Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Rest day: To me today seems to be the winter soltice day. The light did not get very bright at all. Everybody slept in till 8 this morning. Rainy, foggy, and dark all day. Perfect for the shortest day of the year.
Went to the gym and ran on the treadmill for 25 minutes and did 2.10 miles in that time. Watched DVDs with the kids, did dishes for hours, took a long nap, made pizza dough for dinner, and then went to yoga. It was a level 2 Anusara class and really opened up my hip with Pigeon and various other standing poses. Tried to do binds today and just laughed as my arm tried to get around my thick thigh/shin to grasp my hands behind my back. At least I could still grasp my hands behind my back (without a limb in the way) as my shoulders are getting more flexible.
Looking forward to the days getting longer now . Seed catalogs are coming in and I will have to start planning the garden again soon! My six apple trees will be coming in Janurary too.

Surprise! Another rest day since I did not look to see what the holiday hours were for today. I did get my 25 minutes on the treadmill this morning as I talked to everybody and then went home (went to workout at 3, but they closed at 1- which is the same for tommorrow! Now I know for tommorrow; early workout session). That is OK, I will have worked all body parts for the week.

Shoulder and Leg Day: Made it in by noon. It was busy, and I just went about my business. Alot of new faces that I haven't seen before. Too early for the Christmas present recipients of a gym membership or the New Year's Eve resolution people. Must be the ones that come in at the various times that I don't and had to cram it in before 1 pm like me. It was fun seeing new faces.

Smith Press Military Press: 50/15warmup, 70/12 (2 more than last time), 90/5 (one more than last time), and did a decline set of 50/15.

Rear Delt Dumbell: 20/15warmup, 25/10 (2 more than last time), so I went to 30/6!

Icarian Standing Deltoid: 20/15, 30/12, 40/8, and a declining set of 20/15.

Icarian Shoulder Press (Dumbell Grip) 60/15, 70/9 (shoulders are now screaming in pain loudly. Went on the recumbent bike for 5 minutes to begin legs: warm the legs up and wait for the pain to subside in my shoulders).

Leg Press 450/15warmup, 540/solid 8, 590/ 6+2 (two more solid reps with the 2 with my hands on my knees guiding it up).

Icarian Lying Leg Curl (alternate the seated with the lying leg curl per session): 120/15warmup, 160/13 (one more than last time), 170/8, and for fun the whole stack 200/5! (one more than last time. Form sucked though ).

Icarian Hack Squat (I hate this machine!!!! ):160/15warmup, 210/8 (enough for me!).

Leg Press Calf Raise: 450/25 X 4 (90 lbs more than last time).

Seated Calf Raise: 90/15 X 4

Plie (Power) Squat: 90/25 X 4

LifeFitness Leg Extension: for fun full stack 225/4 (hard time getting the first one up, and keeping my bum on the chair!), and a declining set of 180/10.

Home I went at a little after 1 pm. Time to prepare food for the family holiday get together at the lodge in Indiana for three days/two nights. Plan to just hike, jog, and do yoga there (no ice skating this year, and maybe no tobogganing this year either!).
Oh yeah, didn't lose any weight this week. I'm still eating clean, but not down to the bare necessities yet, and my cardio is only 25 minutes of treadmill at a 12 minute mile pace (pathetic I know). After New Years I will kick it up a notch. BAM!! quote from Emerill .

Chest and Bicep day: Had a wonderful Christmas at Pokagon, IN. On Christmas I did nothing except drive for a couple of hours to get to Pokagon, and then watched Mummy marathon movies on USA. Next day I did 30 minutes of treadmill (and watched the Today's show about the father and son Hoyt team and cried, almost got exercise induced asthma) and 2 hours of hiking around the state park lands. I did another 30 minutes of treadmill today (and watched the Today's show tribute to the death of President Gerald R. Ford, and saw my birthplace of Grand Rapids) and went to the gym when I got back home.

Smith Press Incline (#3) Chest Press: 50/25warmups, 70/15, 90/10, 100/6, no 110 this time, declined set of 70/12 failure.

Cable Incline Flyes: 3/15 (two more than last time), 4/8 (one more than last time)

LifeFitness Dumbell Grip Chest Press: 105/13, 120/8

LifeFitness Pec Dec: 60/15, 75/10

EZ bar Curl: 30/15, 35/8, and for fun 40/6 (rocking all the way , but concentrating on holding the down swing as slow as possible).

Hammer Curl: 25/15, 30/10, 35/8, and declining sets of 20/, 15/, 10/all for 15 reps.

Cable Curl: 90/15, 100/8

Still having a problem with eating. My dinner portion was alittle large (which is usually normal), and I made these awesome chocolate chip oatmeal cookies for the trip and we were all fighting over them till they were gone. I won't get serious about my eating till Monday the 1st, although I will keep trying so as to ease into the transition of dieting.

Rest day: I was suppose to have a rest day tommorrow, but I switched to today (that is how I talked myself out of working out today ). I did do a level 2 Anusara yoga class (all hip openers and twists. instructor wants to Rock the Shakti! so she is preparing us for this by opening us down deep). The yoga class was 1 and 1/2 hours long and I was so tired by this afternoon that I cat napped for an hour. Woke up and started doing house chores and the time went by so fast that it was dinner time and then I talked myself out of working out at the gym. Tommorrow morning will be Back and Tricep day (another excuse is that my back hurts from all the twists I did today in yoga today. so tight). Weighed myself today, 175 on the scale, so I lost 1 pound. Count down to cutting/dieting on Monday - three days. Alot of experimenting on cutting with diet and cardio this time around.

Back and Tricep day: Started off doing 30 minutes of treadmill jogging. Back to writing down everything that I eat and the time/and back to being hungry . Went to the gym around 4 pm, and doing my back is hard with the exercises I've picked this time around.

T-bar Row: 50/20, 70/15, 90/12, 115/8 (sloppy form).

Wide-bar Cable Front Pushdown: 50/15, 60/10 (had to do this twice, cause it was so hard, till I switched to the bar I usually do it on and the machines I usually do it on: much smoother cables ).

Stiff Legged Deadlift (went to the corner with the pads on the floor): 70/10 (warming up. scared to hurt my back), 90/6+2

Upright EZ bar Rows: 20/11, 25/10 (forearms hurting on this one at first, till they got warmed up, then they were OK).

Cybex Row: 125/15, 137.4/10
supersetted with Shrugs: 180/25 X 4 (traps hurt. must have used them alot for the upright rows).

Rope Pushdowns: 5/15, 6/10

EZ bar skullcrushers: 20/12, 30/10

Cybex assisted dips: 9/15, 8/10, and for fun tried 4/2 after I tried this
Cybex Tricep Pushdown: 180/4 (should be able to do my weight, but was scared to do it on the cybex dip machine so I put it on the lowest which was 4).

My outside lats don't feel used up as usual. Maybe I should do some Cybex assisted Pull-ups: 14/8, 16/8 (feel used up now).

Just Leg day: My upper body is so sore, especially my extensor carpi radialis brevis, that I will do just leg today and wait till tommorrow for shoulders (as long as my arm/elbow is feeling up to it).
Did my 30 minutes of treadmill, after seeing and talking to my slightly new (moved in a year ago) neighbors who happen to get each other memberships for Christmas. It was an easy 30 minutes; changing to 35 minutes after tommorrow. Also make a note not to do treadmill cardio when I shall be doing legs for the day (it was so painful to do the leg exercises this time. I used my hands on the side of my knees to help get my legs thru the reps of the set on some of them. My legs feel so full of something, like lead pillars, and already sore). I also did an easy Jivamukti yoga class with my son today (the free community class every Saturday), although the instructor did have us doing Warrior 2 for awhile to help contribute to my painful legs today.

Icarian Hack Squat (I did mention that I hate this exercise? ): 90/15warmup, 140/15 (ouch), 160/15 (warming up now), 210/8
Seated Calf Raise (do this next as my quads need a rest): 90/25 X 4

Leg Press: 540/8, 590/8 (hands on knees, and the last one was so hard to get up that my hands had to go on top of my knee to help push it up this time instead of being on the side of my knee).

Icarian Lying Leg Curl: 150/15warmup, 170/solid 8

Leg Press Calf Raise: 450/25 X 4

Plie (Power) Squats: 90/25 X 4 (I was doing this and then this throughout the 25 reps).

My goal for cutting is always to keep the weights I am at and get rid of the fat with cardio and dieting: maximum muscle mass/minimum loss.

Last day of the 2006 year, and it's Shoulder Day: Went around noon, since the gym closes at 1 pm, and it was fairly busy with activity. My right arm still hurts whenever I twist the ulna and radius over each other in a motion. I had to have strict form with no turning of the wrist to escape the pain. I came up with some interesting hand grips on the machines .

