The Veg Effect

The-Veg-Effect-Documentary

My friend and fellow fitness enthusiast Stic, of the hip hop duo Dead Prez, was recently featured in a documentary called “The Veg Effect”.

To watch this series visit https://vegeffect.com

This documentary follows 5 different individuals who have adopted, on various levels, a vegetarian diet and lifestyle.

On set with Stic during filming for The Veg Effect!

Stic is 100% veg and recently challenged himself to gain 20 lbs. of lean muscle on a whole food, plant-based diet, void of supplements, pills and powders – just straight up food! He did his strength training with me and his wife, and holistic nutritionist, Afya put together his nutrition plan and was a complete wizard in the kitchen. Because of this, and his dedication to the plan, he accomplished the 20 lb. gain in 2.5 months, one and a half months faster than his goal!

This eventually became our book, Eat Plants, Lift Iron which you can learn more about by clicking here!

Our story was a small part of he and his family’s feature in the Veg Effect documentary, and it was a huge honor to be invited to be part of it!

Doing some heavy bag work with Stic during filming for The Veg Effect!

Click here to check out Stic and the rest of the Veg Effect features!

About the Veg Effect from vegeffect.com:

“This isn’t some scare-you-into-a-rage film about the food industry. Or about regretting yesterday.

This is a documentary series about how we can change the world by answering one simple question: What are we going to eat today?

Directed by Alison Klayman (Ai WeiWei: Never Sorry) for MorningStar Farms®, the series follows 5 real stories, from real people with very different lives, each choosing to make a difference with their own personal way to veg.”

The documentary series is currently available on: vimeo, YouTube, dailymotion, amazon, iTunes, and EatingWell.
 

With my friend Stic after filming for The Veg Effect!

 
Stay Strong AND Healthy and find YOUR #waytoveg!
 
-Scott

Introduction to Qigong Part 2: Applications and Styles.

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Now that we understand what qigong and qi actually are (if you have not read part one, do so HERE), we can begin to explore the various applications and styles of qigong.

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There are three primary reasons people practise qigong; medical, health, and to enhance martial arts training.

Medical qigong is one of the four main branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with the focus on the practitioner helping their patient to correct imbalances and energy blockages through regulation of their qi. This enables the body to strengthen and regulate the internal organs, the nervous system and the immune system, relieve pain, regulate hormones, and strengthen and release deep-seated emotions and stress. (Click here for more on medical qigong.)

Martial qigong was most likely developed after the monks of the Shaolin Temple began practising the early forms of qigong attributed to Bodhidharma (Da Mo), the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle Tendon Changing Classic) and Xi Sui Jing (Marrow Cleansing Classic), were developed. Through the practise of these qigong forms the monks found that not only could they improve their health, they could increase the power of their martial art techniques. Since the origination of these two early qigong forms, many martial arts styles have developed their own qigong sets and many martial styles have been developed on qigong theory. (Click here for more on medical and martial qigong.)

Using qigong as a form of exercise for health and longevity is probably the most popular of the applications of qigong. The coupling of slow movements matched to natural breathing patterns allows for the practitioner to become totally engaged in the present moment which makes qigong a sort of moving meditation. This allows qigong to become an excellent form of holistic exercise developing the mind, body, and spirit.

There are thousands of styles of qigong exercise practised worldwide. Some of the styles I have been exposed to or practised are:

  • Zhan Zhuang Qigong
  • Little Nine Heaven Qigong Form
  • Chi Lel Qigong
  • Lamas Qigong
  • Dayan (Wild Goose) Qigong
  • Tai Chi Qigong 13 Form
  • Tai Chi Qigong Shibashi 18 Form
  • Baduanjin (Eight Pieces of Brocade)
  • Yi Jin Jing (Muscle Tendon Changing Classic)
  • Xi Sui Jing (Marrow Cleansing Classic)
  • Yi Jin Xi Sui Jing (Muscle Tendon Changing / Marrow Cleansing Classic)
  • Tai Gong By The Sea
  • Yin Yang Tai Gong

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My Shifu, Master Shi Deru, teaching his Tai Gong form to his students of the Shaolin Institute at our annual Qi Retreat in 2012. (Photo by Tom Kreutzer)

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The author practicing standing meditation. (Photo by Ben Kretz)

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Shifu Shi Deru connecting with Universal qi! (Photo by Tom Kreutzer)

What is the right style for you? Choose what application you are most attracted to. If you are interested in martial arts or are currently practising a martial art and want to add qigong, find a martial arts teacher who teaches qigong. The Yi Jin Jing is a great addition to martial arts practice. If your interest is in medical qigong due to a chronic illness or disease, you will need to find a specialist in Traditional Chinese Medicine to help you. If you are strictly interested in improving your health, a simple qigong form such as the Baduanjin would be a good choice. Do some research and ask around. Try a few different teachers until you find one that resonates well with you.

