10 muscle building tips for vegetarians

Basically, the difference between the Muscle building with a meat-free diet is not essentially different from a conventional whole food diet. Nevertheless, in this article we would like to give you 10 muscle-building tips specifically for vegetarians that will help you achieve your goals in the long term.

Tip 1 - Success is based on preparation

The basis for successful muscle building with a vegetarian lifestyle is that you plan your macronutrient supply in detail, thus ensuring that your organism has sufficient amounts of protein, fats and carbohydrates at its disposal. However, the best planning is of little use if you cannot put it into practice due to lack of preparation. Therefore, not only should you always make sure you have the right foods in the house, but you should also get into the habit of preparing your meals several days in advance. Only if you don't skip a meal or prepare it in a suboptimal way, you can achieve maximum success in terms of muscle building.

Tip 2 - Always keep some snacks handy

The biggest problem associated with building muscle is maintaining a steady supply of nutrients to the body so that it has a sufficient amount of building blocks at all times to build muscle tissue while meeting its energy needs. As part of a vegetarian diet, you have access to a wide variety of snacks, some of which you should always have on hand to avoid a drop in performance. Protein bars, nuts, almonds and pumpkin seeds are especially good for in-between hunger pangs. In addition to high-quality protein, nuts, almonds and pumpkin seeds in particular contain comparatively large amounts of valuable fatty acids.

Tip 3 - Make sure to eat regularly

It makes little sense if you try to reduce the number of your daily meals to a minimum, because your body may be overwhelmed with the mass of nutrients. In addition, this causes fluctuations in the concentration of nutrients in the bloodstream, making the supply situation for your cells suboptimal throughout the day. So eat five to seven small meals a day to be on the safe side in this regard. However, make sure that each of your meals contains a sufficient amount of protein so that the amino acid concentration in the blood remains approximately constant. This is much less stressful.

Tip 4 - Use Whey Protein

Since meat is out of the question as a high-quality protein source in the course of vegetarian nutrition, it is necessary in this case to find an adequate substitute that closes this gap. The best alternative is Whey protein powder, which, if it is a high-quality product, is hardly inferior to the quality of meat as a protein source and also gets into the blood much faster. Just find a few flavors that you like best, and you can easily meet your protein needs. Whey protein is also ideal for preparing a wide variety of protein dishes, such as pancakes or a delicious porridge. If you don't want to use Whey protein, you can also use hemp, pea or rice protein.

Tip 5 - Use plant sources of protein

If you want to effectively gain muscle within the framework of your vegetarian diet, you should also deal with the corresponding vegetable protein sources, which provide your organism with comparatively high-quality proteins. Lentils, beans, peas, quinoa and other legumes belong to the class of particularly protein-rich plant foods. Add these foods to your meals whenever you can, and you'll ensure that you're always well supplied with protein.

Tip 6 - Cover the entire amino acid spectrum

The consequence of not eating meat is that it is more difficult for you to cover your daily requirements of certain amino acids, which are contained in greater concentrations in meat. But this is no reason to reach for a steak or a burger, because there are also some plant foods that contain exactly these amino acids, albeit in a slightly lower concentration. These foods, which contain these essential amino acids, include avocados, flax seeds and nut butters.

Tip 7 - Supply your body with iron

Iron deficiency is particularly widespread among athletes who abstain from consuming meat. To counteract this deficiency and the associated consequences, such as fatigue, listlessness and pallor, you should make more use of iron-rich plant foods. Dark green vegetables such as spinach or kale are particularly rich in iron. But broccoli is also an excellent source of iron.

Tip 8 - Take advantage of the benefits of algae

Since your body needs not only macronutrients and the usual micronutrients like iron, zinc, calcium and magnesium, but also phytochemicals and antioxidants to maintain its metabolic activity, you should look for the right sources. It may seem strange, but green algae are truly miracle foods in this regard, bursting with essential micronutrients. The ingredients in these seaweeds help your body strengthen your immune system while also helping to reduce inflammatory reactions. Accordingly, you should look for spirulina and chlorella algae in well-stocked stores and online stores. You can usually buy them there as a powder that can be mixed into a vitalizing drink.

Tip 9 - Keep an eye on your body fat percentage

If you're worried about losing the very muscle mass you've worked hard to gain over the months as part of your diet, you should always keep an eye on your body fat percentage. With the help of the body fat percentage as well as the change in your weight as well as the measured circumferences at different body parts you can estimate very precisely whether you lose mainly fat or also a significant amount of muscle mass. In this context, you can either have your body fat percentage measured in a gym or do this with the help of a caliper and the associated body fold measurement. Ideally, you should carry out such measurements at least every two weeks.

Tip 10 - Keep your goals in sight

The overriding aspect of vegetarian strength training is that you always keep your goal in mind and don't let anyone distract you from it. Don't let others drag you down who don't share your outlook on life, but do your thing. In return, however, keep in mind that you should also refrain from trying to proselytize other athletes with your views.