Choosing the Best Detox Program

“Detoxification” has become a nice buzz word lately. It sounds good, rolls off the tongue easily and, depending on where you live and your lifestyle, it’s likely to make you seem “in the know” about natural healing and health. But do you know what detoxification really is and why it is so important?

The human body is an amazing thing. In its healthiest state it has the ability to keep itself clean and relatively poison-free. In this sense, detoxification is the body’s natural process of eliminating or neutralizing toxins. This happens via the liver, kidneys, and lungs as well as through urine, feces, and sweat. Yet, your body can become so overloaded that its natural detoxification system can’t keep up; when this happens the toxins build up and can affect virtually all of the systems of the body, head to toe.

Chemical Cocktail

• Over 69 million Americans live in areas that exceed smog standards.
• Most drinking water contains over 700 chemicals, including excessive amounts of the heavy metal lead.
• Some 3,000 chemicals are added to the food supply.
• As many as 10,000 chemicals in the form of solvents, emulsifiers, and preservatives are used in food processing and storage.
• U.S. chemical companies hold licenses to make 75,000 chemicals for commercial use; the federal government registers an average of 2,000 newly synthesized chemicals each year.
• The government has tallied 5,000 chemical ingredients in cosmetics, more than 3,200 chemicals added to food, 1,010 chemicals used in 11,700 consumer products, and 500 chemicals used as active ingredients in pesticides.
• In 1998 U.S. industries reported manufacturing 6.5 trillion pounds of 9,000 different chemicals, and 2000 major U.S. industries reported dumping 7.1 billion pounds of 650 industrial chemicals into our air and water.
• Chemical companies are not required to tell the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) how their compounds are used or to monitor where their products end up in the environment. Neither does U.S. law require chemical companies to conduct basic health and safety testing of their products either before or after they are commercialized.
• Eighty percent of all applications to produce a new chemical are approved by the U.S. EPA with no health and safety data; eighty percent of these are approved in three weeks.

Unfortunately, people today carry within their bodies a veritable chemical cocktail of modern-day industrial chemicals, pesticides, food additives, heavy metals, and anesthetics, not to mention the residues of pharmaceuticals, legal drugs (like alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine), and illegal drugs (like heroin, cocaine, marijuana, etcetera). The sad but undeniable truth is that we have created a living environment that is toxic to our bodies. Look at these facts, taken from respected sources: ^1,2

If these numbers startle you, that’s a good thing. No one knows how long some of these chemicals remain inside us once they are ingested or otherwise introduced to the body. And even the toxins that our bodies do know how to break down require extra metabolic energy expenditure to complete the detoxification process. That means less energy for other important things, like keeping the immune system up to speed.

A recent groundbreaking study was conducted by the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York in collaboration with the Environmental Working Group and Commonweal. Researchers at two major laboratories found an average of 91 industrial compounds, pollutants, and other chemicals in the blood and urine of only nine volunteers, with a total of 167 chemicals found in the group. Like most of us, the nine people tested do not work with chemicals on the job and do not live near an industrial facility. Of the 167 chemicals found in those nine tested individuals, 76 are known to cause cancer in humans or animals, 94 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 79 cause birth defects or abnormal development. What’s more, the danger of exposure to these chemicals in combination has never been studied.

In general, it’s a frightening – and frighteningly true – scenario, one we simply cannot afford to let be swept under the carpet or forgotten. Dr. Marshall Mandell, one of the world’s leading allergists and father of bio-ecologic medicine stated, “The current level of chemicals in the food and water supply, and the indoor and outdoor environment, has lowered our threshold of resistance to disease and has altered our body’s metabolism, causing enzyme dysfunction, nutritional deficiencies, and hormonal imbalances.” ³

Is it any surprise, then, that although America is considered one of the wealthiest countries in the world, it doesn’t even rank in the United Nations top 20 list of the healthiest? 4

Detoxification Therapy

Each year, people are exposed to thousands of toxic chemicals and pollutants in the Earth’s atmosphere, water, food, and soil. These toxins manifest in the body through decreased immune function, psychological or mood disturbances, neurotoxicity, hormonal dysfunction, and even cancer. Detoxification therapy helps to rid the body of chemicals and pollutants and can facilitate a return to health.