Smith Military Press: 50/15warmups (so slowly, and kept my elbows in front to keep the wrist just so), 70/12, 90/6 (one more than last time).

Rear Delt Dumbell Row: 20/15, 25/10 (two more than last time), 30/8 (two more than last time).

Icarian Standing Deltoid (Lateral Flyes): 10/15warmups (had to grab the ends of the rotating hand bars), 20/15 (warming up still), 30/12, 40/8

Icarian Shoulder Press: 60/15 (hurt again here, but kept the elbows in and could do alot of work!), 70/12 (three more than last time), and tried 80/8 (new weight up).

For fun I did Hammer Strength Shoulder Press: 70/8, couldn't make it to 15, so I guess the shoulders are done for the day, although they are not hurting from use or feel full/pumped up. My right arm limited my use of my shoulders today. Oh well, they will be ready for abuse next time .

Chest and Bicep day: Well I got up early at 7 am to go and run on the treadmill but the gym was closed till 9 am. Instead, I decided to go to Anusara Level 2 yoga class today with my favorite teacher. More hip openers, some back bends, handstand, and meditation, all in a hot room with sweat pouring out of me. Very nice . Came home and power mall shopped with my daughter for two hours, and then crashed for an hour, and then off to the gym. Very quiet Monday at the gym.

Smith Press Incline (#3) Chest Press: 70/15, 90/10, 100/8 (solid this time).

Cybex Cable Incline (#3) Chest Flyes: 3/15, 4/8 (very hard at the peak contraction as the cables come together).

LF Dumbell Grip Chest Press: 105/15 (+2 than last time), 120/9 (+1 than last time).

LF Pec Dec: 75/15, new weight 90/8!

EZ bar Curl 30/15, 35/8 (forearm still hurts. strict form).

Hammer Curl 25/15, 30/10, 35/8

Cable Curl: 100/8, 90/15

Went back and did SmithPress 70/12 (couldn't do 15, chest is done) and another Cable Curl machine 30/12 (couldn't do 15, so bicep is done). Chest and biceps feel pumped as I left.

Rest day: Went to the gym in the morning and did 35 minutes of jogging on the treadmill. Last week when I started to feel like quitting after 25 minutes, and I told myself only five more minutes (for the total of 30 minutes), it is like OK I can do this. But today when I told myself it is only ten more minutes, I was not like OK I can do this. It was shut up and do it! Geez. No yoga today either because my forearm is hurting so much and I want to be able to do back and triceps tommorrow.
On a high note, I've lost another pound on the scale this morning: 174 lbs.

Another rest day: I went to the gym after dropping off the kids at school (first day back from the Christmas break. my high note for the day!) and did the usual 35 minutes and it was easier this time. Made it to 3 miles in 36 minutes (really I walk for a 1 minute at the beginning to loosen up and prepare myself). My forearm is still hurting me alot today, so I won't be doing Back and Triceps today for fear of hurting it more. I shall let it heal up properly, although my ego is whispering in my ear that I missed an opportunity to put on some more muscle mass before I get too cut and won't be able to put any more on and will be just trying to hold on to what I got. Three days of healing it properly as oppose to three months of therapy just like my shoulder injury of past makes the ego silent. . . . . for now .

Leg Day: I decided to listen to my body and my forearm still hurts alittle, so another rest day for it. But I can still do my legs! So today is legs, so no cardio this morning but I did an Anusara Yoga/Lvl2 class today. It was absolutely wonderful. Rock the Shakti! Today it was focusing on the Spirit. How we do our yoga poses with alot of Muscular Energy and Organic Extension, but we must remember to also Open to Grace (Anusara's yoga theme/Tantra philosophy) and therefore allow the Spirit to move in us. She also gave us knowledge of the full moon that we have been enjoying for four days now, as the Cancer moon. That we may be more intuitive, or in line with nature, these past few days. I know I had an "Ahha" moment on the way home. I am sick of isolating myself as a vegan. I don't like the thought that animals are being killed for human consumption, but I am not going to let that isolate me from people. I don't want to use the label to say that this is me. I don't know why I let it get this way for so long. I use to be friends with everybody. I've had drug addicts whom I adored, but I don't do drugs. I've had geeks who were my friends, and I am a cheerleader type. I was an honor student and had mentally challenged friends that saw the world in a way that was respectful and delighted in the ordinary. Perhaps I got carried away in thinking I was righteous in my not killing animals for food, and this was the image I clung to. I now shed this image. It is my choice not to eat animals, and if one is interested in my thoughts of eating a plant-based diet then I will tell them what I know. Just because they are not aware of my understanding doesn't make them any less valuable as a friend. I desire my world of love and understanding back, and friends to shine and reflect my Self upon.