Regardless of the style of qigong you select to practise, all qigong styles share three common attributes:

  1. Regulation of the posture of relaxation.
  2. Regulation of the mind.
  3. Regulation of the breathing.

Personally, to compliment my Yang and Chen style Taiji practice, I have to come to favor the Yi Jin Jing and Xi Sui Jing forms, as well as the Yi Jin Xi Sui Jing. I also find a lot of benefit in the Baduanjin and have learned a couple different ways to practise that form as well. I am very fortunate to have found a teacher of authentic Shaolin martial arts to learn from. My teacher (or Shifu), Shi Deru, is a 31st generation master from the Shaolin Temple in China and was a direct disciple of the last real spiritual Abbot of the temple, grandmaster Shi Suxi.

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The author practicing walking qigong in his favorite environment! (Photo by Tom Kreutzer)

I think it is more important to find a form, learn to perform it well, and practise it consistently then to learn many different forms that you never master nor practise with any regularity.

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” – Bruce Lee

In part 3 of this blog series we will look at how to set up our qigong practice as well as other methods that enhance qigong.

In Health,

Scott

Introduction to Qigong Part 1: What is Qigong?

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While I truly love lifting weights and physical training, I believe it is crucial to adopt and internal practice that focuses on health and restoration as well.

I am going to present a series of blogs over the next few weeks or months about the practice of qigong. I believe in a holistic approach to health and fitness and qigong, along with meditation and my study of the internal martial art Taijiquan, has become a staple in my practice.

In this first post I want to introduce you to qigong and provide some background on the practice.

PictureQigong (pronounced ‘chee gong’) is a form of exercise that is practiced by millions of people worldwide.

What is qi? Before we define qigong we need to define qi. Qi (sometimes spelled chi), according to Chinese philosophy, is the circulating life energy thought to be inherent in all things. Qigong can literally be translated to “energy work”.

It originated over 4,000 years ago in China with it’s roots in the Chinese meditative practice of xing qi (circulating qi) and the gymnastic breathing exercise of tao yin (guiding and pulling).

Many recent studies have shown qigong to improve the quality of life in cancer patients, fight depression, improve balance, improve blood pressure, and improve overall health. Despite these studies many scientists claim it is still too early to make any definitive claims due to the lack of larger, more well-designed studies to substantiate these claims.

While there may not be enough evidence to convince many modern scientists, much of the research is substantiating what many highly qualified qigong teachers and practitioners have already known and discovered through their own practice; that qigong has a very positive effect on health.

At the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston a team of scientists and researchers studied 96 women undergoing radiation treatment for breast cancer. They found a significant reduction in depression in women who took 5 weekly classes of qigong compared with the control group that didn’t take any classes. Among those who were depressed at the start of the trial, fatigue was lessened and overall quality of life improved. (Click here to read more about this study.)

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Many people often confuse the practice of Taijiquan (or Tai Chi Chuan) with qigong. Taiji is an internal form of Kung Fu which incorporates mind-body principles into a martial art and exercise for health. In order for a practitioner to get the most out of their study of Taiji they need to have a very good understanding of qigong and know how to apply qigong principles to their martial art practice.

I sometimes think that when people pursue Taijiquan strictly for health benefits, what they are really after is qigong. Taiji takes many years of study and practice with a qualified teacher as the forms can be quite intricate and challenging to learn. There have been some simplified forms created to make Taiji practice more accessible, but to get the most out of Taiji it is best to approach it both as a martial art and health practice after learning the fundamentals of qigong.

On the other hand qigong can be very easy to learn and the student will begin to see the benefits much more quickly. If your goal is strictly health related without any interest in the martial arts, qigong will provide everything you need.

I hope you have enjoyed this introduction to qigong and in part two of this series we will look at the various applications and styles of the art.

