Where muscles grow from: vegetarian in powerlifting

Powerlifting is a strength sport that includes three exercises: squats, bench press and deadlift. Powerlifters are often confused with bodybuilders, but there is a fundamental difference between them. In bodybuilding the beauty of the body is important, in powerlifting – strength indicators. Oleg Smirnov, European champion in Army Combined Combat, Russian national champion and winner of the Russian Cup in bench press told “Championship” about the peculiarities of powerlifting and training opportunities for vegetarians and vegans. Is it realistic to build muscle mass and improve strength without steak for dinner?

– Oleg, tell me what is powerlifting and how does it differ from weightlifting?
– Powerlifting is a competition in lifting weights. It includes three exercises: squats with a barbell, bench press with a barbell and powerlifting. These exercises are performed one after another. Then the weight lifted by the lifter in all three exercises is summed up and the winner is determined. But there are different variants. For example, you can perform in only one category (squat, bench press or deadlift). Powerlifting is a power sport like weightlifting, only easier technically, but heavier in terms of weight.

– How often are there powerlifting competitions?
– Very often, but it all depends on the region. In Moscow, for example, they hold different competitions almost every week. In powerlifting, as in boxing, there are many federations, and they all organize their own tournaments. We have three federations in St. Petersburg, so there are competitions every 1-2 months. There is also a federation “Union of Powerlifters of Russia”. “Union of Powerlifters” is a united federation of powerlifters, which exists in all regions of the country. At the moment we have about 50 representative offices in Russia.

– When did you start powerlifting?
– I started competing six years ago, in 2011. Since childhood I have been involved in various sports, such as Thai boxing and wrestling. Powerlifting attracted me more than other sports. About 15 years ago, I wanted to get bigger, to gain muscle mass. However, bodybuilding didn’t attract me, I didn’t like competitions. As it seems to me, bodybuilding is a beauty contest, not a sports competition. Although it is clear that the preparation is difficult, the labor is great. But in powerlifting there are real competitions, like in weightlifting, and you look impressive. I go to wrestling from time to time, but I am professionally engaged only in powerlifting.

– Did you have any idols in powerlifting?
– There are a lot of good athletes, but you can’t say that there was someone definite. Bodybuilders, for example, have the famous Arnold Schwarzenegger, but there is no such thing in powerlifting.

I start my day with 200 grams of oatmeal with fruit. That’s the norm. Almost every day I eat the same thing, and I don’t get bored.

– Tell us about your diet. How do you start your day?
– I start my day with 200 grams of oatmeal with fruit. That’s the norm. Almost every day I eat the same thing and I don’t get bored. For lunch, I usually have a side dish with tofu or a soy-based meat substitute or something else. Basically, there’s nothing extraordinary about my diet. Eating right is not as hard as it seems. When you start doing something new, it’s always difficult and confusing. After a couple of months, years you get used to it. It’s the same with nutrition. At first it seems hard, but then you realize that there is nothing complicated about it. All the necessary products can be found in the nearest store.

– Surely there are prejudices about vegetarians and vegans who do powerlifting. Have you encountered that?
– Prejudice abounds. Any new idea that goes against the traditional view of people about something is perceived by many people in the opposite direction. Often I am asked questions not to offend, but simply because people are genuinely interested in how a vegan can do strength training. However, in groups, sometimes a nasty comment can be left. For example, it’s been written that we cheat everyone and eat meat under our pillow. I can’t even imagine why I would call myself a vegan if I ate meat under my pillow. I just can’t understand that logic.

Many people think vegans are sick and decrepit, we have proven by example that this is not true.

– How many hours a day do you train?
– It depends on the difficulty of the workout. I don’t train every day. Even professionals take a couple of days off. I train three times a week. Heavy training can last four hours, light training – 60-40 minutes. Of course, during the preparation for competitions, the nutrition and training regimen changes. The closer to the competition, the harder it is. Preparing for a tournament is like climbing a mountain, the competition is already the top. Preparation is a lot of hard work that starts a couple months in advance and ends with the competition.

– You are a vegan and a powerlifter, what pros and cons does that give you when competing?
– Veganism in powerlifting does not help in any way. The main goal of our Vegan Power community is to show people that being vegetarian and vegan will not stop them from doing powerlifting. We want to prove that in powerlifting it doesn’t matter if you’re a meat eater or vegan. I have never told anyone that if they stop eating meat they will run faster or lift more. Many people think vegans are sick and decrepit, we have proven by example that this is not true.

– Tell us about your community. When was Veggie Power organized?
– In 2012, that’s when we first performed as a group. Around the same time we opened our gym. Initially we opened it as a base for team training, then like-minded vegans and vegetarians started to join. Some of them are now on our team, others just come to train.

– How many people are in your team?
– It depends on the competition. For serious tournaments we can put up a few people, and for city or regional tournaments more – 10-12. If a person trains well, we can send him to regional or city competitions. If he likes it, he continues to perform. Some people realize after the competition that it doesn’t suit them, others continue to perform.

– You record video lessons, you have recently launched your own channel. How did the idea to record training videos come about?
– We often give lectures at various events. Every time after the lectures people come up to us and say that the information is very interesting. They would also ask why we don’t record videos, because it would be useful for many people. Several times we were asked similar questions, after which we decided to record video lessons after all.

– Are there any girls in your community?
– Yes, there are a lot of girls. Probably more girls than guys.

– Tell me, are the lessons for guys and girls very different?
– Basically, it’s not very different. Of course, if you don’t count the weight they lift. For girls, of course, it’s less. However, they all have the same preparation – auxiliary exercises, heavy pulling.

– What do you think about girls who do strength sports? Many criticize them.
– This is all subjective opinion. Some people like thin girls, some like fat girls. Some like athletic, some don’t. If someone thinks that a girl without the use of male hormones will become like a man as a result of powerlifting, he is very wrong. In girls, muscles grow very poorly, slowly and little. Of course, it will be seen that she is engaged in sports, but she will not become like a man. All this is a misconception. Only girls who use male hormones can become like men over time. Again everyone chooses for themselves, if she likes it that way, it feels good to her, it’s her own business. I don’t think it’s bad or unacceptable. It’s everyone’s personal business.

– What is important to consider for girls and guys who decide to take up powerlifting?
– Girls and guys should consider the same things. The most important thing is to find a good coach. This is the most important thing if you decide to take up powerlifting. If you find a normal coach and a gym, nothing else is needed. I advise you to look for a specialized gym for powerlifting, where there are good trainers and the necessary equipment. A good coach will tell you how to train, eat, recover and breathe properly.