Vegan Bodybuilding....Question and my personal journey...six

ScottJG82

Hey all, so I am vegan. A little backstory...Been vegan for 12 years, used to be raw was 140.

I'm 5'11 by the way.

I ate cooked food after being raw for a few years in 2009 and gained 50 lbs - was up to 220 lbs.

I said enough and I hit the gym every day from last year to recently, still going of course - it was a long journey. I'm down to 169 lbs, and want to start building muscle and also my six pack. I have a four pack, and am starting to get the lower ab parts but I see some phoots of people who are build and have ripped six packs. I wanted to get that, but also keeping up at my 2400 a day calorie goal to maintain my weight.

Here's my typical gym routine recently:

Half hour on treadmill to 3.5 miles an hour - burn 200 calories, whatever, to me that doesn't matter at this point
Leg press on days I do legs
Lower back extension (non machine one)
Hanging Leg Extension Ab Workout (4 sets of 25)
Seated side ab rotator (it's not called that but that best explains the dumb machine lol)
Calf raises once a week

Anyway, I want to build some six pack muscle without doing meat protein, or milk, or dairy, etc. I do the vegan lifestyle for the animals since I can't support the factory farms and killing of animals regardless of "humane killing". I refuse to eat that stuff and I don't really do nor care for protein shakes and those fad powders, etc.

I try to eat as close to nature as I can. Recently been having hummus wraps for lunch and dinner- hummus, wrap, carmalized onions, salad in it, salsa.

Also butter nut squash soups are a snack I have.

And for fat/protein japanese avocado rolls - usually 4 rolls with some soy sauce (not too much though).

Also a banana a day.

To get to my calorie goal, I usually have sherbert mango

And because of my neck/shoulder issue, it's hard to really do arms or shoulders.

Anomalia

Wow...I have no idea how to help you with this one. Sorry

ScottJG82

Any the icon is from today of me flexing the abs ha so stupid I know.

ScottJG82

I want to build my lower half of the chest and the sides. Any suggestions? I have a left shoulder/neck issue. I can do lower weight more reps, no problem.

foremant86

i dunno but i did a google search and came up with this http://veganbodybuilding.com/?page=training

Whinchat

Have you been on any of the vegan body building websites? I don't know much about it but I've noticed most vegan body builders supplement with protein powders (soya, hemp, there are others). You might struggle without.

Do you avoid soya? Tofu is really easy to make and is a good protein source.

ScottJG82

Yes, I can dig tofu. I did scrambled tofu eggs last week, but have to not made it in a week.... I need to find a way to make it taste better lol you def need to spice it and salt it up....adding salsa to dip it in is always a plus

fteale

Have you tried things like hemp seed bars? Also chickpea pasta is very very high in protein (20g per serving).

Whinchat

Yes, I can dig tofu. I did scrambled tofu eggs last week, but have to not made it in a week.... I need to find a way to make it taste better lol you def need to spice it and salt it up....adding salsa to dip it in is always a plus

If I scramble tofu I tend to be really basic and just add turmeric and salt - there are plenty of online recipes though

Also, there's a recipe on the NoMeatAthelete website for vegan 'bacon' which uses aduki beans and buckwheat. I keep meaning to try it but liquid smoke is really hard to get hold of in the UK.

Whinchat

bacon >>>> http://www.nomeatathlete.com/vegan-bacon/

Vegan body building meal plans >>>> http://veganbodybuilding.com/?page=article_soyfree

Elizabeth_C34

You'll need to follow a protocol just like the meat-eating bodybuilders do, but try to find protein sources that you can eat. That's going to be the real challenege is getting enough protein. For muscle building, you need a calorie surplus with AT LEAST 1.0-1.5 g protein per pound of lean mass, which means getting in probably somewhere between 150-200g protein every day for you. This is going to be very hard to do without resorting to a protein supplement. I believe there are soy-based protein supplements that are not made using any animal products though you'd have to shop around for them.

