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Vegan Personal Trainer from Lubbock, Texas!

EcoPunk

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EcoPunk Newbie

EcoPunk

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Hey all! My name is Richard. I am 30 years old and I have been vegan-riffic for eight of those. I made the switch for ethical reasons. I took a class in college called Environmental Ethics and was faced with the realities of suffering, not just of factory farming but other means of animal exploitation. I was actually eating a BBQ chicken pizza as I was reading my assignment for that class about the "bigger cages, longer chains" arguments and I decided that if I thought it was shameful to inflict suffering upon other living things, I could not be a part of it, whether it would change the world or not. I put down that slice and never picked up meat again!

 

I have been avid about fitness since high school, as my school was too small to have trainers for our athletes, so I trained myself in my basement. I got HUUUGE on a bonehead workout, shattered my wrist, shrank and had to get smart about working out after that so I studied and applied what I learned. It has evolved beyond recreation and into a profession since. I am currently the Master Trainer and Training Manager at Freedom Fitness in Lubbock, Texas (Drop in if your nearby...I only know a handful of vegans around here and those are ones I converted myself like the vampire that I am ). There aren't a whole lot of people around here that even know what vegan is, let alone give a rats ass! Three of the last four girls I've dated have gone vegan (Damn...I'm gooood! HaHa, just kidding.), which has been cool but I don't run across many others so any others in my area should let me know they exist! Sometimes, you can show people all the evidence that veganism is not a detriment to strength and physique and positive in so many ways and they still give you the confused puppy look...and WE"RE crazy...silly rabbits!

 

My goals, at present, are to increase mass on my quads and round out my shoulders more and to reduce my body fat a bit. There is a shredder coming up in April I may compete in if I can get the time. I am 6'0" and about 183lbs with about 6 1/4% BF but I'm a mesomorph so its all over my abs and even a little rise hides my abs...damn chips and salsa! Its not high but I'm picky...and vain! Ha! Plus, I have a reputation to protect when it comes to fitness, obviously.

 

Anyway, my main interests are my kids, Richard III and Liesl, Football, working out, cooking, debating, riding my motorcycle (and trying to find non-leather things to replace my old leather gear is TRICKY...thanks, polyurethane!), music and meeting good people. Robert, you have been on my Myspace for like two years and I'm just now joining this forum...ha! You sent me a message about some event you wanted me to be involved with but I was M.I.A. on Myspace for a loooong time so I didn't read it until way later, sorry! Anyway, I'm not online a lot but I'm joining with the intent, at least, of being an active user as it looks pretty cool, seems to have a lot of good people on it and makes me feel like I'm not alone in a sea of omnivores so I'm sure I'll haunt a bunch of the forums. I look forward to knowing you all! C ya!

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robert Newbie

robert

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Welcome Richard!

 

I really home to come to Texas in 09, in fact I'm pretty certain I will come to that great state and visit a handful of our members out there.

 

Thanks for joining our group! You look like you're in awesome shape! That would be awesome if you compete in the Texas Shredder contest! I've heard of it, it's Dave's show right? Or an NPC one? I just searched and found tons of Texas Shredder contests...anyway, best of luck if you decide to hop on stage.

 

We're about the same size but you look a lot bigger! Any change we can get you on our Profiles section on here:

 

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

 

That is probably what I sent to you on myspace

 

All the best and welcome aboard!

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EcoPunk Newbie

EcoPunk

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Yeah, that's Dave's show. NPC presented by Dave, apparently. I'm training a client for it now. Im always short on time but need that motivation, too, you know? Yeah, I'll submit a profile! Just tell me how! It may take a few days to get some new pics or I can use some I have but that would be cool! Let me know what I need to do!

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beforewisdom Newbie

beforewisdom

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Welcome Richard;

 

Your vegan story sounds interesting! I had a friend teach in Lubbock Texas for a while, from the way he described it I'm gratified to hear that you have a small group of vegans around you, self-created or not. Do you have trouble getting vegan foods out where you are?

