Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

My exercise routine at the moment:

Day 1:
Running 1 km / stepper for 5-10 minutes
Squats:
- 45 kg / 100 lbs * 10,
- 60 kg / 132 lbs * 10,
- 65 kg / 143 lbs * 10 (2 sets),
- 70 kg / 154 lbs * 10
Biceps on Preacher bench
- 18 kg / 39 lbs * 10 (2 sets)
- 25,5 kg / 56 lbs * 8 (3 sets)
Triceps pushdown on cable machine
- 40 kg / 88 lbs * 10 (4 sets)
Seated leg curl in machine
- 50 kg / 110 lbs * 15
- 60 kg / 132 lbs * 12
- 70 kg / 154 lbs * 10 (2 sets)
Biceps, Hammer curl
- 8 kg / 17 lbs * 10 (2 sets)
- 10 kg / 22 lbs * 6 (2 sets)
Standing tricep extencion with dumbell
- 7 kg / 15 lbs * 8 (4 sets)
Leg raises + "hip raises" + twisting crunches with legs doing this cycling-like-motion

Day 2:
Running 1 km / stepper for 5-10 minutes
Chest fly
- 6 kg / 13 lbs * 10
- 8 kg / 17 lbs * 8 (3 sets)
Seated calf raise
- 40 kg / 88 lbs * 12 (4 sets)
Hip abduction
- 45 kg / 100 lbs * 15
- 50 kg / 110 lbs * 10
- 55 kg / 121 lbs * 8 (2 sets)
Hip adduction
- 50 kg / 110 lbs * 15
- 60 kg / 132 lbs * 15
- 65 kg / 143 lbs * 15
- 70 kg / 154 lbs * 15
Inclined bench press on Smith machine
- 22 kg / 48 lbs * 10
- 24,5 kg / 54 lbs * 10
- 27 kg / 59 lbs * 7 (3 sets)
Leg raises + "hip raises" + twisting crunches

Day 3:
Running 1 km / stepper for 5-10 minutes
Barbell bent-over row
- 47 kg / 103 lbs * 10 (4 sets)
Pulldown on cable machine with "pro style" lat bar (with the shovel-like thingies at the ends)
- 40 kg / 88 lbs * 10 (4 sets)
Dumbell bench press
- 13,5 kg / 30 lbs * 10 (4 sets)
Row on cable machine
- 30 kg / 66 lbs * 10
- 35 kg / 77 lbs * 8 (4 sets)
Narrow grip pull-ups on cable machine
- 40 kg / 88 lbs * 10 (4 sets)
Torso rotation machine
- 40 kg / 88 lbs * 10 (4 sets)
"Side crunches" on cable machine
- 45 kg / 100 lbs * 10
- 55 kg / 121 lbs * 10 (3 sets)

- I can't really do any lower back exercises, i've got some spinal problems that i have to cope with first.
- Going to try some different squats, lunges and deadlifts, as xjohanx suggested, instead of the abduction and adduction.
- I'm going to concentrate more on my bum and tighs in the future, as i think that my arms don't really need that much more muscle at the moment (at least compared to my legs).
- I'm considering to include something for my shoulders, but don't want bigger trapeziuses (how's that going to work...?)
- I usually ride my bike to the gym and back (and everywhere else)

Eating:
- Breakfast: usually "omelets" made of chickpea flour + tofu and maybe some fresh vegetables. Coffee with oat milk.
- Lunch and dinner: usually either wok or "puree" soup, always with as much protein as i can fit in. We choose the "carb-suff" by two terms: whole grain and protein. so usually things like whole grain (protein) pasta, bulgur, quinoa, barley... most of the meals consist of vegetables, then protein, then carbs.
- Afternoon snack: A banana and/or some soyogurt
- Supper: soy/oat yogurt with fruit/berries, soy bean crush, fibre (linen seed crush at the time), oat/spelt/... flakes, sometimes raisins and/or cocos for the taste =9 Sometimes we also drink tea (usually green / white / herbal)
- i eat about one kilo / 2.2 lbs of tofu a week + other soy products, beans and lentils
- i'm thinking about including some protein shakes into my diet
- i'm pedantic about getting my fats (seeds, oils, nuts...)
- I don't eat that much raw vegetables, as they're expensive in Finland, even in the summers, and i'm usually allergic to about everything that isn't cooked
- LOTS of coffee, we've even got like seven coffee-making-devices junkies...
- no white sugar, no white grain

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Can't brain today, i has the dumb.

My training and my pictures

The omletts sound awesome I need to try that out.

They are bestestness! Found the recipe in the Finnish vegan organisation vegaaniliittos "how to live without eggs" -leaflet <3 The recipe is simple: mix gram-flour and water in a 1:1 proportion, add spices, fry on a hot frying pan. I guess you could even exchange some or all of the water for soy/oat/rice milk. If you add a bit more water, you get a thinner mixture -> thinner and crispier omelets.

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Can't brain today, i has the dumb.

My training and my pictures

Yay I'm glad you started a log! I look forward to reading this.