The thing you really need to do is start doing compound lifts with heavy weights. This stimulates muscle conditioning (if you are on a calorie deficit), and muscle building (if you are on a calorie surplus). This means hitting the squat rack, doing deadlifts, benchpress, dumbell and barbell exercises.

Remember, however, that strength gains do not equal muscle gains. So, while you will get stronger, you may not be building new muscle tissue. It's important for you to get an accurate body composition scan done before you start so you can see your progress.

Good luck to you nonetheless. If you want, you can friend me. I lift heavy 3x per week, but I do eat meat. I'd be happy to help support you along your journey.

scubaruby

Delicious tofu scramble (made it this morning):

1 cup bell pepper, chopped (I used orange, yellow, and green because I had them)
1 cup onion, chopped
4 oz fresh mushrooms, chopped (more if you have them)
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 container firm or extra firm tofu, not silken
1/8 tsp turmeric
1-2 tsp savory (herb)
Salt and pepper

Sauté the veggies in the oil. Crumble in the tofu with your hands, add the spices and a bit of water if necessary to keep it from sticking. Cook for about 5 minutes, until much of the moisture is evaporated.

I've tried lots of spices in this and I like savory best.

Nopedotjpeg

Ummm...where's your lifting protocol? If all you're doing is those 4 exercises you're not going to hit your goals. Work on your overall physique; not just trying to attack your abs from different angles. This means doing compound lifts as well as exercises you're doing already.

iheartyarn

Do you eat lentils? I have a great lentil soup recipe and there is a good amount of protien in there, also I love smoothies, I out a ton of flax oil spianch, spitulina, kale etc in there but also been adding hemp seeds, I believe food for life has a raw protien supplement

ScottJG82

I used to do bench a year ago and one arm dumb bell rows, pull ups, curls, etc but because of my shoulder / neck it's hard to it. Every time I do a good amount of weight, my neck/upper shoulder "grinds" (I went to the chiro twice and he fixed it two times in the last year) - sometimes if I over do lifting, it puts me into the chiro for a week straight and makes my mobility hard to move my neck fully to my left side.

So trust me, I'd be happy to lift, but some things I just cannot do anymore because of a nagging injury.

One arm dumb bell rows I can probably do once a week if need be. Curls I can do at a low weight.

Just got back from gym. Did assisted chin ups - 25 of them and tricep push downs and did 2.5 miles running.

ScottJG82

Just made an awesome snack coming back from the gym.

Two table spoons of hummus and salsa spread on a brown rice tortilla wrap with sauteed peppers and caramelized onions. So good!

ScottJG82

Have you tried things like hemp seed bars? Also chickpea pasta is very very high in protein (20g per serving).

I started eating Nature's Promise Honey Roasted Snack Bars. Peanut Butter is one, Granola is another one.

Acg67

You're going to have to lose fat, and for that you're going to need a calorie deficit. You could try a recomp, but that is a pretty slow process and you run the risk of spinning your wheels if everything isn't on point.

And where are the squats and deadlifts? They will prob do more for your core then a bunch of crunches

And like everyone else said you're going to need to be getting in adequate protein to maintain your muscle.

I'd look here for some tips on nutrition

http://veganbodybuilding.com/

ScottJG82

You're going to have to lose fat, and for that you're going to need a calorie deficit. You could try a recomp, but that is a pretty slow process and you run the risk of spinning your wheels if everything isn't on point.

And where are the squats and deadlifts? They will prob do more for your core then a bunch of crunches

And like everyone else said you're going to need to be getting in adequate protein to maintain your muscle.

I'd look here for some tips on nutrition

http://veganbodybuilding.com/

Looking good in your photo by the way brother. I want a six pack like that. As you can see I'm not quite there, but on my way. For you what's been your goal on getting lean muscle in the ab area? Do you do a lot of ab exercises?

Acg67

You're going to have to lose fat, and for that you're going to need a calorie deficit. You could try a recomp, but that is a pretty slow process and you run the risk of spinning your wheels if everything isn't on point.

And where are the squats and deadlifts? They will prob do more for your core then a bunch of crunches

And like everyone else said you're going to need to be getting in adequate protein to maintain your muscle.

