Hey guys,
I’m a keen martial artist, but I also like to keep fit and lift weights. I seemed to have reached a sticking point! My firgure is pretty toned, but I am quite light. I am trying to put on a little weight and build some more muscle mass. This is proving fairly tricky on a veg diet. I’m thinking bout supplementing creatine or something just to get off my current plateau.
Any thoughts? Is this a good idea?
Advice would be much appriated,
Thanks
W
Eat more tofu.
Sure, if you want breastises:D
Try whey protein and/or cottage cheese, if that is acceptable to you. If you are “vegan,” check out articles at www.mikemahler.com
Hello William,
All you may need is to shift the emphasis in your training. The impression that I get is that you do a lot of cardio/endurance exercises. You may want to de-emphasize that and focus on strength development (heavy lifting) for a cycle (See literature on periodization or ask some of our more experienced members such as Ironfist and Ford Prefect for more info). Since you are a vegetarian I suspect that your cycle may be longer to get the gains that you want.
I would suggest that you simplify your weight training focus to four exercises: Squat, deadlift, benchpress, and pullups.
mickey
I forgot one thing william.
STAY AWAY FROM CREATINE!!! IT IS NOT SAFE.
mickey
Re: Vegetarian, supplements?
William:
Building muscles mass or hyperthropy comes from two things your workout and from your diet. To give you pratical advice we must understand your reason and cause to desire to build muscle mass? What is your goal be specifically? What are you doing now in the gym. What are eating now? Where do you want to gain muscle muscle mass? When do you want to accomplish your goal? How do you hope to accomplish your goals? Why do you want to develop muscle mass? Is it for vanity or for function? There is nothing wrong for vanity’s sake, but in terms of function for your martial art training that is another question.
Since you addressed your diet veg diet and not your training, I will offer my non-professional opinion. You will need X amount of calories which about 500 more than your present normal caloric intake a week, x amount of protien, x amount of carbs in order to gain lean muscle mass. To understand your caloric needs, you
need to know your body’s lean muscle mass and figure out how much protein and carbs you will need to consume to gain that lean muscle mass based that information.
As for your protein source, you may look into different non-meat sources. Since you dont eat meat, then you have to look harder for a good source of protein. Carbs, you better becareful since more of your veg diet is centered around of carbs. Maybe you should be more picky about what type of carbs you take in?
In terms of supplementations, dont use it if you dont need it. Be cautious and learn as much as you can because there is no magic pills. If you have hit a plateau than perhaps you may consider changing your workout as well as your diet. This way, both changes in workout and diet will definitely do something different to your body.
Hi william,
To keep it short:
kidney failure
heatstroke
if not caught in time:
death
Do a search on creatine in this forum or in the main forum. I do remember posting in detail.
Question: Since you are a veggie, why use creatine? It comes from beef!!
mickey
providing you keep well hydrated, i thought creatine was safe (?). i’ll look around for more info when i’ve got some more time
Hi stubbs,
There has been NO long term research on the effects of creatine. As I told IronFist in an earlier thread, the present batch of consumers are its guinea pigs. The only positive info on creatine come from the people who are making money off it.
Again do a search on creatine in this forum. I did give more details.
mickey
Well, I’m a non-creatine user but I’m interested in it for the future. I would tend to take it in moderation. Literature I’ve read says that the initial loading period is probably unnecessary. That would be when the maximum load on your kidneys takes place. Like all things, I think as long as you’re sensible it should be OK. I mean, I can die in one alcohol binge. If I could handle it a couple of bottles of spirits in a row would probably do it. But I could drink a glass of spirits a day for the rest of my life and be alright.
yo
man, i would just avoid supplements all together.
I was using this Whey Protein Sheet and I saw ok improvements, but I was getting friggin zits on my arms!
So that was that.
Finding protein is not hard at all you just have to know what foods have it, and there are plenty of them that aren’t meat.
Hey Toby,
Take a look at what happened to Alonzo Mourning and Shawn Elliott of the Orlando Magic (basketball). Before creatine came out those guys were super thin. Suddenly they are diesel. But what are the odds of two unrelated players, on the same team, coming down with the same kidney disease? The NBA has yet to fess up about creatine and its dangers. There is just too much money to be made off it.
If you plan to use it, you have my condolences in advance.
mickey
Yeah, like I said, I’m wary of things like that. OK, off the top of my head, here’s what I’ve mostly read about creatine for my bodyweight - most advice says to take 20g a day for 5 days (the loading period). Then, 5g a day for maintenance period (up to 3mths). Other advice I’ve read has said that the loading period is unnecessary. Cynics have said that that’s just a way for the companies to sell more creatine. I think that a lot of people probably do take too much of it. If I go on it, I won’t do a loading period. I’ll also monitor my results and see whether I’m getting any benefits. If not, I’ll stop.
I agree there is a lot of research that has to be done with creatine. I also agree that there is potentially an increased load on the kidneys, especially during the loading period. Then again, in moderation it may be safe. Here’s another story - I’m anti-steroids, but Louie Simmons of Westside gym isn’t. He’s been taking them for 30-odd years. He gets world-class lifting results and says that it doesn’t (or hasn’t ;)) affect(ed) his health. So for every danger story there is a counterargument.
I’m not familiar with the NBA - wrong country.
Toby, out of interest, where are you based?
Perth
Re: yo
Originally posted by Spark
[B]man, i would just avoid supplements all together.
I was using this Whey Protein Sheet and I saw ok improvements, but I was getting friggin zits on my arms!
. [/B]
I think that was hygiene
or maybe doing such high protein you just needed something to break it down andflush..like red wine, lemon juice and soda water, more potassium like electrolites ( becauseofthe kidney effect)
last month aside (and only because 41kgs is getting so crazy)..I’ve been a vegetarian for yrs…if you really want to add bulk the basicrule is complex carb + sugar, dry is better, like bread and processed grains because you don’t feel so stodgey and they break down more gently…
also soy milk has huge fat %, so go crazy …
protein 1hr post workout, complex carb up to hrs post…
tofu, fruits and veg is good but because they’re wet carbs, you can start to feel crusty
also up and alternate your hot and cold fluids because it will help your body deal with all the extra food
****it, i think i’m gonna have to agree with BL on this one.
SPARKY! GET YOUR ASS TO THE SHOWER. :mad:
thanks, this is what I think
I had a look in the shop, and talked to the guy about it and decided against creatine, and from what you’ve said I’m glad!
I did however pick up some whey powder, It tastes ok but still I’m still unsure if I will carry on with it. Is there any bad press about that I haven’t read?
I thought just a little of that each day might be good?It has a sh*t load of vitamins as well as protein. I dunno though, I may just start eating more brasil nuts!
As for my workout? I dont tend to go to the gym, it just takes up too much time. I usually just to push up variations (as many as possible) pull ups, sit ups and some weights like bicep curls and that kind of stuff.
why do I want to be a little bigger? I really like the idea of being really strong, like being able to be in complete control of my own body weight. I’ll have to be a little bigger before that happens!
W
hmm
um, well i didn’t have them on my arms before or since so i’m pretty sure it wasn’t hygiene!
DON’T PICK ON ME! RTB!
haha