Viktor Jakab
strong vegan strongman/strongwoman
National level Strongman competitor.
- National Level Competitor
- Podium at CESA
- 2nd place national stone lifting
Viktor Jakab has built enormous strength and developed a love of the sport of strongman. He’s an enthusiastic competitor in his native Hungary, competing with the Central European Strongman Association and in the Hungarian nationals.
Winning three events out of five and taking podium at the CESA 2nd round in 2023 highlighted just how far Viktor has come since starting in the sport.
Viktor was a meat-eater who didn’t question why he did so until 2018 when he met someone who would later become his wife. His eyes were opened to the cruelty of farming practices.
“I decided that I wanted to give this lifestyle a try” he says. “It was really just a trial, I didn’t expect anything from it. I switched overnight, skipping the vegetarian diet and the gradual approach.”
At this point he was already training at the gym and hoped to compete as a natural bodybuilder. He felt real strength and huge weights were appealing, and started working towards them.
By 2022 he weighed 100 kg, and rapidly gained size to become the 125 kg beast he now represents.
That takes training and fuel.
Focussed on growth
“I go to bed on time, I wake up on time. I’ve almost completely given up alcohol and smoking, the last time I had a beer was probably a year ago. I work as a tattoo artist, my mornings are usually spent in the salon, followed by training 4-5 times a week.
“On the other days, I regenerate, the rest of my days are usually spent cooking, eating or other activities. I’m happy with myself now, because my previous lifestyle wouldn’t have led to anything good.”
“For breakfast I regularly eat porridge and one or two bananas or three or four tangerines. Later, as a kind of second breakfast, I have some tofu sandwiches with lots of vegetables, such as peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers.
“For lunch, a hearty chili bean dish is always a winner for me, which I eat in two stages, because the first lunch is followed by a very hard, one and a half to two hour workout.
“Sometimes I continue my lunch in the afternoon, or even make fried seitan, which is quite protein-rich, and I can serve it with lots of potatoes. Late at night, I sometimes have a cocoa porridge, but I also eat vegan gummy bears or chips. The latter two are certainly not health-conscious foods, but they are beneficial for me in terms of calorie-dense snacks.”
Hungary for change
“But I know that with proper training and nutrition, you can achieve a good physique as a vegan, no matter if you are a manual labourer, swimmer, bodybuilder, runner or strongman.”
Veganism is not commonplace in Hungary, and Viktor didn’t know anyone who was vegetarian or vegan before he met his future wife.
“Like almost everyone, eating meat seemed natural to me in my life up until then. I didn’t realize that animals were actually being harmed because of it.”
He now recognises that he’s ideally placed to prove that meat isn’t necessary.
Viktor often gets asked “how the hell do you manage to lift so much weight?” and “what do you eat to be so big?”
Often the change in their thinking happens when they realise the range of vegan products available including cheese, sausage, seitan and tofu.
“Until many people are aware of this, it’s understandable that they can’t imagine what vegans eat if not animals.”
The positivity Viktor has for his vegan lifestyle is now a big part of his enthusiastic approach to his sport.
“I can’t recall a single moment when I wanted to give up on my new lifestyle. It has never held me back in anything, and honestly, I don’t understand those who say it’s impossible to do. Buying, preparing, breading, frying, and serving meat takes just as much, if not more, time than, say, tofu. If we eat vegetables, not expensive, vegan-logoed ready-made meals, then a plant-based diet is no more expensive than a mixed diet. These are just misconceptions about the vegan lifestyle.”
“I lived in Spain, the mentality and the offer are completely different. If someone wants to solve it, they can solve it, especially if they have a strong motivation that drives them forward.”
“But I know that with proper training and nutrition, you can achieve a good physique as a vegan, no matter if you are a manual labourer, swimmer, bodybuilder, runner or strongman. It takes time and energy, but it is worth it. There are so many descriptions, documents, and videos about muscle building today that it is only a matter of attitude whether someone succeeds or just makes excuses.”
Using information from the excellent website https://prove.hu/