Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

WORKOUT 15FEB2013

Military Press
10 x 35 lbs warmup
10 x 45 lbs
10 x 45 lbs
10 x 50 lbs

Dumbbell Shrug
10 x 45 lbs
10 x 45 lbs
10 x 45 lbs

Ab Plate Twists (SS'd with 1 min three point planks)
15 x 35 lbs
15 x 35 lbs
15 x 35 lbs

Dumbbell Front to Lateral Raises
10 x 8 lbs
10 x 8 lbs
10 x 8 lbs
NOTE: these still burn so bad, but my shoulders look so damn good while i'm doing them that it's okay.

Air Bicycle/Roman Chair Leg Raise Supersets
15 reps for 3 sets

EZ-Bar Curl (because it was friday and i knew i wouldn't hit biceps again until at least sunday or monday at home and i just love the pump)
10 x 50 lbs
10 x 45 lbs
10 x 45 lbs


NUTRITION 15FEB2013

Almond "yogurt" with apple cinnamon granola and blueberries

Homemade Black Bean and Bulgur Chili

Homemade Sweet Potato and Lentil Shepherd's Pie

Banana
Clif Builder Bar
A couple beers (it's just party central this week, I guess!)
Strawberry Unfrosted Poptarts (had a houseguest bring over the most vegan food he could find in his house for our group valentine's dinner last night, very sweet thought, and someone's gotta eat those poptarts...)

1959 kcal
61g protein
319g carb
32g fat
ehhhhhh not my best ratios this week! but there was a lot of celebrating around valentines day, even though my girl and i don't really celebrate. i suppose weeks like this are why i'm so controlled about my nutrition the rest of the time when it's not party time... so that when it's party time, i can party!

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Okay! Valentine's week is over and so are all of my excuses to eat processed junk and skip days in the gym.

WORKOUT 19FEB2013

Dumbbell Bench Press
10 x 20 lbs
10 x 25 lbs
10 x 25 lbs
10 x 25 lbs
NOTE: switching from the bar to dumbbells has certainly helped my form and comfort with the press. i can also definitely feel it in my chest now, rather than feeling the most push in my arms. i think i'll stick with dumbbells for at least a little while.

Skull Crushers (SS'd with Reverse Curls)
10 x 40 lbs
10 x 45 lbs
10 x 45 lbs

EZ-Bar Reverse Curl
10 x 40 lbs
10 x 45 lbs
10 x 45 lbs

Tricep Pushdown
10 x 45 lbs
10 x 45 lbs
10 x 45 lbs

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
10 x 20 lbs
10 x 20 lbs
10 x 20 lbs
NOTE: same as the flat bench, this feels much better and much more targeted. my chest is my weakest spot in terms of visible development, and i hope hitting these presses with DBs instead of the BB will help me make more progress.

Dumbbell Kickbacks
10 x 10 lbs
10 x 10 lbs
10 x 10 lbs

Machine Fly
10 x 64 lbs
10 x 64 lbs
10 x 64 lbs
NOTE: added these on because i just didn't feel like i hit my chest hard enough today, with being a little cautious about the dumbbell presses.


NUTRITION 19FEB2013

Breakfast Juice, Fresh n Raw (Broccoli, Carrot, Beet, Apple, Orange, Celery)
Homemade Spinach and Broccoli Breakfast Burrito (w/butter beans and tofu, whole wheat tortilla)
Coffee w/soy creamer

Homemade Spinach/Mushroom Lasagna Rolls (2 servings)

Homemade Vegan Baked Beans

Clif Builder Bar
2 Bananas
Protein shake

2201 kcal
130g protein
323g carb
36g fats
nutrition is back on track! i made tons of food over the weekend; our entire fridge and freezer are completely stocked with soups and lasagna rolls and baked beans and a million frozen burritos for easy eating this week.

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Leg n Oblique day has quickly become my favorite, which is a far cry from when I started training again in November or so and all I ever wanted to do was get the biggest bicep pump I possibly could before going home

WORKOUT 20FEB2013

Dumbbell Side Bend (SS'd with elevated feet oblique crunches, 15 each)
15 x 35 lbs
15 x 40 lbs
15 x 45 lbs

Leg Press
10 x 130 lbs warmup
10 x 160 lbs
10 x 160 lbs
10 x 160 lbs
NOTE: this continues to feel so, so much better than squatting for me. I'll probably hit squats again in a few weeks, but for the time being, I'm really enjoying just hitting the leg press and getting a little more isolation.

