“Strength must build up, not destroy. It should outdo itself, not others who are weaker. Used without responsibility, it causes nothing but harm and death. I can lift the heaviest weights, but I cannot take the responsibility off my shoulders. Because the way we use our strength defines our fate. What traces will I leave on my path into the future? Do we really have to kill in order to live? My true strength lies in not seeing weakness as weakness. My strength needs no victims. My strength is my compassion.” Patrik Baboumian

Strength isn’t just about physical prowess. Strength is about character.

By this definition, vegan strongman Patrik Baboumian is perhaps the strongest man on Earth.

Born in 1979 to Armenian parents in Abadan, Iran, Patrik and his family fled the Iranian revolution when he was seven and emigrated to central Germany. By the age of nine, he fell in love with wrestling on TV and soon developed an interest in weight training. As a young teen, he got into power lifting and bodybuilding, rising quickly through the ranks to become Germany’s national junior bodybuilding champion.

For ethical reasons, in 2005 Patrik went vegetarian, accepting that this would likely undermine his performance goals. Instead, his improvement steadily escalated. So in 2011, he went completely vegan. And that’s when things really blew up for the guy they call the Armenian Viking.

100% Plantpowered, over the last 4 years Patrik has been awarded the title of Germany’s Strongest Man, racked up multiple victories at the European Powerlifting Championships and set four Guinness World Records in various strength disciplines.

We’re talking about a guy who can Bench 463 lbs. Squat 794 lbs. And Deadlift 794 lbs.

This is a long way of saying that Patrik Baboumian is stronger than you are. And believe it or not, he has accomplished all of these extraordinary, superhuman feats without the one thing long-held conventional wisdom dictates is absolutely necessary to optimally perform as an elite strength athlete: animal protein.

I first met Patrik at the 2013 at the Toronto VegFest, where I stood on the WestJet Stage at Harbourfront Centre before a crowd 1,000 deep to cheer him towards a Guinness World Record setting yoke walk — a feat that entailed carrying 1,216 pounds (550kilos) a distance of 10 meters in less than 60 seconds (which he recently bettered to a current 560kg world record, completed in just 28 seconds). Spontaneously grabbing for my GoPro, I shot this little video documenting the astounding accomplishment:

But Patrik’s greatest strength is not his physical prowess. His greatest strength is his compassion.

Breaking strongman world records is what Patrik does. But beyond the accomplishments and beneath the beast-like exterior lives a sensitive, gentle soul. An exemplary human of steadfast ethics whose conscience refuses to allow animals to suffer for the sake of his superhuman athletic goals. In stark contradiction to culturally entrenched notions of masculinity, Patrick performs his feats in the name of compassion — a threatening word too often misinterpreted as weakness that challenges predominant male gender role stereotypes and obliges us to rethink social priorities.

My hope is that Patrik’s example will open your mind. Compel you to question long-held, conventional notions concerning the relationship between nutrition and athletic performance. Reform stereotypical definitions of masculinity to embrace the responsibility mankind shoulders as protector of the voiceless. Reframe your interpretation of compassion not as weakness, but as our greatest strength. Stir you to think more deeply about your consumer choices. And ultimately inspire you to challenge your own personal limitations.

Specific topics covered include:

breaking the world record at Toronto VegFest

similarities between endurance sport & weightlifting

professional wrestling inspiration

life as a bodybuilder

steroid use, performance-enhancing drugs & alcohol

bodybuilding genetics

“natural” bodybuilding competitions

compassion for animals

Gestalt psychology

benefits of giving up meat

the world of Strongman competitions

iron deficiency, heart burn & osteoporosis from dairy

soy protein vs. whey protein

how family turned to plant-based

recovering faster and training harder plant-based

advocating for compassion from a place of non-judgment

myth of masculinity & meat

Patrik’s daily routine in food & training

I sincerely hope you enjoy this epic 3-hour adventure with the Armenian Viking, the Human Wolverine, the original vegan badass — my friend Patrik.

Peace + Plants,

Listen & Subscribe on iTunes | Soundcloud | Stitcher

Special thanks to Deftigman Obscura for graciously allowing me use of his amazing photography in today’s podcast. Check out his incredible work on his website & on Instagram.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

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