 
Stay Strong AND Healthy!
 
Scott

Breathe from your abdomen for optimal health and relaxation.

Learning-to-Breathe

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Breathing is something we shouldn’t have to think about, we are born knowing how to do it. Unfortunately, as we grow older and enter into our professional lives, we encounter more and more stress and sacrifice our health for our livelihood.”

Look at the way a newborn baby breathes. Watch as the baby lays there, on his/her back, as the belly rises with each inhalation, and falls with each exhalation.

Now watch the way a typical adult breathes. Seriously, next time you’re at the office watch a co-worker on a call with a client, or in a staff meeting. Watch the chest rise and fall with each short breath.

What’s the difference? A baby doesn’t have a care in the world. All it needs is nourishment and love from it’s mother. The typical adult has many cares, many forms of stress, and usually a less than optimal way to deal with life’s stress.

If you know me, or have read my book, Abundant Health: Fitness for the Mind, Body, and Spirit, you know that what I propose for optimal health involves a program that develops the mind, body, and spirit. The best way to accomplish this is through a holistic program. I recommend eating a healthy diet (preferably a high-raw vegan diet) and coupling qigong and other energy cultivation exercises like Taijiquan or yoga, with vigorous exercises such as strength or cardiovascular training, and meditation.

This might be a tall order for many people and too drastic of a lifestyle change initially. To simplify things I created the “Mind, Body, Spirit Power Hour”, a way to fit optimal mind, body, and spirit development into a simple to follow, sixty-minute program.

I realize that even committing an hour a day can be too much initially for some people, so that leaves the question; what can you do that will begin to have an immediate impact on your health, that requires little to no time or effort? Simple. Breathe. Breathe deeply, calmly, and relaxed. Breathe from the belly, just like a baby.

Short, shallow breathing from the chest is not healthy. Long, deep, relaxed breathing from the belly is very healthy.

According to WebMD, “Deep breathing is one of the best ways to lower stress in the body. This is because when you breathe deeply it sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. The brain then sends this message to your body. Those things that happen when you are stressed, such as increased heart rate, fast breathing, and high blood pressure, all decrease as you breathe deeply to relax.” (Click here to read more from WebMD.)

Breathing is something we shouldn’t have to think about, we are born knowing how to do it. Unfortunately, as we grow older and enter into our professional lives, we encounter more and more stress and sacrifice our health for our livelihood. In doing so, we forget what our body instinctively knows.

How to breathe correctly

  • Calm down
  • Breathe in deeply through your nostrils
  • As you breathe in, draw the breathe deep into your lower abdomen about 1-2″ below your navel (referred to as the lower dan tien)
  • To assist in breathing into the abdomen, visualize a balloon filling with air in your lower belly as you inhale
  • Gently exhale through your mouth, allowing the “balloon” in your belly to deflate
  • Do not force the exhale, let it happen naturally
  • At no point hold your breath, let it flow in and out, continuously without effort

Breathing is that simple, but you will be surprised at first how difficult it is to adopt this practice. Be consistent, work on making this process second nature, your stress-levels, and more importantly your health, will thank you for it!

Stay Strong AND Healthy!

Scott

Blend Your Breakfast for Fast and Simple Nutrition!

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Simple solution for starting your day off with a blast of nutrition!

If you are like me and start your day long before the sun comes up chances are that you hit the snooze alarm 3 or 12 times then never have enough time to get everything done before heading out the door and dealing with morning traffic on the way to work.

With this type of schedule the most important meal of the day often becomes the most skipped meal of the day. One of my favorite ways to get fast, and more importantly healthy, meal in on the run is to make a smoothie for breakfast. These take less than 10 minutes to make.

You can even pre-stage the ingredients the night before by storing all the fruit, seeds, and greens you plan to blend in a container in the refrigerator so that all you ha4907987ve to do is dump it in your blender, add your choice of liquid base and blend!

In addition to being easy and quick to make, green smoothies are incredibly healthy and a great way to get a ton of fruits and vegetables in your diet.

One of my favorite recipes that will give you 2 servings of fruits, 2-4 servings of greens and boost of superfoods is my typical go-to early morning breakfast.

