We’re on a mission to help 1,000,000 vegans get into the best shape of their lives because we believe that the more healthy, fit vegans there are in the world, the faster veganism will spread. Let’s work together to inspire change, spread compassion, and challenge the status quo.
A good relationship with food has nothing to do with the quality of your diet or the types of food you eat. Rather, how and why you choose the foods you eat. In this episode, we talk with Coach Laura about how to build a healthy relationship with food, how your relationship with food and exercise affects your life and your relationship with yourself, and more! Support the show
During a recent podcast episode with Derek Simnett, we spoke about Omega-3 intake. The question was asked, "How much ALA do vegans need to consume from flaxseed (or other high ALA plant-based foods) to get enough EPA and DHA?" In this episode, I'm going to share the science and math behind how we can get the recommended daily amount of Omega-3 fatty acids directly from plant-based foods. Support the show
What do you do when things get tough or feel out of your control? It is tiring when you want to fix a problem, but you keep running into red tape. As difficult as these moments are, difficult periods in life are important. They show you how much your goals matter and how to level up in your life. Adversity builds strength if you allow it to. In this episode, we discuss how to change our mindset to view difficult periods in life as growth opportunities. Support the show...
You may be surprised by how many fears you end up confronting as you work towards a fitness goal. Have you found that you're actually a little fearful of lifting heavier weights, "losing your abs" if you eat more calories, or "getting too bulky?" These moments are amazing opportunities for huge personal growth and a big step forward in achieving the physique results you desire. In this episode, we discuss common nutrition and fitness fears with Coach Sawyer. We tackle practical topics like under...
Have you ever not finished something you set out to do? While you (or others) may see that as a failure, it’s really only a failure if you didn’t learn from it. Challenges and setbacks are some of the best moments for reflection and growth. In this episode, Leif shares why he didn’t complete 75 HARD, the valuable lessons he learned from that experience, and how we can apply this insight to set better goals and align our lives with our values. Support the show...
Derek Simnett is a vegan nutritionist with a passion for fitness and living a healthy, happy, purpose-driven life. Through his social media channels, Derek inspires others to take control of their lives and health by implementing simple habits and routine changes. He demonstrates that it isn’t that difficult to revolutionize your lifestyle when you focus on just getting started! Everything else will fall into place. In this episode, we discuss five foods you should consider eating for your healt...
Do you want to be a better person tomorrow than you are today? Do you want to grow, learn, and prosper? Receiving insight from someone you trust is an important part of this process. A coach looks at your situation from a different angle and provides you with honest feedback that guides you in making mindset and habit changes to help you meet your goals. However, this only works if you are coachable! In this interview with Coach Laura, you'll learn who should have a coach, what areas of life can...
Dr. Laurie Marbas is a double board-certified family medicine and lifestyle medicine physician who has been utilizing food as medicine since 2012. She is the co-founder of Plant Based TeleHealth, an organization focused on the prevention and reversal of chronic disease utilizing lifestyle medicine. In this interview, Dr. Marbas explains what plant-based lifestyle medicine really is, how medical fields have been shifting in regards to plant-based lifestyle medicine, the difference between a vegan...
Robert Cheeke has dedicated the majority of his life to show what's possible when you follow your passion. Through many hard years of work, he proved to the world that vegans can compete and win bodybuilding competitions, at the national, professional level. But that was just the beginning! His story has spread and inspired countless vegans to find their purpose, persevere, and live life to the fullest. This engaging discussion with Robert Cheeke will leave you feeling motivated to make time for...
Dr. Niki Davis, a “rocket scientist” turned board-certified medical doctor, specializes in nutrition and lifestyle medicine. In this interview, we break down misconceptions and answer questions about oil, whole foods, the healing power of food, meal planning for fat loss, body composition, the need for starches, and more! Support the show
You have the opportunity to forever change your life when you live by this simple, powerful principle: “commit NOW and figure the rest out later”. What does this mean? It means fully committing to the things that you feel called to accomplish in your life. What if you didn't allow fear to hold you back? What if you chased your full potential in life and became all that you were put on this Earth to become? In this episode, we share mental exercises to help you quit second-guessing and overthinki...
Knowing the benefits you can expect to experience throughout your fitness journey is critical for staying committed and consistent. When we have a skewed understanding or vision of what our progress should look like, we can become discouraged and distracted once we are in the thick of our journey. In this interview with Vegan Superhero Academy Coach Sawyer, we discuss how we can be realistic with our vision (but still feel challenged), steps we can take to avoid disappointment, and learn a bette...
There are two main nutritional considerations to keep in mind when you are working to build muscle as a vegan. One, you need to be consuming enough calories. Two, you need to be consuming enough protein. In this episode, we'll go into detail about how to accomplish these two goals, plus you'll learn how your body uses protein to build muscle and which foods are best for fueling your body to gain muscle. Remember, as long as you obtain adequate protein while eating in a caloric surplus, in combin...
Have you been sick lately and had a few weeks off from the gym or following your nutrition plan? You might be finding it hard to get back into the swing of things. The reality is that sometimes you go into the gym and make physical gains and other times you go into the gym and make mental gains. Getting back on track after being sick is one of those opportunities for mental gains. In this episode, we share practical tips for restoring your routines for fitness and nutrition after feeling ill and...
