Raw food bodybuilding has many advantages over the cooked alternative
Those following a good raw food bodybuilding program can expect to require fewer calories for gains equivalent to a cooked food bodybuilder, easier gains, better overall health, fewer injuries and of course... less time to prepare food ;p Of course there is a wrong way to go about building muscle on a raw food diet. One could do any of the following things and actually end up in a catabolic state instead of maintaining an anabolic one:
~Not getting enough protein (click here for a list of vegetarian complete protein sources) ~Eating too much of one food group and not enough of the others (ie. too many nuts + seeds or too much fruit) ~Being afraid of using raw food protein powders, adaptogenic herbs or other whole food supplements ~Not working out enough! ~Working out too much! ~Not getting enough rest ~Not following a program and/or coach that can guide you and prevent common pitfalls ~Not eating enough calories (while you can get by with less than someone eating cooked foods, you still need a minimum of 2,500 cals a day with a good raw digestive enzyme)
The sites and products down the right hand side of this page are some of the most powerful and health promoting things you can take while on a raw food bodybuilding program, or any bodybuilding program for that matter! To learn about the benefits of raw food, read this article here. The biggest secret to success for any raw food bodybuilder (or other strength athlete) is going to be to follow a high protein vegetarian diet in combination with a raw digestive enzyme high in protease and other protein digesting enzymes. If you go through 1 or more bottles of these Hippocrates Institute's high in protease enzymes (ideally taking 20+ capsules a day, 650 caps per bottle), you'll be well on your way to consuming way less food while still being able to bulk up.
Zak is undergoing a 1 year transformation and is documenting it with weekly updates
He began on Dec 1st 2010 and intends to gain 40+ pounds by Dec 1st 2011. He is doing this by following a raw food bodybuilding program that has brought success to anyone who has chosen to sincerely follow it. Zak interviewed Mark Mackenzie in the summer of 2010 and was so inspired that he decided to follow the same program as him.
Zak's starting weight on this program is 137lbs. His biceps are 12" in circumference when flexed, his thighs are 19" in circumference when flexed, his chest is 34" in circumference with arms raised up in the air and lungs empty and his neck is 15" in circumference when relaxed. The following are the first videos of Zak's progress thus far on his raw food vegetarian bodybuilding journey:
Raw Food Bodybuilding Day 1 ~ Weigh In, Measurements and Goals
Raw Food Bodybuilding Day 8 ~ 1st Week's Challenges and Weight Gains!!!
Raw Food Bodybuilding Day 15 ~ Why Protein Digesting Enzymes Are Such a Powerful Tool
Raw Food Bodybuilding Day 29 ~ Clips From My Workouts
Raw Food Bodybuilding Day 39 ~ Posing, Elk Velvet Antler, Recovery
Raw Food Bodybuilding Day 47 ~ My Favorite Workout Music, Body Fat % Coming Soon
Raw Food Bodybuilding Day 54 ~ Is Cardio Exercise or Strength Training Better for Longevity?
Raw Food Bodybuilding Day 60 ~ Weigh In, Bodyfat % and Changes in Diet
Raw Food Bodybuilding Day 76 ~ Keeping the Immune System Strong with Vitamin D3
Raw Food Bodybuilding Day 88 ~ Weigh In and Future Video Thoughts
Raw Food Bodybuilding Day 103 ~ I'm Stopping the Program (For Good Reason)