In a high-powered blender (I use a Vitamix) combine the following:

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  • 2 cups of non-dairy milk (I like almond or cashew) or water
  • 1 cup of strawberries
  • 1 banana
  • 2-4 cups of leafy greens (I like kale, spinach, collard greens, and dandelion greens — if you are new to green smoothies use equal amounts of fruits and greens until you can handle the bitterness of the greens! Then go wild with them, I usually use 3-5 cups of greens.)
  • 1-2 tbsp. of peanut or almond butter
  • 1 tbsp. of chia seeds
  • 1 tbsp. of hemp seeds
  • 1-2 tbsp. of ground flax seeds / flax meal
  • Blend for 30-60 seconds and enjoy. If you’re in a hurry throw it in a blender bottle and go!
  • Extra large Beavis and Butthead mug is optional!

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Stay Strong AND Healthy!

Scott

A Quick, Easy Vegan Recipe For Pre-Training Calories

Pre-Workout-Calories

Fueling your body with healthy, nutrient dense, plant-based calories before an intense training session helps me get the most out of my workout…

One thing I am not however, is a gourmet chef! I don’t spend all day in the kitchen experimenting with food. I like things quick and easy. However, one cannot live on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches alone. Believe me, I’ve tried!

I need nutrient and calorie dense meals to fuel my heavy training sessions, otherwise I’ll end up eating Oreos all day.

Next time you need a calorie dense, nutrient packed meal try this recipe I got from my friend, registered dietitian, Matt Ruscigno.

1. Mash 3 bananas

2. Stir in 2 tablespoons of peanut butter

3. Add one medium diced apple

Mix it all together and go!

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Don’t let looks fool you, it tastes great!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 598

Fat: 17.5 grams

Carbohydrates: 112 grams

Fiber: 15.5 grams

Protein: 12.5 grams

I hope you enjoy this simple and tasty recipe and be sure to let me know after you’ve tried it!

Stay Strong AND Healthy!

-Scott

 

My Top 3 Exercise “Playlist”!

Top-Exercise-Playlist

I often get asked what my favorite exercises are, and while there are too many great exercises out there to choose from, if I had to narrow down my favorites, these would make the top 3 list!

Thanks to my friend and Humane League Atlanta Office Director, Chris Guinn, for the topic idea BTW!

1. Deadlift:

In my opinion this is hands down the best exercise you can do. It requires a lot of coordinated muscular effort to perform properly, is fantastic for strengthing the entire backside of the body and torso (i.e. core), and requires no special equipment – just a bar and a bunch of iron plates. In addition the deadlift is a very safe lift to perform as missing a deadlift has far fewer potential dangers than missing a squat or bench press. Plus there is just something raw and awesome about ripping a heavy barbell off the ground!

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2. Pull-Up:

The pull-up is king of the upper body exercises as far as I’m concerned. I see way more people opting for the easier to perform lat pulldown. Pulldowns will not give you the same mid- and upper-back development as the pull-up. If you want to jack up your pull-up numbers here’s a simple plan. Test your max number of reps. Now do a set of half your max in-between sets of all your other exercises in your workout. If you can only do 4 pull-ups in a row, do a set of 2 between sets of all your other exercises. If you have 20 sets of exercises in your training session, you will end up knocking out 40 pull-ups throughout your workout. Do this for a few weeks then retest your max, you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

3. Kettlebell Clean and Press:

The kettlebell clean and press can be performed with 1 or 2 kettlebells and is one of the biggest “bang for your buck” kettlebell exercises you can do, as it works almost every muscle in the entire body. Kettlebells are a great addition to any strength and conditioning or fitness program and can be used almost anywhere. Sometimes I drag a kettlebell or two to the park and do a lighter weight conditioning workout outside if I want to get out of the gym for a bit. Kettlebells are great to keep at your house too in case you can’t get to the gym and need an efficient and effective full-body workout.

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Photo credit Dani Taylor.

While these are the exercises that made my top 3 list, I certainly wouldn’t neglect exercises like full squats, various presses and pulls, and direct abdominal work; but putting a lot of hard work into my top 3 favorites will provide huge improvements in functional strength.

Stay Strong AND Healthy!

-Scott

Fine! I’ll tell you where I get my protein from!

