http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/?page=bio_aviSome excerpts
Name: Avi R. Lehyani
Year of Birth: 1960
Height: 6'
Weight: 200 Lbs (91Kg) .Compete weight: 193 (88Kg)
Birthplace: France
Current Residence: Israel
Sports: Bicycling, WeightLifting
Why did you become vegan?
Reasons were ethical, health and responsibility towards the environment in that order. I Tried to become vegetarian already at age 13 but pressure from family and even family doctor did their thing and I reverted to meat eating shortly thereafter. At age 20, my then girlfriend, herself a semi-vegetarian, convinced me to do the right thing. I kept consuming eggs and dairy until a few years later (I then lived in VA), when after conversing with one of the PETA founders, I understood that was no need for dairy to keep strong bones, as I thought at the time, a victim of the dairy industry propaganda. I never turned back.
I have since "given up" all processed foods including cane sugar and I bake my own bread so at least I know what is in it for sure. I have to add that my family background drove me to behave ethically from early age. In fact my father, himself an ordained rabbi and ritual slaughterer always did his best to educate his children about "God" and of course the creation, so we always appreciated the living things around us.
How would you describe your nutrition program?
I am not a person inclined to culinary quests, I keep my diet to the most simple ingredients. My staple foods are whole wheat bread, brown rice, oats, and beans. I consume very little soy as I find it very hard to cook and the whole phytosterol controversy makes it suspect for the moment. I do not consume oils per se but I will always include fat containing foods like tahini, olives, avocado, nuts etc. I don't concern myself with calories except making sure I eat enough for the day. Vegetables are a must and always in quantity but I don't really look for the much more expensive organic kind.
So in other words:
Carbs 65%
Protein 20%
Fats 15%
Atkins is probably turning in his grave right now
How would you describe your training program?
I am not a bodybuilder so I concentrate on strength. I consider proper training, a workout that is going to utilize the body as a unit and not as unconnected muscles. So there is almost never the so-called isolation exercises like preacher curl. Yet a few times a year I will perform extreme cheat speed curls partially using legs and trapezius with as much as 100kg. So in other words, Squat, Dead lift, Bench press, Standing military press and pullups (or pulldowns) are the "founding fathers". Of course I will add other significant exercises like barbell bent-over row, cable row, pull over, flies, upright dumbbell rows, heavy shrugs etc.. so I don't develop a lack of balance within the different muscles
What kind of supplements do you use if any, and why?
I tried creatine a few times and I can say it helped. Also, I tried a NOx formulation with no true effect except the permanent sensation of blood pumping through. I am not a supplement fan as I consider that if its not naturally in your food, then it's not meant to be ingested but of course I won't negate any possible aid that might help the athlete get to the next stage as long as the research proves its efficacy as well as its safety.
When asked by members what kind of supplement they should take, I just tell them to eat more. I think that for most people, especially newbies, the addition of protein powders of any kind is unnecessary. This said I realize that some will have difficulty to manage additional meals in an otherwise busy schedule and the easily prepared protein drinks can be effective.
