Adding some muscle, i'm clueless...

[dennisflorida]

I'm getting to that age where it's looking awkward for me

to still have that 21 year old scrawny look...I'm in my 30's

and want to add a little muscle to my arms and neck and shoulders.

Just look more toned and in shape with a little meat on my bones.

 

How should I go about it being a vegetarian? Right now, i have no

exercise plan or schedule..

[traderho]

A.) stop being a vegetarian.

B.) Eat meat 7 or 8 times a day (until the canines god gave you are razor sharp)!

C) lift weights

 

It is possible to put on weight as a vegetarian but not easy. Go to bodybuilding.com and start reading about putting on lean muscle. As a vegetarian you will have to eat a ton of food 6 times a day and get a rock solid weight lifting routine.

[TheLoneSock]

1) You're a vegetarian, does this mean you consume soy in any way? If you do, stop eating anything with soy in it immediately. It has estrogen in it, which is detrimental to a male's body functions- including building muscle.

 

You can still gain muscle while being a vegetarian, you just have to drink lots of milk and take lots of supplements to replace the things you would normally be eating; which is meat.

 

2) Are you on any type of work out plan right now? Have you started any kind of regimine? If so, what is it and what does it include.

 

3) Is that you in your avatar, on the skateboard? If so, that's a great hobby to have to stay fit. But yes, if you're looking to pack on muscle you will want to add a lot more demand to your body.

[Ms. Joolie]

I'm getting to that age where it's looking awkward for me

to still have that 21 year old scrawny look...I'm in my 30's

and want to add a little muscle to my arms and neck and shoulders.

Just look more toned and in shape with a little meat on my bones.

 

How should I go about it being a vegetarian? Right now, i have no

exercise plan or schedule..

 

I am a vegetarian, not a guy.... so I have no clue what a ample diet for a vegetarian guy would be.

 

However, I did want to mention something. If you are a committed vegetarian, do not compare yourself to the average meat-eating bodybuilder's body. Your diet will be different - meatless - so you will not have the same physique.

 

That's not a bad thing! Lots of great looking, toned, fit and strong vegetarian guys. I have a crush on Jason Mraz myself.... he's a raw foodist. sigh.

[Enema]

You don't need meat to put on muscle.

 

You need protein, most commonly found in meat. But, as long as you have no objections you can get 100% of your protein needs from shakes.

 

You should have 1g of protein for every lb of lean body weight you have. Then, just lift weights, specifics on that is a whole other topic, or something best read on a BB forum.

[builderbob]

First off, before giving any advice....

 

How tall are you and how much do you weight?

[xpaperxcutx]

You can gain muscle even on a vegetarian diet. It's just that you will need to include various supplementation like vitamins, because a vegetarian/vegan diet has a lower protein intake than say a regulasr meat eating bodybuilder.

 

Eating soy is okay but I do agree with another poster that it has estrogen in it. Try to include more raw nuts like almonds and cashews into your diet, and if you can eat eggs or drink milk ( which most vegetarians like myself can) you will want to up your egg white intake, and maybe purchase a good whey protein that will fit into your diet.

 

If you're already skinny and works out, you might want to cut cardio to once a week and start weight lifting and strength training. You have to space out meals throughout the day and eat plenty of protein.

 

PS I would like to add that in order to gain muscle mass, you have to eat more to bulk up. That means whatever calories you're currently eating, you either increase by 500 calories, or make sure your daily caloric intake is 2000 give or take depending on your height, weight, etc.

Edited November 18, 2009 by xpaperxcutx

[USMCHokie]

You should have 1g of protein for every lb of lean body weight you have.

 

This may be a little overkill, especially if you're just starting out...overall caloric intake is more important than protein intake at this stage...being a vegetarian isn't necessarily a total hindrance...it just means you'll have to eat a lot more if you're used to eating low calorie veggie foods...

 

If you have the money, start seeing a personal trainer who can tailor a workout plan to your needs and goals. If not, see if you can find a friend or someone to workout with. You will notice improvement much faster with a partner who can push you out of your comfort zone.

[on edge]

This may be a little overkill, especially if you're just starting out...overall caloric intake is more important than protein intake at this stage...being a vegetarian isn't necessarily a total hindrance...it just means you'll have to eat a lot more if you're used to eating low calorie veggie foods...

 

If you have the money, start seeing a personal trainer who can tailor a workout plan to your needs and goals. If not, see if you can find a friend or someone to workout with. You will notice improvement much faster with a partner who can push you out of your comfort zone.

 

1g of protein per 1lb of mass is recommended for weight loss.

 

OP should consume 1.5-1.7g of protein per 1lb of mass because he is trying to bulk.

 

OP, I am not a vegetarian but I do not like to eat meat either. But do you eat fish(I know some vegs that do)? If so, Salmon is an excellent source of protein.

