Two vegan bodybuilders took first place at a Midwest OCB Spring Naturals event.<\/p>\n
The two athletes<\/a> won in their respective classes, earned their Pro Cards, and only realized they were both plant-based bodybuilders after the competition was over.<\/p>\n Read more: <\/strong>The Tiny \u2018Kiwiberry\u2019 Could Help Stop Or Slow Lung Cancer Growth, Finds Study<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Joey Bilotech<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Charlie Ziegler, aka Chuck the Vegan Lifter<\/a>, 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 \u201ca decade of work<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n The Midwest OCB Spring Naturals took place on April 18, 2026, in DeKalb, Illinois.<\/p>\n Bilotech described OCB Spring Naturals as a \u201chighly competitive,\u201d natural, drug-tested show. There were more than 17 competitors in Bilotech\u2019s division and six in Chuck\u2019s division.<\/p>\n \u201cBackstage, I was packing up my stuff and congratulated the winner of the other division,\u201d Bilotech told Plant Based News<\/em> (PBN<\/em>). \u201cBefore 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.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy jaw dropped, and I quickly realized how impactful this was to the vegan movement,\u201d Bilotech added. \u201cIf one person winning a competitive bodybuilding competition wasn\u2019t enough, two vegans winning the same one is such solid evidence that meat truly isn\u2019t necessary to build muscle.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more: <\/strong>Vegan Bodybuilder Sets New Guinness World Record At 61 Years Old<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Bilotech said that he \u201cwoke up to the truth\u201d about not eating animals in 2024. He set out to disprove \u201cthe myth that you need animals to be strong.\u201d He told PBN<\/em> that he set this goal at the beginning of 2025, and nine months later, \u201cstepped on a stage and beat out 17 other classic competitors to get the overall win and pro card.\u201d<\/p>\n Since his win in April, Bilotech said that \u201ca lot\u201d of people have asked him about his diet and saying they want to try it themselves. He said that his two favorite meals, \u201cprotein oats\u201d and a \u201cpower bowl,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t have to be a bodybuilder, but if you\u2019re vegan and you have the ability to prioritize your health, embody a strong, vital body and represent the diet well,\u201d he said. \u201cIf more of us did that, we could slowly shift the perception and show people what\u2019s actually possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Please note: PBN runs a sponsored content model. To explore how you can get featured, please email [email\u00a0protected]<\/a> or visit<\/strong> everkinddigital.com<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\u2018Meat truly isn\u2019t necessary to build muscle\u2019<\/h3>\n\n
Vegans can \u2018show people what\u2019s actually possible\u2019<\/h2>\n
![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/plantbasednews.org\/app\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vegan-bodybuilders-athletes-ocb-spring-naturals-3-968x1200.jpeg\")