Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

You pulling as single reps or touch & go?

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1st Place Raw Champs 2011, 2012 (3 raw records)
Training for my first 100 mile running race

WEB: http://jimsty.wix.com/strength-vs-size
FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mini-Forklift/161273440616736?ref=hl
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/user/kiwilifter?feature=mhee

Somewhere in between I guess? On the 11x340 lbs I did at the start of this cycle it was touch and go, but usually I let the bar rest on the floor for a split second between reps. I don't bounce it off the floor, but I don't let it sit so long that I have to worry about losing tension.

5/3/1 Cycle 5 Set 3

5x100 jump rope, 5x3 widest grip pullups

Bench:
5x45 lbs
5x85
5x125
5x165
3x190
5x210

Squat, high bar, ATG: 10x45 lbs, 10x135, 2x10x225
DB Row: 2x10x50 lbs, 25x80
Dips: 11,11,11,7,7
Bar hold, hook grip: 135 lbs - 60 seconds, 225 - 40, 315 - 20

No numerical improvement on bench, but I probably could have done 1/2 or more of the 6th rep, so there is probably a minute gain there. The last two sets of squats were killer. I was seriously winded after them. I had to pause a bit between some of the reps. I can feel it in my abs now! Everything else went OK, although I was hoping for better on the dips.

Gym's closed on Friday for the Thanksgiving Holiday, so heavy squats on Monday. Happy Thanksgiving to all my gym bros and gals here at VBBF. On that note, I'll post something in the Recipes forum...

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My strength log

We don't have Thanksgiving in NZ, but I do have the day off tomorrow anyway lol.
Looks like your training is going well, do you find you need to typically eat a little more before you hit legs?

_________________
1st Place Raw Champs 2011, 2012 (3 raw records)
Training for my first 100 mile running race

WEB: http://jimsty.wix.com/strength-vs-size
FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mini-Forklift/161273440616736?ref=hl
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/user/kiwilifter?feature=mhee

I don't really notice whether I'm hungrier after legs. I generally eat the same thing every day, and my wake-up through preworkout meals are always the same, pretty much at the same times each day. That might be why I'm not really gaining weight at the moment, as I'm eating just about enough to keep me lifting and gaining strength. Although my bathroom scale read 202.6 lbs before bed on Thursday night (post-Thanksgiving dinner)! It did go back down to 198 the next morning, so it was probably just wrong. There's no way I sweat that much at night or lose that much from a piss!

5/3/1 Cycle 5 Set 3

4x100 jump rope, 4x3 widest grip pullups

Squat, low bar:
5x45 lbs ATG
5x95 ATG
5x135 ATG
5x185 ATG
5x245 parallel
3x280 parallel
5x310 parallel

Good morning: 10x45 lbs, 10x95, 3x10x145
Bar hold, hook grip: 135 lbs - 60 seconds, 225 - 40, 315 - 23

Got about 4 hours of sleep last night so I wasn't expecting much today. I drank a lot of coffee in the morning/early afternoon and took a vitamin packet right before working out. I got to work late and my schedule was off so I didn't end up lifting until late, ~17:00, whereas I usually lift around 13:00. I had good concentration on the warmup sets so I was able to get into proper form. I could have done the 245 ATG easily, but didn't feel like pushing my luck today and wearing myself out before the heavy set. The heavy set was actually not bad, I could have hit another rep. A couple more months of high bar practice and I will hopefully be confident enough to try some of the heavier sets as high-bar ATG.

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My strength log

I just read through your log mate and well i am more than impressed you managed Stronglifts for over 50+ weeks wow , i couldn't go through all the pages so if there's some pictures or vids you have put in plz share them again

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FaceBook : - https://www.facebook.com/ysidhu320

Thanks!

I don't have that many vids posted, and they really aren't much to look at. The only reason I posted them was to get some feedback on my form at the time. When I try to realize my theoretical 1RMs in a few weeks I'll probably take video of those.

I technically followed Stronglifts for 65 weeks, however there were a few significant breaks during that time. The calender time spent on the program is probably closer to 80 weeks. Each time I had a break from lifting for whatever reason, I ended up deloading significantly and working back up. I suspect that had I followed the program for a straight 65 weeks I would have ended up much stronger than I am now.

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My strength log

5/3/1 Cycle 5 Set 4 - Deload

2x5 widest grip speed pullups (trying to develop some power for muscle-ups)

Clean and Press:
5x45 lbs, slow and steady to get comfortable with form
5x95, little faster still dialing in form
2x5x135, full speed and effort

OHP:
5x65 lbs
5x80
5x95

Deadlift:
5x160 lbs
5x200
5x240

I felt like trying some cleans since I haven't done any in a while. 135 lbs was tougher than I thought it would be, although I still had no trouble doing sets of 5. All clean and press sets were done as singles, obviously, as I had to reset my feet and hands after each rep. I haven't really done anything to develop power. I will probably try to program in some explosive lift work into my assistance in future cycles.

