Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Hey guys,

Finally putting my training log up here. Signed up for an account, but never really came to the site, or commented. Just hovered a few times.

I would really appreciate any and all feedback, comments, or questions you guys have.

First a brief bio:

I've been an active kid all my life, and started martial arts when I was 13 as a way of losing some weight. I noticed that I was more interested in the conditioning aspect rather than learning how to punch and kick. I found myself on the net researching how I can lose weight, become faster, stronger, more agile, and better conditioned. By the time I recieved my black belt, people had started coming to me for training advice. I was the fastest, strongest kid in my dojo, but, I was fat.

My struggle with my weight has to do with a poor diet growing up. Here is basically wat my mom fed me as a kid:

Breakfast: 2 bowls sugary cereal
Lunch: 1/2 a pie of famous pizza (yeah, you read right)
Snack: Run after Ice Cream truck!
Snack 2: Fried food that mom mad
Dinner: Veggies (finally something healthy). Basically indian food
Desert: Ice cream

I also drank 3 cups of chocolate milk everyday.

My diet hadn't really changed much over the years. I supplemented my activity with fast food, bread, and carbonated beverages.

Long story short, I decided to start a website called Shah Training (not trying to promote, just part of the story), because I knew I had some knowledge and had developed my own training methods. I wanted to help and train people and loved doing it. I'd been training my friends for a long time and wanted to reach out to others in need.

Guess wat! I was fat. 25% bodyfat, 170lbs, 5'5". May 2007, I decided enough was enough. I cleaned up my diet. No more junk food, soda, or starbucks coffee, coupled with running and high-intensity weight training. 3 months later, a new training philosophy was born along with 15 lbs of fat lost. By the end of that summer, I was 17% bodyfat, and 157lbs.

Since then, I've noticed my gut shrink even further, and my arms starting get ripped up. I basically look like a normal guy who works out with clothes on. But I stil feel as though if i really want to train people, I need to go all the way.

The problem is this: lower back fat.

I eat clean, and I train intensely, but i just can't seem to get rid of this area.

Any suggestions would be great. I'll post my diet and training on a daily basis.

Here's is what I look like now:

Lower back and belly (periumbilical) fat is really hard to get rid of after you just lost a bunch of weight. I am still fighting on and off with mine. The only thing really to do is just to keep at it. That is the area for guys where the most fat is stored and hence the skin is stretched the most, so it will take some time for it to tighten.

Thanks Cubby, that's basically what I'm doing. Also trying to cut carbs and increse my healthy fats.

Monday, June 9, 2008

The week started out with a hectic morning resulting in skipping breakfast. At around 11:00 I called my friend Dominic to see if he wanted to workout. We had trained together on Friday with the following workout:


One-Arm Kettlebell Clean & Press
Burpees
Resitance Band Punching -Wrap the resistance band around free-standing heavy bag behind you and punch into focus mitts held by your partner

Sprint from one end of the driveway to the other and back - my driveway is long enough to hold four cars.

Round One: 5 reps all, 10 reps punching
Round Two: 10 reps all, 20 reps punching
Round Three: 20 reps all, 40 reps punching

We timed each round, although I don’t have the times right now to publish. However, the first round me and Dom had similar times. As the round’s became harder, Dom’s speed slowed down considerably. This states that we do need to work on speed in general, but more importantly we need to work on Dom’s recovery ability.

So, on Monday at 11:45 under the burning sun, here’s what we did:

Hindu Pushups
KB Swing
KB Windmill
KB Clean & Press

Round One: 10 HPU’s, 5 KB work each side
Rount Two: 20 HPU’s, 10 KB work each side
Round Three: 30 HPU’s, 15 KB work each side

Parth’s Times:
Round One - 1:47.73
Round Two - 3:59.25
Round Three - 7:48.56

Dom’s Times:
Round One - 2:22.29
Round Two - 5:52.18
Round Three - 8:51.75

Dom really isn’t that much far behind me. He should be hitting my numbers if he stays consistent within the next few weeks. Hopefully, my numbers will also improve.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Max rounds in 20 minutes:
Deep Pushups - these are basically performing push-ups with you arms elevated on a surface so that you get a deeper range of motion 10 reps
One-arm KB Snatch 5 reps
Medicine Ball Haybaler 10 reps
One-arm KB Thruster 5 reps

Completed 5 rounds with 23 seconds left on the clock

At first, we both alternated rounds, then we started taking less rest. The only way to go faster is for the second person to start as soon as the first person finishes doing the push-ups. I want to be able to perform 8 total rounds between the two of us.

Wendesday, June 11, 2008

Max rounds in 20 minutes:
Driveway Sprint
KB Figure 8’s 10 reps
10 double unders

Training by myself, completed 10 round with 30 seconds left on the clock.

Dom didn’t answer his phone. When he finally did, I told him to come over and made him do maximum burpees in 2 minutes. He pumped out approximately 20 reps. He was tired so I just went over the KB Swing technique with him and few balance drills.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Dom learned his lesson and was up at 6:30 when I called him.

KB Push Press 25 reps each Side
Medicine Ball Woodchops 25 reps
KB Push Press 20 reps each side
Medicine Ball Woodchops 20 reps
KB Push Press 15 reps each side
Medicine Ball Woodchops 15 reps
KB Push Press 10 reps each side
Medicine Ball Woodchops 10 reps
KB Push Press 5 reps each side
Medicine Ball Woodchops 5 reps

Time:15:26.83 - Goal is to get this time under 10 minutes

Friday, June 13, 2008

I was on my own again:

Five Rounds for time:
5 KB Swings
5 KB High Pull
5 KB Clean

Time: 6:34.14

Thoughts and Changes:

* Training with a partner helps push each other
* Training in the morning is much better than training under the hot sun. Not to mention that training in the heat can put you at risk for heat stroke
* I really enjoy training and teaching people
* Training someone motivates me. I woke up at 5:30 three out of the five days this week
* Perform your harder workouts earlier during the week when you’re fresh, or take days off during the week. You can follow a 2 on, 1 off, or 3 on, 1 off program, depending on your schedule
* Dom is performing the StrongLifts 5×5 program during the evening, and he said that performing my workouts in the morning is helping him with his strength and recovery
* I need to eat more. Feeling hungry on a constant basis
* Dom probably needs to eat more too. He was dead tired by Thursday