Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Right, I thought it'd be a good idea to start a log here, so that I can keep track of my slow but sure progress and amuse you people At the moment my 'sport in life' is thai boxing. I go 3 times a week if I can manage time-wise.

I've still got a membership of a gym, which is a 'health club' really (important difference! It means they got a very limited weights range and think that a Smith machine is the same as a squat rack! ), so I go there twice a week, if anything to get my money's worth out of my membership! They do a really good body combat class though - which is the reason that I ended up there, it's a long story - and it's nice to have a sauna and a jacuzzi after 2 hours of hard work

Weights-wise I try to fit in a full body workout twice a week, if anything to support strength in thai boxing. I have to admit that I don't enjoy weights as much as I used to, possibly because I don't train enough to see measurable progress - I'm very impatient on top of everything else! I'd love to do more bag work etc for thai boxing, but the opportunity is just not there at the moment.

Long intro, I'm sure you'll all have either fallen asleep or moved to another page by now!

Anyway, felt right rough last night, but decided to haul my carcass to the gym anyway, and it turned out to be quite good Did:

Leg press
Hamstring curl
Supported chins
Military press
DB press
Seated row
Back extensions
Abs

Everything 1 warm up set of 8, then 3x8.

Whilst writing this I figured that I obviously could do DB squats rather than machines - which I've always thought were inferior to free weights - problem being that I hate doing squats. Might be a challenge for me to set myself!

Thai boxing today!!

Right, so went to this MT (muay thai) class I was so looking forward to last night, and now I'm knackered.
We did a load of knees, which went really well, as well as blocks - was pleased with that - but then we went on to clinching, with your partner pulling your head towards them, and another technique whereby you actually throw your partner whilst holding them in a clinch. Great technique, but doing a few rounds I'm afraid my brain got shook about a bit too much. Been feeling sick with headaches and all that ever since.
not happy with that, as I was going to train today as well, but can't see that happening inthe state I'm in!

Oh dear, only just started to keep a training log and I'm already slacking!

So after a completely wasted weekend due to thai boxing class on the Thursday before, I felt well enough to go to thai boxing on Monday. Was so totally not happening, it wasn't funny anymore. We got to do all sorts of "fancy stuff", i.e. flying reverse elbows and knees (obviously not reversed!) and I just didn't get it. Apart from the odd one it just wasn't happening. I hate it when I can't seem to manage whatever kicks or punches and it's one after the other, if you know what I mean. I know I'm there to learn, but Monday was one very steep learning curve.

Well after 2 completely shite thai boxing classes, some things went alright again on Tuesday. I normally don't go to the Tuesday class, but after 2 very disappointing classes I really felt the urge to try again and try to get at least something right this time round.
What didn't go right was holding pads - ! just can't keep up, I'm a slow coach by nature.
We did a combo of front kick, side kick and then reverse kick which went surprisingly well, considering that I really didn't believe I'd be able to do them They still need a lot of work, but at least the basis is there. Worked a bit more on my low kicks as well, they are improving ever so slightly, but high kicks were shite
Punches were okay I think - as long as I keep my guard up as well ::)

Did 20 minutes on the stepper afterwards and a few minutes stretching and then I was suitably knackered!

Went to TB again today

We did an awfully long warm-up, which I got bored with halfway through, but what do you do, you grin n bear it ;D

First combo was just punches, and they felt quite good.
Apparently kicks felt good at the receiving end. Just as well, because some of them felt good doing em too!
After last week's experience with clinching (feeling dizzy, sick and having a massive headache for 2 days) I really didn't want to do this clinching combo. Hence I did it half assed, so it went cr@p.
I quite like the elbow/reverse elbow/front/side/reverse kick combo after that, if anything because I seem to be getting those a decent amount of the time.
Unlike the last combo; my flying kicks and knees are absolutely diabolical; I don't get it, don't get enough of a 'forwards and upwards' motion and generally it's just getting nowhere. So I'm treating them a bit like brussels sprouts: I've tried them, don't like them, won't try them again if I don't really have to'. I'm sure the quality of my life will not be noticeably affected if I never manage to do flying kicks. ::)
After all that I spent 20 minutes on the step machine, as part of my preparation for this charity climb up Ben Nevis (more about that in a minute). I climbed the Kilimanjaro - and descended again! - in 20 minutes according to the machine. Legs suitably jellified after that

Billy hates squats because Billys technique isn't proper.

