Community
Print
Two vegan bodybuilders took first place at a Midwest OCB Spring Naturals event.
The two athletes won in their respective classes, earned their Pro Cards, and only realized they were both plant-based bodybuilders after the competition was over.
Read more: The Tiny ‘Kiwiberry’ Could Help Stop Or Slow Lung Cancer Growth, Finds Study
Joey Bilotech, an influencer and fitness coach, won the classic physique open class, then went on to win the overall classic physique title. This earned him his OCB Pro Card, which allows him to compete in future OCB pro shows at the professional level.
Meanwhile, Charlie Ziegler, aka Chuck the Vegan Lifter, competed in the bodybuilding division, where he won the open class and took the overall bodybuilding title. This victory made Ziegler the overall bodybuilding winner and also earned him an OCB Pro Card, making him a professional bodybuilder after “a decade of work.”
The Midwest OCB Spring Naturals took place on April 18, 2026, in DeKalb, Illinois.
‘Meat truly isn’t necessary to build muscle’
Bilotech described OCB Spring Naturals as a “highly competitive,” natural, drug-tested show. There were more than 17 competitors in Bilotech’s division and six in Chuck’s division.
“Backstage, I was packing up my stuff and congratulated the winner of the other division,” Bilotech told Plant Based News (PBN). “Before I left, I wanted to make sure I got his contact info, and as he was giving it to me he told me his name was Chuck the Vegan Lifter.”
“My jaw dropped, and I quickly realized how impactful this was to the vegan movement,” Bilotech added. “If one person winning a competitive bodybuilding competition wasn’t enough, two vegans winning the same one is such solid evidence that meat truly isn’t necessary to build muscle.”
Read more: Vegan Bodybuilder Sets New Guinness World Record At 61 Years Old
Vegans can ‘show people what’s actually possible’
Bilotech said that he “woke up to the truth” about not eating animals in 2024. He set out to disprove “the myth that you need animals to be strong.” He told PBN that he set this goal at the beginning of 2025, and nine months later, “stepped on a stage and beat out 17 other classic competitors to get the overall win and pro card.”
Since his win in April, Bilotech said that “a lot” of people have asked him about his diet and saying they want to try it themselves. He said that his two favorite meals, “protein oats” and a “power bowl,” got him through competition preparation. The former features oats, blueberries, peanut butter, soy milk, and protein powder, and the latter includes protein (soy crumbles, wheat gluten, or tofu), vegetables, and rice.
“You don’t have to be a bodybuilder, but if you’re vegan and you have the ability to prioritize your health, embody a strong, vital body and represent the diet well,” he said. “If more of us did that, we could slowly shift the perception and show people what’s actually possible.”
Please note: PBN runs a sponsored content model. To explore how you can get featured, please email [email protected] or visit everkinddigital.com