Citing Parasites

Did you know that at some time in their lives, three out of every five Americans will have had a parasite living inside of them? Easier to contract than some less deadly diseases, parasites are among the most highly numbered living organisms in the world – and they live right inside of you. But what does that mean?

The August 2000 issue of Discover magazine made this incredible statement:

Every living thing has at least one parasite that lives inside or on it, and many, including humans, have far more. Scientists…are only just beginning to discover exactly how powerful these hidden inhabitants can be, but their research is pointing to a remarkable possibility: Parasites may rule the world. The notion that tiny creatures we’ve largely taken for granted are such a dominant force is immensely disturbing. We are collections of cells that work together, kept harmonized by chemical signals. If an organism can control those signals — an organism like a parasite — then it can control us. And therein lies the peculiar and precise horror of parasites.”⁵

The problem is simple: The average American diet produces a sick colon, complete with deadly fecal build up that becomes the perfect breeding ground for parasites. Humans can actually play host to over 100 different kinds of parasites, ranging from those that are microscopic to tapeworms that can grow to be several feet in length. And they don’t just sit in your intestines. They can migrate to other parts of the body, including the liver, lungs, muscles, joints, skin, blood, and even to the brain. ⁶

While they are not terribly difficult to clean from the body, parasites are often unsuspected and therefore completely unnoticed by their hosts. This allows the parasites to thrive, taking the most valuable nutrients away from the host, who then has to deal not only with poor nutrition and all of its attendant complications, but parasitic waste products as well.

Some Common Signs of Parasites in Humans

• Constantly bloated abdomen
• Dark circles around or under eyes
• Diarrhea or chronic constipation
• Teeth grinding
• Cravings for sweets
• Depression
• Anemia
• Bad body odor
• Sinus congestion
• Constant abdominal discomfort
• Inability to lose weight
• Bad breath
• Persistent acne
• Insomnia
• Moodiness
• Chronic fatigue
• PMS
• Food allergies
• Digestive problems
• Anal itching
• Water retention

The Body Burden

Scientists refer to the level of a person’s chemical and toxin exposure as an individual’s body burden – the consequence of lifelong exposure to industrial chemicals that are used in thousands of consumer products and which linger as contaminants in air, water, food, and in the soil. There are literally hundreds of chemicals in drinking water, household air, dust, treated tap water, and food. And they come from household products like detergent, insulation, fabric treatments, cosmetics, paints, upholstery, computers, and TVs. What’s more, they accumulate in fat, blood and organs, or are passed through the body in breast milk, urine, feces, sweat, semen, hair, and nails. 7

Carrying a high body burden translates into all sorts of maladies: Headaches, insomnia, constipation, fatigue, weakness, blurred vision, greater susceptibility to infection, allergic reactions, joint pain, recurrent respiratory problems, back pain, mood changes, stomach pain, digestive problems…the list goes on and on. It’s shocking to realize that many of the problems just mentioned have become so commonplace in our culture that we don’t stop to wonder why we experience them with such regularity. There are entire over-the-counter product lines that depend on us to be and feel ill. Indeed, some companies need us to carry a high body burden!

Everyday Toxins

The Bad News

The simple truth is that toxic chemicals enter our bodies every day in the form of unhealthy and refined foods, additives, pesticides, and environmental pollutants. These harmful molecules can be found in great abundance in our air, drinking water and food supply. Chemicals poison our lakes, oceans, soil, and, as a consequence, our bodies. In today’s world the body’s natural detoxification system becomes quickly overburdened and is unable to function like it is meant to and like it has in past generations. Since we are unable to Bacteria – Detox process or eliminate these “modern” toxins, they become stored in our glands, tissues, and cells, slowly breaking down all body systems on a cellular level. This process takes place gradually and undetectably, until the onset of obesity and disease finally signals their presence. 8

As if that were not enough, we also need to worry about parasites and the very real threat they pose to our health and wellbeing. “Silent killers” of sorts, many of us are never even aware that we are offering our bodies as homes to these harmful creatures. Even worse, we may be eating the kind of diet that directly encourages their growth and proliferation. And parasites don’t just “go away” – they can stay inside us our entire lives if we don’t clean them out of our bodies. That alone should be reason enough for everyone to complete a detoxification program.

