The number of people that have gone vegetarian has been on the rise over the years. However, going vegetarian does not mean stopping to build your muscles and remain fit. Most vegetarians looking to build muscles usually tend to think they will never make it because of what they eat. However, that should not be the case.
While proteins are known to play a major role in building muscles, this should not put you off from reaching your goals. You don’t need such high amounts of proteins to build muscles as you might think, and you can get plenty of protein from sources that don’t come from animals. They are so many ways vegetarians can build muscles despite not consuming the meat that most muscle builders consume.
Stay with me as we look at the best 19 vegetarian bodybuilder tips:
Table of Contents
1. Eat More Vegetables And Fruits
You need your immune system to be strong when building muscles. There is nothing that does that better than consuming more of the fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidants and vitamins. This will keep your immune system strong for muscle building.
2. Get Enough Calories
Every vegetarian bodybuilder should aim to get as many calories as their diet can allow. Bodybuilding usually burns a lot of the calories you consume, and if you don’t have enough the body resorts to incoming proteins for more calories. This will eventually cause a deficit in your protein intake, which is not good for muscle building.
3. Instead Of Rice, Consume Quinoa
Are you the kind of person that consumes brown rice in your meals every now and again? Why not swap that with quinoa? Quinoa has higher protein content than brown rice and is considered a great choice for bodybuilding vegetarians. Remember, brown rice is not a good source of protein while quinoa is a great source of protein. Proteins are quite important for the process of muscle building.
4. Take Legumes And Chickpeas More Often
Legumes and chickpeas are a great source of proteins for vegetarians and one you should not avoid. Legumes and chickpeas must be included in your diet regularly. These two are low fat carbs and make a good source of energy when planning to engage in intense workouts. They form a great snack just before you get started with any serious workouts or activities.
5. Do Short But Intense Workouts
Who said you have to spend the whole day in the gym to get the desired results? Short but intense works on a daily basis will help build muscles without eating into your protein too much. Long workouts usually lead to muscle loss, and this requires more proteins, which are not always in free supply for vegetarians.
Long workouts mean more proteins are used for energy instead of building up the body, which is not something vegetarians cannot afford in big numbers. Instead, go with the short but intense workouts that deliver similar results but utilize less of the proteins.
6. Avoid Relying On Processed Foods
Relying on processed food is one big mistake most vegetarians make and one you should avoid right away. Being a vegetarian does not mean eating all manner of foods without considering if they are healthy. You still have to eat healthy and maintain diets with whole grains, fresh vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Do not lose track just because you’re not eating meat and start consuming all manner of junk food thinking it will not affect you.
7. Make Use Of Soy Protein Powders Or Egg White
Consuming egg white and soy protein powders is a great way to improve your protein intake needed for muscle building. Egg whites are animal by-products that offer you a good source of proteins if your diet allows them. If not, you can opt for Soy. You can also mix them up with other source of proteins. These two are a must have in your diet if you want to build muscles on a vegetarian diet.
8. Go Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian
Depending on your reasons for becoming a vegetarian, going lacto-ovo vegetarian is a great option to help you build muscles easier and faster. This simply means you will include dairy products and eggs in your diet. The inclusion of these two will dramatically boost your protein intake and help you with your muscle building venture. This is one of the best ways to make your vegetarian life easier when building muscles.
9. Use Nuts For Energy
One thing you need is high energy levels, especially when building muscles. Nuts are a great source of long-lasting energy. Just a handful of nuts are good to give you enough energy for a long time. The nuts help boost your energy and make the process of muscle gaining quite easier.
10. Make Use Of Tempeh
Tempeh is another great source of protein for vegetarians and one you must consider in your diet. Most people looking for creative ways to boost their protein intake will definitely add tempeh, but that is usually overlooked. Do you often find yourself going for tofu instead of tempeh? Tofu is another great source of proteins for vegetarians, but don’t overlook tempeh as it also adds a substantial amount of proteins.
11. Vary Your Food Choices
It is quite easy for vegetarians to have appetite for the same foods over and over again as their choices are limited. However, this is one temptation you should avoid and instead try to vary your food choices as much as you can. A variety of foods will help prevent any form of nutrient deficiency, which is common with most vegetarians. Make sure you have a program for what you eat and which foods that you should eat on certain days.
12. You May Have To Consider Iron Supplementation
Iron is probably the only ingredient vegetarians fall short of when they stop eating meat. There is nothing wrong trying to get this by taking iron supplementation. Iron plays a major role in the development of red blood cells, and this is something you cannot afford to miss in your body. Without enough iron in your body, you will find yourself getting tired faster. This is not something you need to experience when looking to add muscles.
13. Put More Focus On Broccoli And Spinach
Spinach and broccoli are another great set of vegetables to include in your diet as they contain another great mineral that your body requires. These two are great sources of calcium which might be lacking when you stop eating meat.
However, in addition to these two, you also need to consider taking calcium supplementation to fill up the shortage. Calcium plays a major role in the buildup of strong bones, which is something you don’t want to miss when doing intense workouts.
14. Consider Adding Some Peanut Butter
Smearing natural peanut butter in as many foods as you can is another great way to boost your fat content. Peanut butter will help boost your calorie intake, something that will help with your muscle building. The peanut butter can be smeared on fruits like bananas, oatmeal, and apples.
15. Include More Walnuts, Flaxseeds, And Flaxseed Oil In Your Diet
These will help boost your essential fatty acids that you will be lacking since you won’t be eating fish or taking fish oil. Fatty acids are a must have ingredient in yourdiet, and these are the best sources for vegetarians to get them.
16. Eat On A Regular Basis
Vegetarians that are into body building need to eat on a regular basis. This is because they are not getting as much protein as they would normally be getting. Eating frequently will ensure you always have the same steady supply of nutrients as others that eat all forms of food. There will be a steady supply of amino acids moving into the muscles just like your counterparts that eat meat.
17. Supplement With Branched Chain Amino Acids
Branched chain amino acids are another great source of amino acids on top of eating regularly. The branched amino acids need to be taken just before workouts and immediately after workouts. The supplementation will help safeguard your body against any form of muscle loss.
18. Monitor Your Body Fat Levels
Monitoring your body fat levels is very crucial for all vegetarians looking to gain muscles. This is a good indication to know whether you’re actually gaining muscles or losing. Knowing your body fat level will help you take appropriate actions just in case you’re losing muscles.
19. Don’t Let Other People Get You Down
One major problem most vegetarians suffer is the negative influence of others. Most people will most likely tell you how you won’t make it.
Do not let this get into your head, and instead block their views and focus on getting your muscles. The negative influence of friends and family members will not help you achieve your bodybuilding goals as a vegetarian.
19 Vegetarian Bodybuilder Tips Conclusion
These tips will help you build muscles without any side effects or a lot of straining. Always have them in the back of your mind as you start your journey towards building muscles as a vegetarian. Being a vegetarian is no excuse not to be fit and build some muscles.
