Patrik Baboumian Feels Better Than Ever, He Says
Strongman Patrik Baboumian was born in Iran and lives in Germany, where in 1999 at the age of 20 he won the German Junior Bodybuilding title. In 2011 the 116 kg loglifter was placed fourth in the world loglifting championship with 185 kg, a German record. In May 2011 he lifted a log of 190 kg in winning a local competition in Turku, Finland. His other personal bests are: Bench 215kg, Squat 310kg, Deadlift 360kg.
After a number of years as a vegetarian Baboumian turned vegan last year, and became the model for a campaign by PETA advocating a vegan diet. On his blog he has posted on May 31 that “Operation going vegan is going extremely well!
Its 90% done! I’m looking forward to cutting out the whey-protein in a few weeks, which will result in a totally vegan nutrition plan for me! Feeling great!”
On the topic of “Plant Power” he has written
When I started the vegetarian diet 2005 I knew little about the effect it would have on my performance and strength. The reasons for my decision where mainly based on my empathy for all kinds of non human animals and the mental conflict I felt, when consuming meat, which would mean that an animal would have to lose its live for my appetite. Expecting at least a slight inverse effect on my training performance I was amazed by the great gains in lean body-mass and strength I got with the meat-free diet. 2011 after winning the German strongman title I was ready to take the next step and switch to a vegan diet.
As an strength athlete I have to make sure that my body gets all three macro-nutrients in feasible amounts. Specially protein is a key factor for the development of the type of body that is needed to be able to endure the gruelling events you have to face as a strongman.
My main protein sources are: soy-milk, soy-protein-powder, tofu, nuts and beans. To get the energy I need for my daily training sessions I use carbohydrates out of: rice, potato, oats and lots of fruits and greens and vegetables. I use shakes and smoothies to get a lot of my calories in liquid form, because it’s hard for me to eat the amounts of calories I need to gain weight and maintain the development of physical strength.
and Carl Lewis, once the fastest man on Earth and five times Olympiic gold winner was Vegan too.. so perhaps the Olympic motto should be revised to “Fastest, Stongest, Furthest = Vegan” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOTETXwfIaY
After reading this I’ve got motivated to begin vegetarian.
Wonderful testimony! I quit eating meat 16 months ago for the primary reason that you mentioned: compassion for animals. I am a Seventh Day Adventist, and many Seventh-day Adventists also are vegetarians and vegans. The reasoning is that the original diet for mankind and animals in the book of Genesis is a vegetarian diet that includes nuts, grains fruits, vegetables, herbs and grasses, and no meat. Of course, the Bible also teaches there will be no death and suffering in the new heaven and new earth, and that the wolf amd lamb will lay down together. Death is not part of the Lord’s divine gameplan. I recently married and my wife is a vegan so it has been very helpful in my endeavor to go meatless. I sometimes speak at church, and my upcoming sermon is called “the most powerful man on earth.” I speak of you and your marvelous strength, and the fact that you are a vegan. The sermon is actually about the antichrist and how he will be forcing the mark of the beast on everyone on earth, but I begin the sermon talking about you in a very positive way, and I do that in order to pottay benefits of the meatless diet and how people should return to God‘s original dietary plan in the book of Genesis for optimum health and strength. Thanks again for the great testimony that your life is in portraying God original dietary plan for mankind.