A massage therapist from Baldrine has muscled his way into competing in a world renowned bodybuilding competition.

Vegan bodybuilder Karl Bruder is hoping to bring home a top spot trophy from this year’s National Amateur Body-Builders’ Association (NABBA) Mr Universe, which is being held on November 2.

He will be the first person to represent the Isle of Man in men’s bodybuilding at this prestigious competition.

The 37-year-old claimed second place at NABBA England this September. A week later he won the Physical Culture Association (PCA) London show, qualifying for the official PCA British Championships.

Mr Bruder said: ’I decided not to compete at the finals and solely focus on the big show ’NABBA Mr Universe’, held in Bradford, and bring my best to represent the Isle of Man and bring home a top spot trophy.’

He has been competing in bodybuilding events since 2011 when he was placed seventh in the first timers category in a line-up of 24 competitors at the NABBA Northwest. ’It was then that I realised I could go far in the sport,’ he said.

From there he won the World Amateur Body Building Association Hercules Olympia novice class in 2013.

However, in 2016 he made a big switch in his diet - he became a vegan.

He said: ’In 2016 I went on to star in a documentary called The Game Changers. Executive producer James Cameron changed my lifestyle from being a meat eater to a vegan.

’Living solely on a plant-based diet gaining more muscle than ever before, feeling a lot more energy and a lot healthier too.’

Following on from his change, he won first place at the WABBA Amateur grand prix. After a few years off ’to grow’, he returned to the stage this year.

Initially he decided not to compete in Mr Universe 2019, but a judge convinced him he had a good shot of placing in the top six.

He has been training three times a day, including two cardio sessions with 40mins on the step climber at 5am and 9pm each night and one weight session for six days of the week focusing on different muscle groups ’under intense resistance and weight loading’.

He eats seven plant-based meals a day, consisting of lentils, beans, chickpeas, and different grains, around four plant-based protein drinks a day made from pea, soy, and rice protein.

Working as a self-employed massage therapist, he also manages his time looking after four horses with his wife, Laura.

When asked what inspired him to become a bodybuilder, he said: ’I always had a love for muscle and I was just a fan of having that cartoonish, super hero look which inspired me as a kid to build muscle one day.’

He said he has a ’passion for looking good and feeling good too’ and was told he had a good structure to compete in bodybuilding. He is being sponsored by Jade Thomas from Pole Finesse.