So for the omelets you just mix the chickpea flour and water? Is there tofu in there?

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vegan for the win!

A professor of mine said that coffee helps you keep a little spare fat around the midsection, candy does not seem to have that problem. I've read that coffee is a good workout booster actually...

Wow, you are one strong woman.

Those squats are super impressive.

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Lifts:
250 Bench
445 Deadlift
335 Squat

Wow. It's all impressive, but especially the ones above. I never see women at the gym doing anywhere near that much on legs, especially squats. And I don't think I've even seen any approach the preacher bench, let alone use it.

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--
Bruce

Dang I need to step up my preacher curl game!

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"Eating should be seen as a ritual of health."
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Haha, thanks for all the super-positive comments, I actually got all red in the face when i was reading those

lobsteriffic: You could mix the tofu in, but in really small pieces, as turning the omelet becomes impossible if there is big pieces of anything in it. I usually just add the tofu after frying it. One option is to slice the tofu to thin slices, and add them on the omelet when the top-side is still raw.

blabbate: The preacher bench is actually one of my favorites, because it allows me to concentrate on the biceps as i don't need to use energy on keeping my whole body still. As for my squats, i think the daily biking helps my development. =)

CollegeB: I once read an article about people who keep drumming / shaking their feet / moving around consuming more calories, soooo... as i drink too much coffee i get all shaky and thus consume more calories! I'm such a wise science woman! (No, no, don't say there's more calories in the oat milk that i put in my coffee, don't brake my illusion)

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Can't brain today, i has the dumb.

My training and my pictures

I'm so dissapointed. I havn't been able to train since last wednesday. About two weeks ago i prolonged some muscle in my upper back while doing pull-ups and couldn't turn my head for two days. Last week, on monday, i did bent-over row, and on wednesday my muscles were really sore, but nothing unusual with that. The only problem was that i strained my back muscles because of the pain, so the inflammation in my back muscles from the last week started again. Since thursday i've been really sore in the back, i've eaten painkillers about three times a day, used painkiller gel, ice gel and even muscle relaxants. Now the inflammation is finally starting to cool off, but my left shoulder and the muscles under and next to the shoulder blade are really sore

I'm hoping to get to the gym today with the help of some painkillers. I'm trying to do as little with my back as possible, so it's good that next in my schedule will be the "Day 2"-workout. I think i can live with the chast flys and bench presses, as they don't strain my back per se (hope i'm right).

If it's not raining, i'll be trying out some bikes too. My bike got stolen in spring (actually cbob3000s bike got stolen too, on the same week!), so i need to buy a new (and better <3) one. I want a pink bike with front suspension and disc brakes <3

I made some terrific foods in the weekend!

On saturday i had a barbeque with my parents. I ate like 400 grams of tofu marinated with soy sauce, kechup, lemon juice, maple syrup and mango-curry-spice-mix. We also had zucchinis sliced in half with orange-pepper-spice-mix on top, eggplant, whole spring-onions and spring-carrots and some long sweet red peppers with a couple of pinches of chilli and dark chocholate inside. And also champignons, filled with the base of the muschroom mixed with sundried tomato and tofutti garlic & herbs cream "cheese", bbq-spice-mix sprinkled on top.

Yesterday i made some "gourmet" vegan food for my mom: I fried some zucchini slices and tempeh slices on the parilla and made a criss-cross "gourmet pile" With it I served some spring-onion and oat cream case and spelt rice with funnel chantarelle. And some fresh basil on top!

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Can't brain today, i has the dumb.

My training and my pictures

Hey, i tought that you might appreciate my bodybuiders pizza recipe, so here it is!

The VBB-pizza

Dough:
- 2/3 whole grain flour
- 1/3 rye/spelt flour or similar
- yeast
- a couple of pinches of baking powder
- hemp seeds
- sunflower seeds
- sesame seeds
- lots of hemp/flax oil and/or olive oil
- soy sauce
- herbs
- water

Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes. You can either do a slightly loose dough or a "normal" dough. Just add water and/or flour until the dough feels good. When properly kneaded, the dough should feel kind of stringy or resilient. Leave the dough in a bowl under a towel or such in a warm place for about 30 minutes, then roll it out to wath thicknes best suites you, i prefer about 2-3mm, and leave it for another 10 minutes under a towel. Do not put on the fillings yet! Instead put only the dough into the owen and bake it in 200'C until it's almost done, a little bit brown on the edges maybe.

The tomato sauce:
- Either make your own tomato puree or use a ready one
- balsamico (or other vinegar)
- soy sauce
- herbs
- black pepper
- sugar
- (onion, garlic, chilli...)
You can eiher mix the ingerdients cold or warm them on a frying pan. The tomato sauce is the second most important part in a pizza, after the dough!

