5-tips for the Vegetarian Bodybuilder

Vegetarian Bodybuilder – Is There Really Such a Thing?

Is there such a thing as a vegetarian bodybuilder? You bet there is.  Just check-out Wade Lightheart, 3-time Natural Bodybuilding Champion.  Here is a champion that professes the benefits of living a meat-free lifestyle, all the while putting on crazy muscle.  If you are looking to put on size, but don’t like to eat meat, here are 5-tips to get you started.

1. Drink a complete protein, vegan shake

Two of the toughest challenges the vegetarian bodybuilder faces are (a) getting enough protein and (b) ensuring that they consume complete proteins (those that contain all the essential amino acids).  Well, an easy solution is to consume a vegan protein shake such a Vega One or Soy Isolate Protein.  These shakes are great to have post-workout and as snacks.  They can be consumed several times throughout the day as a way of ensuring you get a constant supply of much needed protein.

2. Consume lots of vegetables, fruits and legumes

When training hard to put on size, you body will need a lot of high-quality nutrients, calories and antioxidants.  Eating a wide variety of colourful fruits, vegetables and legumes ensure that you are getting these needs met.

3. Take your supplements

In order to help your body recover and grow, you will need more than food to get the job done.  Here are the top three supplements to consider:

• Microionized Creatine Monohydrate (5-grams per day post-workout)
• L-glutamine (20 grams daily – 10 grams pre- and 10 grams post-workout)
• Branched Chained Amino Acids (BCAA) (10-15 grams daily, before, during and post-workout)

4. Replace Rice with Quinoa

Rice seems to be the staple of many bodybuilders, however, it is not a complete protein, Quinoa is, and for this reason is a better choice.  Also, Quinoa has a higher protein content than rice.  So, for a “bigger bang for your buck” Quinoa is your best choice.

 5. Train short and hard

A longer workout will have a greater protein catabolic effect taking its toll on your muscle mass.  This, in turn, will have a higher protein demand making it harder to meet this need on a vegetarian diet.