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Sage's Training Journal


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Day 1:

 

Food Diary:

I keep track of what I eat daily via the myfitnesspal app for Android. My diary can be visited at

 

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/Sagehill15

 

Workout Journal:

 

Warm up cardio : 10 Minutes

 

Chest:

 

Bench Press : 160x10, 180x6, 190x6

Decline Bench Press : 140x8, 160x8, 160x6

Incline Dumbell Press : 50x8, 50x6, 50x6

 

Triceps:

 

Cable Triceps Pushdown : 60x13, 80x13, 90x6

EZ-Curl Skullcrushers : 80x10, 80x8, 80x6

Dips : 0x10, 0x8, 0x6

 

Abs:

 

Crunches on Decline Bench : 3 sets of 25

 

 

Notes:

 

First day back in the gym for almost a week. I didn't have a lot of energy when I went in and it was a struggle to get through my workout. I weighed in at 165lbs, a 3lb drop from my last weigh in. I did not manage to match my numbers from last week and had to consistently lower reps or weight to complete exercises.

 

Overall it was a rough day.

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Hi Sage!

 

Great to see you on here. Thanks for starting a training journal. I'm looking forward to following your progress.

 

I wish you all the best and I'll check back later this week and see how you're doing.

 

All the best and Happy New Year!

 

-Robert

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Workout Journal:

 

Warm up cardio : 10 Minutes

 

Legs:

 

Barbell Squats : 230x8, 250x6, 250x5

Lying Leg Curls: 110x10, 110x8, 110x8

Leg Extensions: 100x12, 110x12, 120x10

 

Shoulders:

 

Smith Machine Shoulder Press: 110x8, 130x6, 140x6

Dumbell Lateral Raise: 20x10, 20x8, 15x12

Barbell Shrug: 150x12, 170x10, 190x10f

 

Calves:

 

Standing Calf Raises : 190x15, 190x15, 190x15

 

Notes:

 

Ate a bowl of oatmeal along with my morning shake. Took creatine 20 minutes before workout. Drank 40 oz of water during workout. Weighed in at 168.

 

I felt incredibly tired today. I'm not sure if this is a mental or physical thing, but I just felt weak. I did all of my lifts at lower weight than usual and getting through each set was a struggle. I'm hoping this doesn't have anything to do with my diet change. Since going vegan I have managed to keep my protein intake at the same level and have actually increased my daily calories, so I don't feel like this fatigue has to do with my diet.

 

I'm going to try and get super psyched before my workout tomorrow. Maybe watch pumping iron, drink a pre-workout energy drink and listen to Bon Jovi's Livin' On A Prayer.

Edited by ragekill15
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Hi Sage,

 

Numbers looked solid and then I read that you felt weak and usually lift heavier. Nice work! I'm intertested to see what the numbers look like when you're at full energy and strength. I know it makes a difference. Some days I put up 300 pounds on decline bench press without a spotter (but with one watching of course, actually Ed Bauer from PDX and I did that weight a number of times) and other days, in the same month it was 50 pounds less, or so.

 

Sleep, calories consumed before the workout, overall mood (pissed off, bummed out, sad, happy, super excited, etc.) all really do impact how much weight we will or will not lift on a given day.

 

All the very best.

 

Keep after it. Find the foods that fit you best before a workout. For me it is always fruit. I eat fruit up until the moment I walk inside the door. Sometimes I'm still eating a banana when I walk into the gym.

 

I find that fruit consumption + maybe some sort of drink which could be as basic as water with lemon squeezed into it for a yerba mate or Vega drink, can give a good boost.

 

Catch up next time. Have a great workout tomorrow!

 

Robert

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Workout Journal:

 

Warm up cardio : 10 Minutes

 

Back:

 

Deadlifts: 210x10, 230x8, 260x6

Barbell Rows: 170x10, 180x10, 190x4

Wide Grip Lat Pulldown: 130x12, 140x10, 140x6

 

Biceps:

 

Hammer Curls: 28x10, 30x8, 32x6

Barbell Curls: 80x5, 75x5, 70x6

 

 

Notes:

 

Supplemented Gaspari Superpump Max along with my morning smoothie and oatmeal. Drank Coffee with breakfast. Felt great when I got out of bed and was ready to hit the gym.

 

Today is the day of my routine I like to call 'Pain Day'. Deadlifts are brutal, and I am glad that I was full of energy today. I set personal bests in all of my back workouts, but really wore myself out and my bicep workouts suffered. I think next week I will start working these muscle groups on separate days.

