Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

1/2/08

Squat: 5 x 5 @ 125 lbs
Bench: 5 x 5 @ 90 lbs
BB Row: 5 x 5 @ 70 lbs
Dips: 14, 8, 8

Squats felt really tough today..and my form suffered from it. Been doing squat stretches on my off days, which seems to help out. Some days though I just don't feel "it", and today was one of those days. Bench was definitely maxed out, as I really had to push for the last rep, but it felt really good. By the time dips came around, I felt completely wasted, so I was happy to churn out the numbers that I did. Overall, a solid start to the new year.

1/5/08

Weight = 132.5 lbs

Squat: 5 x 5 @ 130 lbs
OH Press: 5 x 5 @ 65 lbs
Deadlift: 1 x 5 @ 110 lbs
Pullups: 4,4,3

Red = Decrease, Green = Increase, Black = No Change

With the new year, thought I'd color code my log to make it simple to see where I have gone up/down since the last workout.

Although I managed to pump out all 5x5 on squats, my form really took a hit at the end, and I did not go through the full ROM. I noticed that when driving up, I tend to favor my right (dominant leg), which could lead to an imbalance. I've always had this problem doing endurance sports, where my right side always seems to develop more than my left. Not sure how I can correct that besides just trying to focus on using both sides equally. So next workout I think I will keep it the same weight and concentrate more on form.

On another note, I thought that I had hit a sort of milestone with the squat and done my own BW. However, when I stepped on the scale I was shocked to find out I gained 2.5 lbs in a week. My diet was pretty crappy and usually when that happens I lose weight, but by some miracle (and a lot of calories), I increased. So unfortunately I still have yet to squat my BW.

Deadlift is starting to feel pretty heavy, especially now that squats are beating me up. Going to re-read about proper deadlift technique for next time.

Pullups took a hit today, but I was pretty wiped out by the time they came around. Also, I think I used a wider grip than usual, which makes them harder.

1/9/08

Squat: 5 x 5 @ 130 lbs
OH Press: 4/5/5/5/4 @ 70 lbs
Deadlift: 1 x 5 @ 115 lbs
Chins: 6,4,4

Cool Down: 10 min. of stretches, crunches, and supermans.

Squats were feeling good again, so next set I will up the weight. Failed on OH Press...this is and always has been the lift that I struggle with. It's going to be a struggle to keep up, but I've made some good progress so far and will see where I reach my limit. Chins increased today, and I felt really good doing them. Hopefully I'll be back at my max in no time. I've been doing some different stuff during my cool down routine, and thought it might help to start adding it to my log for future reference.

1/11/07

Squat: 5 x 5 @ 125 lbs
Bench: 5 x 5 @ 95 lbs
BB Row: 5 x 5 @ 70 lbs
Dips: 14, 10, 8

Yesterday was out of town on business, and ended up getting sick with something. I woke up and felt really tired this morning, but fine otherwise. When I hit the gym though, something just didn't feel right, so I either stayed the same or backed down some of the weight. Maybe I should have skipped today and tried tomorrow, but I guess I'll know better next time.

1/13/07

Squat: 5 x 5 @ 130 lbs
OH Press: 1 x 3 @ 75 lbs, 4 x 5 @ 70 lbs
Deadlift: 1 x 5 @ 120 lbs
Pullups: 4, 4, 3

Got back up to normal on squats, and felt a lot better today. I put too much weight on OH Press by accident, and had to correct it for the last sets. No increase in pullups which was a little disappointing, but overall I felt it was a decent day considering the last couple of days I've felt like crap and have hardly eaten anything. Today I'm back in the game though.

Will only be able to get in 1 more workout before heading off for vacation on a snowboarding trip. There's a gym at the lodge we're staying at, but I'm not sure if I'll be feeling up to it after spending the day on the slopes. Just need to make sure I eat enough as I'll be burning a lot more calories than usual.

1/15/07

Squat: 5 x 5 @ 135 lbs
Bench: 5/5/5/4/5 @ 100 lbs
BB Row: 5 x 5 @ 75 lbs
Dips: 16, 11, 10

Something crazy happened in today's workout...I was able to unleash something inside of me that I haven't been able to in a long time. I use to be able to do this during endurance training and races, but I thought I had all but lost it. I don't know exactly what to call it, but it's a combination of adrenaline, discipline, and something from deep down inside. Whatever it is, I hope I have more!

Increased in everything today, reaching many PRs. Still haven't gotten a weighted belt yet, so my numbers on dips are starting to climb. It's kinda fun though doing lots of reps after only doing 5 x 5 the rest of the workout.

Off on my snowboarding vacation tomorrow, and won't be back for a week. Hopefully I'll be able to get a few workouts in there sometime, but if not I'll just have to hit it that much harder when I get back!