Vegan Muscle Building Tips
Vegan Muscle building has
exploded over the past five years. More
and more people are concentrating on a diet that is free from animal
products. There are so many reasons why
a person may choose to be vegan such as health, environment, social, etc.
Like any diet, there are
stumbling blocks that can get in the way of achieving the perfect physique. The
three most common issues are discussed below with strategies on how to overcome
them.
Not Getting Enough Sleep and Recovery
As a Type A person who is
motivated to achieve their best form, it is easy to over-train. Taking a day off is essential for not only
building muscle but staying healthy as well.
Vegans are no different!
Sleep
Aim for solid 7-8 hours+ each
night and more when you are training heavily.
Use a sleeping app to track your patterns and measure your energy levels
so that you can see what is working for you.
Recovery
What is the difference between
rest days and just being lazy? Again, everyone’s circumstances are different so
how much recovery will depend on your situation. If you feel as though you don’t want to sit around watching TV,
you can opt for activities such as light running, swimming or riding a bike. The action will pump blood to your
recovering muscles and speed up rehabilitation.
Not Hydrating Enough
Water is used by the body to
flush out toxins out of the muscles and to deliver vital nutrients muscles need
to grow. By not adequately hydrating
you are creating a massive training obstacle for yourself.
It is important more so for
vegans as they are on high fibre, high sodium diets (beans, etc.). You can offset this by eating foods that
have a lot of water such as; cauliflower, eggplant, wild blueberries.
The old fashioned recommendation
was 8 cups or 2 litres every day. Take
this as a minimum. If you are in a hot,
dry environment, you will want to increase your water consumption drastically.
The best strategy that I have
seen is to carry the largest practical drink bottle (2.2 litres) and finish a minimum
of two of those each day.
Drink more and record in a
workout diary how it makes you feel, such as more energized, bloated, etc.
Not Consuming Enough Calories
One of the main reasons that
vegan bodybuilders fail to put on muscle mass is due to their diet.
The major pain point in getting
enough calories is the sheer amount of food one must eat to achieve a calorie
surplus. This problem is especially
suffered by women.
However, there are some meal
plans that a vegan, especially women who are interested in muscle gains, can
follow to consume an adequate amount of calories.
A Vegan Bodybuilding 1 Day Meal Plan
- Women
As we are aware, the surplus of
energy that is left over at the end of the day is used by the body to put on
weight. Everybody is different, and
there is a range of factors that decide how many calories you need each
day. Aim for 300-500 extra calories per
day. Track and examine how your body reacts
to these additional calories over time and adjust as required.
Hope that you got some value from the strategies and plans above. For
your reference, you can read more on the subject on building
muscle on a vegan diet. If you have
any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments.
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