Icarian Hack Squat: 90/15warmups, 160/15, 210/10 (+2 than last time!)

Icarian Lying Leg Curl: 160/15 (+2 than last time), 170/10 (+2), 180/8 (new weight).

Leg Press: 540/10, 590/8, and new weight 610/3+3 (three solid, breath, three with hands on knees to help keep knees in line and mental support).

Seated Calf Raise 90/25 X 4

Leg Calf Press: 450/25 X 4

Plie (Power) Squats: new weight 140/ 15 X 4

A couple of other people in the gym were doing legs also. We were all walking around in a comical way like we were stiff Frankenstein's and . . . . . . a face to match!

Back and Tricep day: Started off the morning with 35 minutes on the treadmill. Very easy to do. Good thing, since I have one more day of 35, and then it will be 40 on Sunday. My right forearm is still tweaking, so I adjusted any exercises that hurt with some other kind that works the same muscle group. Gym was a usual quiet Friday afternoon at 4 pm, with the trainer and his clients not around to razz me , but there were some new young bloods in the house: both guys and girls. They always walk in with their heads down past the mirrors, while the pros come in and check themselves out in the mirrors. Bicep boy is getting pretty big, and checks them out constantly. Too bad he doesn't do legs. He still has time though, he is about my son's age (15).

T-bar row: 50/20, 70/15, 990,12, 115/8 (hurt my forearm a little, so I bent way over to get a more traditional row).

Wide bar Cable Front Pulldown: 50/10 (hurt! tried lesser weight to see if I could "warm" up the forearm muscle first), 40/15, 50/15, 60/10 (no new weight here).

Stiff-leg Deadlift: 50/10warmup, 70/12, 90/8

Upright EZ bar Rows: 20/15, 25/10, surprise a new weight on this exercise part 30/8 (funny thing happened. I thought I felt something go snap in my right forearm and then there was no more intense pain. Weird. No swelling. . at least not yet. Tommorrow will tell me what happened probably).

Shrugs: 180/25 X 4 supersetted with

Cybex Row: 125/15, 137.5/12 (+2 than last time), new weight 150/8

Rope Pulldown: 5/15, 6/10

Cybex assisted dip: 9/15, 8/10, new weight 7/10

no skull crushers/do overhead V-bar extension instead: 5/15, 6/10, 7/no way could I get it up!, 6/10 again to fatigue it. Maybe this is a better exercise for my long head of the tricep, since the skullcrushers haven't let me keep my weight up from last time. Mmmmmmm.

Just Shoulder day: I woke up very tired and 35 minutes on the treadmill was torture. I did the 35 minutes but I power walked (4.0 on the treadmill/14min-mile pace) for about 15 minutes of it. Legs felt like lead and it was tiring to lift them. I only got 2.5 miles today. Also the forearm still hurts, but it isn't any worse than it was yesterday. Putting arnica on it now to get the inflammation to go down. I don't want it turning into a chronic pain. I don't know if I have the patience to let it heal all the way it needs (probably two weeks of not lifting ).
Busy day with the kids and painting the kitchen. Went to the gym around 5 and it was quiet. I had all the machines to myself.

Smith Military Press: 50/15, 70/12, 90/5, and a set of 50/15 again.

Rear Delt dumbell bent over flyes: 20/15, 25/15 (+3 than last time), 30/8+2 (+4 than last time).

Icarian Standing Deltoid: 20/15, 30/15 (+3), 40/8

Icarian Shoulder Press: 70/15(+3), 80/10 (+2), new weight 90/7

For fun Hammer Strength Shoulder Press: 90/8

Weight for today was 173, so I have lost the two pounds for this week already. Hopefully I will be a good girl and not eat food, just take my shake, and go to bed, so it will still be the same in the morning .

Rest day: Did 45 minutes on the treadmill and it was not easy, but it was doable (thank goodness for my ipod!). I got so busy this day and it was past the time for the gym, so I guess it is a rest day (my forearm is very happy at this). I still was 173 this morning so now I am on to 171 for next Sunday. No treadmill tommorrow, going for the Anusara yoga class instead.