As you can see, without help our bodies are destined to weaken, break down, and fall apart. When this happens, it lowers our quality of life and also affects the lives of our families and loved ones. You can see it all around you today: people succumbing to infections, experiencing illnesses of all kinds, and popping pills that (at best) only cover up the symptoms, and (at worst) weaken or poison the body even further. No doubt about it, it’s a grim picture.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

The Good News

Fortunately, the human body is quite resilient. One of America’s leaders in complementary medicine today, Dr. Andrew Weil, a firm believer that our bodies want to be healthy, tells us, “Health is the condition of perfect balance, when all systems run smoothly and energy circulates freely. This is the natural condition, the one in which least effort is expended; therefore, when the body is out of balance, it wants to get back to it.” When we take the steps necessary to alleviate our body burden, we assist it with its natural process of detoxification. We literally give our body the extra nutrients, natural substances, and energy it needs in order to set the balance straight and get the process of detoxification back in high gear.

Now – more than ever before – it is imperative that we assist our body’s detoxification processes. Detoxification is a natural, health-preserving therapy, which helps remove harmful toxins from the cells and tissues, restoring their immune-protecting functions. Dr. Elson Haas, Director of the Preventive Medical Center of Marin, in San Rafael, CA, and author of The Detox Diet says, “The process of detoxification… is the missing link to rejuvenating the body and preventing such chronic diseases as cancer, cardiovascular problems, arthritis, diabetes, and obesity. The modern diet, with excess animal proteins, fats, caffeine, alcohol, and chemicals, inhibits the optimum function of our cells and tissues. The cleansing of toxins and waste products will restore function and vitality.” ¹⁰

What To Look For in a Detoxification Program

All detoxification programs are not equal. Some, due to the relatively recent discovery of the need for detoxification, are nothing more than low-quality attempts to cash in on a potential market. So, you need to know what makes a good detoxification program. Here are the components that I suggest:

• An “All Systems” Detoxification Program. While it is great to target one particular system of the body from time to time and as necessary, such a regimen is no substitute for a complete, full-body cleanse. Completing a detoxification program that cleans all systems of the body is an essential step to achieving maximum health and wellness.
• A Convenient and User-Friendly Program. Let’s face it, the more difficult the detoxification procedure, the less likely most people are to start it, let alone see it through. Luckily, detoxifying is not as difficult as you may think. You shouldn’t have to make trips to and from a detoxification facility or specialist, and in general, the program needn’t be uncomfortable or something so complicated that you don’t want to try it again. I recommend finding a detoxification program that comes pre-assembled and ready-to-use so that you do not have to spend hours and hours searching for all the right components. But be aware and do your research: never sacrifice quality for convenience. The right detoxification program will offer both.
• Natural, “Human-Friendly” Ingredients. You should use a detoxification program only if it contains 100% natural, non-genetically modified ingredients. After all, you can’t expect to help detoxify your body by pouring more potentially-harmful synthetic chemicals into it! Look for a program that uses primarily herbs, vitamins, and minerals, and steer clear of anything with ingredients that you can’t pronounce.
• Anti-Parasite Support. Recent medical studies suggest that 85 – 95% of the North American adult population is infected with at least one from of parasite. Easily spread from person to person and through contaminated water, food and soil, parasites cause our bodies to lose their biological balance by secreting toxins and damaging vital organs. ¹¹ A good detoxification program will have an anti-parasite component to help expel parasites as well as to clear their eggs and hatching larvae from the body.
• Intestinal/Colon Cleansing Support. Making sure that the bowels are consistently active is vital to healthy detoxification. Toxins and “dead” foods lead to poor digestion, constipation, toxic colon build-up, weight gain, and low energy. These common symptoms are more than just an inconvenience – they can lead to long-term health problems and serious disease. Irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, gas, diverticulitis and colon cancer are simply not things we like to discuss. And yet, as the old expression goes, “death begins in the colon.” Don’t believe it? Ask any coroner. Autopsies often reveal colons that are plugged up to 80% with waste material. ¹²
• Probiotic Support. You may not be aware of this, but inside each of us live vast numbers – as in, several thousand billion – of bacteria without which we could not remain in good health. We call these “friendly” bacteria to distinguish them from the “harmful” bacteria that also inhabit our bodies. When the “harmful” bacteria proliferate and outnumber the “friendly” bacteria, we experience all manner of ailments, including excessive gas, bloating, diarrhea, intestinal toxicity, constipation and poor absorption of nutrients. If this imbalance is left untreated the symptoms can become chronic and can compromise the immune system, leading to other serious illnesses. A good detoxification program will provide you with a potent probiotic to help tip the scale back in favor of the “friendly” bacteria. Look for a probiotic that contains at least eight different strains of “friendly” bacteria and which is “enteric coated.” This ensures the bacteria are released in the intestines where they are needed and not in the stomach, where they can be destroyed by digestive juices.
• Multivitamin/Mineral Support. Few Americans actually obtain the minimum recommended amounts of vitamins and minerals from their diet, and yet our bodies cannot function optimally without them. When you add to that the fact that an unhealthy and toxin-burdened body cannot make complete use of vitamins and minerals as they are made available, you have a recipe for very poor health. As your body becomes progressively cleaner and toxin-free, its ability to uptake and utilize much-needed vitamins and minerals increases dramatically. This, in turn, super-charges your body, optimizing it to perform all of its functions flawlessly.
• Oral Chelation. Probably one of the most beneficial and yet unknown treatments available today, oral chelation is highly effective at assisting the body in the removal of dangerous heavy metals and toxins. A well-documented, firmly established medical practice, it draws toxins and metabolic wastes from the bloodstream, thereby promoting improved circulation, reduction of internal inflammation caused by free radicals, and anti-aging effects that remarkably increase a person’s energy. Most oral chelation supplements will contain a handful of vitamins that are natural antioxidants, but the best oral chelation products will also contain an ingredient called EDTA (ethylenediaminetertraacetic acid). EDTA is a naturally safe chemical that passes through the body, taking toxins and heavy metals out with it. It is so safe, in fact, that according to current drug safety standards, it is nearly three-and-a-half times less toxic to the human system than aspirin.