When faced with difficulty, sometimes we put forth a little effort and ask, "does this count?" In reality, you know if your effort truly should count or if it shouldn’t count. If you have to ask, "does this count?" then no, it doesn’t. When you put forth your best effort every day, regardless of your circumstances, you'll make your goals a reality. In this podcast episode we talk about the power of shifting from asking "does this count?" to "have I done my best?" Support the show...
Whether you are vegan or are thinking about becoming vegan, you probably have been asked the common question, “But where do you get your protein?” All too often, other people are concerned that you won’t get enough protein and you’ll waste away. There are many concerns about vegan protein, but fortunately they are just myths. Today, we will bust five of these common myths and share the truth about vegan protein! Support the show...
Our brains are wired for comfort and survival, not discomfort and success. Your mind can have a powerful influence on your perceived level of effort and your results. Once you push beyond your limiting beliefs, you establish a new standard in your life. In this episode we unpack what it means to work hard physically and mentally, how to set new standards, and redefine what is truly possible for ourselves. Support the show
Many people struggle to stick to a fat loss diet because they feel overly restricted in what they can eat and/or they are stuck feeling hungry all the time. In this episode, we explain why tracking macronutrients is a better approach to nutrition for losing fat and provide a thorough list of the best vegan foods for fat loss. These foods don’t have any magical fat loss powers, but we have found them to be some of the best plant foods for nailing your macros and conquering hunger! Support the sho...
It is much easier to maintain momentum than it is to constantly be starting and stopping. This is true physically as well as for our mindset when it comes to setting and achieving goals. Momentum takes a lot of effort to start, but it also takes far less effort to maintain. So, how do you build and maintain momentum when it comes to your health and fitness? In this episode we share some practical tips to help you keep moving forward! Support the show...
If you are heading into the New Year without specific, meaningful goals, then you’re setting yourself up for living an average, mediocre life. Goals help give your life purpose and direction. Without them, you’ll waste amazing opportunities (and miss out on the amazing compounding effects of personal development) over the next year. In this episode, we share a simple but powerful 3-step process that is incredibly effective for setting big goals and leveling up your life! Website: thevegangym.com...
Have you ever felt societal pressure to look a certain way? Have you ever struggled with your relationship with food? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be less obsessed with the number on the scale or the size tag in your clothes and more obsessed with fueling your body to be fit and healthy? This episode with Vegan Superhero Academy Coach Laura Marks is just for you! In our conversation with Laura, we take an honest look at these issues and more. Laura weaves together client succe...
Creating motivation is just the first step of momentum towards your goals. Maintaining motivation is the long journey. Everyone experiences ups and downs in their level of motivation. The key is to recognize when you are getting off track, course correct, and ultimately not throw in the towel. If you’re not in a motivational rut right now, you will likely be in one at some point on your journey. Which is why over our last episode and this episode, we’re sharing 12 ways to get your drive back. Th...
Motivation is not something that you just have. You have to create it. In this episode, we explore how our personal whys, goals, and priorities play an important role in building momentum. You'll learn practical tips for implementing these six ways to get your drive back: 1) Create your ultimate vision; 2) Define your identity; 3) Have crystal clear goals; 4) Be clear on your priorities; 5) Look at who you spend your time with; 6) Make small habits and commitments. Stay tuned for our next episod...
Are you going to check out from your health and fitness goals over the holidays? The holidays are a wonderful time to be grateful for the most important things in your life like family and friendships. It’s also the time of the year when people are least committed to their health and fitness. In this episode we talk about how to cultivate the power of consistency and setting yourself up to start the New Year with massive momentum. Support the show...
When you take care of your body and your mind, it makes you far more effective at helping others. Many people, especially parents, feel guilty for taking time out of their busy schedule to focus on themselves each day. But you can’t pour from an empty cup. "You have to be selfish in order to be selfless”. In this episode, we take a fresh look at the difference between being selfish and selfless and explore how these concepts can help us live a more meaningful life. Support the show...
At our 2021 Vegan Superhero Retreat, Robert shared his inspiring transformation from a scrawny farm boy to a champion vegan bodybuilder and New York Times Best Selling author. I wasn't planning to turn this into a podcast so we only recorded it on an iPhone, but his story was too good not to share. Please excuse the audio quality. I hope you enjoy listening! Support the show
During a Zoom call with our clients, one of them, Michael, talked about how he often struggles with comparing himself to others. Towards the end of week 4 of our Vegan Superhero Academy coaching program, he was stretching after a workout and feeling super proud of all the progress he had made, but then he began scrolling through social media and comparing himself to others. He began thinking, "But I don’t look like that guy" and "I wish I was as strong as that guy." And then he caught himself th...
There are many common “broscience” myths in the fitness industry that have zero scientific merit. One of the most well-known bodybuilding myths is the idea that your body can only absorb a limited amount of protein from a single meal. Well, the truth is that your body can absorb nearly an unlimited amount of protein into the bloodstream. The more accurate question (that actually does have scientific merit) is, “how much absorbed protein can your body use from a single meal to build muscle?” Or i...
In this episode, we’re going to cover 6 lessons that I learned while training for my Ironman. Most of these are lessons that I re-learned or reinforced (they’re not groundbreaking new things) but my hope is that you take away a meaningful nugget or two from these lessons that you can apply to your own fitness journey. Support the show
IRONMAN Maryland 2021 was an exciting, challenging experience. In this episode, I'll tell you how it felt to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run 26.2 miles (140.6 miles total) in a single day. Support the show
