NOTE: This post has been submitted by James Chan, NSCA-CPT. His profile is at the end.

Ever since I’ve read the book, “The China Study,” I’ve experimented with lowering my animal protein intake and upping my vegetables. If you haven’t read the book, what it essentially says is that the lower your intake of animal proteins, the lower your risk for cancer, heart disease, diabetes and a whole slew of other diseases.

It provided some very compelling evidence, compelling enough for me to reevaluate some of my assumptions as a former bodybuilder of ten years who ate 5 times a day of high protein (all animal) meals.

Every so often, I get the question from vegetarians, “Can I build muscle as a vegetarian?”

My answer: NO, you cannot build a large muscular physique without animal proteins. Animal proteins don’t just include beef, pork, poultry, and fish, but they include anything that comes from an animal: eggs and dairy.

The key word is can you BUILD muscle without animal proteins? Try it on only soy, beans and nuts, and you will not build a yoked out physique at all. You can build an impressive physique that is trim and lean IF you strength train, but your muscles will have a soft and stringy look to them.

But big, buff, and dense muscles? NO.

Now a lot of people point to vegetarian bodybuilders such as Bill Pearl and others, but I’ll tell you this: Bill Pearl built an impressive muscular physique with animal proteins and THEN became vegetarian. afterwards, he still ate eggs and dairy.

Having experimented with a near vegetarian diet, I will tell you this: it is much easier to maintain a muscular physique on a vegetarian diet AFTER you’ve built it on a diet chock full of animal proteins.

And even then you will lose muscle density on a vegetarian diet. plus you will experience poorer recovery from workouts and more aches and pains.

However, your cardiovascular health will be much better. Rather than having an brawny physique, my physique is now trim and lean. but that is only because I am still strength training heavily, not running and yoga.

Plus I still eat animal proteins, but I practice what is known as “protein-pulsing.” Rather than constantly eating a steady flow of animal proteins every few hours every day, I gorge on protein once a day.

This is the way animals eat, and predatory animals such as tigers and leopards can maintain a very large and impressive musculature on that.

Author Profile:

James Chan, NSCA-CPT, is a full-time police officer for the University of California Police Department in San Francisco. He is also a NSCA certified personal trainer, and from time to time, trains a handful of clients ranging from off-duty law enforcement to white collar professionals. His training articles have appeared in Fitness and Physique Magazine and T-nation.com. He is also the author of the book “Strength and Physique, Volume One.”

Check out his website for more information.

Editors Note: Vegetarians still have a chance. You may not be able to look freakishly large as a bodybuilding, but as James stated, you can certainly create an athletic, trim physique on a vegetarian diet.

For the best vegetarian meal plans, check out Easy Veggie Meal Plans.

The problem that I see with many people who start a fitness program is a lack of desire. I’ve been training since I was 13 years old, and programs were only effective when there was fire in my eyes and determination in my stomach. I wanted something and went out and got it. I paid no attention to see if I was really doing something right or wrong. Heck, I used to wake up at four in the morning and go for a run.

You don’t need to wake up at four or do anything crazy like that to achieve your fitness goals. Just use the following four principles to find that fire deep inside of you:

Decide What you Want

Photo by gserafini

It’s been knocked over you a million times. You need a goal. But so many people still do not have a clear and concise goal. Let me help you. Here is my goal: “To gradually improve my body composition as I improve and maintain my daily mobility, sound nutrition, and athletic capabilities.”

That is what you call a goal. My real goal isn’t to get a six pack, although I’ve said it many times before, what I have come to realize is that a shallow goal such as increasing your arms size, and getting a six pack isn’t really fulfilling. What makes me happy is knowing that I’ll be able to walk when I’m seventy years old, being able to make healthy decisions under peer pressure, and being able to play a sport that I’ve never played before and still be well-conditioned for it.

In short, a goal should be fulfilling. What makes you happy in the long-term?

Decide What You’re Willing to Do For It

Sacrifices need to be made, but which ones? For myself, it means choosing exercises that stress mobility as opposed to body parts. I sacrificed a strong posterior chain over big arms. It means choosing a veggie burger over a pizza when I’m with my friends. It means performing high intensity kettlebell movements as opposed to long-distance cardio. The GPP aspect of kettlebell training prepares you for any sports. Distance cardio is both boring and doesn’t do much for your athletic conditioning. However, distance cardio on an empty stomach may help you get leaner, faster, then GPP work. But we really do not know this, nor do I care much.

Are you willing to sacrifice the 4rth meal? Photo by ross0025

Those are my sacrifices NOW. But, here’s a whole list of things I’ve given up in the past few years:

1. Soda
2. Taco Bell
3. Starbucks
4. Used to eat indian restaurant food every week, up to 3 paratas (bread). Now i eat once a month, and can only eat 1 parata (bread)
5. Used to eat 10 rotis (another type of indian bread) each night for dinner. Now I’m good with three or four, and do not eat each night.
6. Subway – was a big part of my diet, but then realized how many carbs are in one sandwich. No more!
7. Salted Peanuts – Used to be addicted to these. Switched to plain almonds
8. Ready Made Protein Shakes – Lots of sugar, and not very nice on your wallet. Use regular whey protein and mix it at home with milk or water.
   

The majority of your sacrifices will come in the form of nutrition. But, you also need to ask yourself one more question: Will you be able to stick to your training program despite social and family pressures?

The social aspect is huge. You want to go to the gym, but your friends want to go to the movies. Which one do you choose. Which is more important?

Another aspect is entertainment. Some people are addicted to television and will not give up their only free time during the day to workout because of a show they’re watching. Are you even willing to give up your favorite shows to achieve your goal?

Establish Your Program

“What can I do to lose weight?”

Are you serious? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tell you that in order to lose weight you need to eat less and exercise more. There are thousands of programs out there. Start with your goal in mind, and choose your program. All you need is a program that makes a little sense. For example, if your goal is lose fat, then you shouldn’t be on a power lifting program.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. That’s how you learn.

And Get to Work

Once you’ve realized your goal, understand the sacrifices you’ll need to make, and have a decent program at your fingertips, the next step is to go out and do it. The more you delay, the less likely you’ll be to start. Stop saying to yourself, “Oh it’s Wednesday, let me start my program on Monday.” Who made it a rule that you can only start programs on Monday’s? The same people who told you that your Chest can only be trained on Monday’s.

If these four points don’t motivate you then… maybe this will: