Shred It!: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Burning Fat and Building Muscle on a Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet

by Robert Cheeke

Robert Cheeke’s newest book, Shred It! (Gaven Press, 2014), is a comprehensive guide to setting achievable goals, burning fat, and building muscle on a whole-food, plant-based diet. As one of only a few books to combine a completely whole-food, plant-based menu with detailed training programs,

Shred It! has been endorsed by 28 of the biggest names in the health and fitness industry, including Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D., Kathy Freston, Rich Roll, Julieanna Hever, and Rip Esselstyn.

Shred It! will teach you the most important steps to take to achieve your health and fitness goals. By reading this book, you will once and for all truly understand how to:
• Set achievable goals that lead to real results
• Discover the most effective ways to burn fat
• Build muscle efficiently on a whole-food, plant-based diet
• Identify what could be holding you back from reaching your fitness potential
• Exercise nearly anywhere, anytime, managing time effectively You will also:
• Learn from dozens of experts and fitness professionals
• Read awe-inspiring fitness and health transformations
• Discover 75 delicious plant-based athlete recipes and meal plans
• Master dozens of workouts with step-by-step instructions and photos
• Find an exercise and nutrition plan that will really work for you

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Fitness, Nutrition, Vegan

344 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Robert Cheeke is an American bodybuilder, motivational speaker, and author. He is a vegan activist and spends his time touring the United States for speaking engagements and book promotions.

Cheeke is the co-founder of C-VEG, a Corvallis-based Vegan group, a former Board Member for non-profit groups OrganicAthlete and Northwest VEG in Portland, and the founder and president of Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness.

Robert Cheeke transitioned to a full vegan as a teen and began organizing animal rights events at Corvallis High School including the initiation of recycling programs and providing vegan meals to those in need with the organization Food Not Bombs. He is proud that all of his gains as a bodybuilder has been made on a cruelty-free diet.

Cheeke began his athletic career as a cross-country runner for Oregon State University in 1999 but soon developed an interest in weightlifting and strength training. He became a competitive bodybuilder the following year in 2000. Five years later, in 2005 Cheeke won the title of INBA Northwestern USA Natural Bodybuilding Overall Novice Champion. In the following years he competed in the Natural Bodybuilding World Championships in 2006, and the Northwestern USA Natural Bodybuilding Championships in 2009 (where he took first place in his class).

Reviews

[Tony Rogers Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a complete how-to manual for building muscle or losing weight on a plant-based(vegan) diet. It covers finding your motivation, goal-setting, meal-planning,protein intake, exercises to build muscle, the importance of tracking your progress and also includes many recipes and testimonials from successful plant-based bodybuilders and athletes (male and female). Great resource to have in your library.

Tony Rogers Jr
Author of Visionary:Making a difference in a world that needs YOU

[ShaiJai · Rating 4 out of 5]

For most people, this book will be a revelation. Sadly, most people won't ever hear of it. Even Goodreads doesn't have an image of the cover (at the time I wrote this, at least). The last two or three generations have grown up with the ingrained belief that we need excessive amounts of protein, and animal protein in particular, to be healthy, fit, and strong. Especially if you're trying build muscle mass. As a two-time natural bodybuilding champion, Robert Cheeke has proven that this is not only a myth, but also reveals the limitless possibilty of athletic endeavours without consuming any animal products. While this book discusses the specific details of what to eat and how to train, it also profiles many bodybuilders and athletes who are living the plant-based lifestyle, without missing a step. As a health care provider, I've seen first-hand the negative effects of a diet based around meat, dairy, eggs, and refined foods. Fortunately, there is a healthier way, and I applaud Mr. Cheeke for sharing this message with the world. More people need to be exposed to this information, because the health and prosperity of future generations is at stake.

Please note:
The only reason I have not given this book 5 stars is because the writing is not "amazing," but the message, intent, and content of the book deserves an infinite number of stars.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose to read this book because I was looking for a comprehensive and straightforward guide to vegan bodybuilding. On the whole, I did like it a lot, and found it to be quite useful.

However, I was somewhat disappointed in some of the content, because I was expecting the book to read more as a how-to manual, but instead only the first few chapters really outlined how to approach topics such as weight lifting, cardio, and nutrition. The rest of the book covers things such as motivational stories, vegan athletes, and case studies. This isn't necessarily bad, I just feel it would help to be more aware of this before reading. Additionally, the book does seem to be targeted more towards men, or at least people interested in bulking up, as it doesn't really provide guidelines on shredding.

Overall, I would say this book is a really great guide for beginner's, but requires supplemental knowledge from additional sources. I would still recommend it, because there are some interesting sections, opinions, and facts on veganism. I also believe that people who are skeptical about the ability of vegans to be bodybuilders might find that this book can change their minds.

[Jim Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Robert Cheeke. His "The Plant-Based Athlete" (cowritten with Matt Frazier) is one of the best things I read last year, inspired me to drop 50 pounds in six months and double down on my running, biking and other fitness activities. Prior to that, I always enjoyed his appearances and articles in magazines like "Vegan Health and Fitness." He comes across as a good guy, as truly dedicated to making the world a better place for animals and for human beings.

This book wasn't exactly my thing, but I still enjoyed it quite a bit. I read it not so much to get any particular information, but more just to keep me inspired and motivated. It did that.

"Shred It!" is really a book for bodybuilders and lifters and such. I like the idea of bulking up and adding a bit more muscle, but when it comes to any kind of fitness, I'm far more interested in running, biking, yoga. But inspiring stories are inspiring stories, and reading about vegan athletes absolutely crushing it is awesome, regardless of the sport they're crushing it in.

Worth the read, and I'll definitely try out a few of the recipes that were included.

[Larry Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Experience and passion really come through on every page! Cheeke conveys his own personal journey in a meaningful way that should inspire and inform anyone looking to adopt a plant-based diet to improve physical performance. But he doesn't stop there. Cheeke also shares stories and recipes from a wide network of vegan athletes. Collectively, their voices provide a compelling testimonial for plant-based eating.

The book provides powerful--and practical--advice for physical health...inside and out!

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book I guess for someone who does not know about vegan and whole food plant based lifestyle at all.
This is the kind of book that is motivational and not as informative and detailed when compared to books written such as Dr. John McDougall’s The Starch Solution.

I enjoyed reading it. But everthing I read was already available in the aforementioned book and also online. Maybe it was a great book for when it was written. I still keep it and use it as a reference. There are some recipes which I found useful.

[Isabel]

I got this in a health and fitness ebook bundle.

While some parts were quite interesting, especially the exercise explanations and demontrations, I feel like the overall book could have been shorter.
Cheeke does a great case in trying to educate the reader about nutrition but it was quite shallow in the end.
It's recommandable if one has never had a look into the subject of fitness or nutrition.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm giving this book 5 stars because I want to promote it because of what it shows: people can be powerful athletes and vegan at the same time. It gives me hope that I can be an ordinarily fit person and vegan. Also because discovering Derek Tresize's bean shake was pure gold for me!

[Kerissa Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely motivating and right up my alley regarding nutrition and macronutrient percentages in your diet. I love all the stories of other athletes who live this way. This will be a book I refer to often. I am not a vegan nor do I agree with it ethically, I do firmly believe in a whole food plant-based diet first and foremost. Great information for anyone looking to healthily lose weight, build muscle and feel energetic and alive.

[Cori McGraw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read on nutrition and fitness on a whole food plant-based diet.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great reference book for getting 'shredded' on a plant based diet on top of Robert's biography as a 20 year vegan and champion bodybuilder.