Kettlebell Windmills (SS'd with spiderman planks, 15 each)
10 x 18 lbs
10 x 18 lbs
10 x 18 lbs

Calf Press
15 x 230 lbs warmup
15 x 250 lbs
15 x 270 lbs
15 x 270 lbs
NOTE: i think it's time to hit 300 on these. 270 just flies by too easy.


NUTRITION 20FEB2013

Breakfast Juice, fresh n raw (broccoli, orange, strawberries, spinach, carrot)
Homemade Breakfast Burrito (pinto beans, bell peppers, onion, tofu, garlic, whole wheat tortilla w/flax seeds)
Coffee w/soy creamer

Homemade Lasagna Rolls (Spinach, tofu, mushrooms, onion, homemade tomato sauce)

Clif Builder Bar
Protein Shake

1463 kcal
123g protein
191g carb
31g fat
...so far. i may or may not update that tomorrow after i've finished eating for the day. i think there's some cereal and peanut butter really calling my name right now, and i haven't even eaten proper dinner yet, so...

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Haven't seen you post in a bit, are you still gettin' after it?

I haven't been logging on here much but I've been keeping up with my training. Currently following the Power Muscle Burn program roughly with some minor changes to specific lifts just to incorporate movements that I'm comfortable with and stay completely away from machines other than the leg press and lat pulldowns. My biggest challenge lately is just to eat enough - my appetite hasn't been what it should be and I've had a few bad experiences with my protein shakes lately so I'm a little leery of them. I think I probably need to try a new brand or start making shakes with fruit in them because soy milk and protein powder is just really grossing me out lately to the point where I can't drink it.
I started taking creatine a week and a half ago, and I think it's helping. It's difficult to tell because I started it at the same time as I started this new program, so I'm not sure whether the increased muscle soreness I've had this past week is due to getting a couple extra reps out with the help of the creatine or if it's due to changing my plan of attack with training. Either way, I've had some intense DOMS this week but in the best possible way.
My training has continued to shift more and more towards big compound movements, and I've enjoyed the pump that comes with the huge burn out sets that I've added to the end of my workouts as part of the new program. I'm now doing deadlifts twice a week and it makes me feel really solid and strong.

Yesterday I trained quads and hamstrings.

Back Squat
10 x 90 lbs
10 x 100 lbs
10 x 120 lbs
6 x 130 lbs
6 x 130 lbs

RDLs
10 x 95 lbs
10 x 105 lbs
10 x 115 lbs
6 x 125 lbs
6 x 135 lbs
6 x 135 lbs

Leg Press
10 x 160 lbs
10 x 170 lbs
10 x 170 lbs
20 x 150 lbs (burnin it out)
20 x 150 lbs (completely shaky at this point, crawling out of the gym)

I really want to gain some confidence with front squats and add them into my quad/ham rotation. The few times I've tried I couldn't really figure my form out. I'm also going to try to get some video soon hopefully so maybe someone can check my form for me and give me some pointers? The one friend I lift with occasionally doesn't really get into the big lifts so he's not much help in form critique, so I could definitely use input.

And here's some progress photos from the other day (actually from 4/12/2013, but apparently I was getting ahead of myself hah):

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Today was chest and biceps. Bench press is slowly but surely becoming more comfortable, and the dumbbell bench press is showing real progress. I'll be moving up weights for the dumbbell press next week for sure. I still hold myself back a little with the barbell press because of not having a spotter and preferring to err on the side of caution. Someday maybe I'll have a friend to lift with and trade spots...

Bench Press
10 reps x 45 lbs
6 reps x 75 lbs
6 reps x 75 lbs
4 reps x 80 lbs

Alternating Hammer Curl
5 reps x 30 lbs
5 reps x 30 lbs
5 reps x 30 lbs

Wide-Grip Incline Bench Press
10 reps x 60 lbs
10 reps x 60 lbs
10 reps x 60 lbs

Alternating Dumbbell Curl
12 reps x 20 lbs
10 reps x 25 lbs
8 reps x 25 lbs

Dumbbell Bench Press
12 reps x 25 lbs
12 reps x 25 lbs
12 reps x 25 lbs

EZ-Bar Curl
12 reps x 45 lbs
12 reps x 50 lbs
12 reps x 50 lbs


BURN SETSSSSSS
Pec Deck
30 reps x 63 lbs
30 reps x 63 lbs

EZ-Bar Preacher Curl
30 reps x 30 lbs
30 reps x 30 lbs


Also, have a post-gym pumped obnoxious bathroom mirror selfie.