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My strength log

5/3/1 Cycle 5 Set 4 Deload

no warmup, other than usual dynamic stretching

Clean & Press
5x45 lbs
5x95
2x5x135

Bench
5x45 lbs
5x95
5x115
5x135

Squat
5x135 lbs
5x165
5x195

5 widest grip pullups into a 30 second hang hold

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My strength log

What brand of 'vitamin packets' do you take?

_________________
1st Place Raw Champs 2011, 2012 (3 raw records)
Training for my first 100 mile running race

WEB: http://jimsty.wix.com/strength-vs-size
FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mini-Forklift/161273440616736?ref=hl
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/user/kiwilifter?feature=mhee

I don't take them regularly, just on the occasion that I'm feeling a little sluggish. I use Emergen-C, Original Formula.

http://www.emergenc.com/index.php/products/original#

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My strength log

Haven't heard of those ones, but there's a few companies in NZ that make vitamins in pre-packed packets. Cool.

Hope you're having a good week MF.

_________________
1st Place Raw Champs 2011, 2012 (3 raw records)
Training for my first 100 mile running race

WEB: http://jimsty.wix.com/strength-vs-size
FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mini-Forklift/161273440616736?ref=hl
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/user/kiwilifter?feature=mhee

I had one quick question mate , how were the physical aesthetics after the strong-lifts regime . I know its basically a strength training program but now that you have done it for so long i would really like to know how much of that strength attributed to physical development .

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FaceBook : - https://www.facebook.com/ysidhu320

Well, before beginning Stronglifts I weighed 178 lbs (80.9 kg), and when I switched programs I was at 196 lbs (89.1 kg), so that's a pretty significant gain. I didn't accurately measure my bodyfat, but based on appearance my bodyfat levels didn't change much. If anything my percentage might have decreased a little based on increased lean mass. I was probably at about 18% bodyfat to begin with, again judging only on appearance. I can say that a majority of the 18 lbs of weight I added was muscle. I definitely notice the difference looking in the mirror, and my wife is happy with the change (That's the most important thing, or so I'm told)

I also didn't follow any sort of "bulking plan". I only ate as much as I needed to increase strength and slowly increase body mass. That is why my bodyfat didn't change much and I didn't put on more mass. Also, in the 10 months since then, my weight has stayed pretty much between 193 and 198, fluctuating depending on what I've eaten and how much water I have in my system.

I'm happy to stay under 200 lbs body mass. I am going to get as strong as I can before hitting 200 lbs. When I get there then I'll adjust my training so that I don't put on any more weight.

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My strength log

5/3/1 Lead-up to 1RM test

5x100 jump rope alternated w/ 5x2 widest grip pullups

OHP
5x45 lbs
5x85
3x110
3x135
5x145

Squat, high-bar, ATG: 10x45 lbs, 10x135, 10x225, 2x225
Pullups, neutral grip: 8,8,8,8,7

OHP went fine, a bit of a struggle for rep 5. That struggle might have lead to my failed set on squats. I had intended to do my normal 2x10x225 lbs squats as assistance, but as I started coming back up on my second rep of the second set, I felt a muscle in my back tighten up and strain. I finished the rep and racked the bar and immediately stretched it out carefully. I was able to do the pullups with no notice of the strained muscle, but afterwards I could still feel it (and still feel it now, although it's diminishing in severity. There was no pain, just a tightness and discomfort. Hopefully it clears by tomorrow so that I'm good for deadlifts on Friday.

I have some scheduling issues over the next 2 weeks, so I'm only going to hit the gym on Wednesday and Friday each week. I'll hit each of the main lifts over these 4 workout days as if it were the 2nd set of a normal cycle (3x70%, 3x80%, 3x90%) with assistance that focuses on the non-primary lift muscle groups, so that I am getting some full body work each time. Then in 3 weeks, I'll do a 4-day split (M, T, TH, F) and test my 1RM for each of the main lifts. I'm basically going to treat my test as a meet and do 3 attempts (after warmups) for each lift. My plan:

Monday - OHP, theoretical max: 169 lbs
150 lbs (89% of my theoretical max - I can currently do 4 reps at this weight)
165 (98%)
175 (104%)

Tuesday - Deadlift, theoretical max: 455 lbs
405 lbs (89% - haven't lifted this much since last December, but i can do 6 reps at 380 so should be easy)
435 (96%)
465 (102%)

Thursday - Bench, theoretical max: 245 lbs
215 lbs (88% - last max was at 220 lbs back at the end of June)
235 (96%)
250 (102%)

Friday - Squat, theoretical max: 361 lbs
320 lbs (89% - last max was at 315 lbs back at the end of June)
345 (96%)
370 (102%)

If I fail any of the third lifts (the ones higher than my theoretical max) I'll drop the weight down to 100% and try again.

What do you guys think of this plan, these numbers? I've never done this before.

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My strength log

Indeed pleasing the lady makes all the effort worth it
Reading your post i feel even more motivated i guess its just been month and a half i am working out on Stronglifts and i shouldn't be over thinking on size gains yet . I should first aim at getting by 12 weeks and then see where i stand . As for as Bodyweight is concerned i guess with the coming festive weeks ahead there only place its gonna go and that is up

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FaceBook : - https://www.facebook.com/ysidhu320