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EcoPunk Newbie

EcoPunk

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beforewisdom: Your vegan story sounds interesting! I had a friend teach in Lubbock Texas for a while, from the way he described it I'm gratified to hear that you have a small group of vegans around you, self-created or not. Do you have trouble getting vegan foods out where you are?

 

Ha! Yeah, it sounds like he described it about right, then. I am surprised to know as many other vegans in Lubbock as I do. I knew one other friend who used to talk to me about it and converted but then he moved; the only other male vegan that I knew of in like three years, oddly. Ive known quite a few "vegetarians" from here but they cheat a lot and still say that's what they are...you know how it goes. Anyway, it isn't actually too bad finding vegan food around here but it could certainly be better. There are almost as many restaurants as people here so there are quite a few places that have SOMETHING that is or can be made vegan. I know a place that makes me a vegan pizza the minute I walk through the door and you can get quite a few things at Mexican and Asian places. I guess i should say that if i pick the places, its not too bad, but i have been at the mercy of others at times and resigned to eating salad or nothing, which always starts up the ever redundant conversation about why one would be vegan in the first place when all you want to do is hang out...oh well!

 

As far as getting ingredients for cooking, which I do a lot, we have a couple alternative food/health places, like Well Body, in town that are not bad for some things but, again, they pale in comparison to places vegans from other areas talk about. Of course, some of the mainstream stores are beginning to stock a few more vegan products and that helps when you just wanna throw something together quickly. I still cant find a vegan cheese that doesn't make me wanna die...oh, for a vegan grilled "cheese" with jalapenos! All in all, im pretty lazy when it comes to food around here. I can make my favorite recipes in my sleep and eat at the same eight or nine places all the time so its easy as far as that goes but more variety would be welcome.

 

Thanks for all the welcomes!

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EcoPunk Newbie

EcoPunk

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What vegan cheeses have you tried?

Its been a bout a year since I tried any and I cant remember the name of the last one anymore. There aren't many around here and it not a big enough deal to me to search the earth but it would be cool to know one. They stopped selling the one that used to be sold here but I tried making a pizza with it once and it was like gummy chalk. Cursing and threatening it didn't scare it into melting either; it just sat there mockingly. The only non-cheese cheeses I can find locally that claim to melt have casein...grrrrr. If anyone knows of a good one, let me know!

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EcoPunk Newbie

EcoPunk

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veggieprincess:

Trader Joes Soy Creamer is the best

Mmm...I have to try that...I'm a coffee whore on Monday morning! Nice website, btw! You look great!

 

xjohanx:

Redwoods cheeses are good. But I didn't really like cheese before I went vegan so you shouldn't trust me. I don't know if you guys have them in the states anyway.

I didn't care much for cheese myself, besides the few weeks I was vegetarian before going 100% vegan; I was all about grilled cheese then! Yeah, I cant find em here but I checked it out after you mentioned those...maybe somebody imports them: i just haven't found em yet. thanks for the heads up! Hows the vegan scene over there? Gotta beat Texas!

 

I'm Your Man:

hey that's awesome, great intro . You're huge, judging from your avatar ! Welcome on the forum

Thanks, Man! Getting decent size isnt the big problem for me; its keeping bodyfat in check that sux! I think most vegans have the opposite problem...I'm a freak! But hey, I'm outrunning genetics like a mofo over here! (:

 

Thanks, everyone for your welcoming comments! I like this site a lot so far. I'm posting at least one recipe and a profile soon. If anyone is passing through Lubbock, Texas and wants to work out, let me know and I will get you in my gym!

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tuc Newbie

tuc

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Welcome! Great nick dude!

 

Holy s**t you're looking huge! I'm 6 feet and about the same weight as you but I am waaay smaller. It must be because my bf is a lot higher than yours.

 

Great intro, great avatar, actually pretty much great everything. I love the fact that there are ripped vegan personal trainers!

 

An oh, Cheezly is the only vegan cheese I know which melts nicely over pizza.

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