Patrik Baboumian, former bodybuilder and past winner of the title “Strongest Man of Germany,” has a lot of strength, but his biggest muscle may be his heart. He cares deeply for animals and makes certain that all of his strength is plant-powered. He celebrates his 10th anniversary of being vegan this year with a new PETA ad focusing on his favorite foods: plants.
Baboumian Eats Like an Ox to Be as Strong as One
Patrik Baboumian proves every day that vegans can be stronger than people who eat animal-derived foods. The retired bodybuilder holds the world record for the heaviest yoke (1,224 pounds—that’s nearly twice the weight of a grand piano!) carried over 10 meters. In Baboumian’s first PETA ad, he stated, “The world’s strongest animals are plant eaters. Gorillas, buffaloes, elephants, and me.” He also stars in The Game Changers, a Netflix documentary promoting plant-based living. In the trailer, he says that it makes sense to eat like an ox to grow as strong as one—and you won’t see an ox grazing on animal flesh.
No matter the size of his muscles, compassion is what Baboumian considers his true strength. Mother cows form strong bonds with their calves. Cows used for milk are repeatedly, forcibly impregnated by humans and then separated from their babies. Some mother cows can be heard frantically calling for their babies days after they are taken away. Going vegan saves nearly 200 animals every year and helps keep mother cows with their calves, preserving their bond.
Make Your Body Plant-Powered
You can easily meet your nutritional needs and gym goals while vegan—many superfoods and pre-workout snacks are vegan already. Vegan foods are also full of protein, fiber, and complex carbohydrates—all great for building strength and aiding in your post-workout recovery. Plus, animal-derived foods often contain high amounts of artery-clogging cholesterol and saturated fat, which are detrimental to your health. Going vegan also reduces your risk of suffering from heart disease, cancer, and diabetes and can help boost your immune system. Follow in Baboumian’s footsteps and go vegan for animals and your own health—maybe one day you’ll join our list of vegan bodybuilders, too.
FAQs
“I just found myself thinking that if I would have to kill the animals I ate with my own hands I couldn't because I was too compassionate. I felt that I was fooling myself eating meat considering my inability to kill an animal so I just thought I'd better be honest to myself and stop eating meat.”
Who is the vegan strongest man in Germany? ›
Patrik Baboumian (Armenian: Փատրիկ Բաբումեան, Persian: پاتریک بابومیان; born 1 July 1979) is an Iranian-born German-Armenian retired strongman and former bodybuilder. He promotes veganism.
Is Patrik Baboumian Armenian? ›
Patrik Baboumian, is an Armenian German strongman competitor, strength athlete, vegan activist and former bodybuilder.
How much protein does Patrik Baboumian eat? ›
Strongman Patrik Baboumian eats 5,000 calories a day in the form of protein shakes, fruit smoothies, vegan sausages or falafel, tofu, potatoes, nuts and vegetables. Within this is an incredible 410 grams of protein, more than seven times the amount required by most men. But then, Patrik Baboumian is not most men.
Who was the first vegan and why? ›
One of the earliest followers of what we now consider a vegan diet was Arab philosopher and poet Al-Maʿarri who abstained from animal products for his health and beliefs on the transmigration of souls and animal welfare.
Who is the father of vegan? ›
In November 1944, a British woodworker named Donald Watson announced that because vegetarians ate dairy and eggs, he was going to create a new term called “vegan,” to describe people who did not.
Is Jackie Chan vegan? ›
Jackie Chan
While Chan is not fully vegan, he has decreased his meat intake and is an advocate for animal welfare. The filmmakers considered streaming the documentary in China a crucial step due to the country's rising meat consumption.
Who is the hottest vegan? ›
Rajkummar Rao. Bollywood actor Rajkummar Rao follows a vegan diet and believes in having an immensely healthy lifestyle. According to PETA, Rajkummar Rao is fit, hot, and compassionate, and he's setting a great example for his fans and millions of other people who want to fight climate change with their forks.
Is Arnold Schwarzenegger vegan? ›
Arnold Schwarzenegger eats an 80% vegan diet, which he said has helped lower his cholesterol. His go-to protein sources are eggs, salmon, chicken, veggie burgers, and protein shakes. Schwarzenegger eats steak, hamburgers, and Austrian wiener schnitzel when he wants a treat.
What race is mostly vegan? ›
Racial diversity
Black Americans are almost three times more likely to be vegan than the general population.
Patrik Baboumian: 360kg (794-pound) Deadlift for 3 reps
The former Germany's Strongest Man winner can hold his own in the deadlift as well.
Is Canelo vegan now? ›
He relied on vegan protein during the week and consumed fish and chicken on weekends. In a 2022 interview with ESPN, before his fight with the Russian, Alvarez had said: "I eat [a vegan diet] all week now and if one day the opportunity presents to eat red meat, chicken, or whatever, I'll have no problem with that.
Are vegan people strong? ›
A vegan diet contains all the protein and other nutrients needed to build muscle and strength, as numerous internationally recognised and national record holding strong vegans have proved. Some of the strongest powerlifters are vegans and more are showing an interest in plant-based nutrition.
Is John Abraham vegan diet? ›
"I am trying to replace all dairy products. I anyways, don't eat butter, cheese milk. Also he stopped eating eggs for a very long time. I am not proclaiming that I am a vegan or vegetarian but I am trying it as a moral decision because of animal cruelty.
Who is the heaviest vegan bodybuilder? ›
Patrik Baboumian proves every day that vegans can be stronger than people who eat animal-derived foods. The retired bodybuilder holds the world record for the heaviest yoke (1,224 pounds—that's nearly twice the weight of a grand piano!)
Why did Arnold Schwarzenegger go vegan? ›
But the reason he went vegan was that eating a diet high in plants had helped him. It has helped him dramatically decrease his cholesterol during the previous five years.
Why did Chris Hemsworth go vegan? ›
His revised diet may have been inspired by his younger brother and fellow hunky actor, Liam, who has been a vegan since at least 2015 and has said he has encouraged Chris to adapt to “eating more vegetables and more plant-based stuff.”