 

I attempted a 300lb deadlift today. I didn't pull it off, but came closer than I ever have before. A few weeks ago I couldn't get 300lbs off the ground, and today I got about 6 inches. I think with fresh muscles I could pull it off.

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Workout Journal:

 

Chest:

 

Bench Press : 140x10, 160x10, 180x6, 190x6, 200x4, 160x10, 140x10

Decline Bench Press : 140x8, 160x8, 180x4

 

Triceps:

 

Cable Triceps Pushdown : 60x12, 80x8, 90x6

EZ-Curl Skullcrushers : 80x8, 80x6, 80x4

Dips : 25x6, 25x5, 0x8

 

 

Notes:

 

My focus today was proper form and full range of motion with my lifts. I spent a good amount of time at the bench press today, and my other exercises may have suffered as a result. I underestimated my level of fatigue while at the decline bench and got pinned during the 5th repetition at 180lbs... Not a fun position to be in, I'll be sure to find a spotter next time.

 

I weighed in at 169lbs today. Its nice to be gaining weight again. At first eating 5,000+ calories a day seemed like a huge task, but now it is becoming more routine and comfortable.

 

I found this quote today and really liked it:

 

"The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it’s impossible to turn back.

 

The Iron never lies to you. You can walk outside and listen to all kinds of talk, get told that you’re a god or a total bastard. The Iron will always kick you the real deal. The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black.

 

I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs. Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds."

 

– Henry Rollins.

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Nice work, Sage.

 

You're getting really strong! See you almost pulled a 300lb deadlift. Nice! I used to rep 325 or so but as far as I know, never lifted more than 337 for 5 reps. Chest numbers sound pretty good too.

 

You seem to have a nice bodybuilding mentality too. It reminds me of when I was 21 years old and tackled this sport head on. I've slowed down a bit (though I was at my best exactly a year ago) lately with traveling and writing and some other interests but I always love observing the enthusiasm of others who embrace the sport and lifestyle with a lot of passion, hard work and dedication.

 

All the best! Have an outstanding weekend!

 

-Robert

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Workout Journal:

 

Legs:

 

Barbell Squats : 140x12, 190x8, 190x6, 190x9, 140x10

Leg Press : 200x12, 400x10, 400x6, 400x8

 

Shoulders:

 

Smith Machine Shoulder Press: 90x12, 100x10, 110x8, 130x6

Smith Machine Shoulder Shrug: 180x8, 200x8, 220x8

 

Notes:

 

Weighed in at 168. Supplemented Gaspari Superpump Max.

 

Today I focused on getting proper form and full range of motion in my squats. I had to lower the weight quite a bit, but even at 140lbs my body was working harder with a full range of motion than at 270lb with poor form.

 

I was in a rush today so I focused on my free weight exercises and skipped leg raises, curls and calf raises. I also cut out one of my shoulder exercises, but felt like I still got a solid workout.

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Nice work, Sage.

 

You're getting really strong! See you almost pulled a 300lb deadlift. Nice! I used to rep 325 or so but as far as I know, never lifted more than 337 for 5 reps. Chest numbers sound pretty good too.

 

You seem to have a nice bodybuilding mentality too. It reminds me of when I was 21 years old and tackled this sport head on. I've slowed down a bit (though I was at my best exactly a year ago) lately with traveling and writing and some other interests but I always love observing the enthusiasm of others who embrace the sport and lifestyle with a lot of passion, hard work and dedication.

 

All the best! Have an outstanding weekend!

 

-Robert

 

 

Thank you for the kind words Robert. By the way, I am reading your book right now and loving it. If it weren't for you I would never have taken on a vegan diet.

 

Keep up the good work!

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Workout Journal:

Warm up cardio : 10 Minutes

 

Back:

 

Deadlifts: 140x12, 280x1, 300x1, 230x10, 250x8, 230x6

Barbell Rows: 140x12, 160x10, 160x10

Wide Grip Lat Pulldown: 100x12, 130x12, 140x8, 140x6

 

Biceps:

 

Barbell Curls: 70x12, 75x10, 75x8

Reverse Cable Curls: 40x12, 50x6, 40x12

 

 

Notes:

 

Supplemented Gaspari Superpump Max along with my morning smoothie and oatmeal. Drank Coffee with breakfast. Weighed in at 166lbs.

 

My goal today was to deadlift 300lbs, and I did. Everything after that was slightly more painful than usual.