Popeye-for-Protein

The “How do you get your protein?” question is easily the most frequently asked question I get asked when someone finds out I’m a vegan. Protein_Gorilla

We’ve all heard it. Immediately everyone becomes a protein expert. Sometimes I want to answer them the way Batman answers Robin…

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Protein is so overrated it’s not even funny. Research shows that a sedentary individual needs about 0.8 grams per kg of bodyweight per day. Research further shows that hard strength training athletes need around 1 – 1.5 grams per kg of bodyweight per day. For me, weighing around 185-190 lbs (84-86 kgs) this is 84 – 129 grams per day. This is very easy to get from a whole food, plant-based diet.

Just out of curiosity I tracked my nutrients for a period of about 4 days and found that on days I did not use any supplemental protein powder I was getting around 90-100 grams of protein, and on days I did use a protein drink (generally I have one a day after my strength training sessions) I was getting an extra 20-30 grams for a total of 110-130 grams of protein per day, right in-line with the recommended 1 – 1.5 grams per kg of bodyweight.

Personally I can’t stand tracking macros, and according to my friend Matt Ruscigno, a registered dietitian and ethical vegan, if you are eating a wide variety of whole foods and consuming enough calories to sustain your activity level you will get enough protein.

Now, consider the average American’s high protein, high fat, high processed carbohydrate diet – do you honestly think anyone is walking around in danger of a protein deficiency?

My Favorite Sources of Plant-Based Protein:

1. Beans and legumes – not only are they loaded with protein and other beneficial phytonutrients they are a great source of fiber.

2. Nuts and nut butters – I’m sorry, but if you don’t like a good ol’ fashioned PB & J sandwich you and I cannot be friends.

3. Tofu and tempeh – a perfect addition to stir-frys and soups, or you can be like my good friend, animal rights activist, and Team Plantbuilt powerlifter Mike Wolf and just eat a block of tofu on two slices of bread and call it a sandwich. The guy benches well over 300 lbs so I’m not going to argue with him.

4. Beast Burgers and other Beyond Meat products – I was fortunate enough to be asked to be a member of Beyond Meat’s Pro-Team so I’ve gotten my fair share of their stuff, and I honestly have to say that Beast Burgers are the BEST plant-based burger I’ve ever eaten. Try them for yourself and feed YOUR beast! All of their products are amazing!

5. Plant-based protein powders – don’t rely on powder as your main source of protein. Eat food first and foremost. However a good plant-based protein powder can make it easier to ensure you are getting all of your essential amino acids and hitting your daily protein requirements. Again, if you are eating enough calories from whole foods to sustain your activity you don’t need to supplement. I do believe that a protein drink taken post training is a great idea though, since liquid digest more quickly than solid food. I do think it is a good idea to combine your protein powder with a good carbohydrate source, some studies have shown that 1g of protein to 2-4g of carbohydrates is optimal for muscle recovery and glycogen replenishment post-training. Some of my favorite protein powders are Plantfusion, Vega, Health Force / Warrior Force, Garden of Life Raw, and I recently tried Sprouts Farmers Market brand vegan protein blend.

Hopefully this gives you some good ideas of plant-based protein sources the next time your favorite omnivore is assaulting you with the protein questions and comments, or you can just do what Batman did to Robin and bitch-slap them.
Stay Strong AND Healthy!

-Scott

Five Easy Steps to go Vegan in 2015!

5-Steps-for-Going-Vegan
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At the 2014 Naturally Fit Games with one of my vegan inspirations, and Plantbuilt Teammate, Robert Cheeke!

Learning how to take small, easy steps to go vegan, looking at it as a day-by-day transition, is the way to making the transition a success.

