Oatsandpotatoes Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Hey, I have been a member for a while but never formally introduced myself. I recently became a Vegan and have been a Vegetarian since January, before that I was mostly a vegetarian (wife is Vegan), but cheated every now and then. I love being a Vegan and standing up for what I believe in. I did it for the animals but only now am I finding out how much healthier the alternatives to whey and casein are. I use a supplement called plant protein instead now and it is awesome. Here is a pic of me that was taken in January. I am planning to get some size in the next six months and I will be working hard in my quest of getting bigger and leaner than ever as a Vegan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Nice to see your intro! Nice seeing you last year as well. Hope to see you around the forum more. Looking super muscular by the way! All the best! Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lobsteriffic Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 I am planning to get some size in the next six months...You already have plenty. Welcome to the forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganDrew Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Welcome and congratulations. I'm sure the aminals appreciate it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oatsandpotatoes Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 Thanks guys, Robert it was good meeting you too. You have a good memory bro. VeganDrew, yeah it's the best thing I have ever done. It's was an amazing feeling when I became a Vegan, I have never felt anything like that before. I hope to pick up some tips on nutrition from you all, and I wanna gain some strength so I am looking for help with that as well. Btw the Robert, I saw your bulk diet plan, looks insane man, that is a lot of food lol... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el_flaco Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I wanna gain some strength so I am looking for help with that as well. Man you look pretty damn strong already. What kind of weights are you lifting at the moment? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oatsandpotatoes Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 I wanna gain some strength so I am looking for help with that as well. Man you look pretty damn strong already. What kind of weights are you lifting at the moment? Hey bro, I would say I am on the lower end compared to the strong dudes. Typical workout for bench is 245 4-5 reps, incline 225 5 reps. Goal is to increase my max flat bench to 315, right now I am am maxing out at 270, was at 300 about three years ago, dieted down and lost strength and never really got back up there again. Squat 345x6, deadlift 295x5, was at 315x6, max deadlift was 385. I wanna increase my strength with these compound exercises, I would prefer not to use the wieght belt till I reach 330 to 340 on the deads, 380 of more on squats. A guy at my gym suggested that I do a 1 rep max rep everytime I do these lifts. Do you have any ideas. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veganjkdgirl Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 welcome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j4779 Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Dude, you're huge!!! Could you be more specific about the "plant protein" that you are using? Like the brand; where to buy; etc.? How's the taste? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oatsandpotatoes Posted July 6, 2009 Author Share Posted July 6, 2009 Dude, you're huge!!! Could you be more specific about the "plant protein" that you are using? Like the brand; where to buy; etc.? How's the taste?Hey Thanks bro, you can buy it here, it is pretty cheap too. http://www.vitacost.com/Lifetime-Lifes-Basics-Plant-Protein . I like the taste a lot, only thing is that, it doesn't mix very well so I use my bottle and shake it up. The taste is a little creamy and nutty, way better than the dairy ones. Also, you get fiber and other good stuff which will make you live longer. Now I look back and think about all the money that I just pissed away with whey. If you are trying to gain weight then do heavy lifting. Keep your reps under 4 and total sets about 6-8 per bodypart, 12-14 for legs. Do squats, deadlifts and Flat bench once a week. For food, I like to eat less, can't really bulk like I use to. I like having my body hold on to mass with fewer calories. Here's what I eat typically.Breakfast2 slices of wheat bread with peanut butter, Tea and 1 scoop of plant protein, multi vitamin cap.Lunch70-80 grams of carbs from whole wheat pita or brown rice with some veggies or lentils, 1 scoop of plant protein.Evening meal2 cups of regular oatmeal (not microwaved) with some shredded almonds, no proteinDinnerstir fry with veggie meat or Tofurky sausage. Or make a salad with kidney beans/garbanzo beans providing 60-70 grams of carbs.Before going to sleep I take 2 caps of ZMA and 2-3 tablespoons of brewers yeast.I also throw some fruits in the mix, some nuts in between meals.Pre workout I eat a medium size potato, it makes me lift more weights and prevents muscle catabolism during workout.If you don't get results from the above then increase everything by 30%.Also if you can, then invest in some BCAA powder, it can help with recovery. Since quitting whey I have become leaner, feel healthier, no more bloating and I don't feel tired.Give it a shot, you won't look like the dudes that are on steroids but you will be plenty strong, and reasonably big, on top of that you will hold on to your gains for the rest of