Veganism: How To Build Muscle Following A Vegan lifestyle

Veganism is perceived as very skeptical in bodybuilding. The main reason is that our body needs proteins to build muscle mass. The most known source of protein is meat. Since vegans do not consume or do partially animal products building muscle mass is seen as an unreachable task. But is it true, or can it enhance muscle mass only for consumer products, not animal origin? This is the question I will answer further in this article.

If you decide to be a vegan and want to increase your body muscle mass, know that you are not the only one in this situation. Many professional bodybuilders managed to win international bodybuilding competitions following such a lifestyle. A good example is Jim Morris, Mr. Olympia Grand Master, who feels great now at 60 years.

The Diet of a Vegan Bodybuilder

However, being a vegan bodybuilder is not easy. You will need a more detailed approach to diet since you have to know the substitutes for protein from meat. It is quite hard at the beginning, but you will be surprised by how good you feel over time. Protein from meat takes some time to be digested. That’s why it always has to be consumed in moderate portions. It was proved that people who eat meat too frequently have higher risks of developing heart diseases or even some forms of cancer.

Being a vegan means you have a lower chance of developing such diseases. Thus, veganism is also associated with healthy living. Whether you are a total vegan or do it partially, you have to know that there are products that can easily replace meat. There are three main sources of proteins for vegans:

-Nuts and seeds;

-Cereals;

-Vegetables.

These products have to stay based on each vegan diet. To ensure the required amount of protein for building muscle, vegan bodybuilders are advised to mix at least two of these products at every meal over the day. Soya, whey protein, and yeast are other great protein sources for a vegan. Yeast can be bought from your local health food store, while soya can be reached in different ways: powder, entire, etc.

Do not forget to fill your diet with many fresh vegetables and fruits. Especially important for vegans is to consume fruits rich in vitamin C, which allows for better non-heme iron absorption in vegetables. People who eat meat have no such problem since meat contains heme iron which is quickly absorbed by the human body.

Regarding how many meals per day a vegan should have, the answer is pretty much as in the case of meat eaters: 6, up to 8 meals throughout the whole day. Four big meals and 3-4 snacks are enough to give your body the nutrients necessary for muscle building and energy. Having enough energy means productive workouts. And, in turn, bigger muscle mass.

Make it a rule to eat something every two hours. Choose healthy food. Otherwise, you will gain weight. A shake after working out gives your body the nutrients it needs for a faster recovery.

As important as food is water intake. Make sure your body is well-hydrated over the day. Remember the rule of those 8 glasses of water daily and stick to it. You can drink more, but never less than this. Since a well-hydrated body is full of energy, you need so much for your workouts.

Veganism Supplements for Vegan Bodybuilders

Supplementation, as in the case of meat eaters, is necessary for building muscle mass. Creatine is a good supplement that proved to be very effective for boosting muscle mass. Anabolic steroids are also an alternative that brings great results within weeks. It depends on your goal whether or not you will choose to use some of these forms of supplementation.

Click Here to Check Price of Creatine

What you have to know is that every bodybuilder, vegan or not, sometimes makes use of them to achieve better results. But it would be best if you were educated about their proper usage to avoid unwanted side effects. Aside from diet and supplementation, other factors influence the easiness you gain muscle mass. Genetics is the most important of them. If you are not naturally gifted with a muscular body, then your efforts will not give you the desired results.

It is about your body's limits. But this doesn’t mean it is impossible. You work harder and follow a sensible diet, and you will reach your goals over time. Your metabolism and recovery rate are other details that can also cumber muscle-building. A slow metabolism makes you burn fewer calories and gain weight.

There are numerous ways to fasten it, and you have to consider them for melting away unwanted weight. The time you need for recovery is also important for building muscle mass. The more days you need for recovery, the less you can dedicate to training. Two-three workouts per week are enough for most of us. You must revise the whole training routine if you can not follow such a schedule because of fatigue or muscle pain.

Must Read: How to Beat Fatigue

Workout Routine for Vegan Bodybuilders

In regard of the training routine, then there are no major differences. You are free to choose the training split that works better for you. Keep in mind that weight training is the only way to add muscle mass. Begin with a smaller weight and gradually increase it. Doing so will keep you away from injuries.

Focus on compounds, free weights, or body weights exercises, and let the isolation movements for later. The advantage of basic exercises is that during them are worked, the biggest group of muscles of the body, which is good. While isolation concentrates on small muscles, most of them are involved in work during compound movements.

Must Read: Free Workout Routine: This is What You Have To Know

 To sum up, building muscle mass while following a vegan lifestyle is possible. You need a more careful approach to diet. Protein from products of animal origin would be replaced with nuts, seeds, vegetables, cereals, soya, whey protein, and yeast. The best would be to combine two or more of these products at any meal over the day. Follow a 6-8 meals per day routine to reach healthy foods and avoid junk food.

Being vegan or not, such factors as genetics, metabolism, and recovery rate directly influences the speed you are packing on muscle mass. Keep this mind when establishing goals to be achieved. This will help you to stay realistic and optimistic about your potential muscle mass gains.