Toppings (choose to your liking, i usually have two different protein sources):
- Marinated tofu or tempeh dices (soy sauce+ lemon juice/vinegar + spices + ketchup/mustard/mayo...)
- Textured soy grain (mixed in water with vegetable stock and spices)
- Cooked sweet potato
- Pineapple
- soy sausage slices
- zucchini slices
- eggplant
- tomato
- sweet peppers
- olives
- sundried tomato
- artichoke
- asparagus
- nuts
- seitan
- onion
- garlic

Spread out first the tomato sauce and then the toppings on the baked pizza bread. Put into the owen for about 10 minutes, or as long as you want to or the bread doesn't burn. If you want to add some cheese substitute, do it about 2-3 minutes before the pizza is ready.

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Can't brain today, i has the dumb.

My training and my pictures

All of your food sounds so wonderful! I hope your shoulder is feeling better soon so you're able to get back to training.

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vegan for the win!

So, i went training today after work in spite of my back-problems. Guess what! It actually feels better! I think it was good to get the blood flowing, it maybe carried some of the metabolic waste and other stuff out from the muscles, thus making them feel better. I hope the effect will be permanent so i don't need to hurt all the time anymore

I started out with the "Day 2" workout, but made some changes:
Running 1.3 km
Chest fly
- 6 kg / 13 lbs * 10
- 8 kg / 17 lbs * 8 (3 sets) -> 8 kg / 17 lbs * 9 (3 sets)
Seated calf raise
- 40 kg / 88 lbs * 12 (4 sets) -> 50 kg / 110 lbs * 12 (4 sets)
Hip abduction
- 45 kg / 100 lbs * 15
- 50 kg / 110 lbs * 10 -> 3 sets of these
- 55 kg / 121 lbs * 8 (2 sets) -> none of these
Instead of the Hip adduction i did Lunges with dumbells in both hands
- 13,5 kg or total 27 kg / 29 lbs or 59 lbs * 10 (4 sets)
Inclined bench press on Smith machine
- 22 kg / 48 lbs * 10
- 24,5 kg / 54 lbs * 10
- 27 kg / 59 lbs * 7 (3 sets)
Leg raises + "hip raises" + twisting crunches -> hip raises + tried out the Ab roller -wheel-thingie again
This time i even stretched properly, for about 20 minutes!

I tried to find the "hip raise" crunch somewhere on the internet to get a proper name for it, but the only thing that it resembled was the "dragon flag"-crunch. It is different because i don't start with my whole body straight, but have my knees bent and then slowly extend them straight up and lift my torso so only my shoulder blades and head remain on the bench. Does this have a name, or is it just a lame-ass version of the dragon flag?

Do you think i should replace the hip abduction with some deadlifts or romanian deadlifts, or would they suite some other day better? Do you have any advice on how to best protect my back from injuries, as I already have some problems with the lower part of my spine?

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Can't brain today, i has the dumb.

My training and my pictures

If you want to replace the hip abduction with something that hits the same muscles, no. (Deadlifts will actually hit your adductors a bit, but I don't believe your abductors.) If you just want a better compound exercise, yes. I firmly believe that, with exceptions for injury, everyone should be doing deadlifts, even if only a few times a month. You'll want to make them the main compound exercise on whatever day you do them, though.

I always think of RDLs as a secondary compound for when I really want to hit my hamstrings and glutes.

As for your back, the best way long-term to prevent injury is to strengthen it. Deadlifts and RDLs will do this, as will Good Mornings and a variety of Hyperextensions. Always do these exercises with proper form. It's tempting to overload the weight and sacrifice form, which is where you see injuries. Work your way up slowly, keep your core tight and strong, and never round your back. If you have worries, you can always record yourself lifting and post the video here for tips.

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--
Bruce

I'm just trying to concentrate on getting a bigger bum now. I've done abductions ( ) for months now and i'm not even sure if they do anything that i want or even if they've done anything at all. The movement is and has always been somewhat difficult to do and always feels kind of wrong. Now i've also heard lots of negative opinions about abductions and adductions, so i tought that maybe i should just replace them with lunges and DLs, as i can't really add anything to my programme without removing something first (even now i struggle with the last sets of the day). If it looks like i need the abductions after all i can always take them back to my routine.

I guess i just have to be extra careful with my back and make sure i don't get carried away but just stick with lighter weights. I did some back extensions when i started out with this gym-thing, but haven't done them in months because i always ended up with a hurting spinal disc. I didn't "over-extend" my back, but i guess i could have used too much weight (10 kg or 22 lbs). And i know i really should see a doctor about this. And thank "god" (read: mum) i at least have good back-muscle-genes

The lunges i did yesterday were incredibly efficient! My ass is hurting like hell I tought this was just a "i want to have long and lean beautiful gaselle-like feminine small muscles" -bullshit workout, but i have to say i tought wrong. The reasons to why i haven't seen any real bodybuilders do this, are probably that a) this usally is done in the "gym hall", not in the weight lifting section, and b) i usually just ever see male bodybuilders, and they're not that keen on a big bum, i think. Now i've been enlightened! I think i have to start walking by doing lunges

Also my pecs are hurting, so all in all i have to say i had a great workout yesterday. And my back is still much better!

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Can't brain today, i has the dumb.

My training and my pictures