5 Important Tips for Vegans Bulking and Cutting in 2023 ?

READ LATER - DOWNLOAD THIS POST AS PDF >> CLICK HERE <<

For all its benefits Veganism is not without its dietary challenges! As much as a Plant-Based diet is nutritious for bodybuilders (especially) this can still be problematic. Especially for Vegans bulking and cutting. Exactly why (if it is possible) it does help to be educated about the right types of foods and supplements.

Have you committed to a vegan diet, and are you struggling to put on weight as a result?

Well, You are not alone. Many that begin Plant-Based Diets face these same problems – almost always down to Nutrition, but please do not worry – Bulking up on a Vegan diet is definitely possible.

The proof is there to be found and there are plenty of examples of successful bodybuilders that have gone meat-free.

A quick search on google gives the following results;

Not really anyone that I know of I will admit but as you can see from these above examples, these are all very successful bodybuilders that have chosen the vegan lifestyle. If anything these guys show us that you don’t need to eat meat to build up muscles

Just taking your time to research this group alone you can see what is possible. This is what the meat industry doesn’t want you to know, and for anyone that needs some extra help with ideas for Vegans Bulking and Cutting please keep reading.

Follow these tips if you would like to learn more…

5 Tips for Vegans Bulking and Cutting

Table of Contents

Now, I was recently talking to a friend about how his own vegan experience and I found this to be quite interesting. According to him, he wanted to build extra muscle but he was struggling because he needed to put on extra weight.

I’m not sure exactly how he is getting on with this since I spoke to him last. I mean I think he was probably selling himself a bit short because he is not exactly a bag of bones but regarding this point, he was trying to make about Vegans bulking and cutting – I’ve definitely heard many times before that this is possible.

Indeed, you only need to look at Cattle or Elephants to see what can be achieved through a strictly plant-based diet. The Animal kingdom is full of examples of very big muscular animals that only eat plants.

In fact, one nutritionist I was watching on Youtube actually said when we eat meat this is basically recycled protein from the animal. Not too crazy really like how many bodybuilders eat steaks and what are they? the meat from cattle who eat nothing else but grass.

So I found this interesting but another thing I see on Youtube was someone saying that plants are basically formed from sunlight and consuming plants as food is consuming the most direct form of sunlight.

Not too crazy either I don’t think. We need sunlight to produce Vitamin D in the body and the only other way we can get Vitamin D is from certain Plant Foods. It is a bit of a rabbit hole to go down but what is clear is that many life forms on this planet absolutely thrive off sunlight.

Vitamin D is essential for our immune health and mineral absorption. [R] Especially Calcium and Magnesium which are essential for building stronger bones and muscle.

Amongst many other things… but let’s get back to the topic… 5 Tips for Vegans Bulking and Cutting

1# – How To Stop Eating Meat

how to stop eating meat in favor of a plant based diet

I should tread very carefully here. Making sudden changes to your diet such as going meat-free for new dieters can be dangerous. Anyone considering a switch to a vegetarian or plant-based diet must be prepared to make the right dietary changes and to find the right alternative sources of nutrition.

I don’t want to put anyone off going meat-free. I would like to add that my friend who is vegan I really respect his decision. To see how some animals are farmed on an industrial scale actually shocks me to the core.

I don’t want to drone on about all this here but I see why more people might look at this situation and consider veganism. It really is not so lame as people think because we don’t actually need meat to survive.

As long as we can get things like B Vitamins, Iron and Calcium from other sources then eating meat is not actually necessary. If you really wish to give up meat then it’s just a matter of doing a bit of research first. Find out what nutrients you are actually getting from your diet already and look into which foods and supplements can help plug this gap.

It really is this simple and I know this does not exactly apply to those that have already committed to a vegan diet but actually, this is probably the first tip for vegans cutting and bulking be sure to get the right nutrition.

2# – Pick The Best Foods for Vegan Bodybuilding

pick the best vegan foods for building muscle

To build muscle in any situation what we need is amino acids. Proteins are broken down with the help of enzymes and it’s from these amino acids which are leftover that we use to build muscles.