While it sounds like a large bill to fill, a good detoxification program will meet and/or exceed all these suggestions. Because detoxification is such an item of interest lately – and with good reason – your options are fairly open. By staying within the guidelines prescribed above, you can take a lot of the hassle out of figuring out if a program will meet your detoxification needs.

In the simplest terms, any food grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides can be labeled organic. People who do not understand the organic food movement often argue that there is no significant difference between organic and so-called conventional food. There is however, a lot more to the argument than meets the eye.

For most of humankind’s history, food crops grew utilizing natural fertilizers such as animal manure, dung and decomposed plant materials, otherwise called compost. Creating good soil was the focus. Crops took nutrients from the soil and all crop refuse was returned to replenish the nutrients removed. Adding these natural elements back to the earth feeds not only the plants, but also the micro-flora and micro-fauna that provide micro-nutrients for the soil, which are subsequently extracted from the soil by the plants.

Pesticides were not necessary because strong, healthy plants, grown in healthy soil, were disease resistant. Predators attack the weak and ill formed. Plants grown in soil that is complete with all the nutrients nature provides grow strong, healthy, and are resistant to disease.

This changed in the mid 1800’s when Justus von Liebig, a German scientist, discovered nitrogen as an essential plant nutrient. This led to the invention of nitrogen-based fertilizer and the propagation of plants utilizing Liebigs’s “Law of the Minimum”. This principle states that the one essential mineral which is in the relatively shortest supply, limits a plant’s development. This concept determines the amount of fertilizer to apply in modern agriculture. Plant growth in conventional agriculture is controlled not by the total resources available, but by the scarcest resource. Minimal plant nutrient requirements are chemically synthesized and added to the dirt. The soil is no longer the source of plant nutrition, but only a receptacle for holding plant roots.

Subsequently, the plants themselves are weak and must be protected against attack from insects, funguses and other pests by the application of synthetic chemical insecticides and other toxic poisons. These poisons get into the food and cannot be removed. The toxins then enter our bodies through ingestion of the food and may lead to other health problems.

Food grown by conventional methods conforms to specific standards designed to meet a consumer demand subliminally created. Much of it is genetically altered or hybridized through genetic modification. All of the food looks the same. It is often picked unripe to aid storage and ease shipping, and then gassed with more chemicals to ripen the fruit before it is presented to buyers. The food is unblemished in appearance, but bland and tasteless. The nutrient content of conventionally grown food is limited and must be supplemented by vitamin and mineral tablets in order to maintain consumer health.

