May 8, 2019, 12:03 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
Ex-bodybuilder and actor Ralf Moeller is still in top shape at 60. It’s not just because of the daily exercise he does, but also because he has radically changed his diet.
A life without meat and dairy was long unimaginable for ex-bodybuilder (Mr. Universe) and actor (“Gladiator”) Ralf Moeller. He thought exercise alone made one healthy. But sometime last year, his friend Franco Carlotto, a vegan and six-time “Mr. World Fitness,” convinced him: Moeller changed his diet.
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Almost Vegan for a Year
Moeller has been avoiding meat, dairy products, and refined sugar for a year. Since then, he feels both physically and mentally healthier and fitter, without missing anything, as he explained to FITBOOK. How did he handle the change? “My energy improved dramatically. It felt like a clogged pipe was being cleared,” Moeller says, referring to the “feeling in his veins.” He is convinced that the blood vessels of meat-eaters, as he was for decades, are acutely stressed.
Moeller supplements vitamin B12, which is typically lacking in a plant-based diet, with capsules. And the muscles? The “Gladiator” star now feeds them with protein powder from peas, soy, rice, and more.
Whether the veins were actually cleared is uncertain, but the dietary change had a measurable effect: Moeller’s cholesterol levels normalized—”and that was within the first two or three months.”
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Moeller is not 100 percent vegan, as is mistakenly reported in the press—at least not when he’s in Europe. There, he says, vegan products are “not yet as tasty as in the U.S.,” where he has lived for years. Fish occasionally makes it onto Moeller’s menu.
Moeller’s New Favorite Foods
Since going almost vegan, the actor, who is currently working on a Hollywood series for Netflix, has also found new favorite foods: vegan meat substitutes that taste like curry chicken, schnitzel, sausages, or chicken fricassee. He’s also now a fan of vegetable omelets. In America, you can get “the coolest stuff,” he enthuses—and shows us these photos with excitement:
And what did he do about the bloating after switching to a plant-based diet? It’s well known that beans, chickpeas, lentils, and the like can cause digestive issues. “You have to get through it. It goes away,” says Moeller. “But then it doesn’t smell as bad when you do your business!”
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How Ralf Moeller Trains
Even at 60, Ralf Moeller still trains daily, although he ended his bodybuilding career in 1989. Here’s what his day looks like: At 7:15 a.m., after a bowl of oatmeal (cooked oats with fruit and honey), he heads to the gym. After stretching (5 minutes), he warms up on the stepper for 20 to 30 minutes. Then follows an hour of strength training. Moeller always trains in the following combinations: either chest and back, shoulders and arms, or legs and abs.
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During his workout, he uses a special technique: “When I notice that, for example, my back is fully pumped and well-trained, I stretch it after every exercise.” Beyond studio training, cardio plays an important role. Instead of running (“My knees hurt”), he cycles 10 to 15 kilometers through the hills.
Additionally, the actor steps into his EMS suit two to three times a week for 20 minutes (EMS stands for electro-myostimulation training. A conductive fluid is filled into the training suit, through which electricity is sent through the body in intervals, causing the muscles to contract. Combined with appropriate exercises, this training form is said to achieve results quickly).
Which Exercise Does He Particularly Recommend?
Classic weightlifting in the gym remains a core skill of Ralf Moeller. But he has also discovered more functional training options for himself, such as those offered by kettlebells. Moeller swears by a combination of squats and alternating shoulder presses with the kettlebell.
Moeller: “It’s the best thing you can do for your butt and legs. The exercise is intensified when you stand on a block—because you can go down deeper.” If you want to try it now: Choose the right weight for you!