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Warm Up Cardio : 10 Minutes

 

Bench Press : 140x12, 160x10, 180x6, 190x4, 200x2, 210x1, 180x4, 160x8, 140x8

 

Deadlift : 140x12, 160x12, 180x10, 200x8, 210x8, 230x10, 210x4, 180x6, 140x10

 

Hanging Leg Raises : 0x20, 0x15, 0x15

Cool Down Cardio : 10 Minutes

 

Later On:

 

100 Push ups

100 Squats

100 V-Sits

 

Notes:

 

Today I weighed in at 171lbs. It is nice to see that my vegan bulking diet is working. I have worked some new supplements into my diet, including ZMA, L-Glutamine, BSN Hyper fx and Amino x.

 

My new workout routine is going to be completely focused on the following barbell and bodyweight exercises:

 

1 - Deadlift and Bench Press

 

2 - Clean and/or Jerk and Dip/Weighted Dip

 

3 - Full Range Squat and Pullup/weighted pullups

 

Today obviously I worked on my deadlifts and bench press. I felt really strong at the bench today and set a new 1 rep max at 210lbs. My back is still extremely sore from my last set of deadlifts on Sunday, so I lowered the weight today and really focused on proper form and utilizing my leg muscles during this lift.

 

During the past couple months I have started to slack off on abdominal exercises, so I did some leg raises today. From now on I will do ab work at the end of every workout.

 

Oh and I celebrated my 22nd birthday yesterday... AWESOME

Edited by ragekill15
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Today I met up with champion vegan bodybuilder Ed Bauer at his new training studio Plantfit in SE Portland. We measured my bodyfat percentage, went over my nutrition and training program, set goals and practiced some lifts to make sure I maintain proper form. I learned a new exercise called the clean, which I incorporated into today's workout.

 

For more information on Ed and his studio visit http://edbauerveganfitness.wordpress.com/

Today's Workout:

 

Clean: 100x10, 100x10, 100x10, 120x10

Dips: 0x10, 25x10, 25x8, 25x7, 0x10, 0x12

Smith Machine Shoulder Press: 90x10, 110x10, 110x10, 90x10

Smith Machine Barbell Shrugs: 180x13, 200x12, 220x10, 240x7, 220x12, 200x10, 180x15

Close Grip Bench Press: 100x13, 120x10, 120x8, 100x12

Triceps Cable Pushdown: 60x15, 80x12, 80x10, 60x10

Leg Raises: 0x20, 0x15, 0x10

 

100 Push ups

100 Squats

100 V-Sits

 

Notes:

 

Weighed in at 170lbs with 10.28% bodyfat. Had a solid workout and left the gym with a great pump. Learned a new motion called the clean. I need to practice my clean and make sure I am maintaining proper form before I work in the jerk and/or press motions.

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Today's Workout:

 

Warm Up: 10 Minutes Treadmill

 

Legs:

 

Squats: 90x12,140x10,140x6, 110x12, 120x10

Leg Extensions: 100x12, 110x12, 120x12

Lying Leg Curls: 100x12, 110x8, 110x8

Leg Press: 200x12, 400x10, 400x10, 400x10

Back:

 

Chin Ups: 0x12, 25x5, 25x5, 0x10, 0x8

Lat Pull Downs: 100x12,130x10, 140x8, 150x6

Seated Cable Rows: 100x12, 100x12, 100x12

 

Abs:

 

Leg Raises: 0x25, 0x20, 0x15

 

Notes:

 

Weighed in at 171lbs. Did squats today with a little stool to keep form. With every repetition I would actually sit on the stool for 2 seconds before coming back to a standing position. This workout destroyed me. For the past six months I have been doing squats completely wrong, so it is going to take a lot of time and work to get comfortable squatting heavier weight.

 

I did chin ups today with added weight for the first time. I could only manage 5 reps with the added weight, and it will be a goal of mine to improve this over the next month.

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Rest day today, and boy am I sore!

 

Good day for breakfast in bed.

 

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/395940_3057492321354_1384753698_33090318_669573008_n.jpg

 

Just kidding! Today I worked on arms.

 

Biceps:

 

Barbell Curls: 50x12, 60x14, 70x8, 60x6, 60x5, 50x10

Dumbell Curls: 25x15, 28x14, 30x8, 28x8, 25x9, 20x8

 

Triceps:

 

Cable Pushdown: 60x20, 80x10, 80x8, 60x13, 60x9, 50x10

One Arm Cable Extension: 20x18, 25x8

 

Notes:

 

Weighed in today at 172lbs. Today I focused completely on my arms and getting full contraction with each rep for each exercise. The result I got from today's workout was a pump like I have never experienced before. My arms really felt like they were going to explode after the first 2 exercises and by the end of the workout I could barely feel my arms at all!