Organic growers use natural materials that are available in the environment around them to grow high quality food. The food is higher in quality because it contains all of the nutrients available from soil enriched by inclusion of natural materials. Equally important, organic food has no synthetic chemicals added as nutrients, to control pests or aid harvesting. This produces food that is better tasting with higher nutritional content. Sometimes organic food is not as pretty to look at like as “steroid food’ found at the local grocery store. However, to clearly know the difference, just eat some food grown organically. The absolute, unequivocal proof that organic food is superior to conventional food is simple. The proof is in the tasting!

Interview with Robert Cheeke, Vegan Bodybuilder and President of Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Growing up in Oregon, I lived on a farm and had many farm animals as pets. I always had a love and appreciation for animals, and from an early age, I was concerned about their well-being. However, it wasn’t until December 8, 1995, that I decided to give up consuming meat. My older sister, Tanya, was organizing Animal Rights Week at my high school. I decided out of respect for her (a vegan since about the age of 15) that I would become a vegetarian for the week. I attended lectures, listened to speakers, read literature about animal cruelty, and watched videos about factory farms and animal testing. That week of becoming vegetarian has lasted for the past twelve years and continues today as I go on my 13th year of following a pure plant-based (vegan) diet.

Ten months after becoming vegetarian, I became vegan. Ironically, two years after giving up animal products, it was Me who organized the Animal Rights Week at my high school in Corvallis, Oregon. I also became active in an environmental awareness group at school called Students for Peace through Global Responsibilities (SPGR). I was active in promoting veganism for a long time, and I still am through my fitness company. I have been able to promote vegan bodybuilding on a worldwide stage through articles in major magazines, TV appearances, my vegan fitness documentary, and my through my five websites.

I love being vegan and knowing that I am having a positive impact on the environment and society. I have more energy than most people I know, and I very rarely suffer from any illnesses or fatigue. I eat a vast array of natural and organic foods that keep my bodyfat percentage low, protein intake high, energy levels high, keep my bones strong, and allow me to put on quality muscle. I believe that an animal-free diet is one of the best things you can do for your health, and the well-being of our environment.

What is the difference between vegan and vegetarian?

Vegans abstain from all animal products, anything derived from an animal and veganism is often a moral or ethical decision. Veganism is not just a dietary preference, but a compassionate and cruelty-free lifestyle (or as cruelty-free as possible). Vegetarians avoid eating meat and vegetarianism is often a health choice for most people, rather than a moral or ethical choice. Vegetarians often use leather and other animal by-products, and are not as concerned with issues such as animal testing. For most vegetarians, becoming vegetarian is a food preference. Vegetarians who want to eliminate animal products from their lifestyle, go vegan.

How much protein does someone need a day to have a body like yours?

A common standard is to consume 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight for athletes, and 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight for bodybuilders and other athletes interested in bulking up and adding mass. Eating consistently throughout the day makes it easy to consume that amount of protein if a variety of foods are consumed. Most people get more protein than they need but I do believe strength athletes require more protein daily than the average person.

How do you get your protein without meat?

I pay special attention to protein and my main protein sources come from hemp, rice, pea, soy, tempeh, nuts, beans, lentils, grains and a variety of powders and bars including complete meal replacements, adding up to 100-300 grams per day. A normal day for me totals around 180 grams of protein from a variety of sources. Tofu, a soy product, typically has 10-20 grams of protein per serving. Soy also has a Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) of 1.0, which is the highest protein rating for a food to have, and it scores higher than beef protein. Hemp is one of the best sources of protein, period. It is a complete protein meaning it contains all essential amino acids, it is alkalizing, rich in chlorophyll, naturally contains essential fatty acids, is packed full of nutrients, and is grown from the most sustainable methods, making it arguably the best resource. We often hear about protein combinations to make a complete protein. This is an accumulation of essential amino acids. Combining sources such as hemp, rice, and pea provides a powerful amino acid profile for enhanced biomechanical efficiency, assimilation and absorption. Taking in large quantities of protein can be taxing on the liver and kidneys so it is important to drink a lot of water when you’re on a high protein diet. Drinking water helps your body’s organs process large amounts of protein. In addition to the high protein foods, I also eat a significant amount of fruits and green vegetables, and I eat raw and organic foods whenever possible. Raw sources of protein can be found in nuts, seeds, seaweed, broccoli, spinach, kale, and other veggies and are some of the most potent and most beneficial sources of protein available on the planet.

