Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Hello,

I'm Michael, I just decided to get back into weight lifting. During this time I was mostly focused on ashtanga yoga and running and bike riding though. I read Robert's book recently and have drastically increased my protein/calorie intake and have been following his basic workout plan outline. I'm getting stronger pretty quick but also gaining some fat around my midsection... I imagine tis is normal... I'm 6'2" and about 190 right now. I was a raw/vegan for years and at my lightest was arond 170. Felt very bony with some flab though and that was hardly my ideal!

I am really wanting advice. I don't mind following robert's plan but am curious about cardio and yoga as I don't want to quit these things but at the same time don't want to be counterproductive as building muscle and strength is my main goal right now. Any advice on how to integrate these?

Should I avoid cardio for awhile? If not, what is sensible? I love being active and have no issue doing so for ours each day. I also work on a farm and as a chef so I am active in tese areas too...

As for yoga... Should I stay with ashtanga/power yoga or focus more on restorative styles to complelement?

Ok seems I have typed enough!!! THANKS!!!

I'm a newbie too. Welcome!
I do weights/ resistance 3 days a week: Sun, Tues, Thurs and vinyasa yoga Mon and Wed. I do cardio on Thurs for an hour, and at least 2 30 min cardio sessions each week, after weights or yoga.
I would think that ashtanga is too intense. I take yoga for the stretching and am often sore doing the various poses.
I bumped up the calorie/ protein about 2 weeks ago, and have gained flab in my stomach area also-- and, only in that area.
Lots of luck!

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I wonder if you midsection is gaining some weight because you are drastically increasing your protein/calorie intake. I would wonder if a gradual increase may have helped in your body processing it for energy instead of storage for later use. Or maybe you should have matched your exercise routine to it then also by drastically increasing your workout loads probably to keep it balanced that way also.

How much yoga have you done? Do you have to go to a class, or can you design your own routine? I have been doing yoga for over 10 years now (and even taken TT courses) so I can design one that with complement my bodypart that needs to be stretched and strengthened and not one that already has been abused in the gym. Like doing warriors (basically a lunge) after a leg day is not good, but forward folds, janu sirasasna (single leg forward bending pose), marichyasana, bound angle pose, pigeon pose, and hero pose are my favorites after leg day to stretch it out good. You will have to pick and choose thru an Ashtanga rountine for what you can do that will stretch it, and not work it more.

Cardio is good in moderation. 20 minutes is good enough to get the blood circulated and get your endorphin addiction. But do it when you are not fatigued by everything else. I like to kick start my day sometimes in the morning. A little juice to get the sugar in the bloodstream, to quick start your motor and get it off and running for the day (as you are on a farm and chef, and will be standing pretty much all the time - which can exhaust muscles too). Use your intuition and listen to your body. Fatigue and soreness means that recovery hasn't been optimal yet, and the muscles are not ready for another bout of use.

This is what I have learned from my experience.

Wow, thanks for the advice and input!

I have been practicing/studying yoga for nearly 20 years and ave gone through periods of intense practice, no practice and everything in between. Also gone trough phases where I take more classes but much of my practice has been solo with the sunrise. I also did TT.

I have definitely increased the time I spend exercising... Up till about 6 weeks ago when I twisted my ankle very badly (still healing) I was running 45-90 minutes 4-6 times a week and also biking a lot, but only doing light yoga and such. I moved and since settling in joined a gym and got back into weigt lifting. Been doing the split plan recommended in Vegan Bodybilding & Fitness and been doing lots of research to tweak things. Very pleased wit progress in this area but think I just increased calories too fast.

I guess I am more just wondering if continuing to run distances and bike riding is ok. I have no problem at all gaining weight and seems as long as I just watc my weight and that it is not dropping should be ok. I love the weigt lifing and have been generally doing this in the morning and doing cardio stuff later in the afternoon/evening. Lately really wanting to focus on the more restorative side of yoga but do think designing some routines like you describes you do following leg day is a great idea. years of ashtanga practice created a sort of attacment to the more aggressive approach! Thank you again!!!

I think if you want more size but also are looking to not gain any excess flab then definitely add cardio. Plus, you may want to increase your food intake gradually and see how your body reacts to it. Feel it out and determine your need. Go slow and listen to your body, it is smart enough to let you know what is going on.

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@hellguy - thanks, great advice. I tend to go overboard when I start something and seems a lot of the mas building diets don't take into account individual metabolism, athletic history, etc.

I am definitely getting stronger though but for years wen raw/vegan ate low calories/protein in general and not sure that even with all the lifting if my system is ready to process more. Notion of just eating instictively, when genuinely hungry seems logical...

I'm tracking my progress too so no problem seeing if weight or strength are changing.

So cool having all this guidance!!! Thank you all again!!! Peace

It is possible to combine cardio with strength training. You can use dumbells or kettlebells. Even body weight routines will work if you keep rest to a minimum. Check out http://www.MikeMahler.com for more.

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That is also a good point. When I was with the BP the academy training was mostly body weight exercises. It was very high intensity aerobic type exercise.

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Welcome to the group Michael! Great to have you here. Thanks for reading my book, I sincerely appreciate it.

Glad you're making some gains. As you saw from my photos in the book, I put on a lot of mass in a relatively short period and had some "bulk" phases where I was a bit thicker without as much definition. You can toss in some cross fit or total body exercises, a bit of aerobic training or "cardio" along with the weights to manage the weight or mass gain a bit, if you're concerned about it.

I never worried much about gaining too much, knowing that I enjoyed sports like soccer and basketball and simply playing a little more of those games along with my weight training would help me lean out if I so desired.

Enjoy the forum. Thanks for being here!

Robert

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Check out my Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness Book on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Bodybuildin ... 497&sr=1-1

I have been learning a bit about plyometrics and have been incorporating them a bit to keep my heartrate up while I work out. Find though on days I am doing stuff like squats that I kinda prefer a bit of rest between sets and they tend to keep up my heartrate anyway. Still, really fund to be learning and playing with all this stuff. Spend a lot of time logging and planning and tracking and upgrading my workouts and am definitely getting stronger. Been reading a lot on here too which has been an AMAZING resource.

@Robert - Thanks for the welcome. Must say I really enjoyed your book and was very inspired by it. I actually got one of the autographed copies and need to reread what it said so I can collect my prize! lol The information was a tremendous prize though! I found your words to be so real and authentic which I have found really lacking in a lot of other health crusaders.

For years I was really into raw veganism and always kinda felt a disturbance regarding people like Gabriel COusens and David Wolfe and how cultish and messiahlike they present themselves. Plus, During my time as a raw vegan I got SOOOOO weak. Was interesting reading about Giacomo BUT for me a diet of just algea slime and raw fruit and greens gets very dull... I like them all but am also a chef and feel we as humans have many wondrous blessings allowing us to create beautiful and delicious things. I appreciate the whole Back to Eden mentality BUT I find the fact that we can use fire and create appliances and innovate, etc ... I just feel humans can create something new and beautiful and to me cooking and cheffing are blessings and not things to abandon...

For me.

Since adding lifting and more food and lots more protein I feel SOOOOO much better and am getting strong and confident. Much better. Thank you for creating this forum too. It is a wonderful support and resource. I recently moved from Seattle to stay with mmy family in NW Florida which is something of a vegan/consciousness deadzone ... Gorgeous beaches and beautiful weather but itching to get back out west... Thinking of going to a vegetarian culinary school and doing some farm intenships... Realizing that food and exercise are all I really want... Plus good community and mountains... Good weather... lol PEACE!