 

You need to get on a diet plan for bulking and find a workout plan. (Personal trainers are a waste of money). I am doing New Rules of Lifting, and it is amazing. I would recommend it. Also, cease and desist from doing any cardio.

 

One more thing and as stated before, soy will only hurt your progress. HTH.

[USMCHokie]

1g of protein per 1lb of mass is recommended for weight loss.

 

OP should consume 1.5-1.7g of protein per 1lb of mass because he is trying to bulk.

 

 

I still vehemently disagree with this statement, and I'm honestly not sure where you got this information. For weight loss, it's all about reducing overall calorie consumption, not increasing protein consumption...1 g per 1 lb mass is not necessary for most average people that are just starting to lift. Especially if they aren't used to consuming that much protein in their regular diet. At 1.5-1.7g of protein per lb of mass consumed daily, I'd start to get worried about kidney failure. But to each his/her own.

 

Personal trainers are a waste of money.

 

It depends...I find that personal trainers are a lot better for more experienced individuals that know exactly what they're looking for and can ask informed questions.

[xpaperxcutx]

The 1g protein for every lb of muscle is the main rule of thumb to follow for bodybuilders maintaining the muscles they gained. Yes, it's true that weight loss follows a more linear pattern of lowering caloric consumption, but remember the OP wanted to gain muscle. In order to gain muscle and bulk, you actually do have to consume more calories, with a majority of the calories from carbohydrates and most importantly, protein.

[RedDevil66]

A.) stop being a vegetarian.

B.) Eat meat 7 or 8 times a day (until the canines god gave you are razor sharp)!

C) lift weights

 

It is possible to put on weight as a vegetarian but not easy. Go to bodybuilding.com and start reading about putting on lean muscle. As a vegetarian you will have to eat a ton of food 6 times a day and get a rock solid weight lifting routine.

 

Silly

 

I'm a vegetarian and I am also a body builder. There are foods like quinoa which is a complete protein and you will also need to mix foods that make complete proteins.

Google info on complete proteins.

 

Ask this question on some body building sites. You'll get much clearer more concise answers.

 

There are also some good vegan muscle sites.

[RedDevil66]

1g of protein per 1lb of mass is recommended for weight loss.

 

OP should consume 1.5-1.7g of protein per 1lb of mass because he is trying to bulk.

 

OP, I am not a vegetarian but I do not like to eat meat either. But do you eat fish(I know some vegs that do)? If so, Salmon is an excellent source of protein.

 

You need to get on a diet plan for bulking and find a workout plan. (Personal trainers are a waste of money). I am doing New Rules of Lifting, and it is amazing. I would recommend it. Also, cease and desist from doing any cardio.

 

One more thing and as stated before, soy will only hurt your progress. HTH.

 

Someone cannot claim to be a vegan or vegetarian if they eat fish

[RedDevil66]

You can gain muscle even on a vegetarian diet. It's just that you will need to include various supplementation like vitamins, because a vegetarian/vegan diet has a lower protein intake than say a regulasr meat eating bodybuilder.

 

Eating soy is okay but I do agree with another poster that it has estrogen in it. Try to include more raw nuts like almonds and cashews into your diet, and if you can eat eggs or drink milk ( which most vegetarians like myself can) you will want to up your egg white intake, and maybe purchase a good whey protein that will fit into your diet.

 

If you're already skinny and works out, you might want to cut cardio to once a week and start weight lifting and strength training. You have to space out meals throughout the day and eat plenty of protein.

 

PS I would like to add that in order to gain muscle mass, you have to eat more to bulk up. That means whatever calories you're currently eating, you either increase by 500 calories, or make sure your daily caloric intake is 2000 give or take depending on your height, weight, etc.

 

 

Soy does not have estrogen in it, it has isoflavonoids which increase estrogen production.

Soy is safe is small qty's and ok for younger people, but in older women, it's not recommended

 

I'm a certified Natural Health Consultant and working on my Naturopathic degree so this was all basic learning in my first year of school.

 

I agree also on cardio only once a week. You don;t want to burn cals or muscle when you're building. Or you can do cardio 3 x a week but only after your lifting and not for more than 15-20 mins

[xpaperxcutx]

Someone cannot claim to be a vegan or vegetarian if they eat fish

 

You can't claim to be a vegan if you eat fish, but you can claim to be a pescetarian if you only include fish into your vegetarian diet.

 

I'm a pesco myself, and am trying to ease my own way into a full vegetarian.

[xpaperxcutx]

Soy does not have estrogen in it, it has isoflavonoids which increase estrogen production.

Soy is safe is small qty's and ok for younger people, but in older women, it's not recommended

 

QUOTE]

 

Thanks for clearing it up.