Bodybuilders have pretty much always relied on meat as their primary source of protein and protein is widely considered the most important aspect of bodybuilding nutrition. Most people think bodybuilders must consume large amounts of meat to gain muscle and get bigger and stronger. Too many people confuse protein with meat; they think meat is the only source. There are plenty of muscular vegetarian and vegan bodybuilders who prove you can get just as big and strong on a plant-based diet. It is indeed possible and quite easy to do. You can view dozens of vegan athlete profiles on www.veganbodybuilding.com.

What other kinds of food do you eat?

The bulk of my diet consists of fruits in the morning; protein sources such as nuts, protein drinks and bars for snacks; green vegetables, beans, tofu, and other protein and calorie-rich foods for lunch, and a variety of fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, and grains for dinner. A typical meal for dinner may include a lentil soup with chopped veggies, steamed or raw broccoli, tofu, and brown rice. Potatoes, tempeh, beans, and nuts are also staples of my diet and are often consumed around dinnertime. I typically just drink water before and after meals, but for dinner I may include soymilk, almond milk, or natural fruit juice. I also eat a lot of sandwiches and burritos because they are so heavy and packed full of calories and protein which areimportant for me as a bodybuilder.

Fruits are by far my favorite foods. I prefer to eat more raw foods but also enjoy the warmth of cooked foods. I lean towards organic foods and have learned a lot about whole food nutrition from my Professional Vegan athlete friends and co-stars in my documentary Vegan Fitness Built Naturally, Brendan Brazier and Tonya Kay.
What supplements do you take?

When I am on the run and don’t have time to prepare a meal, I take a complete plant-based whole food meal replacement called Vega. Formulated by Brendan Brazier, a professional Ironman triathlete and fellow vegan, Vega is a quick and easy way for me to get quality nutrition. It contains many of my favorite foods, including hemp, pea, flax, rice, chlorella and maca. I especially like the fact that it contains five sources of quality protein, ensuring a balanced array of essential amino acids. I also snack on Vega raw energy bars before and after workouts for an extra boost. Even when I’m not on the run, I keep these foods around because they are some optimal sources of nutrition.

As mentioned above, keep in mind that a high protein diet can be taxing on the liver and kidneys so it’s important to drink a lot of water (I personally drink over a gallon a day when possible) to help the body’s organs process the large amounts of protein. The great thing about plant protein is that it appears to be much easier to digest and assimilate than animal protein, making the body’s job easier and providing a greater nutritional yield. I also recommend eating smaller meals more frequently to ensure your muscles will always be fueled and nourished, providing the best opportunity for recovery, growth, and achieving your desired results.

How often and long do you train?

Everywhere you look you will find different ways to train—different training principles, and techniques used to accomplish the same goals. Everyone has their own style, but I will go over some of the styles that are most common in bodybuilding and fitness, and my own personal approach to training. The routines are different, depending on what your goals are. For example, bodybuilding for mass will require you to lift heavier weights with fewer repetitions and longer rest periods between sets.

The first thing you need to do is establish what your goals are, what you want to accomplish through your fitness training.

Based on what you come up with, you will decide how many days you want to train per week.

I will use bodybuilding since it is what I do and it determines how I train. I lift weights fives times a week, working a different muscle group each day. In a calendar week, my training schedule might look like this: Monday-chest, Tuesday-back, Wednesday-rest, Thursday-arms, Friday-legs, Saturday-shoulders, Sunday-rest. Working with weights five days a week is effective and gives you an opportunity to rest after two or three consecutive days of heavy training. It is also easier than four days per week, because in five days, you cover all the major muscle groups on a different day and don’t have to combine two muscle groups like shoulders and arms, for example, in the same day.

Many pro bodybuilders workout with weights six days a week, but it is not something that I would recommend for a natural bodybuilder. Your body needs rest and recovery time. I wouldn’t even workout with weights more than four days in a row. Pros can get away with it because they have been bodybuilding for 10-15 years and know how their body will react to their training. They are usually also using drugs that help their muscles recover and grow faster than someone who is not using any anabolic bodybuilding drugs. I personally have tried lifting weights six days per week, and although I achieved some great results, I suffered three injuries and was often fatigued from overtraining. Therefore, weight training five days a week with two rest days worked very well for me, and I continue to train that way, as I think it is the most effective approach to natural bodybuilding.

