Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Hi Guys and Girls,

I'm trying to tailor my training plan to my body type and my ability to eat (or not eat) during a given day, any help would be graciously received!

I'm 31 years old, I weigh 70kg (11 stone, 154 Lbs.) and I'm 5'11" (1.8M) tall. I have always been pretty skinny and have weighed about the same since I was 18 yrs. old. When I first turned veggie about 7 years ago I managed to up my weight to 12.5 stone (80kg, 175lbs) it took about 18 months of training every day and literally forcing two protein shakes a day down my neck, the weight was a mixture of muscle and fat. For me it was completely unsustainable, it made me feel sick every day and I had major stomach/gut problems, so I stopped altogether, the weight fell off to 11.5 stone in no time at all.

I went fully vegan and started training again about 6 months ago and lost a further half stone in about 4 weeks, so I'm now back to the original, very stable 11 stone!

I eat a pretty balanced diet, probably too much fruit (high sugar) and probably not quite enough protein, thankfully now I'm vegan and so have ditched the diary I don’t get anywhere near the same level of stomach problems as before, I’ve started drinking Vega protein powder with water or fruit juice and that seems okay on my clearly sensitive stomach! My big problem is that I just don’t seem to be able to eat enough, I think I eat all the time, I’m always picking on nuts or fruit or granola bars etc, but I struggle to eat really large meals without feeling sick or bloated. I can’t eat breakfast until I’ve been up for at least a couple of hours without the same ill feeling. In total I take in about 1800-2000 calories a day, which is clearly enough to sustain my weight, and to be honest I would find it hard/uncomfortable to eat too much more, unless its junk food and therefore calorie dense!

Since I’ve started re-training I have noticed a definite difference in my body, it’s getting more toned, less fatty but my weight doesn’t change? I still need to lose some belly and love handle fat though! My upper body is okay, but my legs are out of proportion to the rest of my body i.e. too skinny!

To complicate things further I only have access to a home gym, with pull up bar, weights bench and free weights etc.

the training plan I’m about to change to is as follows (my current one is not split, I do a whole body work out 3 times a week), I’m not looking to get massive, but any tips you have for how to put on a bit more muscle as an ectomorph, or to sneak some high calorie foods into my diet would be greatly appreciated!

I've been told to keep my training short but intense so as not too burn too many calories, I do a quick ABS routine after each session.

I haven’t done any cardio at all in the last 6 months, except for walking the dog, but I expect to start doing some more as soon as the weather improves (its snowed again last night!). My worry is that as soon as I start cardio I will lose the fat, but my drop into the ‘unhealthy’ weight category!?

Day 1
Chest/triceps:
bench press 12 10 10 8
Incline DB bench 3 x 10
DB fly 2 x 12
Dips 12 10 10 8
Skull crushers 3 x 10

Day 2
Back/biceps
pull ups wide grip 12 10 10 8
Bent over rows 12 10 10 8
DB rows 3 x 10
BB curls 12 10 10 8
Alternate DB curls 2 x 10

Day 3
Legs/shoulders
BB squats 12 10 10 8
calf raises 12 10 10 8
Weighted lunge 12 10 10 8
BB shoulder press 12 10 10 8
Lat raises 3 x 10
Side raises 3 x 10
Upright rows 3 x 10

I understand that I need to up my calories/protein intake to grow more muscle, hopefully the Vega will help in that respect.

Thanks in advance for your help!

_________________
Pain is simply weakness leaving your body.

To me, it sounds like you have a classic malabsorption issue. Stuff isn't transforming into usable energy in your body, and is leading to bloating, indigestion, and distension.

Protein will provide the building blocks for muscle, but remember, as protein is not stored for energy anywhere in the body, you lose whatever amount you can't absorb at any given time. Then it sits in your body and putrefies as your acidity rises to get it moving. To buffer the blood's acidity, your body leeches calcium from your bones and this is a recipe for disease.

Combine protein with simple carbs (think fruit). This will cause a spike in your insulin levels which will drive the protein into your muscles. Doing this post-workout is the best as insulin sensitivity is high at this time due to the depleted glycogen stores in your muscles. As for calorie-dense foods, you could try adding lots of bananas or some avocados. Keep fruit on hand but to minimize conversion of sugar to fat, try to only eat it in the morning or after a workout. Also, don't discount the importance of leafy greens in a big salad, or a steamed kale/spinach bowl with quinoa, rice, or millet. I would also recommend cutting back on the nuts as too many are hard on the pancreas, and steering clear of processed, store-bought granola bars.

Don't get so hung up on protein. Just make sure you are getting enough WHOLE food calories in. For your goals, it sounds like you will need about 2,700 plus lots of water if you don't already hydrate hydrate hydrate.

Hope my advice helps.
Haz

Thanks Haz,

brilliant advice, ill give it a go, and I'll also look more into 'malabsorption' from your description it sounds spot on!

Thanks again

Gareth

_________________
Pain is simply weakness leaving your body.