Tom Butts
strong vegan strongman/strongwoman
Tom is an English strongman who enthusiastically competes in the sport in his home nation and abroad. He's a steroid-free athlete who competes in natural (drug tested) and untested competitions.
- 2 x World Natural Strongman Champion U90kg
- English Champion
- Drug free winner of untested English Championships
Strongman is an unusual sport that combines static strength and moving events, although Tom’s transition from powerlifting was even more unusual. His first competition was a win at a novice competition in the under 90kg category on a demanding Saturday.
“I was then asked to hop in for the opens (heavyweights) on the Sunday after enjoying it so much, and won that one too. I went on to win Hampshires u90 a couple months after and then started my first full strongman season in 2023.”
In 2023 Tom competed at the World Natural Strongman Games and won his category (under 90 kg). The following year he travelled to Galway, Ireland to successfully defend it, winning four of the seven events to become two-time champion.
In 2024 he completed his first 300 kg deadlift and later he completed 5 x 290kg as he competed in the heaviest ever U90 kg competition, the Kaos Classic (untested). He then competed in the Cerberus Pro Strongman Super Series and took 4th of 12.
He also travelled to the US to compete in the Mr America Sports Festival as part of the Vegan Strong PlantBuilt team. This was a 100 kg weight class and he still made the podium. He also won the 115 kg Stone over Bar for reps with 12 reps and the 127 kg Husafell Carry (40 metres). Tom remains unbeaten in Husafell.
Living in Southampton is ideal for him to compete in the Aaron Page classic, in memory of the late strongman from the city. In 2024 he finished 3rd in the 100 kg category.
As 2025 opened Tom competed in the untested Official Strongman England’s Strongest Man and took 4th of 23. A highlight was an Atlas stones run from 110 to 150 kg where he won the event.
Soon after he entered the Kaos English Championship (untested) and came away with the overall win, his first win in an untested competition.
Tom is particularly successful in moving events like yoke carry, Husafell and sandbag, although he’s also incredibly good at stones. In December 2023 he attempted a 2 x bodyweight 180kg Atlas Stone to a 48” (122 cm) platform and succeeded. He followed it with a 200 kg stone and succeeded, and in doing so became only the second known under 90kg strongman to do so – unofficially matching the world record. This included drug using strongmen as well as natural competitors.
Tom is committed to competing without performance-enhancing drugs with the Natural Strongman federation. It’s a growth area of the sport where steroid use is common. The federation test as they see fit – often due to suspicion or success. Tom’s been tested twice in one year (and of course passed).
All of Tom’s strongman achievements have been as a vegan.
“I turned vegan in November 2020, purely for animal ethics and not wanting to contribute to animal agriculture” Tom says. “I probably slowly transitioned from late 2019, cutting out milk and red meat, then dairy, poultry, fish and the rest.
“I prioritise carbs and protein in my meals. Oats, rice and potato meals are my go-tos. I have four meals a day and roughly 3,700kcal. Meals vary in size, but usually have around 50g protein and are just shy of 1,000 kcal.”
As many strength athletes target 2g of protein for every kilo of bodyweight, 90 kg Tom is easily hitting his 180 g target with four 50g meals.
“Carbs are a massive energy source for my training and competitions, so I make sure they feature prominently in every meal, although most dominantly in my meals pre and post workout.”
“Typically I’ll have an oat shake for breakfast before training. This includes soya milk, peanut butter, oats and a bit of protein powder.
“I also love a red lentil balti curry at the moment with spinach, basmati rice and ‘chicken style’ soya strips.”
As somebody who admits to less than brilliant skills in the kitchen, vegan meals are not a problem.
“I never was or am I great cook, and I used to be a picky eater. Veganism helped me be a lot more open to different food sources, although I do eat the same meals everyday usually. I went from being the classic ‘gym lad’ who really prioritised protein and had lots of chicken, and bland meals, to having a much more varied diet. I’d be a hard sell on veganism if I wasn’t into animals.”
Competing in a demanding sport where many believe meat is key, success as a natural vegan strongman has been fantastic for Tom, and the revelations of his experience are not lost on him.
“I saw humans as just another animal species. I think me going from not at all veggie to fully vegan and then still getting stronger, is a great thing to appeal to men especially who are obsessed with meat and think it’s essential to optimise their progression in the gym.”