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It’s not every day that a vegan bodybuilder makes headlines. One such bodybuilder – Frank Medrano – has been a committed vegan for over seven years. Throughout that time, he’s managed to maintain his sleek physique through a number of grueling calisthenic workouts, many of which he has recorded and uploaded to his YouTube channel. Let’s go over some of the specifics of the Frank Medrano diet.
Who Is Frank Medrano?
Frank Medrano is a bodybuilder and an athlete who follows a vegan diet. He is primarily known for his YouTube channel, where he posts videos of his workouts and the calisthenics that he does daily in order to maintain his strength.
He’s done a number of interviews with media companies like Collective Evolution, 9GAG, Fitness Freaks, Right This Minute, and Free from Harm about his bodybuilding methods and his diet.
Many people find it hard to believe that a vegan can obtain – and keep – that musculature, but Frank Medrano makes it clear that it’s entirely possible. You too can obtain the Frank Medrano body if you follow his guidance below.
Want immediate inspiration from a vegan athlete? Check out this video where Medrano talks about how to build a superhuman body through bodyweight exercises.
Frank Medrano’s story started when he was in his late 20s. He found himself floundering.
Medrano was overweight and not very confident. This was the catalyst that led to his decision that a change in lifestyle was necessary. He started by joining a gym and working out regularly.
After a short period of time, he became bored. The free weights and resistance machines in the gym weren’t enough for him.
He wanted to become stronger and sleeker; Frank knew that he was capable of more. This led to a quick tutorial in calisthenics. This tutorial led to a commitment to bodyweight training. Medrano says that he jumped onto a pull-up bar one day and was hooked. He said he loved the “feeling I got from pulling myself up.”
Calisthenics is defined as a group of exercises conducted without any type of equipment. You’re probably familiar with jumping jacks. Those are one of the most basic types of calisthenics.
However, Frank took this to another level. He began using his body weight as resistance and developed a number of pushing, pulling, and grasping exercises that helped him become the bodybuilder that he is today.
Frank Medrano Diet Plan Details
The transformation process also required a dietary change, so Frank started following a vegan diet. That’s right, Medrano ate meat for nearly 30 years. He wasn’t born vegan. He made a decision to eliminate all animal products from his diet.
Unlike vegetarians, who eat things like cheese and eggs and drink milk, vegans don’t ingest any animal byproducts at all. They do eat cheese, but it’s made from soybeans, not animal milk. In order to follow his diet, you need to quit eating meat and every animal byproduct. This means that things like Jello-o (which contains gelatin and comes from animal fat) and even honey are off the list.
One of the hallmarks of Frank Medrano’s vegan diet is his adherence to a certain ratio. He focuses on eating a lot of plant-based carbohydrates, which give him energy. Carbs are essentially the building blocks of an athlete’s diet.
He limits his protein but does make sure to get enough each day. Some protein suggestions for vegan’s include legumes, nuts, seeds, and beans.
Frank has also said that when he wants to lose a little bit of extra weight and in his words “get really lean” before a competition, he’ll cut out salty foods and change his food ratios to eat plenty of vegetables. He’s proof that it is entirely possible to follow a plant-based diet and be a world-class bodybuilder.
Frank Medrano Diet Plan Benefits
Plenty of research has been done on the vegan diet. This resulted in a list of six known health benefits. These range from improving blood sugar levels and kidney functioning to protecting you from some very specific types of cancer, including breast cancer and colon cancer.
Vegan diets are high in a number of nutrients, especially potassium, folate, and magnesium. On top of this, they can help you lose weight, reduce painful arthritis symptoms, and even make it less likely that you’ll end up with heart disease.
With that said, a vegan diet needs to be carefully followed. It’s too easy not to get enough protein or carbohydrates. Frank Medrano has even stated that he doesn’t eat in restaurants. Instead, he’ll make his own meals, as that’s the only way he can ensure that he receives the right amount of macronutrients in each and every meal.
Frank Medrano Diet Plan Recipes
Crispy Tofu Bowl
14 oz. of extra-firm tofu
1/2 small red onion that has been sliced thin
1/4 c. of red wine vinegar
1/4 c. of Thai sweet chili sauce
1 tbsp. of olive oil
1 seedless cucumber that has been chopped into small pieces
3 tbsp. of cornstarch
2 tbsp. of vegetable oil
1 c. of cooked quinoa
2 tbsp. of halved, roasted cashews
- Prepare the tofu by slicing it into ¼ inch pieces. Put several paper towels on a cutting board, lay the tofu on top, and then place a baking sheet on top of that.
- Place a few cans on the baking sheet to act as weights. Leave for ten minutes.
- Combine the red wine vinegar, the olive oil, and the Thai sweet chili sauce in a bowl. Add some salt. Toss in the cucumber and red onion.
- Sprinkle cornstarch on the tofu before adding it to a skillet. Cook the tofu in a pan over medium-high heat with little olive oil. Once the tofu is golden brown, remove from the pan and place on paper towels to drain.
- Put the quinoa in a bowl, then add the other ingredients on top. Serves 4.
Mushroom Quinoa Burger
4 medium portobello mushroom caps that have had their gills removed
1/2 c. of walnuts
1 clove of garlic
2 tbsp. of canola oil
1/4 c. of red onion, chopped
3 green onions, all chopped
2 tsp. of rice wine vinegar
1 c. of cooked quinoa
1/2 c. of cornstarch
whole-grain burger buns
sprouts
lettuce
sliced tomatoes
- Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Put the mushrooms, walnuts, garlic, salt, pepper, and oil in a baking dish. Toss them together and even them out to form a thin layer. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven.
- Place the cooked mushroom mixture, the onions, and the vinegar in a food processor. Pulse until smooth, then add in the quinoa and cornstarch. Mix until blended well.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for two hours.
- Preheat the oven again to 375 degrees F. Place foil over a baking sheet, then turn the mushroom mixture into patties. Place the patties on the sheet and bake until hot in the middle. This should take around 10 minutes.
- Put each mushroom patty on a bun and serve.
Frank Medrano’s Success
Frank Medrano changed his life with his vegan diet and is widely considered to be a calisthenics expert. He now holds a number of certificates from organizations like the American Council on Exercise and the National Council on Strength and Fitness.
He’s a bonafide social media and YouTube star and even formed an organization of his own, along with two of his vegan bodybuilder friends – Vegan Calisthen-X.
He is living proof that you can be a bodybuilder without a gym membership or following a traditional weightlifter diet. If you want to be successful, then consider following his diet and his fitness regimen.
For more tips on fitness success, see Eat Move Hack’s other blog posts on exercise, supplements, and more to become your greatest self and have the body you want.