Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Hello from Taiwan! Congrats on your PB . . . keep up the good work! I've gotten in 2 weight workouts here, and bodyweight/stretch/ab work every day. Will post some pics of the amazing V food here next week.

Hey Hilary! How is the food this time in Taiwan, the vegan heaven?

TUC IS BACK! I was in Vegan Fitness Week in Espoo (Finland) for almost 6 days and my computer was in heavy use there so I couldn't post here. The week was maybe the best week ever. The food was FANTASTIC. Imagine spending a week with 50 vegans from all over the world (mainly Europe) while having superb food and sauna everyday!!! Only thing that is as good is the Vegan Vacation I guess but I didn't make it there this year...

Here's what happened in sports (forget the olympics, here's the real thing):

Sat 9th August

- 2 hours boxing training, a swedish guy called Hermat kept a really good basic training session. Great guy!!!

- 2 hours in gym. I can't remember everything I did but I made sets on 7-8 @ 70kg in pec deck and sets of 12 in horisontal leg press machine @ 150kg. Also lots of lat training.

Sun 10th August

- 1 hour capoeira, an israeli guy called Yotam showed us how to move and kick. Really fun! Yotam is a VERY nice person!
- 1 hour breakdance. I was instructing the session.

- 2 hours in gym. Weight lifting mainly. I sucked because I was still sore from yesterday's training. I deadlifted 160kg, bench pressed 90kg easily and deep squatted 100kg. Joni (JP from veganfitness) deadlifted 235 kg (518 lbs) easily but failed 250 kg (551 lbs). I deadlifted 250kg with xkillerx (CRAZY dude but REALLY fun!!!!) side by side, tandem deadlift.

Mon 11th August

- 1 hour capoeira, 1 hour breakdance. Just like yesterday.
- Athletics: Shot put 7.25m and high jump 130cm (with really lousy shoes for that purpose).

Tue 12th August

- 2 hours olympic weightlifting. I got 60kg in clean and press, 65kg in clean and 50kg in muscle snatch (= not very clean snatch). We also jumped on a platform without run-up, about 120cm was my best. Thanks to Gustaf (from Sweden, bronco in VF) and Sepi (a finnish guy) for instructions! Also VERY nice people!

Wed 13th August

We had some competitions. I won the one in which we climbed ladders using only hands. I have a vid of it, stay tuned!



I have about 2.5 GB photos and videos. I'll share the best ones soon!!!!

Also, thanks to the VFW team! Pekka and others did a wonderful job!

Disasterous week. I was in a conference where I published my first scientific peer-reviewed article and it took all my spare time. Last weekend I was in FegFest (the largest vegetarian promotion event in Finland so far) talking about veganism and sports wearing a ridiculously tight t-shirt. I was also in a panel talking about ecological aspects of food with some scientists and activists. It was fun.

Mon 18th August: 2 hours breakdance

Fri 22nd August

Finally enough time and energy to continue lifting weights! I don't feel very strong but I HAVE to work out to make progress.

- Bench press, barbell: warmup @ 60kg, then 6 + 6 + 4 @ 80kg
- Standin shoulder press (behind neck), barbell: 7 + 6 + 4 @ 40kg (I haven't done it behind the neck before, it's HARD! )
- Bicep curls, curl bar: 17 + 10 + 10 @ 32kg (long first set -> fat pump right from the beginning -> bigger muscles -> ??? -> profit!!!)
- Bent-over barbell rows, curl bar: 13 + 11 + 9 @ 72kg

OK, now I have to go again... more later!

Sat 23rd August: Wide grip pull-ups: 10 + 8 + 7 + 6 @ bw

Sun 24th August: Chin ups, bw: 11 + 9 + 8 @ bw

Mon 25th August: 2h 15min bboying

Mon 1st September

After a long break (because of a trip to Estonia) another training session. I just had 2 hours 15 mins tough bboying lessons before the weight training and it ended up in disaster. Just look.

- Bench press, barbell: Warmup @ 50 and 56kg, then 4 @ 84kg, 2 + f @ 84kg (What the ****? ) 3 @ 82kg (Worst bench day ever... )
- Deadlift, barbell: Warmup @ 50kg and 70kg, then 5 + 5 @ 100kg (The night of the explanations: I was using my wrong bar which is waaay slippery -> It took no effort to lift the bar but I was losing the grip all the time! I have to buy magnesium!)
- Straight leg deadlfts (just tried for fun): 12 @ 70kg
- Bicep curls, curl bar: 15 + 13 @ 32kg

I am so damn tired and I have to wake up at 6 am tomorrow -> I have been hazzling around for 14 hours without resting. I'll continue later this week and try to get my routines running again.

Wed 3rd September

1h 45mins bboying, 1 hour pause and weight training after that... and in addition I feel like I caught cold.