I'd look here for some tips on nutrition

http://veganbodybuilding.com/

Looking good in your photo by the way brother. I want a six pack like that. As you can see I'm not quite there, but on my way. For you what's been your goal on getting lean muscle in the ab area? Do you do a lot of ab exercises?

No, not much at all, from anywhere 5-10 min a week to none for direct ab work. Heavy squats and deadlifts are the way to go, with maybe a few min a week of direct ab work if you really feel you have to hit them some more. And all that is moot if you have a layer of fat covering them

ScottJG82

The issue I had was that for a few years I just didn't give a ****. I just let myself go. I became sort of fat. I rarely ever worked out, I ate at 2 30 am, went to sleep at 5 am or 7 am, ate a ton of cashew cheese stuff, salted foods, etc. This went on for three years in 2008 - 2010. Then in September 2010 I said, "Enough, I need to make a change" and I lost 50 lbs and here I am now trying to build the body I've always wanted.

ScottJG82

You're going to have to lose fat, and for that you're going to need a calorie deficit. You could try a recomp, but that is a pretty slow process and you run the risk of spinning your wheels if everything isn't on point.

And where are the squats and deadlifts? They will prob do more for your core then a bunch of crunches

And like everyone else said you're going to need to be getting in adequate protein to maintain your muscle.

I'd look here for some tips on nutrition

http://veganbodybuilding.com/

Looking good in your photo by the way brother. I want a six pack like that. As you can see I'm not quite there, but on my way. For you what's been your goal on getting lean muscle in the ab area? Do you do a lot of ab exercises?

No, not much at all, from anywhere 5-10 min a week to none for direct ab work. Heavy squats and deadlifts are the way to go, with maybe a few min a week of direct ab work if you really feel you have to hit them some more. And all that is moot if you have a layer of fat covering them

Did you always have a six pack or was it something you worked on? Also, how long did you have to work out maintain and have such a six pack as the one you do?

Acg67

It's all about your diet, that's the real key to it. Lose enough fat to get them to show. Took maybe 3 months or so to get lean enough for them to show

ScottJG82

Well it tells me to hit up 2,400 calories to maintain my weight of 169/170 but I usually end up not hitting it and being 500 to six hundred calories under, so it says in 5 weeks if every day was like today I'd be 166, etc. so I guess without even trying to lose weight, I will slowly and that will burn fat as I'd be working out.

t says for me to take in 80 for fat on my daily goal. As of today I'm 41 out of 80 for my fat.

I don't drink alcohol, don't eat dairy, don't smoke, don't eat cheese, fish, eggs, meat, poultry etc but I eat as close as I can to nature.

FORIANN

Well it tells me to hit up 2,400 calories to maintain my weight of 169/170 but I usually end up not hitting it and being 500 to six hundred calories under, so it says in 5 weeks if every day was like today I'd be 166, etc. so I guess without even trying to lose weight, I will slowly and that will burn fat as I'd be working out.

t says for me to take in 80 for fat on my daily goal. As of today I'm 41 out of 80 for my fat.

I don't drink alcohol, don't eat dairy, don't smoke, don't eat cheese, fish, eggs, meat, poultry etc but I eat as close as I can to nature.

Maybe you should turn on Discovery or Animal Planet sometime and start rethinking your perception of 'nature'. A diet rich and lean meat and vegetables is easily the best approach.

Nopedotjpeg

Well it tells me to hit up 2,400 calories to maintain my weight of 169/170 but I usually end up not hitting it and being 500 to six hundred calories under, so it says in 5 weeks if every day was like today I'd be 166, etc. so I guess without even trying to lose weight, I will slowly and that will burn fat as I'd be working out.

t says for me to take in 80 for fat on my daily goal. As of today I'm 41 out of 80 for my fat.

I don't drink alcohol, don't eat dairy, don't smoke, don't eat cheese, fish, eggs, meat, poultry etc but I eat as close as I can to nature.

Maybe you should turn on Discovery or Animal Planet sometime and start rethinking your perception of 'nature'. A diet rich and lean meat and vegetables is easily the best approach.

I'm pretty sure it's his decision. Let's not turn this into another veganism/anti-veganism debate.

1smemae94

From what I've been reading you can't spot reduce. So if you want your abs to show, you need to lower overall body fat. Also I know you said that you cant lift heavy because of your neck, but what about squats and stuff? Can you do them? It might help some.

albinogorilla

you need to lift weights, and get in protein, a bunch of it

unless you just want a six pack, then you can just lower your body fat.

you are going to have a hard time packing on muscle without eating the things that nearly all bodybuilders eat..............and losing weight without strength training, or getting enough protein will cost you some of the muscle that you already have........

ScottJG82

Well it tells me to hit up 2,400 calories to maintain my weight of 169/170 but I usually end up not hitting it and being 500 to six hundred calories under, so it says in 5 weeks if every day was like today I'd be 166, etc. so I guess without even trying to lose weight, I will slowly and that will burn fat as I'd be working out.

t says for me to take in 80 for fat on my daily goal. As of today I'm 41 out of 80 for my fat.

I don't drink alcohol, don't eat dairy, don't smoke, don't eat cheese, fish, eggs, meat, poultry etc but I eat as close as I can to nature.

Maybe you should turn on Discovery or Animal Planet sometime and start rethinking your perception of 'nature'. A diet rich and lean meat and vegetables is easily the best approach.

Sorry toho - meat, nor dairy not any of that disgusting **** will ever get into my body lol. I refuse to eat that and support the corporations, meat/dairy industry, factory farms. I just feel no need for it and I feel great. Just looking for positive advice about body building without eating that junk, you know?

Anyone know any good proteins that are not so fattening? I've been consuming here and there hummus, avocados, leafy greens, bananas, almonds, cashews, etc. Any other ideas?

paeli

You need to eat tofu, tempeh, and all kinds of beans and lentils for protein. But in order to reach the highest levels of protein which you need for actual body building (regular people don't need this as we don't strive to build such muscles) you will need to supplement with a vegan protein powder, there are several derived from - hemp protein, brown rice protein, pea protein, and maybe others.

You can get workout advice here, but I highly recommend for nutrition information that you visit veganbodybuilding.com

FORIANN

Well it tells me to hit up 2,400 calories to maintain my weight of 169/170 but I usually end up not hitting it and being 500 to six hundred calories under, so it says in 5 weeks if every day was like today I'd be 166, etc. so I guess without even trying to lose weight, I will slowly and that will burn fat as I'd be working out.

t says for me to take in 80 for fat on my daily goal. As of today I'm 41 out of 80 for my fat.

I don't drink alcohol, don't eat dairy, don't smoke, don't eat cheese, fish, eggs, meat, poultry etc but I eat as close as I can to nature.

Maybe you should turn on Discovery or Animal Planet sometime and start rethinking your perception of 'nature'. A diet rich and lean meat and vegetables is easily the best approach.

Sorry toho - meat, nor dairy not any of that disgusting **** will ever get into my body lol. I refuse to eat that and support the corporations, meat/dairy industry, factory farms. I just feel no need for it and I feel great. Just looking for positive advice about body building without eating that junk, you know?

Anyone know any good proteins that are not so fattening? I've been consuming here and there hummus, avocados, leafy greens, bananas, almonds, cashews, etc. Any other ideas?

Sorry...I shouldn't have come across so harsh. To my way of thinking, that lifestyle is very unnatural. I personally couldn't do it, but wish you the best on your journey. I can tell you that if you're trying to lose weight...and you don't eat enough protein...that weight lose is also going to consists of a lot of muscle loss as well. For my first meal today I ate 2 chicken breasts and that was over 80gr of protein....the greens, green beans, spinach salad, milk etc that composed the rest of my meal came out to about about 19gr protein. I do take some supplements, but be careful there... If you get too much of your protein from supplements....say more than 35%....your body begins to lose it's ability to extract protein naturally from the foods you eat. This is bad...very bad. If you're capable of completing your mission on the path you've chosen, more power to you, but it's not going to be easy. #firstworldproblems.