Tobias Klingl

Name: Tobias Klingl
Year of Birth: 1988
Height: 5'7''
Weight: 72-73 kg (160 lbs)
Birthplace: Göppingen (Germany)
Current Residence: Amstetten (Germany)
Sports: Bodybuilding, wrestling

Why did you become vegan?
It's quite simple I wanted to cause the least harm. The vegan lifestyle is good for my health, the animals and our planet as a whole.

When and why did you become interested in fitness?
I started with wrestling when I was 7 or 8 years old and even at that age I loved to do pushups, pullups and situps. As I got older it was benefical (in my sport) to have more power than others. Thats why I began with functional weight training in the gym at the age of 15. My aim was to increase my strength without gaining too much weight. At the age of 22 I changed my focus from wrestling to bodybuilding.

How would you describe your nutrition program?
My nutrition program (if we want to call it a “program”) consists of as much raw food as I can get in addition to some cooked stuff like rice, quinoa, buckwheat, potatos and any kind of beans (for protein). I avoid refined sugar, coffee, soy and animal products of course.

I begin (almost) every day with a smoothie containing 5-6 bananas, some greens (rucola, spinach, ..), berry fruits, hempseeds or flaxseed and sweet lupine flour (40% protein).

Macro-nutrients: 75-80/10-15/10.

How would you describe your training program?
I work out 6-7 times/week. I prefer high frequency training (HFT) which means a daily full body workout, avoiding muscle failure. This kind of training is based on complex exercises like squats, deadlift, benchpress, pull ups and dips. HFT is a cluster training with typically 2-5 reps per cluster (set) and an indefinite number of clusters. You train until “coordination failure” enters. The typical rest time between two clusters is 10-25 seconds. I just do 3-5 different exercises per day.



What kind of supplements do you use if any, and why?
I use a raw vegan protein powder and a B12 supplement.
I do not eat cooked stuff on a daily basis and when I only eat raw stuff the whole day it is quite hard to achieve my desired 10-15% protein. On such days a protein supplement is really helpful.

How do people react when they find out you are vegan?
Most people think I'm joking. They still believe one has to eat a lot of meat to get strong. But some are really interested and they ask me about my motifs.

What are some common misconceptions about veganism?
To believe that one loses quality of life, that one has to be a hippie and that one has to eat only grass and seeds as a vegan. That's definitely not true.

Have you had success in promoting veganism / vegetarianism to others? If so, how did you go about it?
Not much so far, but some of my friends decided to reduce meat and milk in their diet.

What do you think the most important aspect of training is?
Consistency.

What do you like best about being vegan?
Living in harmony with nature and avoiding unnecessary harm. Furthermore I don't have to waste calories for unhealthy stuff like meat, milk and cheese .

What do you like best about being fit?
Everything, I can not decide what I like best.

What advice do you have for people who are just starting out with training?
Dont give up. Train hard and eat clean.



What advice do you have for people who are thinking of becoming vegan?
Just do it. Try it out for a few weeks. Eat a lot of fruits and legumes, everyday! And do not care too much about protein. Your body will thank you.

What do you think of veganbodybuilding.com? Has it helped or inspired you?
Before I became vegan I thought vegans have to be skinny and weak. veganbodybuilding.com has shown me that this is not true and inspired me a lot to become vegan as well.

Do you have any other thoughts you'd like to share?
Becoming vegan was one of the bestdecisions I have ever made. I have optimized my shape, increased my strength and improved my health. Its so simple