And can I ask by what intelligent means have you reached that conclusion?

I'm not gonna deny that my technique is likely to be appalling, but the fact remains that it is one of those exercises that I have no desire even to improve upon.

Anyway, not been here for a while, because of the good old reason of 'no time/energy'. I have had the time and energy to workout, just not to post about it. In the greater scheme of things I believe this to be the right attitude - rather than sitting on my backside posting about the exercise I'm not doing!

Okay,so Saturday: went to the gym, wasted no time and managed a full body workout before body combat. Combat went okay so pleased with both

Monday: TB. My shoulder is playing up again (something I literally woke up with about 3 years ago. It comes and goes but at the moment it is quite bad), which makes doing about 100 push-ups throughout the session a bit of a challenge.
Did a combo of elbow, reverse elbow, low kick, but after the reverse elbow I'm consistently too close for a low kick. Got to work on that.
Did flying kicks and knees again, which ain't going nowhere with me. I can't seem to get the technique right. Really frustrating
Then on the other hand we got to do what I can only describe as a 'spinning high kck' - no idea if that's what you call it but that's what it felt like. Basically you come at your opponent, kind of acting as if you're going to punch them, then reach down as if you're doing a cartwheel but instead turn your body away while doing something like a roundhouse. Does this make any sense? Anyway, kind of got the hang of that, which I was obviously happy with

Tuesday: TB again, same club, different trainer, and boy I don't like his style! The fact that just about everything didn't go right will have undoubtedly something to do with it, but he's one of those people who thinks he can make you work harder by saying that you're slacking and you're not putting any effort in it. Doesn't work with me. I get pissed off but in a bad way, not constructive at all.
Did some defending of high kicks by moving your arm up and away, which then lands the kicking person on their backside. Didn't work for me but it did for my training partner who got me on the floor a few times. We also got to do a couple arm locks, and that was it for my shoulder; I was in total agony so sat out that combo. Not a very good session.

Wednesday: went to gym, did a lower body workout, since my shoulder is still tender and don't want to risk injuring it more. Was alright, nothing special.

I'm not too good at this training log malarkey am I? Fortunately my training is a little more frequent than the updates.

Saturday 7 April: went on a 14/15 mile hike with Kiera. We went to Edale, which is hill walkers' paradise! We went up Jacob's Ladder, across towards Hayfield, right at Kinder Res, up William's Clough, up Alshop Head, across Kinder Scout, down again over Swine's Back and returned via JL. Now I know this don't mean anything to anyone who isn't familiar with the area, but believe you me, it's a hike and a half:

Halfway up Jacob's Ladder



"And how does one get off this thing?" Answer: say "biscuit!"



All the way up Alshop Head



Walking is tiring!



The next day, however, Kiera was a lot more agile than me!

Sunday: gentle pootle along the river for about 1 1/2 hours.
Monday: gentle-ish 4 mile walk with Mal in the woods.
Tuesday: went to the gym, wasn't really sure what I was going to do, but seeing as it was about to start I ended up in this hiphop class, which was fun! Then there was a Body combat class, so thought I might as well stay for that too, so did 2 classes. Not done that in a while, but really enjoyed it
Thursday: first Thai boxing class since before Easter - went 9 days without TB! Was a really good class, really enjoyed it and I think it went quite well too. Everything felt right; punches were hard, kicks went pretty much where they were meant to go and I finally managed to do flying knees!!!
Friday: another GCamp (TB) class. Didn't go too well today. I was tired and combos just didn't feel right. Side and reverse kicks went well, but flying kicks at the end of the combo just didn't happen
Looking forward to Monday, to the next class.
This weekend the weather here will be gorgeous, and I'll be meeting up with several people to go for dog walks. Nothing strenuous for us human lot, but nice, safe territory for the dogs to have a good run and play
I was thinking of doing body combat tomorrow morning, but my left quad and the tendon of my hamstring is still quite sore so I think it'll be better off with some gentle doggie walking exercise than jumping and kicking about for nearly 1 1/2 hours.

Where are the pictures of Malc?

Didn't want to give you a dog pictures overload, but here goes:

Mal in Macclesfield Forest:





It was raining, but fortunately we had a 'doggie bathrobe' in the car

MaryBeth don't be shy. Who's your daddy?:wink: