Torre Washington

bodybuilder

Long-term vegan Torre Washington started competing in bodybuilding in 2009. Torre won his Pro card that same year, winning his second show. Since then he has won numerous competitions and placed in the top 3 in all but one of the sixteen he entered.

Pro Card bodybuilder
Class winner at Musclemania
Two time competitor at Arnold Classic

He’s also worked with Hollywood actor Chris Hemsworth on a high profile training app (more here).

Torre describes himself as a Rasta committed to the philosophy of living off the land. He actually become a vegan in 1998 before even having heard of the term.

“My sudden switch to ‘vegan’ came out of wanting to not be a hypocrite as a Rasta who professes to live off the land. Some Rastas still consume fish and even chicken. I wanted no part of that and as such a new vegan arose not knowing that there was a term for this lifestyle back in 1998.”

Torre advocates for veganism to his global fan base and brings awareness to the plight of animals. He’s also acutely aware of the need to heal mother earth through living the vegan lifestyle. He has been awarded the Humane Hero Award by the Florida Humane League in 2016 for his animal advocacy.

Torre counts his first Pro card win, against tough competition at an SNBF event among his greatest achievements. “Sometimes getting a Pro card within a natural organization can be easy because it’s based on who shows up to compete. My Pro card wasn’t easy to get in this organization.”

He’s also proud to have achieved a 4th place in 2016 at the world recognized Arnold Classic in the Classic Bodybuilding division. “After 3 years of placing 3rd, 2nd and 1st place in order, getting my Pro card and winning my class at Musclemania [in 2013] was another favorite.”

So how does Torre achieve his winning physique and prepare for competitions? Training around five hours per week, he favours heavy exercises. These include squats to the ground, heavy shrugs, bent over rows and stiff-legged deadlifts. Preparations for a competition include a higher training volume using drop sets and supersets. He will also cut back on sweets and increase water intake.

“My commitment to being vegan is to share with the world how human beings can exist holistically with all beings and not only survive, but thrive as a vegan”,

Consistent eating

Torre does not think so much in terms of ‘off-season’, but eats consistently throughout the year. He tries to stay close to competition weight. Tofu, lentils, oatmeal, Japanese sweet potato, broccoli, seitan and grapefruits are some of the foods he eats a lot of. They are often in the form of flavourful Jamaican dishes. Torre also professes to enjoying Beanitos and the occasional donut. Competing alongside mostly meat-eating opponents, he sees advantages to being a vegan bodybuilder. In particular he enjoys faster recovery and getting ‘shredded’ easily.

As a successful bodybuilder, Torre aspires not only to be a vegan role model but also to make an impact on his sport. “My hopes and plans for the sport are to take it to an area where it never expected to go and to change how this industry is viewed and judged”, says Torre. These future plans include veganism as an essential ingredient.

“My commitment to being vegan is to share with the world how human beings can exist holistically with all beings and not only survive, but thrive as a vegan”, he says.