Hi, I just registered and am in need of some advice =)

Hi. i have some questions regarding feedback on my lifestyle, diet and obviously to get results.

My name is Varsam, and i've been a vegetarian for my whole life (just shy of 22 years). i don't eat much tofu, or mushrooms, or eggs however i do eat these. i weigh 71 kilos, depending how much i've had to eat. i am 6'3'' tall and average build. i ride 20 mins to and from work, 5 days a week (i enjoy the exercise, that and the fact that i've never had the motivation to get my license). i work at a food distribution warehouse called Woolworths, in the Fruit/Veg (produce) section. i work 5 days a week, and in an average day (8 hrs) i lift the equivalent of 15 tonnes. i have a tiny bit of a gut still.

I used to do boxing for about 1 yr but thats ancient history now. i only recently (in the last month and a bit) brought a 20kg dumbell set. my full workout consist of 15 reps of 7 kg (bar weight of 2 kg), 20 situps, 20 crunches followed by 10 reps of the weights as i sit down and my elbows rest on my legs (thighs) with 30 min breaks in between. i do this 3 times a night, close to bed time, once every 2nd day so that my muscles have a chance to rebuild (found out all this from my 15 yr old bro who beats me in arm wrestles like i'm a weakling). it was what he recommended.

About 2 weeks ago i purchased a set of those Perfect Pushups, but because i obviously have never had much iron throughout my life, i can't do many reps so i have to do them on my knees and i feel pathetic.

Before i continue i would like to say that eating meat is NOT an option. this is what i eat on a regular work day:- bowl of healthy cereal in the morning. lunch consists of a 50g pack of chips (just cuz i have a real sweet tooth), a muesli bar, an apple or other piece of fruit, sometimes a whole carrot too, 1 small container of fruit pieces in syrup/juice, 2 x salad sandwiches on multi-grain or wholemeal bread, usually with lettuce, mayo, tomato, cheese and sometimes i might add in slices of cucumber/mushrooms and/or Vege meat. i also might have half the bread spread with honey mustard.
Note: dinner is never really the same so i won't list it.

Firstly i just wana congratulate who ever is still reading this!! what initially started out as a basic overlay, has turned into a damn ESSAY!

I have been riding my bike for many years to my jobs.

I would greatly appreciate and advice to help me. my main goals aren't to body build, but just to get nice, hard toned abs, strong shoulders for lots of pushups and basic strength. my legs are very fine so there isn't anything needed to be done there, however if there are good exercises that work out the legs, i won't diss them.

Thank you very much for your time in reading this.

Regards
Varsam
 
Welcome Versam! You don't have to eat meat, but as a vegetarian, you have to think more about what you eat than others. For example, to build muscle requires protein which is available from plant sources (e.g., peanut butter) but are rarer.

Also, at 73 kilos and 6'3" (btw, why mix and match units?), you are not average build, you are lean. It sounds to me, without seeing pics, that you want to increase your muscle mass some and lose some fat. Read the stickies as this is one of the most common goals and frequently asked questions on this forum.

Offhand, I'd say start with some weight training, using a full body approach, watch what you eat (yes, you can be a fat vegetarian as there are lots of fats and calories in plant foods), and expand your cardio. I think 20 mins twice a day is a start but I would recommend that you expand that to include HIIT, since you have a base cardio that can support and benefit from HIIT.
 
You can get your protien from eggs, milk and nuts. I used to be a vegitarian now I just buy organic meats... lots of them. If you want to be lean I would eat 5 to six meals a day evenly spead out with plenty of protein. And I'd do lots of high intensity cardio like sprints and jump rope. I would keep lifting weights three times a week and would concentrate on compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, dips, and the military press or power cleans. I wouldnt really worry about isolation movements like bicep curls. Your biceps will get a workout with your back doing pullups and rows.
 
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