Since switching to a vegan diet plan I’d have to say that aside from the obvious “where do you get your protein from” question, what I hear the most are objections to why other people just can’t do it. Usually it’s too expensive, too hard, too restrictive; when in actuality it is none of these!
Keep in mind, I never tell people what they should or shouldn’t do. I am not one of the “on my soapbox” preachy vegans. Unfortunately there tends to be some negativity around the “v-word” which is one of the reasons I try to avoid it at all cost when talking with people who don’t follow a similar lifestyle. As soon as you say, “vegan”, many people immediately become defensive even though I never push my opinion on anyone.
Now, on the flipside of that, when people start arguments with me about why we need animal protein, how you can’t get strong or build muscle without it, and other caveman or apex predator nonsense, or try to convince me that there is such a thing as “humane slaughter” I will not hesitate in calling them on their B.S. and voicing my opinion. Particularly when the people that tell me they love animals are plowing through burgers in the same breath.
It took me some time to come around to the idea of adopting a vegan diet plan and actually make the change. In hindsight it really isn’t that hard. Not at all.
That being said, here are 5 simple steps to successfully adopting a plant-based diet. If you apply one step per day, you will be 100% plant-based in less than a week. If you apply one step per week, you will be 100% plant-based in just over a month. If you require the requisite 21 days to form a habit, then simply apply one step per month and you will be 100% plant-based in just under half a year.
The take-home point here is to focus on progress and not perfection. If you follow this approach you will be looking back and agreeing with me that the whole process is really very easy.
One important point to remember is calorie intake. You will have a very hard time trying to substitute a spinach salad for a 16 oz. steak or a plate of bacon and eggs. Be sure to swap animal-based dishes with plant-based dishes of similar caloric density.
Step 1 – Cut out all red meat.
Step 2 – Cut out all white meat.
Step 3 – Cut out fish.
Step 4 – Cut out eggs and dairy.
Step 5 – Start being aware of the hidden ingredients in foods, particularly baked goods that use butter, milk, and eggs; as well as the clothes you wear, products you use, etc.
Bonus! Step 6 – Volunteer your time with an animal rescue, shelter, or rehabilitation facility and give back to those living beings who are treated as commodities. Remember, they don’t have their own voice, if you truly love animals be the voice for them and support people and organizations who dedicate their lives to animal welfare.
Now that we’ve talked about what not to eat, check out what you can eat.

  • Fruits. Spare me the “fruits are sugar and will make you fat” crap. It’s like my friend John “The Badass Vegan” Lewis says, “Fruit doesn’t make you fat. It’s that gluten-free brownie that makes you fat.”
  • Vegetables.
  • Greens.
  • Oats, rice, and other healthy sprouted or whole grains.
  • Nuts & seeds.
  • Beans & legumes.

In spite of what many people would try to have you believe, it is 100% possible to not only survive, but to totally thrive and be healthy while following a 100% plant-based diet. You can excel as an athlete as well. There are far too many real world examples of this to believe anyone who tries to tell you otherwise.
You want strength and power? Look at strongman Patrik Baboumian and NFL defensive tackle David Carter.
You want physique? Look at professional bodybuilding champion Torre “Tha Vegan Dread” Washington and IFBB professional bodybuilder Jehina Malik. A side note – Torre has been vegetarian since birth and vegan for the last 16 years and Jehina has been vegan since birth!!!
You want endurance? Look at ultra runner Scott Jurek and ultraman triathlete Rich Roll.
You want a multi-sport athlete? How about ultra runner, bodybuilder, and long distance rower Austin Barbisch.
You want verification from plant-based Registered Dietitians? Look at Matt Ruscigno and Julieanna Hever.
If you want even more examples, look at my 40+ teammates on the Plantbuilt Vegan Muscle Team at plantbuilt.com and browse the numerous profiles at veganbodybuilding.com – the website started by the original vegan bodybuilder, Robert Cheeke!
Going vegan is easy. Much easier than you would think or that it’s made out to be. Make sure you are getting a lot of fresh, raw, plant-based foods in your diet, focusing on variety. This will ensure that you are getting the entire spectrum of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that are abundant in plant foods. Throw in other steamed and cooked vegetables, healthy unprocessed grains, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds and you’ll be good to go! You will have all the macro- and micro-nutrients you need to be healthy and strong with your vegan diet plan.
Good luck and if you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask, I’m more than happy to help in any way I can!
-Scott

My Vegan Journey Part 2: Regaining My Strength

Vegan Fitness Journey 2

“Being part of Team Plantbuilt is a huge honor as it allows me to be part of a much larger group of athletes who share a common goal, to show that you can be strong, athletic and build muscle on a vegan diet plan and most importantly to support animal welfare.”

In my last blog I talked about the dramatic changes in health I experienced when I switched to a plant-based diet. After getting healthy, I started getting that competitive itch again, only this time my motivation was different. I wanted to see how I could stack up to my old competition results as a vegan with much less body-weight.

Prior to going vegan I achieved personal bests in the following powerlifts: 450 lb. squat, 315 lb. bench press, and a 463 lb. deadlift; and in kettlebell sport, my event is the long cycle (or clean & jerk of two kettlebells for 10 minutes without setting the bells down for as many reps as you can perform), I had personal bests of 71 reps in training and 65 reps in competition with two 20kg (44lb.) kettlebells. All of these were achieved at a body weight of about 220 lbs.