The amount of time you spend in the gym is an important factor. There are many myths out there about bodybuilders training eight hours a day to look the way they do. That is complete nonsense and a ludicrous idea. If more were better, we would be in the gym 16-hours per day, but that is not the case. Sixty to ninety minutes in the gym is a perfect amount of time to spend weight training. Any more than that can be counter productive. Fitness activities like running, soccer, and basketball, are okay to do for a longer period. With weight training, you put a lot of stress on your muscles and joints. After an hour or so, they become fatigued and can inhibit further progress.

How do you train?

Before I get to the gym, I already have a plan of attack that includes what muscle group I will be working and a specific routine I wear athletic pants and a sweatshirt to stay warm and lower the risk of injury. I always begin with a 10-minute warm-up. For the first five minutes I usually use a stair-stepper to begin sweating or I do a variety of other warm-up exercises that get my muscles ready for the workout. The next five minutes are spent on warm-up exercises for the muscle group I will work. The sets are light and consist of around 20 repetitions followed by stretching the muscle I will be focusing on. Once I am warmed up, stretched, and ready to go, I begin with my working sets. My workouts change each time. I will not do the same chest exercises or same number of reps, or same weight, week after week. Sometimes I use mostly barbells, other times mostly dumbbells, and other times machines and cables. On top of that, there are flat, incline, decline, supersets, drop sets, pyramids, and other variations to target the same muscle group.

I train with lots of intensity and rest 30-90 seconds between sets depending on the exercises. I usually train alone, but I enjoy training with a partner, too.

What kind of exercises would you recommend to people who do not compete, but do want to look and feel their best?

I suggest people do a full-body workout or focus on full-body training, incorporating resistant weight training as well as cardiovascular training into their program. The key is to take action and make it happen. Be accountable and be consistent with the exercise program and adaptation and improvement will take place and lead to success. Ease into it and start with just a few days a week, leading up to five days a week of weight training.
What is your favorite exercise?

I have a bunch of “favorite” exercises. Some of my favorites include: flat bench press, decline bench press, deadlifts, leg presses, machine bicep curls, squats, and any exercise involving training the back. I think the “Big Three” are keys to success: squats, bench press, and deadlifts. If because of injuries you cannot do those exercises, find ones that train the same muscles such as machine chest press or dumbbell press instead of bench press; leg press and lunges instead of squats; or good mornings, hyperextensions, or a variety of rows instead of deadlifts.

What is your least favorite exercise?

I don’t really have least favorite exercises. I used to say lunges, but they aren’t too bad. I guess I’d have to say cardiovascular exercises. I prefer training with weights over doing cardio.

Do you usually cook for yourself, or have someone else cook for you?

I’ve been vegan for over a decade, but I don’t cook! I’ve never been into cooking, although I used to do some baking back in high school. My roommate prepares a lot of food so I often eat what he is having. Living in Portland, OR I’m spoiled with dozens of vegan-friendly restaurants that I frequent as well. When I do prepare some of my own food it is usually very basic and includes preparing potatoes, yams, rice, or making my own sandwiches.

What is your favorite vegetable?

Broccoli, potatoes, and spinach are my favorite vegetables, but I like many of them.

What is your least favorite vegetable?

I don’t really have a least favorite. I’m not a huge fan of iceberg lettuce.

How have you done in body building competitions?

I have competed in seven bodybuilding competitions as of the winter of 2008.

I entered my first contest in 2001 and have competed ever since. I typically compete just once or twice a year and sometimes take a full year off from competing. In the seven contests, I have placed 1st, 2nd a couple of times, 3rd, and 4th on two occasions. I won the 2005 INBA Northwestern USA Natural Bodybuilding Overall Novice Championship and was runner-up at the 2005 INBA World Natural Bodybuilding Championships. I’ve competed in California, Oregon, and Washington. Currently, I plan on taking a break and may not return to the stage until 2010.I’m working on a National Speaking Tour and more documentary projects that are keeping me busy. I’m still training though, and I’m bigger than ever right now.
Do you and have you ever used steroids?

I have never used steroids and have never been interested in taking them. I believe they are dangerous and should be avoided.

Robert Cheeke is the Founder and President of Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness and is available for speaking presentations around the world. www.veganbodybuilding.com