Plant Power

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.