SAW

I tried this recipe ... no good. It lacked flavor and tasted nothing like Thai food. Try the Stir-Fried Soy Steak With Bok Choy: http://www.vegcooking.com/recipeshow.asp?RequestID=1634. I've been eating this once a week lately.

I had the Sport model http://www.amazon.com/Bowflex-Sport-Home-Gym/dp/B000BGI5CS The bench wobbled because it was on wheels to facilitate rowing.

Oh man, where to begin? To offer the best advice, I should first ask, what are you looking to do, e.g., sightseeing, outdoors stuff, visiting as many vegan restaurants as humanly possible, etc.? Also -- will you be alone and will you have a car?

That's okay... we can take it!

What's with all the shallow Los Angeles commentary? Do you believe everything you see on television?

Home gym all the way. I started out with a Bowflex, but I found the process of swapping out the handles and cables disruptive to the flow of my workout. Plus, I was less than impressed with the quality of the Bowflex for the price I paid; the wobbly bench, etc. With the assistance of a few very helpful people on this site, I traded the Bowflex for a very solid Powertec bench press with an integrated leg extension. Between the bench press, dumbbells, and a few choice pieces of furniture, I have a fairly complete home gym. For cardio, I frequent the trail at nearby Griffith Park. I like the flexibility and convenience of it all.

Incredible! This is exactly what I needed to jump start my routine. Thanks for the lead on the power racks - incidentally, I was shopping for one not too long ago (guess I was on the right track), so I have a few good leads on quality equipment locally. I'll take a few "before" photos and see how much progress I can make by summertime. I'll definitely keep you posted. Thanks so much. This has been a HUGE help.

Good stuff Ryan and you nailed it -- I have a very bad habit of keeping my arms straight during flyes which probably explains the soreness and hence the perception that flyes are superior to the bench. I feel so enlightened! The more I read what you have to say and evaluate my routine, I have a feeling that my bench woes are a symptom of the strong likelihood that I'm just not pushing myself hard enough. I tend to do all-in-one type workouts on average three times a week. Interestingly enough, the flyes are the only exercise that leave me sore the next day. I work my arms to failure with dumbbells and a curl bar and have no soreness and no apparent soreness from benching either (to answer your question, the last half of the bench press is the most difficult, so per your suggestion, an emphasis on the triceps may be in order). What I probably need is a plan that focuses on specific muscle groups, spread throughout the week and with far more intensity than I'm putting in now with my all-in-one workouts. I do a lot of hiking and seem to be genetically predisposed to strong legs, so I'd like to focus my weight training on upper-body strength for now. I have the bench press set, a curl bar, a pile of dumbbells, a pull up bar, and a set of push up bars. I'm very open to purchasing anything else I may need. Can you offer a suggestion as to how I might break it up, say, into three or four workouts per week with the objective of bulking up? Thanks again for all of your help,

Benching is definitely part of my routine (I purchased a Powertec bench press based on advice here at VBB and am very pleased with it). VeganEssentials, I'm intrigued that you say bench pressing is preferable to flyes for bulking the chest as I've always felt that flyes hit my chest much harder. Seems I should be emphasizing the bench a little more.... On that note, I've been stuck at 100lbs. (10 reps, 3 sets) with my bench press since I purchased the Powertec about six months ago. I'm not sure what the reason would be for this as I've been able to steadily add more weight to my flyes and curls....any insight there? Best,

Thanks for replies everyone......great feedback and very helpful. I'm going to try bumping it up to 25lb. dumbbells and shoot for the 8 - 12 rep range for my chest flies and bicep curls. And per willpeavy's advice - I will definitely vary the workouts. Thanks again,

Happy new year all! I have what is probably a simple question for the experts: My primary workout goal is to build as much muscle as possible. With that in mind, would it be more effective for me to do chest flies at say, 50 reps with a pair of 10lb. dumbbells, or would I get better results from say, 20-25 reps with a pair of 20lb. dumbbells? In other words, should I be doing less reps with more weight or more reps with less weight? ALSO - does the answer to this question apply to all muscle groups (keeping in mind maximum muscle growth as the primary goal)? In particular, I'm curious about bicep curls...... Thanks everyone,

Thanks for the info. We're currently doing Yoga, so a little high impact would create a nice balance. We want to avoid the military (belt system) style of training. I'll keep you posted on our decision.

Hi GCharles, Greater Los Angeles is THE best metropolitan area for vegetarian/vegan restaurants, hands down. Let me know if you need recommendations. Also......, my wife and I are looking into Kung Fu.....what advice can you give me? I've discovered that the methodologies and philosophies of the schools (and the styles) vary wildly. Where did you train? SAW

You might also check out Vega which is hemp-based. I've been using it and am very satisfied.

Thanks for the reply. I was thinking the same thing. What is your opinion of the Parabody Rack? http://us.home.lifefitness.com/content.cfm/rack Can you recommend a less expensive alternative and more importantly, are there any excercises that the Bowflex offers that I cannot do on this system?