Column 5 | More Muscle Without Meat

ANSWER

First of all, it is much harder to gain muscle mass as a vegetarian, but it is not impossible. Meat offers many advantages for bodybuilders. It contains a lot of high-quality proteins - building blocks for muscle building - and creatine - which is necessary for the ATP supply and thus helps to gain strength. If you are a vegetarian for religious reasons, you really have no choice and should - as far as possible - resort to other sources of protein. However, if your diet is based on health reasons, I can reassure you. Because if you eat the right (low-fat) meat, there are no health concerns. This includes lean poultry, lean beef and low-fat pork.

In order to achieve as much muscle growth as possible, a combination of many different protein sources is required. This efficiently increases the biological value of the protein food you consume. The biological value indicates how much of the protein you consume can be converted into the body's own protein and thus muscle mass. By mixing the proteins in a special ratio, biological values ​​of over 100 are possible, for example with PROTEIN 96 with its four components of casein, whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate and egg albumin. The value here is over 136, which is ideal for building muscle.

The more protein sources you consume, the more effective your muscle growth will be. If you voluntarily deprive yourself of the opportunity to get a large part of your protein intake from meat, you will inevitably have to expect slower muscle growth. Also remember that the value of protein from meat products (even without combination) is much higher than that of vegetables, for example. Meat has its place in bodybuilding - but not only here, but also in numerous other sports where muscle mass and strength are the main focus. Nevertheless: As a vegetarian, you have to switch to plant-based protein sources that can also be combined and thus achieve a higher biological value. I can recommend the following recipe to you if you are vegetarian. I worked on it and tinkered with it for several years until it was perfect. I call it the "Andreas standard breakfast". The milk is heated in the microwave for about three minutes. Put all the ingredients (banana, low-fat quark, oat flakes, egg white, whole egg, vegetable oil and protein powder) in a large blender and then pour in the warm milk. Then mix everything well. This shake is the best and most calorie-rich way to start the day. The XXL version of the "Andreas Standard Breakfast" contains the following nutrients. I designed the XXL version of the ASF for very heavy athletes, primarily with the goal of maximum muscle building. In order to meet the high calorie requirement for building new muscle mass, I consume up to three ASF XXL shakes a day during extreme mass phases and when I weigh over 140 kg. There are also two smaller versions that are suitable for you as a lighter athlete or for diet phases. I also describe these in detail here in the online shop in the nutrition section under recipes. With this regular breakfast, you have exactly the right nutrients - and without eating meat!

When doing cardio, stick to a pulse of 150 beats per minute. This has the best effect - both in terms of burning fat and increasing your metabolism: you will continue to burn fat several hours after training. In the build-up phase, twice 30 minutes per week is enough. Depending on your goal, you can do up to seven hours per week during a diet. This burns fat and keeps your cardiovascular system going at the same time. It doesn't matter which endurance machine you choose. The important thing is a pulse of 150 beats per minute. To counteract any loss of muscle, make sure you consume enough protein. It is also beneficial to take in branched-chain amino acids (e.g. ANABOLIC BCAA + ) 45 minutes before training, because they contribute to muscle building and muscle maintenance thanks to the protein they contain.

Strength training remains the same even with a vegetarian diet, according to the diet plan I have developed. KISS principle (see also: FREY INTENSITY TRAINING ), the same: Short , I ntensive, Rare and Sure ! I wish you much success!