Build Muscle Up -Vegetarian Style

Being a vegetarian for the better part of 5 years I have heard every misinformed comment against being vegetarian. The biggest one being that you can't get big from being vegetarian. People come back to the same old argument that you cannot build muscle up if you don't consume meat protein.

I have the proof to prove all the naysayers wrong and in the near future I'll be doing a series of articles about being a vegetarian weightlifter. The training regiment does not change from people who consume meats so I'll be starting with proper nutrition and giving you some recipes that you can start using immediately. I've been using for many years that i can assure you do help you gain muscle.

1)

Peanut butter protein bars

1 cup Natural peanut butter

8 tablespoons of syrup

1&1/4 cups soy protein powder

1 cup of uncooked oatmeal

Also try things like couple tablespoons of tahini for variation

Mix the peanut butter and syrup in a bowl, microwave on full for 80 secs.

Add the rest and mix together. The end result should not be too dry, add syrup and/or water for better texture.

You can add raisins/nuts etc to taste as well.

Smooth into a tray and leave for 20 minutes. Cut into 10 to 12 equal bars and store in the fridge.
2)

Post-workout shake

Scoop of soya protein isolate

Glucose

Maybe some creatine if you use it

Water

Vegan Power Chocolate Shake

Makes 1 serving

2 scoops soya protein

350 ml ice-cold calcium enriched chocolate soya milk (Provamel or Alpro)

½- 1 tsp spirulina

A few frozen berries or 1 frozen or fresh banana

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth

The ideal time for shakes is after a workout when your body desperately needs nutrients, protein for muscle building and glucose for quick carb absorption.

Keep your eating clean and good like soya products, tofu, tempeh, beans, lentils, different nuts and seeds, peanut butter, tahini and so on.. Good whole foods with plenty of protein. Many bodybuilders recommend large amounts of protein, up to 2 grams per bodyweight in pounds per day. That is probably excessive, but anyway, keep your protein intake high.You can try some soy protein isolate powder maybe by mixing it up with soy milk.

Make sure to get enough calories and eat approx every 21/2 hours.

A great book that I've being using over the last year that shows vegetarians how to build muslce up is "The Raw Gourmet" by Nomi Shannon. It has tons of nutrition information on how to gain weight for the natural bodybuilder. It teaches you about what foods to eat, protein and carb content, tips in combining raw food dishes, facts to support raw food benefits, and how the body functions in conjunction with switching to this type of diet.

For more tips on gaining lean muscle mass read my other article Skinny guy's top 6 tips to gain weight fast

Skinny Guy's Top 6 Tips to Gain Weight Fast

Some people laugh when I talk about this but it actually can be hard to gain weight or muscle for skinny guy's who's body is genetically predisposed to be thin or have a fast metabolism. So I'll share with you a few tips i gained when i struggled to put some weight on. In the beginning its hardest but eventually your body starts adapting after a week or 2. So If you plan on following these recommendations keep in mind that persistence is key.

Here are my top tips to gain weight

1) Preplan out your meal schedule and prepare ahead of time. We all get busy throughout the day. So make it as easy as possible on yourself and make out a meal schedule and a list of groceries needed for at least the next couple days or maybe even a week and get it NOW! After you get the groceries you can also prepare a few meals in advance in case you don't have the time later.

2)Eat 6 meals a day. This allows your body to adjust to the extra caloric intake. So in your average 16 hour day that will work out to a meal every 21/2 hours.

3)Use meal replacement products or supplements like shakes and bars to save time in the kitchen. Cooking all those meals is time consuming

4)Eat foods that are calorie dense but don't sacrifice nutritional value. A few examples of this are adding skim milk instead of water to protein powders or supplements. Fruit actually has a higher caloric density than vegetables and fruit juice is even more dense. Stay away from sugary and fatty(saturated fat not unsaturated) foods. Complex carbohydrates like pasta and whole grains. Protein sources like fish, chicken, turkey, & egg whites. Avoid sausages, pepperoni, pork and whole milk products.

5)Keep track of your caloric intake and adjust it to suit your needs. Every person has a different body thus they need a different caloric intake. Don't get confused on this issue. Keep it simple. Write down your caloric intake every day and you have to at least double or even triple it your first week. If you still aren't seeing results then double it again and track your results. Keep doing this until you see results. Eventually you'll notice yourself hitting a threshold. Once you hit that point you have to be persistent and hold the line usually for a week or 2. Eventually your body will adjust then you can proceed to increase your caloric intake again.

6)Try to reduce the amount of liquids you consume especially during meal time. Liquids will trick the stomach into thinking it is full of food thus reducing the amount of caloric dense foods you can eat in one meal.

I will be writing some more posts about caloric dense foods and including exact meals that i have used in the future