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Hey Beans, looking really lean there! Nice going, keep up the good work!

Yesterday I hit chest and biceps again. I skipped a couple workouts last week because of some personal/job stuff that I've got going on, I just didn't have the time or the motivation really to get in there and get it done so I gave myself a little extended rest. Of course, resting for me isn't necessarily "resting"... I still got in some good bike rides (30 miles on Saturday - it was absolutely gorgeous outside) and some rollerblading with my girl, because she's trying to learn how to rollerblade for the summer and I've had skates on my feet since I learned how to walk so I'm all for it. Anyway, I'm back full steam in the gym this week and my eating has been much more on track for the past few days. I'm still lacking in appetite a little, but I'm overcoming it and shoveling in those calories anyway. I figure eventually it'll come back up and I don't want to sacrifice the gains I could be making just because it's a little tough to eat sometimes.

I've been focusing really hard on improving my bench press and I'm starting to see some great improvements. Week three on this program is feeling fantastic so far. I'm not seeing a lot of aesthetic changes (outside of some increased vascularity, which is fantastic in and of itself), but my strength gains are undeniable. I feel like every week I'm moving up weight or moving up reps and that type of progress is a great motivator. Today I'll hit quads and hams, so it's a big day for squats and RDLs and I'm planning to use the safety bars like MF recommended and see what it does for my confidence. Wish me luck!

Bench Press
10 reps x 65 lbs
5 reps x 75 lbs
5 reps x 80 lbs
4 reps x 80 lbs (had to rack the bar after 4 because I couldn't get 5 all the way up)
5 reps x 75 lbs

Alternating Hammer Curl
5 reps x 30 lbs
6 reps x 30 lbs
6 reps x 30 lbs

Wide-Grip Incline Bench Press
10 reps x 60 lbs
10 reps x 60 lbs
8 reps x 65 lbs

Alternating Dumbbell Curl
10 reps x 25 lbs
10 reps x 25 lbs
12 reps x 25 lbs

Dumbbell Bench Press
10 reps x 30 lbs
8 reps x 30 lbs
10 reps x 25 lbs

EZ-Bar Curl
10 reps x 55 lbs
10 reps x 55 lbs
8 reps x 55 lbs (to failure)

Incline Dumbbell Fly
20 reps x 10 lbs
20 reps x 10 lbs

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Good pics, seeing some progress!

Felt a little more rushed than I would have liked to today, so I kept it pretty simple and to the point. Now it's been a super long day and I'm about to make myself a fruity protein smoothie and go lay in front of some Law and Order with my dogs. I take my relaxing very seriously.

Back Squat
10 reps x 95 lbs
5 reps x 125 lbs
4 reps x 130 lbs
5 reps x 130 lbs
5 reps x 130 lbs

Romanian Deadlift
6 reps x 135 lbs
5 reps x 135 lbs
3 reps x 145 lbs
5 reps x 135 lbs

Leg Press
10 reps x 170 lbs
12 reps x 170 lbs
12 reps x 170 lbs
20 reps x 130 lbs
20 reps x 130 lbs


I also recorded a couple form videos, partially for myself to critique my own form and partially to post up and see what critiques other people have. I think I could get deeper on my squats and try harder to not round my back in my RDLs, and any other suggestions/criticisms are very welcomed. Thanks!

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really neat pics! looking great.
the guy on the second vid is funny, stands still for almost the whole thing =)

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I'd say your form looks pretty good on both the lifts. True, you could get a little deeper on the squats. You are so close to actual parallel, so it shouldn't be too hard to adjust your depth. Did you record your warmup lifts also to compare depth/form? You should - that way you can see if you have a form issue only when it gets heavy or if you need to do some serious form work from the getgo.

The RDLs looked fine, the only bit of rounding I noticed was at your shoulders towards the end of the set. That's not really a problem as long as your mid and lower back stay tight, locked, and straight.

Nice lifting!

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My strength log

Thanks for the suggestions Asparagus! I didn't record my first warm up set but I know just from visually checking myself in the mirror that I get at least a little lower with less weight when I'm squatting. There's always room for improvement! But I'm glad to see that I don't have any glaring issues with form.

Today I hit shoulders and triceps, just finished 15 minutes ago or so, and now I'm beyond ready to go grab a beer and hop on the train home.

