How to build muscles as a vegan?

[LSD-Rumi]

I eat two times a day and I don't like eating that much, I eat legumes mainly, like a big dish of fava beans and 2 or 3 dishes of lentil soup, but still I think I am not hitting my optimal protein intake. I ordered some spirulina because I am too suspicious of those vegan protein powders, are there any good brands? I saw some lab tested products but I don't know 

[Michael569]

Look into Derek Simnet's content. Imo he is the most conscious and definitely the most likable vegan YouTuber out there. All 100% wholefood stuff, gym, nature, callisthenics. He and his girlfriend Crystal are amazing people, I've met them both in London. You also have Brian Turner but his style never resonated with me and Jon Venus who is a fake poser boy. 

[LSD-Rumi]

@Michael569 Thanks! I will check them out.

[LSD-Rumi]

@Michael569 Ok I have a question, why do all those bodybuilding coaches keep insisting on eating too many calories even if it was something starchy like rice or bananas? I mean they eat too many calories, why would they do that?

[Michael569]

@LSD-Rumi because you need to be in caloric excess to induce anabolic hypertrophy. It's like trying to build a house, you just need a shitload of resources all the time. One thing is putting a lot of mechanical stress on the muscle but half of that success is feeding your body enough. You should get at last 1.4-1.6 gram of protein per kilo and be at at least 300-500 kcal excess per day. 

Tbh starches are not bad for you. These polysaccharides do not act the same way as refined grains do, it is a completely different metabolic process compared to something like white toast which are just processed monosacharides. 

If you base your vegan diet around complex carbs, lots of legumes, tofu, tempeh, some protein powders (not needed) gaining muscle is totally doable. Is it easier if you eat meat? but ofcourse but that does not mean you need to. In fact you don't. Seriously watch bunch of Derek's videos. His content was the most transformational during my 4 year vegan journey in the past. 

[LSD-Rumi]

@Michael569 ok I will, maybe I consumed too much dr berg content for my own good 

[Michael569]

2 minutes ago, LSD-Rumi said:

maybe I consumed too much dr berg content for my own good 

He has a lot of really good stuff. His advice is holistic, he covers a waste range of topics and has an excellent production quality. It's just all that beef, lard, butter, saturated fats nonsense that I can't stomach. He is a master cherrypicker when it comes to CVD studies. 

[Leo Gura]

Gaining muscle is not about protein, it's about lots of calories. You need a huge calorie surplus. You will gain both muscle and fat. Then later you can burn off some of the fat. You can't just purely gain muscle. For gaining weight you just need high-calorie food.

[LSD-Rumi]

6 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

Gaining muscle is not about protein, it's about lots of calories. You need a huge calorie surplus. You will gain both muscle and fat. Then later you can burn off some of the fat. You can't just purely gain muscle. For gaining weight you just need high-calorie food.

But This will be bad for my body. I don't want to harm my body in the process.
I don't want to build tons of muscles, I just want to look jacked.

[UnbornTao]

Look up Frank Medrano, Ferdinand Beck, and Tobey Maguire. Lol.

[something_else]

47 minutes ago, LSD-Rumi said:

I don't want to build tons of muscles, I just want to look jacked.

Wut lol

[AdamR95]

1 hour ago, Leo Gura said:

Gaining muscle is not about protein, it's about lots of calories. You need a huge calorie surplus. You will gain both muscle and fat. Then later you can burn off some of the fat. You can't just purely gain muscle. For gaining weight you just need high-calorie food.

@Leo Gura It is actually possible to gain muscle and lose fat at the sametime.

 

[Kshantivadin]

3 months vegan and it's simple as this: eat more you skinny fu...n lover!

Peanut butter is easy protein high calories. All types of nuts too. Tahini. Soy meat. I train hard and people consider me jacked and I certainly don't lack protein.

p.s. store-bought tahini makes no sense and both tahini and PB are way cheaper homemade.

Edited November 5, 2021 by Kshantivadin

[Andrey]

I love Leo Gura, but his comment is absolutely ridiculous on this topic. Research has shown again and again that high protein intake is an absolute must if you want to build muscle and maintain it during cutting. Do some research, there is plenty of good info on this topic after the influencer-bodybuilders boom that happened in the past 6-7 years.

Edited November 5, 2021 by Andrey

[SQAAD]

You can gains muscles even with a slight caloric surplus. That is whats most optimal actually. The body can't gain too much muscle naturally and it takes 3-5 years to build a considerable muscle mass. So no more than 500 calories surplus is required.

Also hitting the gym hard is required. Progressive overload and etc. If you train the same you will remain the same. 

 

Edited November 5, 2021 by SQAAD

[Bando]

Find out you maintenance level calories, add 300 calories and get 1 gram of protein per pound, (if you weigh 170 pounds eat 170 grams of protein).

Drink 2 high protein/calorie smoothies and 2 regular meals and lift heavy gaining muscle isn't rocket science it about consistency and discipline.

Protein powder and a nutri-bullet blender are your best friends in getting fit 

[How to be wise]

 

[Sage]

Protein is absolutely essential for gaining muscle, between 0.7 - 1.2g per lb/bw based on the research, sa mall calorie surplus of 300 calories is enough for a sustainable gain without too much excess fat 

[Twega]

22 hours ago, LSD-Rumi said:

@Michael569 Ok I have a question, why do all those bodybuilding coaches keep insisting on eating too many calories even if it was something starchy like rice or bananas? I mean they eat too many calories, why would they do that?

Excess calories accelerate aging; always keep that in mind if your goal is health and longevity. However, a balance needs to be struck- too low protein intake: especially the BCAA leucine, and you will not optimize muscle protein synthesis, which is essential for health and longevity, especially as you grow older.

Too much protein activates mTOR and IGF-1 (especially animal protein), which in excess is bad for longevity and health.

I think most of these bodybuilders will pay dearly for their diet and lifestyle (even if they do not use PED's/anabolics). This is because too many calories are so stressful on the body. However, this is where protein can come in handy: it prevents muscle loss during periods of low-caloric intake.

Recently I started doing resistance training regularly and intensely after a very long hiatus  (24 yrs old, been vegan for five years), and I'm making fantastic progress. I build muscle quickly.

Protein is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to building muscle. Don't also forget about fat (which the body uses as raw material to synthesize hormones.) Also, how are your D3, Zinc, Magnesium levels? Almost no one has a protein deficiency: yet more than 60% of people are deficient in at least one of these micronutrients.

If you're vegan or not: creatine is highly recommended as an ergogenic aid. Also ALCAR.

Protein is just one facet of this complex topic. Getting enough protein is crucial = getting more than you need = you will piss and shit it out.

 

 

[herghly]

@Andrey  this.. dont take advice from Leo about building muscle