posted August 8, 2023
Can you work out and be a Vegan? Absolutely!
During my Main Street Vegan Academy (MSVA) Master Class, I met Mariquita Solis and Dr. Angela Crawford. We graduated from the initial MSVA at different times and thus had never met before outside of a closed Facebook group. Mariquita and Angela invited me to their WeDidIt.Health group which meets virtually twice a month to discuss all things Vegan.
During my Zoom meeting with these knowledgeable ladies, I met Geoff Palmer. He is a physical fitness expert and a Vegan.
I am 57 and Geoff is 60. I work out every day. I love meeting other Vegans who exercise regularly and are my age. It debunks the myth that it may be “too late.” If anything, working out keeps us fit, healthy and younger.
I recently interviewed Geoff to learn more about working out as a Vegan, his company, and Vegan bodybuilding competitions:
CH: When did you become a Vegan?
GP: I became Vegan March 15, 1985. After suffering from depression for many years, I had an intense breakthrough and quit smoking, drinking, doing drugs, and eating all animal products, [all] in one day. I have never been a vegetarian, but I have been Vegan for 38+ years.
(Cherie’s Note: I also quit smoking (27 years ago). I do not drink or take any drugs of any kind. I use exercise to keep my mood even. I could not be more impressed with Geoff’s turnaround.)
CH: How old were you when you started working out?
GP: I began working out in high school while on the swim team at the age of 16 and have been working out, on and off, for about 40 years.
CH: What are your favorite types of workouts?
GP: I change up my workouts every couple of weeks. From heavy weights and low reps, to supersets, to volume training, to now—drop sets. Constantly changing helps keep it interesting and gives me the best gains without plateaus.
(Cherie’s Note: A Superset is doing two exercises back-to-back with no rest in between. For example, doing curls immediately followed with tricep push-downs.
Volume Training includes doing many sets of each exercise. For example, 10 sets of ten reps of curls.
Drop Sets involve doing a set at one weight then immediately lowering the weight and doing another set, then lowering the weight to do another, for multiple back-to-back sets until total exhaustion.)
CH: What is your advice to someone who is overwhelmed with the idea of a workout—where would they begin?
GP: Mindset is everything. See the value in it, know the importance of it and learn to enjoy the feeling.
(Cherie’s Note: I agree with Geoff. Putting on our sneakers and going to the gym or outside for a walk is the difficult part. Once I wrap my head around it, I am always glad I did my sweaty activity.)
CH: Please tell me about your company, Clean Machine. When did you start it and why?
GP: I began Clean Machine to encourage people to keep this amazing machine we are born into, the human body, clean—free of drugs and animal products that can harm our health. I look for the absolute best that nature has to offer like Lemna, the most nutrient rich plant ever discovered and Ahiflower, the richest source of essential Omega’s of any plant known. I was the first to bring these two plants to market and they both won the NEXTY Award for Best Supplement of the Year.
I want optimal health for myself and my family, so it is what I bring to market so others can enjoy the incredible health benefits of these plants that other companies won’t sell. You can find more information about Clean Machine Products at cleanmachineonline.com and catch my Facebook Lives every Thursday at 4pm ET on @CleanMachineFit. You can watch the replays of the FB Lives on YouTube.
CH: Please tell me about the World Vegan Bodybuilding Competition. When did you start it?
GP: I started the first and only All-Vegan Natural Bodybuilding competition in the world in 2018. We just completed our second World Vegan Bodybuilding Championship in April of 2023 and hope to have them every year. For pics and videos of the competition check out our Facebook page or on YouTube.
As you can see from these pictures, there is no age limit on being fit.
Cherie Hans holds certifications from Dr. McDougall’s Starch Solution and Dr. Campbell’s Plant-Based Nutrition programs. She holds a Master of Science in Bilingual Education from St. John’s University, NY, and a Bachelor of Arts from the City University of NY: Queens College in English and Spanish, and currently teaches adults in English as a Second Language. After graduating from Main Street Vegan Academy, Cherie started the blog Fit and Fifties Vegan. She is from Queens, New York, but now resides in New Jersey with her husband and many rescued cats.