#78 Ashley Gillies - Building Strength & Muscle on a Vegan Diet

Can you build strength & muscle on a vegan diet? In this episode, I’m joined by Ashley Gillies, owner and coach at Pivot With Plants. Ashley is a lifelong competitive athlete with eight years of fitness experience and has been vegan for seven years. For the past four years, she has helped vegans build strength, confidence, and sustainable, healthy fitness habits through personalized coaching. In this episode, we talk about: • How to get started with strength training if you're a beginner • Finding motivation and staying consistent with your workouts • Why eating enough calories is so important for muscle building • Progressive overload and how it helps you get stronger • Why women don't need to be afraid of getting "too bulky" from lifting weights • How to approach plant-based fitness in a way that is sustainable and enjoyable Ashley is also a co-founder of The Kind Fork Faction, a vegan social group in Calgary, Alberta, that brings the community together through monthly meetups. Whether you're a complete beginner, already doing strength training, interested in plant-based fitness, or simply wondering how to build muscle and get enough vegan protein, this conversation is packed with practical advice to help you get stronger and feel more confident in your fitness journey. Connect with Ashley on Instagram @pivotwithplants ____________________________________________________________________ About Your Host: Shawna Barker is a nutritionist with a BSc. in Nutrition and has been vegan since 2002. With over 14 years of experience, she brings evidence-based insights to help you build a plant-based life that actually works for you.   Work With Me: If you're ready to go plant-based or already are and want to feel more confident about your nutrition, I offer private consultations with personalized, evidence-based guidance. No overwhelm, just clarity. Book your free 15-minute discovery call at synergynutrition.ca ___________________________________________________________________ Vegan Boss Resources: 🛒 Supplements: 100% vegan, carefully curated and 10% off everything, always. Visit my Online Store. Ships across Canada. 👕 Apparel: Wear the message. Shop Vegan Boss Apparel and follow @veganbossapparel on Instagram. 🎧 Enjoying the show? Subscribe, share this episode with someone who is interested in health and veganism, and leave a review, it really helps more people find the podcast. 📩 DM me anytime on Instagram @vegan_boss