These bodybuilders prove you can be vegan and build muscle

There are as many prejudices and stereotypes about veganism as there are self-proclaimed fitness gurus on Instagram. But you really can learn something from the following ten men. The absence of animal products in their diets and their bodybuilding lifestyle seem to go together like bread and butter. Meet the most famous influencers on Instagram who follow this lifestyle.

Torre Washington

Torre Washington believes that neither vegans or meat-eaters have a particular advantage when it comes to bodybuilding. In fact, he believes the most crucial part is your training routine.

'The Vegan Dread’ has been a vegan for almost 20 years and swears by the regenerative effects of herbal products. He records his personal progress on his Instagram account, promotes the vegan lifestyle and offers his own fitness coaching and advice.

Nimai Delgado

This engineer by trade has actually never eaten meat in his life! For a year now, the successful bodybuilder has been following an exclusive vegan diet which in no way has slowed his progress. He likes to travel and share photos of his adventures with his fans. In addition, he also gives advice about proper and balanced nutrition.

Frank Medrano

Two friends initially gave Frank Medrano the idea to turn vegan. Unlike Delgado, he previously ate meat his entire life and he admits that the transition was difficult at first, but the benefits associated with being vegan eventually won him over. Today, he has 1.5 million followers and is one of the biggest fitness influencers currently on Instagram.

Korin Sutton

Korin Sutton served in the army for eight years and as compensation, he began his bodybuilding journey when his time as a soldier came to an end. He claims that Torre Washington was the one who inspired him to turn vegan himself. Today, he offers his advice and counsel to others and motivates other people to follow the same path he did.

Patrik Baboumian

Patrik Baboumian has been taking part in Strongmen Events on a regular basis for the past six years. Among other things, the German-Armenian bodybuilder has won the title of ‘Strongest Man in Germany’ and holds several log lift records.

Berto Calkins

Berto Calkins is famous for his short training videos and motivational messages. He says that even he never expected to turn vegan, but has ultimately been very happy with the process and transition.

Calkins has even started promoting vegan food because he wants to convince others that this type of food doesn’t have to be so boring and tasteless.

Dominic Thompson

His story is a bit different. As a big-time meat eater, Dominic Thompson originally stopped eating meat while he was serving a sentence in prison. Since then, he says his body has become stronger than ever. He doesn’t miss anything and today, is a successful Ironman athlete.

Jon Venus

A real star among other influencers. Not only does Jon Venus have 225,000 followers on Instagram, but also almost 400,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel. He regularly uploads videos of his entertaining challenges to this platform which are always related to vegan nutrition or sport, and his viewers really seem to love them.

John Lewis

It’s no coincidence that this man is nicknamed the ‘Bad Ass Vegan’. John Lewis is a bodybuilder if there ever was one. In addition to being an influencer, this former college basketball player owns his own protein shake company called VeganSmart.

Billy Simmonds

Last but not least, Billy Simmonds. After only three years on the bodybuilding scene, this Australian managed to win the title of Mr. Universe in 2009, without the help of a single animal product. According to him, vegan nutrition is not only possible, but optimal.

These ten men are all doing their part to revolutionise the field of bodybuilding. They are proof that if you work hard, even a vegan diet can help you reach your desired goal which used to be very different indeed. However, doctors have recently been worrying about a very specific type of vegan diet followed by athletes and linked to sports known as ‘pudding veganism’. Check out this article that shows what bodybuilders looked like 100 years ago.

Check out our video above for our recipe for delicious vegan pancakes.