Click HERE to Find Out How You Can
Build Muscle & Lose Fat By Eating Plants
BODYBUILDER WHO ALSO
LOVES CROSSFIT TRAINING
“Discovering the gym
changed my life. It became my new coping mechanism, and instead of being
harmful and negative, it help me heal myself physically, mentally, and
emotionally.”
Name: Simone Collins
Occupation: Graphic Designer for the Arnold Classic Australia and Dohertys Gym
City/State/Country: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Age: 28
Height: 5’5″
Weight: 128 lbs.
Training: CrossFit and bodybuilding
Website: www.simicollins.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/simivegan
Instagram: @simi_collins
Q: What are your
personal passions outside of fitness?
I love music and art. I
secretly love to sing, and although I haven’t done it for ages, I love drawing.
I am also a bit of a nerd – I love Anime, playing games, watching or reading
fantasy/sci-fi.
Q: What is the biggest
obstacle you have had to overcome in your life?
Beating anxiety and depression. I was in a dark place in my late
teens/early 20s. I really struggled to find a way to cope with my emotions and
mental state. My coping mechanisms were harmful and negative, including
self-harm and eating disorders.
Discovering the gym changed my
life. It became my new coping mechanism, and instead of being harmful and
negative, it help me heal myself physically, mentally, and emotionally. It gave
me self-confidence, motivation and a healthy relationship with food.
Q: What was the hardest
part of going vegan for you?
I didn’t find it hard at all! I
was vegetarian for 10 years before I went vegan, so it was really easy to substitute
eggs with tofu, and whey with plant-based protein, which was really
the only animal products I was eating.
“For anyone making the
switch, I suggest keeping your diet as close as you can to what you are used
to, and simply making substitutes to the animal products in your meals.”
Q: What are your top three
tips for women who want to compete?
- Be mentally ready
– competition prep is as much a mental test as it is a physical endeavor!
- Don’t crash diet!
If you feel you have to drop your calories so low, or do tons of cardio to
get lean in time, you’re probably not ready for the show. Slow down
and prepare for the next one, there’s no hurry, competitions are run all
the time!
- Just have fun! Competition prep is hard, but the
challenge is extremely exciting and there’s no better feeling than being
on stage in your best shape!
Q: What does your
daily meal plan offseason look like?
My diet varies a bit,
especially now that I’m not prepping for a show. I tend not to count calories
or macros in this time and eat more
intuitively, to give myself a break from the regiment of competition prep. Here’s an example of
my meal plan:
- Breakfast: Huge bowl of oats with protein powder and berries topped with
cinnamon and ginger
- Post-Workout: Plant-based protein powder and Greens
- Lunch: 200g tofu,
tempeh, seitan, lentils, beans or chickpeas (protein and iron
source!) 1-2 roast potatoes or a cup of rice or quinoa (carb source) and unlimited
non-starchy vegetables or raw salad, topped with nutritional yeast (b12)
Himalayan salt (for iodine) and a splash of sauce (usually no added sugar
barbecue, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, salsa or pasta
sauce)
- Snack: 4 rice cakes made into sandwiches with 1
chopped banana, fruit puree spread on each one
and topped with cinnamon
- Dinner: Same as
lunch usually
- Snack: A few
walnuts (omega 3)
- Before bed:
Plant-based protein mousse (just mix in less water or nut milk!) and
flaxmeal (omega 3)
- Throughout the
day: A couple of cups or tea or coffee with almond milk. I tend to snack
if and when I’m hungry. I try to eat natural whole foods most of the time.
Sometimes I like to have a treat here and there, like some mock meat, veggie
burgers, vegan pizza, fries, chocolate, lollies etc. I keep this pretty
minimal though.
Q: Philosophy on supplements and which ones you take?
- B12
- Creatine, now and
then
- BCAAs
- Super Greens
- L-Carnitine,
during bikini competition prep
B12 is crucial for vegan
bodybuilders. I manage to maintain high B12 levels simply eating nutritional
yeast, however if you’re low, I would recommend a supplement or even
injections. Sports aren’t always necessary, but personally I feel they assist
my training.
Q: Describe your
training regiment.
At the moment I am doing mostly
CrossFit.
We start the class generally
working strength or a particular lift, then we do a WOD (which is usually high
intensity work for time or reps).
We usually have an upper-body
focused day, followed by a lower body day, then a “skills day” where we work
more on strength and technique.
“I love the CrossFit
training style, you develop a great skill base, it keeps you very fit, and it’s
heaps of fun!”
I usually do
CrossFit 4-5 times a week, and a squat-only day (as I am working on
increasing my squat at the moment).
If I do 4 days of CrossFit, I
also do an arms/shoulders/chest day in the gym. I also stretch and
practice basic gymnastics holds.
Q: If you have to
pick only three exercises, what would they be and why?
Can’t go wrong with the “Big 3”
in powerlifting! They require the use of multiple muscle groups and I believe
you could keep very fit and strong, and even build a decent physique, just
doing these 3 lifts.
Q: What tips can you
share about fitness?
That anything you want to
achieve in health and fitness, you can achieve on a
100 percent vegan lifestyle!
Q: What are the three
biggest trends you see in fitness right now?
Fasted cardio: Seems to work
for some, personally it makes me feel gross. I hate it so I never do it!
Fitness Model Competitions: It
feels like every other girl in the gym is getting ready for her first
“Fitness Model” competition, which is great, however I hope they are all doing
it for the right reasons, and are mentally prepared as well as physically. I
often notice these girls have not been training very long. I even met one that
had never been to a show, and didn’t even know what federation she had signed
up for!
Sometimes I think these girls
are pushed into competing by their coaches, or want to do a competition just
because it’s the in thing to do.
Nutella: I don’t understand why
everyone is so obsessed with it, it drives me nuts!
Q: What advice do you
have for someone who wants to try a plant-based diet?
“I think the hardest part
from a bodybuilding perspective, is trusting that you can still get the same
results without animal products.”
But there are plenty of
athletes who prove that it’s completely possible, not only to maintain muscle,
but to gain muscle or to get lean and shredded for
a competition without meat or dairy.
To get more ideas about crossfit training, watch this video - How to combine CROSSFIT and BODYBUILDING
Author
Bio:
Chris
Willitts (creator of V3), is the founder and owner of Vegetarian Bodybuilding.
V3 Vegetarian Bodybuilding System is a
mixture of science and author’s advice, providing users with
optimal diet and exercise. This system is designed for vegans and vegetarians
only.
A
lot of research has been put in this program. Furthermore, a lot of
professional bodybuilders and athletes tried and tested the program, praising
its progressiveness and efficiency.
The
program is about taking control of your own body and health according to your
potential and needs. And worry not; you’ll get plenty of proteins with this
system. It will boost you with energy, and you’ll feel just a strong as any
carnivore would (perhaps even stronger, depending on how much you invest in
your exercise). It avoids vitamins deficiency and provides you with a lot of
proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Instead
of saying things like “I think a plant-based diet is good for athletes and
bodybuilders,” the V3 Vegetarian Bodybuilding System claims “I know a
plant-based diet is good for athletes and bodybuilders, and I have results to
prove it.”
To
find out more, visit the website at V3 Bodybuilding – Vegan Bodybuilding and Crossfit Training
