A podcast for Vegan Athletes By Vegan Athletes
Check out and subscribe/follow The Aethix Approach podcast on the platforms below!
A series discussing all things vegan fitness and lifestyle related and chatting with inspiring vegans who are out there changing the game!
Welcome back to The Aethix Approach podcast! This is Season 3, Episode 9, and today, we’ve got a guest who’s been throwing around heavy iron, breaking stereotypes and spreading the good word of our lord and savior Seitan for years—Vinnie Crapello!
Vinnie competes in the 165 lb weight class as a drug-tested powerlifter and member of the PlantBuilt powerlifting team, with a 460 lb squat, 280 lb bench and 529 lb deadlift as his current best competition lifts. But he’s not just a powerlifter—he also has a background in CrossFit and wrestling, making him a well-rounded strength athlete that would make Macho Man Randy Savage proud.
In this episode, we’re covering his athletic background, his experience at the 2024 Mr. America powerlifting competition, and his best lifts and training philosophy. We’ll also dive into the conjugate method, the difference between self-programming vs. having a coach, and what it’s like competing alongside other top vegan lifters.
Of course, we’ll get into his vegan journey, his go-to plant-based foods (Boca, Beyond, or Gardein?), and even how the band Earth Crisis and other hardcore music played a role in his switch. Plus, we tackle vegan activism, how plant-based food culture has changed, and why the growth of veganism seems to be stagnant lately.
And because this is The Aethix Approach, we’re diving into deeper topics too—hypermasculinity in fitness, PED use on social media, why tough guys are often the nicest, and what’s next for Vinnie.
It’s a packed episode with plenty of real talk and insights, so grab your protein shake, get comfy, and let’s jump in to it with Vinnie Crapello! 🎧🔥
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 – Episode preview with Vinnie
00:30 – Intro to Podcast
01:00 – Intro to Vinnie Crapello and overview of this episode
2:15 – Episode start – who is Vinnie?
6:30 – Vinnie’s athletic background
11:00 – Plantbuilt and the 2024 Mr. America powerlifting competition results
15:00 – Vinnie’s weight class, best numbers and programming
18:45 – General programming vs. having a coach
23:15 – Vinnie’s experience with the conjugate method
30:15 – How’s it been competing with Plantbuilt?
34:30 – Personalities of vegan lifters
40:30 – Why did Vinnie go vegan originally?
43:30 – Boca, Beyond and Gardein (mock meat) products, Grocery Outlet
45:45 – The band Earth Crisis and their vegan themes, setbacks in Vinnie’s vegan journey originally, learning process
49:30 – Activism and being welcoming to new vegans or vegan curious
53:00 – Pointless animal based ingredients in otherwise vegan food
54:30 – difference in plant based foods and the vegan culture now vs back then
1:00:00 – Why is there a pullback in the growth of veganism lately?
1:04:00 – Impressionable youth and social media, PED use
1:08:30 – Hypermasculinity, veganism, wrestling
1:15:00 – Tough guys and big dudes who are super nice
1:17:00 – Nerds and getting jacked
1:21:30 – Vinnie’s goals for the future
1:24:15 – The state of Philly, impoverished, drug use
01:27:00 – Where to find Vinnie on social media?
01:28:00 – Episode outro
–
COACHING: https://aethixfitness.com
MERCH: http://www.aethixfitness.com/shop
TRAINING PROGRAMS: http://www.aethixfitness.com/training
TRUE NUTRITION – My absolute favorite, affordable, customizable vegan protein powder! Use code ”AETHIX” at checkout for 5% off anything you order! Using the code helps support me! http://www.truenutrition.com/
JACK AND FRIENDS VEGAN JERKY – Super tasty jackfruit based jerky and a great small business to support! Use code ”AETHIX” at checkout for 10% off anything you order! https://www.jackandfriendsjerky.com/
SOCIAL:
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/aethixfitness
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/tofustrong
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aethixfitness
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aethixf
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beeflessbros
PODCAST:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast…
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0…
Audible: https://www.amazon.com/The-Aethix-App…
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-aet…
Support The Aethix Approach by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-aethix-approach
