We’re excited to introduce Ironbound by Ryan Rakes, this year’s VeganFlix Seed Grant recipient. The documentary follows vegan strength and physique athletes competing at elite levels in bodybuilding, powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, CrossFit, kettlebell sport, and more.

We caught up with the filmmaker behind Ironbound to talk about his upcoming film, the myths surrounding vegan athletes, and what he hopes people take away from it.

Tell us about Ironbound. What is the documentary about?

My project is called Ironbound, a documentary about vegan strength and physique athletes and the fact that they can compete at the highest possible levels, nationally, regionally, or on the world stage.

The film covers sports like bodybuilding, powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, kettlebell sport, CrossFit, and a few others. It highlights dozens of competitive vegan athletes in these sports, their training sessions, diet, methodology, and what makes their achievements so impressive.

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It sounds like a really wonderful and ambitious project. What inspired you to make Ironbound?

I’ll admit I have a personal stake in this one. I’ve been lifting for years, I’ve worked as a trainer for a long time, and I’ve been vegan for about ten and a half years now, vegetarian for four years before that, so I haven’t eaten meat in over fifteen years total.

Along the way, I’ve constantly been asked things like, “Where do you get your protein?” or “Where do you get your iron or B12?” People turn into armchair nutritionists the second they find out you’re vegan, especially if you’re into fitness. It’s something you just can’t avoid if you’re vegan and lifting.

I wanted to show that these myths simply aren’t true. The best way to do that felt obvious: gather the top examples from each of these sports, the ones that demand the most muscle and strength, into one documentary, and show vegan and plant-based athletes winning at the highest levels right alongside omnivores.

These are judged competitions, so there’s no argument to be had. It’s happening, and it’s happening with athletes the world has largely never heard of.

Ultimately, this is my attempt to inspire people in the fitness and health space, and beyond, to show that they can live a more ethical, environmentally conscious lifestyle that also benefits animals and their own health, all without giving up maximal strength and muscle.

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That leads right into one of the biggest questions around vegan athletes: what myth would you most like to bust.

The biggest myth Ironbound sets out to tackle is the idea that plant protein and a vegan diet aren’t adequate for building maximal muscle and strength.

That’s the whole purpose of this documentary: to show that vegans and plant-based athletes can build just as much muscle and compete at the same elite levels as anyone eating animal protein, with no detriment at all.

Going plant-based benefits animals, benefits the planet, and most likely benefits your own health, all while still allowing you to perform at the highest level possible.

There’s a lot of evidence behind this, both anecdotal and scientific, and I’ve brought in doctors, environmentalists, and scientists throughout the film to back it up. There’s nothing holding you back on a plant-based diet.

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Beyond challenging those myths, what impact do you hope Ironbound will have?

My hope is that this film inspires more people to eat a plant-based diet and helps normalize it more broadly. I want people to see a vegan athlete and think, “Oh, that’s cool, they’re clearly not struggling to build muscle.”

There’s been a real rise in gym culture recently, and along with it, a pushback against veganism. The fitness industry is a massive, multimillion-dollar space, and it’s still tied to this pervasive myth that animal protein is necessary, or superior, for building muscle and strength.

These physique and strength sports are already extremely niche, and vegans only make up about one to two percent of the population, so the fact that there are this many vegan athletes competing and winning at this level makes it that much more impressive.

I want to inspire people to adopt a plant-based diet, mainly for ethical reasons, but the environmental reasons matter just as much. We’re in the middle of a climate crisis, whether people want to accept that or not, and that’s a conversation for another day.

But if you can eat in a way that’s more ethical and better for the environment, without it holding you back from your strength and fitness goals in any way, why wouldn’t you? It’s a win-win.

Okay, last one – if your life had a theme song, what would it be?

I have to go a little unconventional here. The first thing that came to mind, without hesitation, is the opening theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

As an avid, lifetime nerd and gamer… it’s just nostalgic and really hits home. The horse trots at the start, that ocarina melody floating in, Link riding off into the night… Man, it’s just majestic.

Honestly, that’s the song I’d want playing over my life. I feel like it’s the kind of song you could even just float away into the afterlife to. That’s the one!

Follow the Journey of Ironbound

Thanks for joining us Ryan! We’re excited to support Ironbound through the VeganFlix Seed Grant and can’t wait to see where the film goes next! Follow the project on Instagram @projectironbound, and follow Ryan @tofustrong and @rakescreative. You can also visit projectironbound.com to learn more about the film and follow its progress.

Cheers for now!

~ Team VeganFlix