“One of my favourite quotes and one I try to live by is: 'Treat others how you want to be treated.' And that includes non-human animals!”

Q&A with Dylan

What are some of your achievements and work that you're proud of?
I’m proud of being able to show that you can build muscle as a vegan, contrary to popular belief. It's what I've been working on for almost ten years - proving that being vegan doesn't mean you can't build muscle and that it's in fact the opposite - building muscle is about training and protein intake, not animal consumption.

What you're most known for?
I’m known for being a natural vegan bodybuilder and coach. I've competed in natural bodybuilding and have been a personal trainer/coach for over 8 years.

What’s your plant-based journey been like?
It started around 10 years ago when my sister went vegetarian and at the same time veganism was gaining popularity in the fitness world. I started watching videos and listening to what my sister was telling me, and gained knowledge about nutrition and how you can build muscle just as well (or even better!) getting protein and other nutrients exclusively from plant-based foods. When I saw what actually happened to the animals I‘d been eating, it opened my eyes in a way that I had never experienced. And with the knowledge that we don't NEED to eat them to be healthy, I couldn't turn a blind eye anymore and had to change my lifestyle to not support that industry anymore, and align my actions with my morals. I always said I loved animals, but didn't realize how hypocritical that statement was when I was still supporting animal agriculture. I started to make changes and went vegetarian, and it took me 7 months of transitioning, finding the right foods to eat, etc., until I was ready to go fully vegan.

Are you working on anything new right now?
My main focus right now is to be more present on social media and to spread the word about vegan bodybuilding and fitness. Leading by example, that you can thrive on a plant-based diet and that building muscle is practically identical to building muscle on an omnivorous diet, and that you can do it by making small changes over time.

"I love being plant-based because..."
I feel so much more connected with animals now. It's important because we share this world together and we all deserve respect. And it's important because it teaches respect and compassion.

Additional Resources:
No Meat Athlete website
The Gamechangers documentary