John Joseph performing in Philadelphia with his band the Cro-Mags in July this year (Picture: Rachel Wass)

Punk singer and athlete John Joseph is living proof of the possibility of transformation.

As a teenager he was homeless, addicted to drink and drugs – he ‘spent all of ’88 on crack’ – shot, stabbed and banged up in jail.

The 1.0 version of John Joseph could hardly be further away from the man he is today.

Now, 35 years on, he is a vegan athlete with five Ironman triathlons under his belt – and he puts his metamorphosis down in part to his meat-free diet.


Once, twice, FIVE TIMES an Ironman. Yeah, five (Picture: Ray Lego at raylego.com)

Veganism hooked him – and inspired him to write a no-nonsense book on the subject with the name Meat Is For Pussies.



Joseph has the sort of strength and endurance many people assume is only attainable with a carnivorous diet.

Here he tells Metro.co.uk why he believes meat is for pussies.

‘If you told me in 1980 I would be continuing a plant-based diet 35 years later at 53 and killing it in Ironman triathlons I would have laughed right in your face,’ he says.

‘My background was the toughest of the tough, growing up in New York City.

‘I came from a violent, alcoholic home and in 1969 I was placed into a succession of orphanages and abusive foster homes.

‘I was homeless on the streets at 14, got shot, stabbed… shit, I even did two years in the worst juvenile prisons and had an addiction to alcohol, bad food and every drug under the sun.

‘What changed first and foremost was my diet, then attitude followed.

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‘I learned about PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) when the Rastafarian punk band Bad Brains gave me a job as their roadie in 1981.

The first part of that process was swearing off meat, fish, eggs, dairy, processed food, drugs and the rest.

‘That was the catalyst for change in my life because when I started to give a damn about what I was ingesting all other positive change followed.’

The blinders came off, so to speak.

‘I soaked up knowledge like a sponge. Got sober, took up yoga and meditation, martial arts, cycling, distance swimming and running.

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‘I even started playing with my band the Cro-Mags. I had energy for days and recovered immediately.

‘Even on tours with bands like Motorhead, Bad Brains, Megadeath, GBH and many others I ate a plant-based organic diet and trained my ass off every single day.

‘I was hooked because I saw results.

‘Soon I’ll be on Ironman number six having just completed my fifth at one of the toughest on the planet in Boulder, Colorado.’

John Joseph has also authored two books, The Evolution Of A Cro-Magnon, which is a memoir of his journey, and the other his vegan Meat Is For Pussies manifesto.

‘It’s a no-nonsense, hilarious look at men’s diets and the illusion that you need meat to be manly and strong,’ he says.

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‘Truth is, most of the dudes asking me where I get my protein are overweight, need pills to get an erection, haven’t seen their man bits in years and need an hour on the toilet to get rid of the rotting carcasses in their colons.



‘It’s what I refer to as The Bullshit Protein Myth.’

John Joseph is 53 and incredibly fit. He believes in Positive Mental Attitude (Picture: Ray Lego)

Joseph doesn’t mince his words – at all – but gets his message across in a relatable way.

‘Now, a health crisis is serious business, but still, no one likes to be preached to,’ he says.

‘So I make my points with humor and the message is getting through.

‘I’ve received thousands of emails, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter messages from tough dudes who read the book and changed because it was written in their language by someone just like them.

‘So… at the end of the day, if a plant-based diet can work for a screw up like me and some of these dudes, it can work for anybody.’

Peace, PMA & Plants

John Joseph, author of Meat is for Pussies: A How-To Guide for Dudes Who Want to Get Fit, Kick Ass, and Take Names. You can find more of his good vibes over on his website, purepma.com.

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