Finding a good vegan protein shake is one sensible idea and definitely, I would recommend MassZymes by Bioptimizers to help increase protein digestion but let’s not really focus on this just yet.

Choosing the right foods for bulking is the main thing here. At least from the point of view of my friend who wanted to resolve his issue with his vegan diet about putting on more weight.

So yes for vegans bulking the same rules apply we must increase our calorie intake of fats and carbs.

Some high-calorie foods for vegans looking to gain weight are the following;

Nuts and Nut Butters.
Avocado. …
Quinoa. …
Olive Oil. …
Dried Fruit. …
Legumes. …
Sweet Potatoes.

and as for cutting it is important to include an alternative source of protein other than meat.

This might seem like a challenge. When we think of the typical bodybuilder with a plate full of steaks can we really imagine that anything else could take its place? It is a good question but of course, there are vegan alternatives.

Nuts, Pulses and Legumes are good sources of Protein. In fact, Soya beans and Soy food products such as Edamame, Tempeh and Tofu are some of the richest sources of protein that can be taken on a vegan diet.

Not good if you are allergic to nuts or soy but if you are these are the first things to consider.

You also want to make sure that you are getting enough fibre. In this case, brown rice and beans are great foods to try here.

Oatmeal is very good –

Plus, there are other sources of plant protein. Leafy greens for example, such as Broccoli and Kale are a source of Protein. Mushrooms are another. As are; Spirulina (a type of Seaweed), Quinoa and other grain-based foods such as Ezekiel Bread and Seitan. Seeds are good too including chia seeds, hemp seeds and sunflower seeds. [R]

Tip: One good protein-based meal to consider is Beans, and Rice with Hummus spread on Ezekiel Bread.

Quite a lot to consider once you know but further to this…

3# – Which Nutrients Are Important for Vegans Bulking and Cutting?

Perhaps the first thing you really need to be considered for vegans cutting and bulking is the intake of calories. Knowing what you are eating and being able to make the right calculations towards how much extra or less you need is the key here.

Very much the same as the usual advice that might be given to a regular bodybuilder that has not gone meat-free.

you should pay close attention to what you eat.

So there are 3 types of calories you need to factor in; Carbs, Fats and Proteins. You should first work out what your average daily intake is of each and from here try to work out how you can increase your intake of each. This should result in a diet plan and this should be something you continuously monitor for results.

In terms of nutrients, you should make sure that you are getting all the right vitamins and minerals. Vitamin A, C, D, E, & K, B Vitamins, and Electrolytes such as Potassium, Magnesium, and Zinc alongside important minerals such as Iodine, Iron and Calcium.

All are important but perhaps Calcium and Vitamin D + Magnesium/Zinc and Vitamin K are most important for bones and muscle. Finding the right supplements can really help here and this is something I will discuss soon.

But back to the main point.

4# – How To Gain Weight On a Vegan Diet

Increasing your calorie intake to upwards of 4000 to 6000 calories seems to be the golden rule for vegans hoping to put on weight. With a generous diet of high-quality foods and a consistent plan, you should find that this is possible.

Do not be fooled into thinking things like you don’t need to do cardio exercises etc. You don’t need to stop training to bulk up you just need the calorie intake to be surplus that you are burning off.

Try to include a couple of shakes in your meal plans. Almond Butter and Coconut Oil seem to be good sources of fat so consider adding these ingredients in with your protein powder.

I don’t mean to cut corners here but check out this article from NoMeatAthlete.com

I don’t really feel right publishing his recipe here but according to the author of this article, one of his vegan fat shakes once a day is what really made the difference for him and he was able to gain around 17lbs in six weeks. He says he probably could have put on 20 but there were a couple of interferences that prevented him from doing so.

Definitely sounds like a good idea and getting the right ingredients alongside a good protein shake really seem to be the key here. This guy recommends his own protein shake ~ not really my top pick [See These Here] but anyhow yes to bulk up as a vegan – firstly eat the right things and secondly get yourself a good protein shake.

Besides this, there may be a few other products you might want to look at. Check these out below. So…

5# – Supplements for Vegans Cutting and Bulking

Our Recommended Vegan
Protein Powder Solution

Get Started!