- Bench press, barbell: 15 + 12 + 10 @ 60kg (Just checking how it goes with lower weights... not pushing to the limit)
- Deep squats, barbell: 8 + 8 @ 60kg (ffs knee pain -> had to stop there)
- Bent-over row, curl bar: 2 x 15-20 @ 52kg
- Standing shoulder press (behind neck), curl bar: 15 + 10 + 10 @ 32kg

In a few days I MUST have a PROPER training session... I'm sick'n tired of working out when I'm already exhausted before the first set.

Rest of the week: cold.

Mon 8th September

1h 15mins bboying and 2 hours pair dancing (hum... it was tough for calves )

Tue 9th September

- Bench press, barbell: wamup @ 50kg, then 7 + 5 + 4 @ 82kg
- Standing shoulder press (behind neck), curl bar: 7 + 8 + 6 @ 36kg
- Bicep curls, curl bar: 12 + 10 + 10 @ 36kg
- Bent-over rows, curl bar: 10 + 8 + 9 @ 78kg
- 5 dips @ bw That went well!

More tomorrow. Best bench day for a long time (1st set at least). Happy again.

Wed 10th September

1h 45mins bboying.

- Deep squats, barbell: 10 @ 52kg, 10 @ 60kg, 10 @ 65kg, some reps @ 70 but had minor knee pain once again.

I'm still sore from yesterday. Tomorrow more lifting!

Thu 11th September

- Bench press, barbell: warmup @ 50, then 6 + 6 + 6 @ 78kg (quite easy)
- Deadlift, barbell: warmup @ 50, then 5 @ 92kg, 5 @ 120kg, 5 @ 130kg -> after that my hands were killing me since I haven't lifted dl for a long time...
- Dips: 10 + 10 + 6 @ bw ...ok now I know where to stop, still sore from training on Tuesday.

edit: NOT DONE!

- Bicep curls, dumbbell: 12 + 12 + 12 per arm @ 16kg

I'm gaining the weight back which I lost while I was sick. Lots of food! And nuts!

Y.E.A.H. B.U.D.D.Y.

Hope all is great!

tomorrow we are gonna get our bulk on dude.
I just talked to my old boss and there might acctually be an soft ice cream machine. SIKE SIKE SIKE

Thanks for the comments rob and johan! We ate SO MUCH in Vegomässan and after that in dinner with johan!

Mon 15th September

2h 15min bboying, home, some rest and some lifting:

- Bench press, barbell: warump @ 50kg, then 3 x 3 @ 88kg
- Deep squats, barbell: warmup @ 50kg, then 8 + 10 + 10 @ 68kg
- Bicep curls, curl bar: 10 + 7 + 6 @ 42kg

Tue 16th September

- Dips: 3 x 13 @ bw
- Standing shoulder press (behind neck), curl bar: 6 + 6 + 7 @ 42kg
- Standing tricep extensions, dumbbell: 8 + 9 + 10 @ 20.4kg (odd amount of reps )
- Standing lateral raises, dumbbells: 3 x 8 @ 12kg per arm
- Reverse curls, curl bar: ~10 + 10 + 12 @ 32kg

To be continued tomorrow.

right back into it. i had the most amazing shoulder session, got home a minute ago.
where's the pics dude??

My memory stick was somehow really badly fuxxored. I tried to get that pic of offense and me during the dinner back as you might remember... it lost because there's something wrong with the memory stick. I have tried to recover the pics but no luck so far. THEY WERE THE BEST PICS EVER TAKEN!!! God damn! Anyway, I'll keep trying to get the pics back.

Rest of that week: sore throat -> no training at all.

Mon 22nd September

1h 45min bboying

Tue 23rd September

- Deep squats, barbell: warmup without weights, then 8 @ 60kg, 6 @ 80kg, 3 + 2 @ 90kg (first time deep suqats for reps @ 90kg)
- Bench press, barbell: warmup 10 @ 50kg, then 4 + 3 + 3 @ 90kg (PB EASILY!!! 100kg HERE I COME!)
- Bicep curls, curl bar: 10 + 8 + 7 @ 42kg
- Lateral raises, dumbbells: 10 + 10 + 8 @ 12kg

Wed 24th September

1h 45min bboying

Thu 25th September:

- Bicep curls, curl bar: 5 + 3 + 3 @ 50kg BABY! That's 110 lbs!
- Standing shoulder press (behind neck), curl bar: 5 + 4 + 3 @ 50kg YEAH!
- Dips: 11 + 13 + 8 @ bw
- Shrugs, barbell: 3 x 10 @ 74kg
- Bent-over rows, barbell: 3 x 10 @ 74kg

GOOD lifting this week! I'm really happy with the results!

^oh sweet mother of...
dude! you bench press more than my weight and I ain't a small girl!

not to mention that I laughed my ass off (yes, I was laughing at myself) comparing the amount of weight you do your training with, with the amount I do them (I do bench presses with like 15-20kg)


(why does my english kinda suck?? it didn't before. I used to be really good)