The Vegan Superhero AcademyReviews of thevegangym.com

I started the VSA on January 3, 2023. I came to this program looking to finally resolve some lingering mental debris from an eating disorder (ED) that I dealt with for many years. My goal coming into the VSA was to learn how to treat my body with kindness and to be its friend and advocate. My intention was to improve my mindset versus lose a certain amount of weight or obtain a certain physique. For some further context I have been vegan for 18 years, so I was already on board with the vegan aspect of the VSA. And while I really enjoy being active, my physical fitness had slipped in part due to the pandemic and in part to a negative and punitive mindset toward fitness. I share all of this upfront to show how flexible the VSA is and how customized and personal the program can be. When they say it is not "one size fits all" they really mean it. At the start of the VSA you are asked (though not required) to share your weight, body measurements and photos of your current body as a means to track and measure your progress over time. I do not own a scale and I was not comfortable submitting measurements or photos as this hit too close to home with some body image/ED issues. I was worried about how this was all going to work as my coach would not have any data to work with. But incredibly it was all ok. While you are in the VSA you are assigned a coach based on what your goals are and how best the coach and your goals align. I was nervous and scared to start this program as I knew I would have to revisit some difficult moments in my past so that I could move forward. Talking about my ED and body image struggles is tough, and I knew if this program was going to work I would have to be vulnerable, honest and trusting of and toward my coach. Enter Coach Andrew. From the beginning Coach Andrew has created a space where trust, honesty and vulnerability are welcome, present, honored and encouraged. I will admit that I was skeptical as first as to how the VSA could be so personalized. But from the beginning Coach Andrew really listened to me and made an initial plan that just served as a guideline based on my goals.He understood that measuring food was not a good option for me due to past experiences with my ED. Coach Andrew simply gave me some examples of high protein plant based meals and I simply increased my amount of daily plant based protein without actually measuring out portions. In terms of fitness, we started out with the weights I had at home because I was still uncertain about returning to the gym. From the start of the program we dove right into mindset topics but in a very conversational and natural way. I did not feel rushed or hurried or told I needed to be at a certain point in the program at a certain time. Our coaching relationship feels very natural, organic and collaborative. Things unfold as they do and we respond to them and move forward. If something happens (for example I have a bad experience with food or my body) we talk about it, learn from it and move on. But there is also space for taking steps back as will inevitably happen when you are trying to grow and change. Coach Andrew is always there to support me when I take a step back and to help me to learn from the experience. He mentioned on our first Zoom call that growth is not linear and that we are all "works in progress" and that mindset permeates all of our interactions. Coach Andrew also had me start daily reflections on how I am feeling about both my body and food. This too was a collaborative effort-we decided together what to ask, how to format it and how best to use this tool. We then further refined the reflection process to create a program within a program where I can literally text him any time with a negative body thought that is followed by a positive- or neutral- body thought. The idea behind this is that I am learning in the moment how to rethink these topics and by accumulating repetitions of a healthier mindset we will work to change my old thought patterns. The amazing thing is that Coach Andrew started to share with me some of his occasional body image concerns. I cannot stress how amazing it is to see your coach- who is a very fit and muscular man-share that he too still struggles in this area from time to time. This really makes me feel that we are part of a team and my coach still has a "beginner's mind" where he is humble enough to know he is still growing and learning too. I have grown a tremendous amount in the short time I have been in the VSA. I am beyond grateful to be working with Coach Andrew. He is a very kind, thoughtful and encouraging person. He is also very responsive, generous with his time and can own a mistake if he makes one. He also acknowledges how you feel and never dismisses it or diminishes it. He will honor your struggle while still looking forward. I highly recommend the VSA! Give it a try-it might just change your life.

I had a really positive experience with VSA. The coaches are amazing and very supportive. I personally worked with Coach Emma, who is kind, helpful, knowledgable and always has a positive spirit! I learned so much in the 1 yr+ I had with VSA, and I encourage anyone who's looking to follow a plant based diet and get lots of expertise and support to join!

VSA has been an incredible journey for me. I started in February 2023, and I currently have about 4 weeks left. I was a mess when I joined- I was gaining weight uncontrollably, I was constantly tired, I felt bad inside and out, and was feeling generally defeated. I had a few failed attempts at course-correcting prior to joining VSA, and was beyond ready for someone to tell me how to fix things. I had been a vegetarian since 2008, and was an on/off again vegan ever since. I realized that just eating vegan wasn’t enough to be healthy, and I needed to find an intentional and calculated approach to my diet & exercise plan. Zach Smith has been my coach at VSA, and I feel like I hit the coaching jackpot with him! Not only has he mastered the art of vegan macro-friendly recipes (that are insanely good), but he seems to know a little bit about everything. He is super patient when I get off course, and has helped me figure out how to jump back when I feel ready to quit. Zach practices what he preaches, and knowing that he was also tracking everything alongside me was so encouraging. VSA has helped me lose 11lbs already, but the scale isn’t even my main focus anymore. I feel better, I sleep better, I’m in such a good mood, my blood pressure has even improved (I was at 112/78 yesterday, that’s the lowest it’s been without meds). Zach has taught me perseverance, and has given me an entirely new perspective on my health and life goals. I’m endlessly grateful to Zach and VSA- I know I will carry these principles with me for life! I can’t wait to see where my journey will take me, now that my approach to vegan health and fitness is more clear. Thank you Zach- what you do matters so much, and it changes lives.

