Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

First of, a brief intro: My name is Kris and I'm new to this website. I currently live in Michigan and am in med school... I had some questions with regards to starting a new exercise routine. I go the gym about 5 days a week, but only do about 45 min. of cardio during these trips. I occationally will do a few machines mostly assisted dips, leg press, and a couple of others whose names I do not know. I've always been interested in keeping myself fit, but have recently become interested in increasing my muscle mass. I've had some bad experience with trainers graowing-up, most of whom have told me if I want to increase my muscle mass I'd have to start eating meat. I've been a vegetarian my whole life and have been vegan for the past three years...for ethical and religious reasons, eating meat is not an option for me.


I really need some advise on routines to start of with. I browsed the site and got some good tips, but I'm not sure if I should start with free-weights, machines, or with push-ups, sit-ups, etc. before lifting in the gym. Becasuse I intend this to become a life-style modification, I'd like to start of on the right foot to ensure I don't injure myself in the process.
If someone could help me in developing a routine that I could accomplish in about an hour a day--I would be greatful. I would also like to keep up with my cardio which usually includes running or using the eliptical machine.

I'm so glad I found this site...it's awesome!!

Thanks,

Kris
P.S I've got some Great vegan high protein recipes that I hope to add on
shortly!!

Hey welcome! It's good to see a vegan going to medical school, because some of the doctors I've encountered have had a lack of knowledge about vegan nutrition issues, so hopefully you can set them straight.

If you don't feel ready for weights yet, you could try something like this:

Day 1 - pushups
Day 2 - squats
Day 3 - pullups
Day 4 - situps
Day 5 - rest

Then after day five go back to day one. Just do as many of each exercise as you can per day, and with those you wont' even need to worry about using weights. If you don't have access to a pullup bar, you can open a solid door, put a book or towel under it to support it, and just do pullups on that. Don't worry if you can't do very many pullups when you first start out, you can start out standing on a chair and do partial pullups if you need to. If you stick to this routine for a month, you'll start to feel a lot stronger. Also, if you're not sure abotu the form for squats, do them like these http://exrx.net/WeightExercises/Gluteus ... Squat.html except don't worry about using a barbell on your back, just do them with no additional weights to get the form down. Also, if you want extra resistance on situps, try doing them while holding one of your medical books behind your head!

Ha! Thanks for the advise...It's sad, but I have to admit during my 1st year I held my anatomy book to my chest while doing sit-ups...ah, the good ole days

Also, I too have come across preceptors during my rotations whose awareness of vegan or even vegetarian nutritional needs have been a little less than admirable. Fortunately, our professor for nutrition was vegetarian and well versed on the concerns facing vegans. I was fortunate in that regard.

When do you know you're ready to move on to free weights or machines? Should I be keeping a log of my progress and try to do more repetitions every 3 days or every week?

Thanks!
Krish

Hi Kris, welcome!!

I think at your age and being quite fit, you can start with weights anytime, as long as you don't start too heavy. But doing push ups, pull ups, crunches and squats would be no mistake, too. But sometime you'll reach a number of repetitions when it's getting ineffective for further muscle growth.

I wouldn't recommend machines, not if you haven't got a health problem (injury). You can start with free weights, but have to be careful with increasing the weights. In the beginning, learn the proper form and start with a weight you can quite comfortably (without reaching muscle failure!) do 15 reps with for 2 sets. Then gradually increase the number of reps (1 per workout) until you reach 30 for two sets. Then increase the weight slightly every other workout while dropping the reps accordingly, until you're at 15 reps again.

For a routine, what you say to this:

2 sets each:
Push ups (when you can do more than 40, replace with bench press)
Lat machine (when you're strong enough to do pull ups, do them instead)
Squats
Crunches
Deadlift

Do this 3-6 times per week, at least every other day.
Yes, i recommend to keep a log. I think it's not only possible, but best to aim for an increase every other day (workout).

When you reach a state where you can't improve anymore, take a break and ask here on the board again

Have success and fun,
love and peace,
Daywalker

Hi Kris,

Congratulations on the medical school! Did you know that daywalker above is a doctore too!!!!

I agree with all the advice thus far. I personally have always prefered freeweights for arms and shoulders since with free weights, you recruit more muscle fibers (if done properly) which is effective.

Like daywalker said, if you are new to lifting, concentrate on developing perfect form for now. Learn how to do exercises propertly. Form and tempo are really key to the most efficient results in my opinion.

if you have any questions, there are so many that can guide you. And to all those people that still claim you need to eat dead animals to put on muscle, direct them to this website and that will surely shut them up about that nonsence once and for all!!

It is so refreshing to see scientists that dont lack sensitivity towards non human animals!

Thanks Daywalker and Compassionategirl!

The schedule looks great and very manageable...I tried it out today and have also started keeping a log. I'll keep you guys posted on my progress.

Take Care,

Kris

Great idea about thr log.

I still after all this time still keep training journals and monitor my weekly performance.

Good call on adding in deadlifts Daywalker.

Also, Kris if you want to add in weights, shoulder presses with dumbbells are a good exercise to work in with your pushups or bench presses. See http://exrx.net/WeightExercises/Deltoid ... Press.html