Well I'll be strictly honest with you on a few points. First of all genetics plays a pretty big factor in bodybuilding as well as power lifting. Coupled with workouts that work for you along with the proper diet and supplementation and intermittent cycles of androgens one can make real good progress. All of the above minus the drugs you may lack the extra size but you can still be quite aesthetic. As far as a vegan diet for the average person, I don't think it would be problematic in particular health wise. Most vegans are rather slender. I am a hard gainer as a weightlifter so a vegan diet probably wouldn't work well for me especially since I prefer to train naturally.Sure, but I think genetics sets more of the upper limit of what you can achieve. Like most people in the gym won't reach anywhere near their max potential of what genetics allows them to do.
Jim Originally Posted by Mr MojoRisin
I'm not arguing that you can get perfectly fine results without drugs, but just that if you wanted to go into the world of competitive bodybuilding, you'll almost have to use drugs in order to compete.
If you're just doing your own thing for yourself, then clean diet + exercise is all most people need to make a significant positive impact on their body.