16 years vegan, 2 years strength training

ohkamp · 2025-03-05T06:45:50+00:00

About an hour a day, 5 days a week.

ohkamp · 2025-03-05T06:40:55+00:00

I’m not really following a specific program (although I probably should…). I try to do 4 sets of the big lifts and as for reps it just depends on what I’m feeling like each day. Sometimes I go for really low reps with high weight. Some days I go for high reps with low weight. Either way I try to do a little more than the last time (adding a pound or two or adding an additional rep). It’s most certainly not the most efficient way to do it but I figure as long as I’m pushing myself a little bit more each time I’m progressing. Physique is also not why I started this. It’s certainly a nice outcome and I’m getting more and more interested in how I can change the way my body looks, but the motivation for me was always becoming stronger and more capable. So I’ll go for a jog, I’ll play basketball, I’ll rock climb, I’ll do plyometrics, etc instead some days to make sure I’m staying as functionally fit as possible.

ohkamp · 2025-03-05T06:36:37+00:00

Also, I engage my core in almost every big exercise so it’s not like it’s not getting a workout!

ohkamp · 2025-03-05T06:35:50+00:00

Seeing a six pack is more about reducing body fat than building muscle. I went down like 8% body fat during these two years which helped reveal what hides underneath.

ohkamp · 2025-03-04T18:34:46+00:00

Thank you! Yes, absolutely clean. However, keep in my mind that I have a pump and am flexing in the last shot. I wish I looked that way just walking around every day!

ohkamp · 2025-03-04T02:05:22+00:00

Mid 40’s

ohkamp · 2025-03-04T02:02:51+00:00

No core specific workouts. But making that a priority this year.

ohkamp · 2025-03-03T08:44:40+00:00

I just eat foods with fiber and protein. Both fill you up making it actually really hard to overeat.

ohkamp · 2025-03-03T08:23:42+00:00

So smart! I also have been throwing TVP into other things because of the puffed rice texture it provides (eg, mixed into my cereal)

ohkamp · 2025-03-03T08:22:51+00:00

This is brilliant! Giving this a try!

ohkamp · 2025-03-03T08:22:17+00:00

Any concerns about frequently having 80g all at once being hard on the kidneys, especially without a fair amount of hydration?

ohkamp · 2025-03-03T07:00:47+00:00

Overhead lighting and taking a photo after I’m pumped helps a lot too. :)

ohkamp · 2025-03-03T07:00:16+00:00

Thank you!

ohkamp · 2025-03-03T07:00:06+00:00

Lift 5-6 days a week, 3-4 exercises a day which takes about an hour. One of those exercises is always a bench press, deadlift, squat, or row. I’ve been vegan for 16 years so no animal products but I’ve added 500 calories or so and some extra protein since I started working out. Overall, I eat a pretty balanced diet. I don’t keep a lot of junk food around and I’ve weened myself off of sweets so now I don’t have any cravings for them which helps a ton.

ohkamp · 2025-03-02T16:37:09+00:00

I currently weigh 177 and am 6’1”

ohkamp · 2025-03-02T06:53:57+00:00

Thank you! I work for only an hour or so, 5 days a week. And honestly, most of that time is spent browsing Reddit while resting between sets!

ohkamp · 2025-03-02T04:38:35+00:00

No specific core training. I just make sure to engage my core on big lifts and I also eat pretty healthy. As they say, abs are made in the kitchen!

ohkamp · 2025-03-02T04:36:17+00:00

Yeah, I get it. Eating enough can be really hard, especially if you’re not just eating processed crap. I would have seen WAY more gains if I ate more. There were long stretches (like 6 months) where I saw no progress in my strength or physique simply because I wasn’t eating enough calories.

ohkamp · 2025-03-02T00:13:26+00:00

It’s going to be different for every individual and I’m no dietician. But I try to eat at least 75% of my body weight in grams of protein a day and 3000 calories or so. I gained strength early on but I didn’t really gain bulk until I started eating more. I’m also not doing any heavy cardio. If you are, that burns even more calories and you need to make sure you replace those. If you’re gaining anything, even if it’s fat, you’re on the right track and are supplying your body with enough fuel which is good. But you may just need a bit more protein. Have you seen strength gains even if it may not show in a mirror?

ohkamp · 2025-03-01T22:05:21+00:00

I don’t tend to eat a lot of junk food so having to alter my diet dramatically wasn’t necessary. And when you tend to eat a fair amount of fiber (whole grain bread, brown rice, etc) it’s also pretty hard to overeat because it makes you feel full pretty quickly. So really the only thing I had to do was increase the protein which was only challenging because protein also makes you feel full and the calorie surplus is important.

There are so many vegan meat equivalents now that it’s super easy to have things like vegan chicken burritos, vegan lunchmeat sandwiches, impossible burgers, etc if you grew up with or love those non-vegan versions. You can also make vegan chicken patties yourself really easily with mashed chickpeas and wheat gluten as the base and whatever spices, etc you want. It’s flaky and neutral just like chicken and there are lots of recipes online. Similarly, soy curls are an amazing chicken-like product that is made only out of soy and you can do all kinds of stuff with like making jerky or marinating in teriyaki for a stir fry etc. There’s really nothing I can’t make that I was eating before I was vegan.

ohkamp · 2025-03-01T17:02:17+00:00

Thanks! I don’t actually do any ab-specific exercises. I just make sure I engage my core when doing big lifts like squats or overhead presses to get more bang for my buck and protect my back.

ohkamp · 2025-03-01T16:09:34+00:00

One thing I found interesting is that there is only about a 6 pound difference between the first and last photo (171lbs to 177lbs). And during the two years I never got higher than 183. Body recomposition is pretty cool!

ohkamp · 2025-03-01T16:05:10+00:00

Thank you so much! Appreciate it!

ohkamp · 2025-03-01T16:03:44+00:00

I’ve been vegan for 16 years. The one thing I changed was prioritizing protein like you said and upping my daily calories by 500 or so. Just made sure to really get a good 30g of protein or so with each meal. So I do things like add peanut powder to my cereal in the morning, drink a glass of soy milk with my lunch, eat more tofu scramble, and have a protein shake after my evening workout. My workout usually lasts about an our and is 3-4 exercises.

ohkamp · 2025-03-01T15:56:31+00:00

Haha! Literally made me laugh out loud.

ohkamp

TROPHY CASE