I discovered VSA at a crucial time in my life. I had tried to get back on track with health and fitness for some time on my own and it just wasn’t happening. With VSA I met Coach James who supported and encouraged me to fulfill my dreams. It gave me accountability like I’d never had before and a community of other fellow vegans on the same journey. I lost 14lbs of fat in my first month and then discovered I was pregnant. Coach James got with his team and adjusted my program to accommodate this huge life change to ensure I maintained my weight and started off this pregnancy with the resources I needed to have a safe and healthy vegan pregnancy. I’m so grateful that this happened while I was in VSA as it prepared my body and gave me the tools I needed know how to fuel my body appropriately. I’m truly grateful for my time with VSA and recommend it to any vegan ready to commit to a life-changing transformation!

VSA has course corrected my life. This program is so much more than just another fitness endeavor. Not only are you helping to collectively save the planet and animals you are gaining immense knowledge and wisdom from like minded people all over the globe. Having Coach Sarah as my guide and navigator the past 3 months has been the biggest blessing. I consistently had questions that were answered with honesty and heart from her every week. Anytime I needed to change something or felt as though the meal plan wasn't working out with daily life there was never any resistance only adjustments made to cater to my needs that did set me up for success. This community shows so much acceptance for exactly who you are and where you are along your journey without any judgement ever. Feeling a sense of belonging to this community has been one of the greatest take aways along with learning how to properly exercise and fuel my body with the right foods to live a sustainable fitness lifestyle. I have full intentions of coming back to this program later this year as it has forever changed the way I see myself and others who are committed to changing themselves and our planet! So much gratitude for all of the coaches who put all of their effort into the group calls and master classes every single day. Thank you for holding such a safe space for me to step into and begin this new way of living! See y'all soon!

Working with VSA Coach Mark for the last 8 weeks has been unreal. As a coach, Mark has kept me so motivated and accountable and has always taken the time to answer all those questions I’ve had along the way (and there’s been a few!). On top of that, through the VSA program, I’m developing the tools and knowledge I need to generate my own motivation so I can continue to push myself also. The program itself is well structured and organised in a way that is easy to use. One of the coolest things about VSA is that you gain the support of an entire global network of like minded people who are here to learn and grow. VSA is so much more than a fitness program; it’s changing what I thought was possible and has helped me to operate at my peak. If you’re on the fence about this one, take the jump.

As I finished a 9 months journey at VSA, I want to tell you how grateful I am to had the chance of being part of this community. Every single one of us here is so unique, strong and inspiring. Just seeing each others’ consistency streaks, challenges, accountability posts, kindness challenges and more was just so nice. 👌🏼 Before VSA, I was feeling lonely in my lifestyle, happy but without the feeling of making a difference or anything, a WHY / US / BELONGING was missing. VSA made me realize how many great people are sharing my values, which gave me this feeling of belonging, of grinding not only for me, but for the whole group aiming at a common aim : helping the planet and the animals through fitness, and getting closer to our best self every single day. ⭐️ I will strongly miss the A Team and the whole community and sincerely hope we can stay in touch as « alumnis ». I already posted a deep review of my experience after 3 months, before extending my journey here, but if I had to sum up my most important learnings (out of sooo many) in 6 points : ⚡️ VSA is not just about reaching a high fitness and nutrition level for a few months , it’s about building a bullet proof mindset that is useful in any aspect of life. 💪🏼 Investing this money in myself has been the best investment of my life so far, and has paid 10x even before the end of my program. Thanks to the mindset and momentum I’ve built. 🙏🏽 Mindfulness is the foundation for long term success and happiness : learn to listen to your body and adapt fitness and nutrition accordingly (ie going easier when you know a muscle needs more recovery this time, adapt your training and intakes…) 🤓 The consistency streaks are fun and an amazing tool to build long term habits, the daily reading / audio listening and gratitude statement have become my new non negotiable. 👊🏽 COMMIT now and figure out later : this has also been a phenomenal approach I learned here : anytime we feel afraid by something but know within that it will make it better, we shall commit to do it with a deadline, and we figure out anyway to make it happen (can be in sport, personal project, at work etc…) ⭐️ Never forget that YOU ARE NOT ALONE, we are all making a difference workout after workout, meal after meal, day after day. We are challenging the status quo for the better, as a strong, kind and badass superhero army. Hope these few lines can help inspiring you to join, it will be the best investment you can ever make in yourself. ❤️ Thank you once again to Mark, all the coaches + staff, the A Team and each of you here for being such empathic and inspiring people 🙏🏽 Peace, love and (mainly mind) gaiiiins ☄️

VSA goes above and beyond to support their clients, and has a system to ensure folks are getting results. 👍 It’s an amazing community of positive, like minded people who want to improve not only fitness but all areas of life!! 🧘‍♂️🏋️‍♀️Coach Mark is amazing and genuinely cares about his clients success. Highly recommend to everyone!! 😎👊