Military Press
10 reps x 55 lbs
5 reps x 65 lbs
5 reps x 70 lbs
5 reps x 70 lbs

Close-Grip Bench Press
5 reps x 65 lbs
5 reps x 65 lbs

Arnold Press
12 reps x 20 lbs
12 reps x 20 lbs
10 reps x 20 lbs

Dumbbell Kickback
10 reps x 15 lbs
10 reps x 15 lbs
12 reps x 12 lbs

Behind Head Skull Crusher
12 reps x 40 lbs
12 reps x 40 lbs
12 reps x 40 lbs

Dumbbell Front Raise
12 reps x 12 lbs
12 reps x 12 lbs
12 reps x 12 lbs

Tricep Pushdown
40 reps x 30 lbs
40 reps x 30 lbs

Dumbbell Shrug
40 reps x 20 lbs
40 reps x 25 lbs


BW is starting to sit pretty solid around 125 lbs and my shirt sleeves fit real tight around my biceps after I'm done with upper body workouts. I couldn't be happier with my recent results.

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Back and Calves and Abs
I LOVE DEADLIFT DAY

Deadlift
10 reps x 115 lbs
6 reps x 135 lbs
5 reps x 155 lbs
6 reps x 145 lbs
6 reps x 145 lbs

Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
12 reps x 80 lbs
12 reps x 80 lbs
12 reps x 80 lbs

Calf Press
15 reps x 290 lbs
15 reps x 290 lbs
15 reps x 310 lbs
25 reps x 270 lbs

Dumbbell Side Bend
15 reps x 45 lbs
15 reps x 45 lbs
15 reps x 45 lbs

T-Bar Row
10 reps x 90 lbs
10 reps x 100 lbs
10 reps x 100 lbs

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I had a real shit week with going to the gym last week. Monday's workout (chest/biceps) was a complete wash - I just didn't have the energy and hadn't eaten right for the previous 48 hrs or so and consequently I just wasn't moving the plates I wanted too and after about 20 min decided to call it good enough and let my body recover rather than beating myself up. The rest of the week was all just a little off due to stuff going on in my personal life that took precedent over training and eating right, although I still got in the gym and did at least shortened versions of what I usually like to accomplish.

This weekend I went to my parents house for mother's day, even though I'm the offspring that lives furthest away and usually busiest, neither of my siblings were able to make it this year so I took it on myself. I ended up getting in a pretty big argument with my father about nutrition and training that was extremely frustrating. My younger brother and I both train hard and are both pretty extreme ectomorphs and have always been the skinny kids so both of us are looking for good ways to get a little more bulk. My dad keeps coming at both of us and speaking very negatively about our training because according to him wanting to bulk is just a vanity thing and a waste of time, and furthermore neither of us will ever be able to achieve it because of our genetics. He thinks it's especially stupid for me because I'm a female and apparently shouldn't be bulking, but he also thinks that because I'm pretty butch that I'm trying to make people think that I'm a guy, so I always have to remind myself to take his criticisms with a large grain of salt. He also has some really ill-informed opinions about nutrition and in order to prove how "informed" he thinks he is he sent me a paper published way the hell back in 2000 about how vegetarian protein sources are low quality... I just can't even argue with him any more, because he's a brick wall when it comes to taking in new information and he's very set in his ways. It really sucks to have your parent tell you that the one thing that has done the absolute most for you in terms of self esteem and body image is a pointless and vain pursuit.
I also was unable to eat as well or as much as I do at home while I was there over the weekend, as I didn't really plan for how meat and dairy based my parents' eating is, and when I weighed myself last night before dinner (so probably a pound or two heavier than I would be first thing in the morning) I was back down to 118 lbs. I'm not happy about it, and although I don't see any loss in mass visually I still can't wait to get that weight back up. I feel like my lifts yesterday suffered slightly from the lost body weight, but hopefully I can make a full recovery in a week or two. It's time to start pounding down the food like no tomorrow!!!


WORKOUT 14MAY2013

Bench Press
10 reps x 65 lbs
5 reps x 75 lbs
5 reps x 75 lbs
5 reps x 75 lbs

Alternating Hammer Curl
6 reps x 30 lbs
6 reps x 30 lbs
6 reps x 30 lbs

Wide-Grip Incline Bench Press
10 reps x 65 lbs
8 reps x 65 lbs
8 reps x 60 lbs

Alternating Dumbbell Curl
10 reps x 25 lbs
10 reps x 25 lbs
10 reps x 25 lbs

Dumbbell Bench Press
12 reps x 20 lbs
10 reps x 25 lbs
12 reps x 25 lbs

21's
21 reps x 40 lbs
21 reps x 40 lbs
21 reps x 40 lbs

Pec Deck
20 reps x 63 lbs
20 reps x 63 lbs

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