Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

In my introductory post here, I foolishly stated my intention to have my own VBB&F profile within 12 months. Although I am currently wholly acceptable, with a nice level of muscle and a bodyfat percentage of, I'd estimate, 8-9%ish, I have decided to dedicate myself to packing on solid muscular goodness over the course of 2009 (with a brief break for wedding and honeymoon in late Sep/early Oct). Being merely happy with myself isn't good enough. I must be prepared to be awed by my own glistening MUSS.

The year began with a mini-cut (1 day of full body compound lifting and 3 cardio sessions per week) to dispose of the remnants of the holiday season. I now plan to be lifting solidly, with only playing capoeira serving as cardio, through until summer, when I may well consider a second brief period of cutting just in case England decides to actually give me weather warranting shirtlessness.

I'm performing a 3-day split as follows :

Day 1

Deadlifts (pyramided until failure)
Bench Press (pyramided until failure)
Lat Pulldown (3x8)
Seated Cable Row (3x8)
Single Arm Bent Over Row (3x8)
DB Chest Flye (3x8)
Cable Crossover (3x8)
Reverse Crunch (3x8)

Day 2

Squats (pyramided until failure)
Seated Military Press (pyramided until failure)
Leg Press (3x8)
Leg Curl (3x8)
Calf Raise (3x8)
Arnold Press (3x8)
Front Delt Raise (3x8)
Rear Delt Raise (3x8)
Reverse Crunch (3x8)

Day 3

Shrugs (3x8)
Upright Row (3x8)
Rope Pulldown (3x8)
Rope Curl (3x8)
EZ Bar Curl (3x8)
Overhead Cable Extension (3x8)
Hammer Curl (3x8)
Reverse Crunch (3x8)

I made some pretty lovely gains when experimenting with a Stronglifts-esque routine towards the tail end of 2008, so I will probably switch between a routine of this ilk and one much like that listed above every 6-8 weeks. Actual weights for each exercise will be posted as I update the journal, but the current PBs that count are 95kg bench, 100kg deadlift, and 115kg squat (or for my non-metric friends, 209lb, 220lb and 253lb respectively). I aim to have added at least 15-20kg to each in the nearish future, and hopefully a further 15-20kg by the end of 2009.

So that's my current position in my efforts to attain glorious MUSS. I'll be in touch as things progress. Any comments or criticisms are welcomed.

Later!

_________________

Yesterday was Friday, and I did this :

Shrugs @ 26kg (3x8)
Cable Upright Row @ 55kg (3x8)
Rope Pulldown @ 55kg(3x8)
Rope Curl @ 50kg (3x8)
EZ Bar Curl @ 32kg (3x8)
Overhead Cable Extension @ 40kg(3x8)
Hammer Curl @ 12kg (3x8)
Reverse Crunch (3x8)

I appreciate this workout because a) I am targetting growth in arms specifically at present, so this is separate from other workouts, and b) it comes at the end of a tiring week, when I don't necessarily have the requisite GRRR to really kill myself in the gym.

More to follow.

_________________

Yesterday was filled by a capoeira workshop, so that's cardio taken care of for the next few days. Today, I decided to treat myself to a day of deadliftery. It progressed thusly :

50kg x 15
60kg x 10
70kg x 8
80kg x 6
90kg x 4
95kg x 1
100kg x 1 (NEW PB~!)
105kg x 1 (SECOND NEW PB IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER~!)
70kg x 10

Good times and, despite the burning in my muscles right now, I have no regrets.

I'll be heading gymward again tomorrow.

_________________

Hey Dan! Some nice stuff here.

Congratulations on your engagement and the marriage to be!

_________________
The greatest mistake in the treatment of diseases is that there are physicians for the body and physicians for the soul, although the two cannot be seperated. ~ Plato

Thank you for the multiple compliments, dude. Appreciated.

_________________

Yesterday's fun :

Bench Press (60kg x 10, 70kg x 8, 80kg x 6, 90kg x 4, 95kg x 2, 100kg x 2) - new PB and now all of my big three are in the 100kg club. Good times!
Lat Pulldown @ 60kg (3x8)
Seated Cable Row @ 75kg (3x8)
Single Arm Bent Over Row @ 23kg (3x8)
DB Chest Flye @ 18kg (3x8)
Cable Crossover (3x8)
Reverse Crunch (3x10)

Tonight, capoeira.

_________________

you planlooks like it'll make you massive. hope the diet is sound too. stay strong dan!

Thank you, and I certainly hope so. I'm not quite getting the calories I want as I've been damn near broke since Xmas/new year, but this will be rectified within the week as life resets itself.

As for today : I was scheduled for legs n shoulders, but have decided to put this back a day, as last night's capoeira lesson was utterly, utterly brutal. Moreover, that was the fifth day in a row that I'd intensely exercised, so I'm in dire need of a rest before I completely fly apart.

Legs and shoulders will therefore take place Thursday. Pics to arrive this weekend.

_________________

Tonight's festivities :

Squats - 60kg x 10, 70kg x 8, 80kg x 6, 90kg x 4, 100kg x 2, 105kg x 2, 110kg x 1, 115kg x 1
Seated Military Press - 40kg x 10, 45kg x 8, 50kg x 6, 55kg x 4, 60kg x 4
Leg Press @ 235kg (3x8)
Leg Curl @ 55kg (3x8)
Calf Raise @ 15kg in each of my greasy mitts (3x10)
Arnold Press @ 15kg in each of my lumpen, cloddish hands (3x8)
Front Delt Raise @ 10kg (3x8)
Rear Delt Raise @ 10kg (3x8)
Reverse Crunch (3x10)

I am sore. Very sore.

_________________

Shrugs @ 29kg (3x8)
Cable Upright Row @ 55kg (3x8)
Rope Pulldown @ 55kg(3x8)
T-Bar Curl @ 55kg (3x8)
EZ Bar Curl @ 32kg (3x8)
Overhead Cable Extension @ 40kg(3x8)
Hammer Curl @ 12kg (3x8)

PUMPY PUMPY.

_________________

As my deadlift day was so much fun last Sunday, I've elected to have another today. I'm leaving in the next 30 minutes, so expect results later today... accompanied by videos for double excitement.

_________________

Well, today has been a good day, and I have video footage to prove it.

Sadly, YouTube is currently trumpeting to all and sundry that the site is undergoing maintenance, so this is going to have to wait a couple of hours.

_________________

Here's some hawt video action. Excuse my odd voice, and the shorter bar I found myself using today. Form not absolutely perfect, but nothing worth killing myself over.



Deadlift day progressed like this :

50kg x 15
60kg x 10
70kg x 8
80kg x 6
90kg x 4
95kg x 2
100kg x 1
105kg x 1
106kg x 1 (New PB)
70kg x 10

_________________

Cool...videos are good

_________________
The greatest mistake in the treatment of diseases is that there are physicians for the body and physicians for the soul, although the two cannot be seperated. ~ Plato

Cool I liked that video and hope to see many more

_________________
"Do your best, don't worry, be happy" - Meher Baba