I had competed in powerlifting from 2005 to 2007 and kettlebell sport from 2008 to 2009.

I decided to try my first competitions in 2013 and 2014 by competing at the Punch Gym Sarasota Kettlebell Sport Championships. I hit all-time personal bests of 72 reps in training and 67 reps in competition weighing under 187 lbs. In addition I won my individual division as well as the overall title in the long cycle competition both years.

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Winning my division and best lifter overall in the long cycle event at the 2013 Punch Gym Sarasota Kettlebell Sport Championship!

Halfway through my training cycle for the 2014 Florida kettlebell meet I was contacted by my friend Giacomo Marchese. Giacomo is an amateur natural bodybuilder and co-founder of Team Plantbuilt, an all-vegan team of strength and physique athletes. In 2014 they were recruiting members in sports other than bodybuilding. Since the event they were competing at did not have kettlebell sport, I had the choice of powerlifting or CrossFit. Due to my history in powerlifting, even though it was 7 years prior, I agreed to join Plantbuilt to be part of their first ever powerlifting team in 2014. I had exactly 12 weeks to prepare following the Florida kettlebell sport meet. Due to the limited prep time and a nagging shoulder injury I opted to compete in the deadlift-only division instead of the full meet.

Powerlifting is a total of your best squat, bench press and deadlift done in a single competition. They usually offer single lift events in the bench press and deadlift at meets as well.

Even though I hadn’t pulled a heavy deadlift in training since late 2007 I managed to make a 425 lb. deadlift during my training for the 2014 Naturally Fit Games powerlifting competition and weighing in at 193 lbs. I made a 402 lb. deadlift at the competition, just 61 lbs. under my best all time lift and now at a much lighter bodyweight.

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Representing Team Plantbuilt in the deadlift-only division at the Naturally Fit Games 2015 Simply Fit Open Powerlifting Championship!

For 2015 the Naturally Fit Games added kettlebell sport to their event line-up and I switched back to training for that event. Unfortunately about 10 weeks out from the event, which was just held on June 6, my shoulder injury started to come back and I made the last minute decision to compete in the deadlift again and with only 9 weeks of training managed to lift a personal best of 407 lbs. in the 198 lb. weight class, just like 2014 I weighed in at 193 lbs. Unfortunately my 407 lb. lift was turned down by two of the three judges, even though I lifted it, whether or not my knees were fully locked out was questioned by the judges so two of the three turned it down and I only received official credit for my 385 lb. second attempt. I had numerous other lifters tell me they couldn’t see anything wrong with the lift, so if it was a technicality it was a minor one but regardless, it felt great!

Being part of Team Plantbuilt is a huge honor as it allows me to be part of a much larger group of athletes who share a common goal, to show that you can be strong, athletic and build muscle on a vegan diet plan and most importantly to support animal welfare. The money we raise as a team through our fundraising events goes to support animal welfare organizations and vegan outreach.

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I can‘t be serious all the time! Getting at posing lesson with my friend and teammate, physique competitor Erin Fergus during at training session at Bonebreaker Barbell in Austin, TX – the most hardcore vegan gym on the planet! Can’t build muscle on plants? Erin disagrees!

Looking forward I plan to continue to compete and represent Plantbuilt with my goal of ultimately exceeding my best powerlifts from my days as an omnivorous lifter. As a collective, all of the vegan athletes on Plantbuilt are proof that you can not only thrive, but you you can kick butt athletically as a vegan, just look at the numerous top 3 placings and overall wins our athletes are racking up every year!

teampb2015

Team Plantbuilt 2015! A bunch of bodybuilders, powerlifters, CrossFitters, and kettlebell sport lifters who are vegan for the animals. The only thing we kill is the stage!

If you would like to learn more about Team Plantbuilt and our mission, visit us on the web at www.plantbuilt.com and follow us on social media. Since our 2015 event just happened updates are rolling in daily on Plantbuilt, and our individual athlete social media pages.

I hope my personal experience in regaining both my health and my strength shows you that you can build strength, muscle, and most importantly your health by adopting a plant-based diet and vegan lifestyle. I wish you nothing but success as you begin, or continue, your journey on the plant-based path!

For the Animals,
Scott