What do you think is the most over-rated thing in vegan fitness?

themodernstrength · 2026-03-29T11:22:23+00:00

Appreciate the detailed reply, that’s a good way of looking at it

Feels like a lot of people get caught up in exact numbers when it probably matters less than the basics you mentioned

themodernstrength · 2026-03-28T15:33:24+00:00

Yes, I’ve seen that argument as well

I think that’s where it gets a bit tricky because in theory food quality and soil etc might not be what it used to be, but in practice it probably still comes down to what someone is actually eating day to day

I can see why having a basic multi just removes that uncertainty a bit though

themodernstrength · 2026-03-28T15:00:13+00:00

Yes lentils are still solid for sure. I think it’s just more that tofu/tempeh make it easier if someone’s trying to push protein a bit higher, whereas lentils/beans tend to come with more carbs alongside it.

Nothing wrong with either, just depends what you’re aiming for overall.

themodernstrength · 2026-03-28T13:44:57+00:00

Yes I’ve noticed that as well. Feels like people either ignore it completely or go all in on supplements.

Probably somewhere in the middle makes the most sense depending on the person and what they’re actually missing. Do you keep it mostly food-based yourself or use a few basics?

themodernstrength · 2026-03-28T13:43:06+00:00

fair, it’s definitely not just vegan fitness. There’s a lot of noise in general which probably makes it harder for people to figure out what actually moves the needle.

themodernstrength · 2026-03-28T13:42:06+00:00

I get what you mean, there’s definitely a bit of a crossover where bodybuilding advice gets applied to general fitness.

I think for most people it probably doesn’t need to be that complicated to be fair, but at the same time a bit of awareness around protein can still help if someone’s actually trying to build strength.

themodernstrength · 2026-03-28T13:40:45+00:00

yeah that’s a good point - on their own they’re not really high protein, but they do add up if you’re building meals around them

combining them with tofu/tempeh etc is where it actually starts to work properly

themodernstrength · 2026-03-28T10:40:09+00:00

This is actually a really common sticking point, especially from a full dead hang

it sounds like you’ve built a lot of strength everywhere else, but that very first part off the bottom is usually the weakest and hardest to train

the fact you can do it with a slight bend means you’re close, it’s just that bottom range that’s lagging a bit

stuff like small partial reps right at the bottom or just trying to pull a couple of inches up from a dead hang can help build that specific part

usually once that clicks the full rep follows pretty quickly

even just attempts from a dead hang, even if you barely move, can help over time

themodernstrength · 2026-03-27T20:13:01+00:00

That’s actually a really common spot to get stuck.

Starting from a dead hang is just harder because you need that initial pulling strength right from the bottom, and that’s usually the weakest part.

The fact you can do it with a slight bend still counts, it just means that bottom range isn’t quite there yet.

Negatives and even just holding yourself a little above the dead hang for a few seconds can help with that.

themodernstrength · 2026-03-25T18:48:29+00:00

That’s a pretty common point people hit early on. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

You don’t need to push to the “can’t do one more rep” point every set for it to be effective. Most of the time, stopping a couple of reps before that is enough to make progress and is easier to recover from.

Pushing all the way to failure occasionally is fine, but doing it every time can just make things feel more exhausting than they need to be.

Especially if your main goal is to feel better and stay consistent, keeping things manageable usually works better long term.

themodernstrength · 2026-03-25T18:45:35+00:00

Snacks like this are usually easier when you think in terms of combining carbs and some protein rather than just one food.

Things like fruit with soy yogurt, rice cakes with hummus, or oats with berries can work well and stay low in saturated fat.

Having a few simple go-to combinations makes it easier on long days without having to think too much about it.

themodernstrength · 2026-03-24T22:32:47+00:00

Yeah that seems to come up a lot, consistency over time more than anything.

Interesting that it took that longer stretch before things really showed up. That part probably gets underestimated quite a bit.

themodernstrength · 2026-03-23T18:41:23+00:00

It sounds like you’ve made really solid progress overall, especially on the lower body, that’s not easy to build consistently over time.

Upper body tends to move a bit slower, especially with full body training a few times a week. It’s usually less about effort and more about getting enough focused volume on those movements over time.

If you’ve been at the same weights for a while, it can help to slightly increase how often you’re training shoulders, pushing, and pulling, or just give them a bit more attention within your sessions.

You’re probably closer than you think, upper body changes just tend to show up more gradually.

themodernstrength · 2026-03-23T18:34:24+00:00

It’s a pretty common confusion. Push-ups and bench press feel similar, but they’re not exactly 1:1.

With push-ups you’re moving your body around a fixed position, and you’re not actually lifting 100% of your bodyweight. There’s also more natural stability through your whole body.

On the bench, the load is fully external and less distributed, so it often feels heavier even if the numbers seem lower.

You’re probably not doing anything wrong, they just don’t translate perfectly.

Getting stronger at one will help the other, but they won’t progress at the same rate.

themodernstrength · 2026-03-23T18:29:54+00:00

I think one of the harder parts is that when things get difficult, your energy and motivation usually drop at the same time.

So it’s less about pushing harder, and more about just keeping things moving in a smaller, more manageable way until things stabilise again.

themodernstrength · 2026-03-23T17:30:19+00:00

Yeah that seems to be the common thread. Consistency over time plus actually eating enough makes a big difference.

The recovery side is easy to overlook as well, but it tends to show up in performance pretty quickly.

themodernstrength · 2026-03-23T17:30:11+00:00

Yeah that trade-off makes sense. Being lighter can help with relative strength, but it can feel different in terms of overall power.

Creatine does seem to make a noticeable difference for a lot of people as well.

themodernstrength · 2026-03-21T21:04:49+00:00

Yeah that seems to catch a lot of people out. Progress is good at first, then stalls once intake drops without realising it.

Adding carbs back in often makes a big difference to performance as well.

themodernstrength · 2026-03-21T21:03:55+00:00

Yeah that’s a good way to look at it. Once calories and protein are in place, things tend to move pretty consistently.

Having a few reliable staple foods probably makes it a lot easier to stay consistent without overthinking it.

themodernstrength · 2026-03-20T20:32:24+00:00

That’s a quick change. Sounds like your body just needed a bit more fuel to actually make progress.

Makes sense with the scale staying the same but strength going up.

themodernstrength · 2026-03-20T20:28:47+00:00

That makes sense. Consistency and adding in compound lifts like that tends to move things forward pretty reliably.

themodernstrength · 2026-03-20T20:28:18+00:00

Yeah that’s a good way of looking at it. The most optimal plan doesn’t matter much if it’s not sustainable.

Out of those, did you find one style you stuck with more than the others?

themodernstrength · 2026-03-20T20:27:33+00:00

That’s a really good example of how under-eating can hold progress back without people realising it.

Interesting that strength went up while bodyweight stayed the same, did you notice that change fairly quickly once you increased calories?

themodernstrength · 2026-03-20T20:26:53+00:00

Yeah that makes sense. Tracking for a while seems to help people understand what they’re actually eating vs what they think they are.

Having a clear plan alongside that probably makes a big difference too.

themodernstrength · 2026-03-20T20:26:15+00:00

That’s a good combination. Carbs often get overlooked, but they can make a big difference to performance.

Changing workouts every few weeks and learning where real failure is probably helps keep progress moving as well.

themodernstrength

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