Joining a non vegan strength crew

[Lordmuppet]

So I am going (especially seeing Chewybaws progress now he has a good crowd to lift with) to ask these nice people http://www.ocstrengthclub.com/ if I can train with them. Only 20 minutes drive from me (once i get the license and a car)

They broke 10 world records between them in 2009. There is an article on them here http://www.powerliftingusa.com/articles ... _SEP10.php

Membership is free but they only let you join and stay if they think you work hard enough (like i've said before i have no life so this isn't a problem).

My question to you guys is how one handles the vegan issue? I was thinking of not mentioning unless someone asks/starts to notice and then just being honest about it.

Has this been a problem for anyone? I mean, as we all know, the strength/powerlifting community likes to pretend we don't exist. Apparently they can't use google

[KC Masterpiece]

Well my first thought is that having training partners like that indefinitely FAR outstrips the awkwardness that can come with talking about veganism.

I had the same issue in my BJJ gym. Never really came up, so I didn't say anything. We talked about it once and I mentioned it as part of the discussion. Wasn't a big deal.

The situation goes how you want it go

Good choice about joining a real gym!

[sosso]

What's the worst they can do? They might give you shit for it, but who cares? If anything, it might make you more determined to keep at it. Just try to be a good example and go in consistently and lift weights, get stronger etc and it shouldn't be an issue.

[Talyn]

I joined a powerlifting club where I am positive I'm the only vegetarian, let alone vegan. No one bothers me about it, I will occasionaly get a silly question but it's all friendly so I can sometimes have a chat about food as well as training.

If you're keen on lifting, you should absolutley never pass up the opportunity to get coaching and lift with a regular crew, you will get so much out of it.

It can be as big or as small an issue as you make it. Join, get strong and let your results speak for you.

[Lordmuppet]

yeah thanks guys

I kindof figured that was the case but wanted some reassurance from people who had done it

A powerlifting friend is talking about hiring American Record Holder Cara Head (who lives near here) as an olympic coach so I asked him to get a quote for her coaching the two of us. That would be pretty awesome but I'm not getting my hopes up till i see pricing. Also not sure where we'd go as the uni doesn't allow olympic lifting.

[bronco]

My question to you guys is how one handles the vegan issue? I was thinking of not mentioning unless someone asks/starts to notice and then just being honest about it.

That's what I usually do, always worked fine for me. Apart from occasional silly questions I never had anyone bother me.

[JP]

i have always trained in non vegan strength crews.

no problems.

but i work hard, so i doubt anyone would give me any shit

...then again the whole crew works really hard, because everyone is a competetive strength athlete...

vegan issue comes up sometimes, but mainly when we go to competitions and get stuck to some petrol station for food - preparation is the key, i dont want to portray veganism as something really hard and awkward.

[baldy]

The first proper strength crew I trained with in Edinburgh was full of vegans so was no bother there at all.
My new Sunday crew all know, some of the guys it came up the first day we trained together they asked about diet, others it never came up then couple of weeks later than came to me almost hurt that I hadn't told them.

At the gym I train in during the week it has never come up but I don't really train that closely with people there. I always try find the fine line between being an evangelist and simply being confident in my beliefs.

As JP said if you train hard you get respect in a gym no matter what.

[Lordmuppet]

yep thanks again guys.

My current gym decided to 'let' me film lifts once every ten weeks (they don't normally let anyone film anything) *sigh* so yet another reason to get the hell out of dodge. To be fair the staff are very reasonable and flexible it's just the rules they have to work with are dumb.

and yeah don't worry i'm not going to embarrass anyone My numbers aren't exactly world beating but I'm constantly progressing.

[Lordmuppet]

I always try find the fine line between being an evangelist and simply being confident in my beliefs. .

yeah it is hard line to tow. My general policy is I don't bring it up and if people bring it up I'm going to match the tone they take. So if people are argumentative then i will be too but if they are nice i'll be nice.

Also I try to give people a bit of slack on the glass houses/stones principle. It took me far too long to go vegan (til I was 22) so I'm not going to get on people's backs for not changing overnight a habit that has been built up over multiple decades.

[baldy]

My current gym decided to 'let' me film lifts once every ten weeks (they don't normally let anyone film anything) *sigh* so yet another reason to get the hell out of dodge. To be fair the staff are very reasonable and flexible it's just the rules they have to work with are dumb.

This happened at my Sunday gym to. The ironic thing is the guy was watching us on CCTV then saw us using the camera so came to say we could not film.

[No other way]

In my MMA gym I didn't tell anyone I was vegan for about a year. at that point I was one of the hardest workers and toughest in the gym so instead of giving me crap people would just yell "You're going to let that vegan beat you?" the people I train with are not very well informed though so I'm always having to clear the air about things.

[Mellos]

In my club they might all know that I´´m vegan
I go there, lift weights, they do as well, I wear my vegan strength shirt, nobody cares
that´s it
it´s about the lifting and nothing else