Well, I was 1 when Carl won the gold. @rekt was right in me being influenced by the 5x5 workout. Being a vegetarian my whole life and lifting the last 10 years, i believe the key is in the type of lifts you do and the amount you eat. The body can only absorb so much protein, so eat it frequently, but the carbs are where the power comes from. Vegan's get a ton of carbs :) At my best I was cranking out 1.25x to 1.75x 5 sets of 5 at my bodyweight at 195lbs. and I am 6'3". Most the time this was on a very low protein diet. Mostly fiber.