 

I'm going to focus on this kind of workout intensity from now on.

 

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/9540/imagecng.jpghttp://img526.imageshack.us/img526/4746/image1kn.jpg

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I didn't have money to pay my member dues at the gym, so this week I'm going to be working out from home. The only equipment I have is a makeshift 50lb barbell, a jump rope, the playground across the street and my own imagination. This is what I did today:

 

Jump Rope 5 Minutes

 

Deadlifts: 50x30, 50x50, 50x30, 50x30, 50x30, 50x30

Chest Press: 50x50, 50x30, 50x20, 50x30, 50x20, 50x30, 50x30

Bent Over Rows: 50x50, 50x30, 50x50, 50x40, 50x30

 

Jog 5 Minutes

 

Pull Ups: 0x15, 0x10, 0x6, 0x8, 0x5, 0x5, 0x4

Dips: 0x15, 0x12, 0x8, 0x10, 0x10, 0x8

Curls: 50x20, 50x10, 50x15, 50x15, 50x20, 50x15

Skullcrushers: 50x20, 50x15, 50x25, 50x20, 50x20, 50x20

 

Jump Rope 10 Minutes

 

Push Ups: 200

Squats: 200

V-Sits: 200

 

Notes:

 

No access to a scale for weigh in. Got a great pump from today's workout. My makeshift barbell broke while doing rows. The shorter length of the bar is much more stable now. Although pretty week for big lifts like squats, bench and deadlifts, the little barbell is great for my isolation movements. I'm starting to see a lot of improvement in my biceps. 3 different people complimented my "guns" this week.

 

High five self.

 

Although not having access to my gym is quite a set back, I am going to make the most of it finding new ways to exercise at home. It was fun running outside and doing my pull ups and dips in the park while the snow came down. I should have gotten pictures of that.

 

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/2938/imag0121e.jpghttp://img259.imageshack.us/img259/5051/imag0124b.jpghttp://img259.imageshack.us/img259/456/imag0125t.jpg

 

http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/3500/imag0128bm.jpghttp://img714.imageshack.us/img714/4114/imag0129zn.jpghttp://img3.imageshack.us/img3/7820/imag0130ww.jpg

 

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/4356/imag0131u.jpghttp://img714.imageshack.us/img714/8240/imag0132k.jpghttp://img189.imageshack.us/img189/550/imag0133n.jpg

 

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/4450/imag0134ia.jpghttp://img507.imageshack.us/img507/6816/imag0136cp.jpghttp://img853.imageshack.us/img853/6651/imag0137ei.jpg

 

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/6950/imag0141s.jpg

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Looking good!

 

So awesome that you met up with Ed! How did that go?

 

He has a great studio doesn't he? I've trained there 3 times so far, on days I pass through Portland amidst my travels.

 

I still admire your bodybuilding approach, work ethic and consistency. I resonate with it because bodybuilding is the aspect of fitness that I always connected with the most. I'm semi-retired now, haven't competed since 2009 and have been recovering from injuries but I love watching the younger generation of vegan bodybuilders rise up.

 

As you progress, let's get you featured on www.veganbodybuilding.com next to Me and Ed sometime!

 

All the best. Keep crushing it!

 

-Robert

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Thanks Robert,

 

Meeting with Ed was awesome! He really helped me polish my form on squats, deadlifts and cleans. Ed suggested I incorporate more variety of nuts and seeds into my diet. I'll be doing some serious shopping in the bulk aisle come payday. His studio is really coming together and I think he has a great approach to training.

 

You know I have never been very athletic and led a pretty unhealthy lifestyle for the longest time. I never liked being a skinny vegan, so I gave up and ate meat again for years and the only lbs I gained were around my waist. Bodybuilding got me on the path to a healthy lifestyle, and when I started seeing results I couldn't turn back and I started working harder. It seems kind of odd that bodybuilding brought me back to veganism, but that is exactly what happened. The more I read on nutrition, the harder it became for me to convince myself that animal products were doing anything for anyone but harm.

 

I saw you speak at Vegfest last year, and your story of how you went from a skinny kid to a champion bodybuilder really did inspire me. Even though you are semi retired now, I think what you are doing with your book and the website is incredibly important.

 

I have a lot of progress to make. If I was featured on the website that would really be something... I'll put that away in my mind as some extra motivation.

 

Crush it I shall!

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