Never heard of a famous vegetarian bodybuilder? Bill Pearl is probably the most well-known of vegetarian bodybuilders. At his own peak as a bodybuilder when he last won the Mr. Universe in 1971, Bill weighed 242 pounds at a height of 5'10" and his arms measured 21 inches! Bill stopped using steroids by 1961.

He won the professional Mr. Universe title in 1971, at the age of 41, without the use of steroids and as a vegetarian, and is recognized as one of the all-time greats of bodybuilding. Bill's diet is lacto-ovo vegetarian, which means he eats eggs and dairy products.

He describes his experiences with the conversion to vegetarianism. "With each succeeding year the diet (lacto-ovo vegetarian), I've felt better. I'm more healthy, I can train with more energy, and I'm not as much of a "hard guy" as I used to be. I've become more concerned with my fellow man and the other inhabitants I share the planet with. …I have now been vegetarian for almost 20 years. We have no fish, fowl, or red meat in our diet. Yet I can still carry the same amount of muscle as I did in winning my four Mr. Universe titles. People can't believe it. They think that to have big muscles you have to eat meat - it's a persistent and recurring myth. But take it from me, there's nothing magic about eating meat that's going to make you a champion bodybuilder. Anything you can find in a piece of meat, you can find in other foods as well."


Steve Holt
The Vegetarian Bodybuilder
http://www.vegetarianbodybuilder.com

The sample menu and high protein vegetarian food list were helpful.

Yes, I remember reading a lot about Bill Pearl when I was in my 20's and weight lifting back then (as much as a 5'4" weakling could lift back then!)

He was quite an inspiration; I hope he's still well thought of and well-known in weight lifting circles. I still recall reading an interview with him and thinking what a nice man he was...and that was a long time ago! (25 years ago!!)

That is an understatement. Bill Pearl is a veritable icon in bodybuilding circles. The funny thing is that few bodybuilders know that he's been vegetarian for decades, or that he won the Mr. Universe as a vegetarian.

Your website is very well-done and very interesting! I'll check out your music when I'm not here at work (don't have the nerve, although my coworkers sit here blasting the strangest sounds...), but I am too dignified...LOL (hope that means lots of laughs; I'm sorta backward with computer lingo...)