Yes, I am the least likely person to talk about bodybuilding, but I stumbled across the coolest thing ever!



I have been reading (off and on) this book by Tom Venuto (bodybuilder/trainer of famous peeps) about how to lose weight, etc. and I really like most of what he says (it's not the hype/fad shit), but he is pretty down on vegetarians, so when I came across a vegetarian bodybuilder forum, I got super excited. And a lot of them seem to really know their stuff (i.e. they actually do research and are interested in being healthy, not just meatheads). Yay! Here's the forum, in case anyone is interested:



And, there is a pretty long discussion about soy vs. estrogen, which might interest some of you (I'm thinking Waste)...

I like that bodybuilder's site -- though he uses standard bodybuilding principles and just applies a vegetarian diet to them. (I've sent that post-workout nutrition article that he's copied from ABC to probably a half dozen people.)

I didn't really check out the forum, though. They want you to register. Does the discussion on soy cite any peer-reviewed journal articles?

Yes, they cite some articles. I didn't look into it very much though. I can't guarantee they are peer-reviewed, but I think at least some of them are. I didn't pay close attention. *shrug*

Yes, it does seem he is just taking a vegetarian spin to regular bodybuilding principles, but I like it because other people make it seem impossible to get enough protein/other nutrients as a vegetarian (including fairly well-read health "experts"). I get frustrated with the close-mindedness of all that ridiculousness. It's really not that difficult, and it doesn't require that much extra effort (if you're already putting in the effort to pay attention to your food and nutrients). Yet, they all make it seem impossible (some of them flat-out say that it is impossible). And, vegetarian health "experts" are just as skewed. They tend to suggest that you need much less protein than other experts say you do. Although it may be true that you don't need quite as much as other experts say you need, the vegetarian health people give a super low-ball number that seems equally implausible. So it was cool to find someone that is both a vegetarian and someone who isn't scrawny. lol.

Plus, it's always cool for me to find vegetarians that aren't stereotypical vegetarians. After living with 8 messy, stereotypical, vegetarian hippies, it was a little refreshing to find a different type of vegetarian. *shrug*

A few thoughts on this...

1. I agree. It isn't THAT hard to get all your macronutrients if you're a vegetarian. All it takes is a little studying and a little prep work. Just the same, I'd guess that the majority of vegetarians do not do their homework and get what they need. Vegetarians -- just like everyone else -- are lazy and would rather spend the time justifying themselves and insulting others than just doing their damn homework. It's the path of least resistance.

2. Vegetarians come in varying forms. Some don't eat red meat, some don't eat poultry, some don't eat fish, some don't eat dairy, some don't eat eggs. It all depends. My take on it, though, is that if you can/do eat eggs --- you can get as much protein as you'll ever need. Egg white is the de-facto best source of complete protein. Period. (And they're cheap! Wooo!)

Things that differentiate this guy from the stereotypical veggie-hippie as described below:
1. This guy works out.
2. This guy has done his homework.
3. This guy supplements his diet with not just supplements but protein shakes too (which can be balanced meals in themselves).
4. This guy has 17" arms. He could kick my ass.

Great find, though. Thanks for the post!

Adams is bigger and adam wants to grow up to be just like him