your life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j4779 Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 Cool, I will check that out. But I want to clarify: You meant under 4 "Sets" and 6-8 "Reps", right? Also, I've noticed that many people on this site list what they eat during a typical day and it seems like everyones diet includes a lot of carbs and not so much protein. I know there are good and bad carbs and you need to eat the good ones, but I have a hard enough time trying to get the suggested 1 gram per lb of body weight of protein, while also trying to keep my body fat percentage down by eating less carbs/calories. Am I eating wrong? Almost every meal that I eat consists of around 20 grams of protein (including shakes that replace a meal), and I eat about 6 small meals a day. How many grams of protein do you usually eat a day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oatsandpotatoes Posted July 6, 2009 Author Share Posted July 6, 2009 Cool, I will check that out. But I want to clarify: You meant under 4 "Sets" and 6-8 "Reps", right? Also, I've noticed that many people on this site list what they eat during a typical day and it seems like everyones diet includes a lot of carbs and not so much protein. I know there are good and bad carbs and you need to eat the good ones, but I have a hard enough time trying to get the suggested 1 gram per lb of body weight of protein, while also trying to keep my body fat percentage down by eating less carbs/calories. Am I eating wrong? Almost every meal that I eat consists of around 20 grams of protein (including shakes that replace a meal), and I eat about 6 small meals a day. How many grams of protein do you usually eat a day? The opposite actually. 6-8 total sets per body part, consisting of whatever exercise you prefer but under 4 reps per set. You have to eat carbs to build muscle. Protein is highly overrated. Too much protein is bad for you. The right kinda carbs are very crucial, eat whole wheat, oatmeal, and brown rice. I only take about 120-140 grams of protien every day and I weigh 200 pounds. That is all the protein you need man. I am not a big fan of meal replacement shakes, the more whole foods you eat the better it is. Also warm up with pull ups. Do a couple of sets before you workout, I usually workout every other day and I like to do chest alone with pull ups, next time, entire upper body with 2 sets per body part, next workout legs and pull ups, the next workout bicep and tricep/pull ups, then the next workout Back and shoulders with 3 sets of deadlifts. You need to eat good carbs to build muscle, protein wont do squat without carbs. Protein is wasted when not eaten with carbs. you piss it out. you will see good results if you do this and you will get very strong. Just remember that an elephant is the strongest animal on land and doesn't eat 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, this is some shit we humans have come up with, all of the strongest animals and the biggest ones are on a pure vegan diets, rhinos, bulls, horses, gorillas, none of them eat 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, they eat carbs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j4779 Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 Man, I just don't have the body type to do that- if I eat any extra carbs, I can literally account for it 2-3 days later by weighing myself on a scale and seeing the fat around my abdomen growing. I am THAT in-tune with my body. So if I have pasta, pizza, potatoes, bread or any sweets, I'll put on like 3-5 lbs within 3 days, seriously. Also, isn't it like every gram of protein equals 4 carbs? I don't know, but I'm trying to put on lean muscle- I'm not trying to get too huge, like a body-builder, more like lean and muscular similar to Ryan Reynolds build. As for all the pull-ups and 6-8 sets, I'm only 4 months into lifting, so once I've done 3 sets of pull-ups or even chin-ups, I only have enough steam left to do 1 or 2 more exercises. Because of that, I only do pull-ups and chin-ups along with push-ups and ab stuff together, then I do chest, arms, shoulders, etc. on separate days so that I can get good full sets instead of wearing myself out with pull-ups first. I do, however, perform 3 sets of dips on chest or shoulder days sometimes, but then the rest of my workout is usually weaker. I take N.O. Explode before working out, maybe I need to try something different to give me more endourance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oatsandpotatoes Posted July 7, 2009 Author Share Posted July 7, 2009 In that case, just lift hard and maybe lean out a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j4779 Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 In that case, just lift hard and maybe lean out a bit. Okay, I'm going to try your suggestion. So, let's say for flat-bench, I normally would do the following 3 sets: 10 reps @ 90 lbs10 reps @ 100 lbs10 reps (or until fatigue) @ 110 lbs With your routine, I should do 6-8 reps of heavier weight that I should only be able to do 4 reps or less of, right? So maybe something like: 4 reps @ 1104 reps @ 1154 reps @ 1204 reps @ 125 4 reps @ 1304 reps @ 135 Should I increase in increments like that? Also, what is your suggested recovery time between sets (I usually rest 1:30-2 minutes)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAINRA Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I agree... Good carbs are the best... mainly from veggies. Amino acid profile in raw veggies is perfect and amazing muscle builder. That is where I got cut. White refined carbs put on weight unless you are a ultramarathoner or some long distance athlete. Protein as it is still has to be converted to a amino acid profile. So get it from the source veggies. However you see fit. I also do pull-ups, dips and work legs a must! Creating the most amount of natural growth hormone which helps repair muscle. If your not working out hard keep carbs low. If your working out keep them high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oatsandpotatoes Posted July 10, 2009 Author Share Posted July 10, 2009 Yeah, that sounds like a good idea, your intensity level should be 85-90% of your 1 rep max on every single rep. Increase your reps every couple of weeks by 1. when you can do 2 reps more than what you started with, add a little more weight. 5 pounds is a good idea without hurting yourself. Go back to your old routine after 6 weeks for a couple of weeks, then switch back the 4 reps again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el_flaco Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 I wanna gain some strength so I am looking for help with that as well. Man you look pretty damn strong already. What kind of weights are you lifting at the moment? Hey bro, I would say I am on the lower end compared to the strong dudes. Typical workout for bench is 245 4-5 reps, incline 225 5 reps. Goal is to increase my max flat bench to 315, right now I am am maxing out at 270, was at 300 about three years ago, dieted down and lost strength and never really got back up there again. Squat 345x6, deadlift 295x5, was at 315x6, max deadlift was 385. I wanna increase my strength with these compound exercises, I would prefer not to use the wieght belt till I reach 330 to 340 on the deads, 380 of more on squats. A guy at my gym suggested that I do a 1 rep max rep everytime I do these lifts. Do you have any ideas. ThanksSorry man, forgot to check back into your intro thread. You've got solid rep strength there, if you're interested in maxing out it's good to do that more regularly but 1 rep maxes everytime would be pretty tough on the body. Probably best to mix it up a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CollegeB Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Great to have you on the forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j4779 Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 (edited) Yeah, that sounds like a good idea, your intensity level should be 85-90% of your 1 rep max on every single rep. Increase your reps every couple of weeks by 1. when you can do 2 reps more than what you started with, add a little more weight. 5 pounds is a good idea without hurting yourself. Go back to your old routine after 6 weeks for a couple of weeks, then switch back the 4 reps again. Well, I couldn't do exactly as I planned. I did, however, mix in your suggestions with my normal routine, which mixed things up pretty good. It turned out to be the best workout I've had in a while. I have also began trying to bulk-up, so adding calories/carbs before my workout also seemed to help. I feel that I may have been depriving myself of enough carbs to put on more muscle, but part of my goal was to shed a bunch of body fat- which I have. So now I can concentrate on bulking up a little while still maintaining a lower body fat percentage. Edited July 15, 2009 by j4779 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oatsandpotatoes Posted July 12, 2009 Author Share Posted July 12, 2009 Well, I couldn't do exactly as I planned. I did, however, mix in your suggestions with my normal routine, which mixed things up pretty good. It turned out to be the best workout I've had in a while. I have also began trying to bulk-up, so adding calories/carbs before my workout also seemed to help. I feel that I may have been depriving myself of enough carbs to put on more muscle, but part of my goal was to shed a bunch of body fat- which I have. So now I can concentrate on bulking up a little while still maintaining a lower body fat percentage. That's great man. Glad you enjoyed it. If you are trying to loose bodyfat try walking every day. Walking is often underestimated. If you walk 45 mins to an hour every day you will get pretty lean while holding on to most of your muscles. Also, eat a medium sized potato 30 mins before you workout, you will be suprised how much energy you get from it. All the other garbage and pre workout supplements don't even come close to a good ole potato. Test it out bro. I am 1 rep max's everytime I workout, testing it out to see if I can add strength and some muscle. We are all in this, with virtually the same goals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oatsandpotatoes Posted July 12, 2009 Author Share Posted July 12, 2009 Great to have you on the forum!Thanks CollegeB. It's good to be here, among other Vegans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oatsandpotatoes Posted July 12, 2009 Author Share Posted July 12, 2009 Sorry man, forgot to check back into your intro thread. You've got solid rep strength there, if you're interested in maxing out it's good to do that more regularly but 1 rep maxes everytime would be pretty tough on the body.Probably best to mix it up a bit. I think mixing it up is really the trick. I did rep max for most of my muscles last week. I really hope this will break some of my plateaus. I am dying to increase my muscle mass and strength... lol. Gotta do it for Veganism Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCNINJA Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Welcome to the forum. Great to have you here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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