See Why this is the best protein powder shake for vegans cutting and bulking. Click above to visit the website ✅

So, there are a few different products I think can help. Obviously taking any kind of supplement is only for added benefit but further to that which I’ve mentioned above. I think there are definitely a few products worth looking at for any vegans cutting and bulking.

So Masszymes – these are proteolytic enzymes and really maybe you can find another company if you prefer but taking proteolytic enzymes helps digest extra protein which helps release more muscle-building amino acids.

Of course, for anyone wanting to boost muscle mass, this is a good idea and MassZymes are 100% vegan friendly so you really can’t go wrong here.

PLUS, this same company Bioptimizers [Get 10% off your first order HERE] also have their own Magnesium Complex supplement called Magnesium Breakthrough. This is actually a very important one as you need Magnesium to transport Calcium and Potassium ions in and out of your cells. [R]

Low Magnesium or Hypomagnesia is definitely something you do not want when weight training as you must maintain a healthy balance of electrolytes. You need electrolytes to maintain muscle density and to help with recovery. So that is why I chose this and because like MassZymes it is another vegan-friendly product.

Then think a supplement that provides a source of plant-based calcium and magnesium is another good idea to look at. I recently reviewed a product called Red Algae Calcium – this supposedly contains the best source of calcium and magnesium you will find because of where this is sourced from – the mineral-rich Icelandic sea.

However, unfortunately, this uses Chloraceferol as its source of Vitamin D3 which is created from Lanolin (Sheep’s wool) but I actually think this would be great for a bodybuilder as this type of Calcium is actually superior to the rest.

I am still on the lookout for a completely vegan alternative but plant-based calcium sources are great for bodybuilding.

I see a few products online Red Mineral Algae with Aquamin, Red Algae Calcium, and Red Marine Algae _ I need to investigate further but building and maintaining stronger bones is very important when bodybuilding. I don’t really have a supplement in mind as of now except for the non-vegan one but there are a few on Amazon if you are interested [See Here]

Just be on the lookout for Chloraceferol on the ingredients label. This as I mentioned above is not vegan friendly.

In Conclusion / Final Thoughts

For any Vegans bulking and cutting putting on weight can be a difficult process. Compared to others that aren’t restricted by what they are willing to consume as their source of fats, carbs and proteins – there are certain limitations. This is quite clear for anyone that has committed to this lifestyle. Yet at the same time, this is certainly doable.

Just look at the size of an elephant, or a gorilla – these are creatures that have no trouble with putting on weight and they don’t eat anything else other than plants. Albeit a lot of plants – a full-grown elephant will consume up to 300 lbs of food at least every day. Whilst an Adult Male Gorilla will consume up to 75 lbs of vegetation a day.

Nowhere close to what we as humans could consume surely not but this definitely appears to be the key – to put on more weight – eat more food. If you can obviously. Not everyone can eat a lot but this is the answer – increase your calorie intake simple. I think that the blog I shared above was a good point of resource for this.

Like getting a blender and juicing or making protein shakes I think this is definitely key. Just fill your cupboards up with things like almond butter, almond milk, coconut oil, hemp seed oil, flax seeds and whatever else.

Count your calories and really try to keep on top of it all.

I think this and maybe with the help of maybe 1 or 2 dietary supplements this really might not be so difficult. Just keep at it and see what happens.

If you can go meat-free I totally take my hat off to you FAIRPLAY and if you actually bulk up as well – well I think that is definitely impressive. I am not against the carnivore lifestyle. I have been one my whole life but for the way that animals are treated in the meat industry and the obvious nutritional benefits, I totally do get the appeal of veganism.

So for anyone that is willing to give this a go I hope this guide is helpful and of course any questions I will be more than happy to try and answer.

If you leave me a comment in the comments section below I will look to get back to you ASAP

Many thanks for reading #StayDynamic

Till Next Time

from

Alexander B. Chivers
DynamicIdeas4Life.com

Also if you found today’s post helpful and would like to read more check out some of my other posts below;