Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Age: 25
Bodyweight: 13.7st
Height: 6'4"
Bodyfat: Unkown

Goal:
Short term: 174kg squat and dead. 90kg bench in 12 months. 25/06/14
Long term: Eventually one day squat 300+kg, deadlift 450+kg and overhead press 200+kg.
Prove you don't have to eat three pounds of meat a day to get strong and big.

Motivation:

I've always been a skinny guy my entire lift. I don't mind being skinny, I'm happy with who I am. I also don't mind looking like the guy from the cola advert but my real motivation for lifting now is animals.
I love animals, ever since I was a kid. That's never changed as I've grown up, but as I learn more I realize I've grown up into a world were animals aren't the happy faces I see on McDonald's adverts, KFC adverts, smiley cow milk adverts. I was brought up to eat them, acquire a taste for them and not think twice about it. I later got into a band called Goldfinger who are vegans which led me to ask myself questions about what I eat. I then went vegetarian at age 14. Met a vegan online and she gave me a lot of insight and awareness about the dairy industry and how there is more cruelty in a glass of milk than buying meat. She opened my eyes a little to the suffering I was funding when I buy milk, eggs and cheese. So I then replaced milk with rice milk but never liked the taste of raw soya milk. Tried going vegan a few times but always went back to eating cheese and eggs. I then realized my own hypocrisy as I was caring more about a cow than a chicken. So I decided I wasn't going to give a penny to these dairy and meat industries, downloaded a ton of vegan cook books and adopted a new diet. It's never been easier to go vegan than it is today. Well I don't eat cheese and eggs anymore and I love soya milk.

This is were the lifting comes in. I've often got in deep conversations with people about this choice. I always make a very strong argument but I want the body to back up the words. If people can listen to why I don't eat animals and see that I'm big and strong, they will take me seriously.

"Oh but you're not getting enough protein or iron", "vegans are weak", "no gains ever came from a plant". These are words said to me in the last three weeks.

I want people to ask me what I eat because I'm so strong. I want young lifters to see me and think "damn he's massive, what does he eat". I want to be known for it, the natural guy that doesn't eat meat but is huge. To inspire people to take a real interest in nutrition from other sources, to at least leave people aware of another option rather than guzzling down a dozen eggs a day.
If I can be able to out lift the guys at my gym then it's proof I'm strong and getting enough protein. When a heckling meat eater tries to mudsling me I can stand proud and back up my words with real evidence. People like to believe things with their own eyes.

So whenever I feel like I can't pick up that barbell and lift it because I'm not strong enough, because it's painful, it's tiring. I think of the suffering animals have to go through in their pathetic lives. I have no excuse to give up. I have a point to prove and it's vegan power. People know what I eat and when I start out lifting them I want an excuse for eating three pounds of meat a day. There is more and more vegan athletes today destroying the weak vegan stereotype. Showing everyone around them we are strong. People who lift weights are some of the biggest meat eats, consuming all that protein and calories. When I started lifting people told me to quit because I'm a vegetarian. I almost believed them and thought about eating meat, don't worry this was a very brief idea. I wish I had a Derek Treysize or a Arvid Beck in my gym, but I've yet to meet a single vegetarian here. That's going to change. For myself the animals and the planet.

Arvid Beck is a great inspiration.

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/?page=bio_beck

Robert Cheeke.


Also Derek Tresize, Giacomo Marchese, Jimi Sitko.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6gxIhiGO0v4[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=n3cbNTn2Du8[/youtube]

Diet:
Organic vegetables, legumes, beans, grains, water, nuts & seeds, fruits, bread and organic hemp protein powder.

Carbs: Broccoli, peas, tomatoes, spinach, bananas, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, berries, butternut squash, arborio rice, pasta, brown rice, oatmeal, garbanzo beans, pinto beans.
Protein: Veges, black beans, quinoa, brown rice + red beans, peanut butter, almonds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, soya milk, shredded wheat, hemp powder, tofu, bagel.
Liquids: Water, fruit juices, almond/hemp/soya/oat milk, smoothies.
Fats: Coconut oil, peanut butter, avocados, ground flax seeds, olives and granola.

Previous lifting history:
November 2012. Eight months of a three day split on legs, triceps/chest, biceps/shoulders and back thrown in across the days. 10-2 reps.

Bodyweight - 12.4st

Squat - 50kg
Deadlift - 80kg
Bench - 40kg
OHP - 40kg
Penlay Rows - 50kg

Current lifting program:
Second week of the Stronglifts 5x5, strictly.

Bodyweight - 13.7st

Squat - 72.5kg
Deadlift - 105kg
Bench - 65kg
OHP - 52.5kg
Penlay Rows - 62.5kg

Bratman you're awesome, that post was too great, seriously. And that pig haha, who could eat pork if you had to look at that smiling face before your meal dang.
Glad to see another super motivated person starting a journal here.

-Dylan

Awesome mate loved your post and all the best in your journey to be big and strong .
It's really amazing that you stand so strong for a cause , truly an inspiration for other vegans out there .
Stronglifts is awesome i am sure you'll achieve a lot of success .

Cheers

haha! Great post! I'll be following along to your road of beastness!

Cheers guys thanks for the encouraging response. I can't tell you how good it feels to be around people that share the same ethical beliefs and compassion for animals. Let's hope one day animal abuse will be abolished just like slavery was.

I'll be uploading before/after pics and some videos.

Mondays workout

Squat - 75kg (Good lifts, still enjoying the low weight) Need to work on my butt winking.
Bench - 70kg (Personal record for me, had room for more too, pushing with the powerlifting elbow position really helps.)
Penlay Rows - 65kg

This is a quote I'm going to remember every time I just think I can't get those last few reps out and the clock is ticking down. Thanks for that.

I too have this same inspiration. I want people to question what they thought about veganism when they see that I'm not in any way weak or unhealthy looking. Personally I'm not going for bodybuilding massive, but more athletic.

Beautiful, welcome aboard btw mate, very inspiring stuff and goof luck with 5x5 its a fantastic programme!
Ross

AndiMorris - Thanks that means a lot coming from you. I have the same goal to break the physical vegan stereotype. Look like you've already done a good job and you've helped me have faith, now i know it's possible.

vegan_rossco - Cheers 5x5 is proving to be very effective so far.

New stats, fourth week of 5x5.

Bodyweight - 14.1st

Squat - 100kg
Deadlift - 130kg and 140 for 1 rep max.
Bench - 75kg
OHP - 42.5kg (had to drop the weight as I realized I was doing push presses not strict OHP)
Penlay Rows - Form is terrible at the moment so I need to work on it.

Training log is on hold as I won't have the internet as I'm moving out and won't be able to afford it, I might post from other places now and then. Won't have much money so I don't know if I'll be able to continue.

I know how it goes when low on cash. Hope to see you check in with us when you can.

-Dylan