explains that a plant-powered diet can be equally efficient.

‘There’s certainly no need to eat meat to build muscle!’ she explains.

‘An athletic career can be fuelled through intelligent nutrition on a plant-based diet lifestyle.’

‘There is a collective fear among the Western world, that if we’re not eating animal products, then we won’t get enough protein but quite the opposite can be true.

But Michelle suggests that in order to sustain a competitive bodybuilding career, there would need to be much more careful consideration and planning to be taken into account to meet one’s needs through ‘plant-based protein’ alone.

‘Through a well-balanced diet based on whole foods, with the optional inclusion of a vegan protein supplement bodybuilders can consume more than sufficient protein to build muscle.’

For Erin, that diet includes a mixture of almond milk, rice cakes, and lots of berries.

‘I love protein “ice cream”,’ she says, ‘It’s a simple blend of protein powder, almond milk, and any berries or nut butter of choice.

‘Another weird concoction that I love is two rice cakes crumbled into my protein shake left to soak overnight.

It tastes like the bottom of an ice cream cone when it gets soggy from the ice cream.

‘I also love my oatmeal mixed with protein powder and topped with berries for breakfast.’

Vegan Bodybuilders – Final Thoughts

There is magnificent power in plant foods. It is time that you discover it for yourself. Real food aka a plant-based diet can catapult you to the IFBB, powerlifting, or great feats of strength. Animal foods are not a requirement to sculpt your best physique ever. And if all you want to do is to lose weight, plant-based nutrition has you covered there too. No matter what, do what your mother and grandma told you – eat your vegetables!

What’s Next

Interested in trying on a plant-based bodybuilding meal plan? Explore the benefits and drawbacks of plant-based nutrition for vegan bodybuilders, a 7-day food plan, and a grocery list to fuel your gains with this next article: 7-Day Vegan Bodybuilding Meal Plan: Ultimate Diet Guide

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Footnotes:

¹ The Rise of Plant-Powered Bodybuilders – The Daily Mail ² Naomi Greenway – Author – Daily Mail Online