Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Chewybaws,

Sorry bro....I am a little stressed right now with this injury and not being able to train as I like so I feel like I am not myself. LOL. My wife sensed the same thing.

Because I have had immune system issues due to a disease I had some years back and since my numbers still show a struggling immune system, I take extra precautions not to overtrain. Just understand I am a little worried about taking it too far because I know what it can mean for my health considering my situation. Who knows, maybe I will try as you say and see if I notice a difference.
I just know in the past, I tend to do better having 7+ days off person muscle group. I hear ya on the high volume and I am not apposed to trying it, assuming I see results, not just in strength but in size.....long lasting muscle. I am open to anything.

One thing I am OK with is hitting the same muscle again later in the week if I go lighter in weight or intensity, but for years I have preferred to wait till the soreness is gone. The most I typically like doing is lighter weights, cardio and stretching to help recover. Believe me I am well aware of active recovery. Years of competitive sports and lifting have taught me that. But for me I know I do not like going full out with a body part more than once a week. That's me. That is more what I was talking about with how I like to train. One thing I know I can not do, or have not been able to do is deadlift after a hard squat workout. I get more out of it on separate days.

I totally agree with you on the active recovery thing, keeping my arm perfectly still would worry me and could complicate things. I don't need a frozen shoulder, LOL.

VeganEssentials,
I wend back into the gym this week...did a light chest workout, pushups, VERY light weight, etc. Day 2 I go in and do some light rows, and some other back work. I started to feel a twinge during some rows but then I went into some light shrugs and wam, the pain came back. Now, I am back in pain again. It is hard to pinpoint because there is nothing to the touch, it feels rather deep. Oddly enough, this is the same shoulder I separated in 2006 in a snowboarding accident and at the time I had the shoulder reconstructed.
I am going to stop in and see the sports medicine guy I know who works with the local Philadelphia sports teams. I know when I had the surgery, he said the only thing that could cause another separation was an impact. It is odd because the sensation I had at the time, is similar to what I feel now.

_________________
What do I do when not bodybuilding or working? Spend time with family, play guitar, write music, snowboard, roast coffee, travel, read, fight for those who are less fortunate than myself.

Chewy? Did you see my response? Just wanted to smooth things over with you bro.

_________________
What do I do when not bodybuilding or working? Spend time with family, play guitar, write music, snowboard, roast coffee, travel, read, fight for those who are less fortunate than myself.

Haha sorry man read this when I was in a rush the other day and forgot to reply. In the powerlifting club we slag the hell out of each other, I forget when speaking in other circles that not everyone appreciates the "strength or die" attitude lol. When I say stuff like that just take it as sarcasm even if on the surface it just looks like I'm coming across as a dick.

The funny thing is after my next competition I'm going to be doing bodybuilding style assistance (or at least my interpretation) to try get a bit more size on.

To be honest for size in bodybuilding I actually agree with you, just do high volume once a week if size is the goal (which for you it probably is), but for getting better and stronger (especially for hasn't done it frequently in the past) at a particular exercise, I'd always subscribe 2 or 3x / week (volume/intensity would depend on level).

_________________
My training log

VeganEssentials, I saw my Orthopedic guy concerning my shoulder. It seems I may have either strained my right trap or the small muscle that is right under the clavical since that is about where the pain originates. I keep thikning it could be the tendon at the end of the trap. He asked me to take off two weeks which I did and then go light for a while working back up.

Of course, I go light today and now my neck and upper back are killing me....like I have a stiff neck or something.

I was talking to my pharmacicst today and wouldn;t you know it, he tried to tell me that beyond a certain age, people should not be lifting heavy weights.

_________________
What do I do when not bodybuilding or working? Spend time with family, play guitar, write music, snowboard, roast coffee, travel, read, fight for those who are less fortunate than myself.

Sorry to hear about the pulled muscle, boardn10 - believe me, I know about the "stiff neck" feeling, my right trapezius is fairly prone to being strained, and about 4-5x each year I pull it and can't turn my head for 2-3 days without pain. It always fades after a few days, and I find that the more I do to work my trapezius regularly, the less I pull it (it's usually after doing some heavy shrugs after a long break from them that I end up straining it). For me, it's usually confined to the neck and maybe only radiates an inch or two down the upper back, and it's just a matter of waiting it out for a day or two until it gets back to normal. Hope that it comes around soon for you and you can get back to training!

_________________
"A 'hardgainer' is merely someone who hasn't bothered to try enough different training methods to learn what is actually right for their own damned body." - anonymous

I don;t think it is pulled, just a bad strain.
I seemed to have strained it doing chest press! Yikes.

Got a little annoyed by my pharmacist telling me that a 40 years old I should not be lifting heavy. What does he know.
Physically, I look a heck of a lot younger from years of lifting and staying in shape.

_________________
What do I do when not bodybuilding or working? Spend time with family, play guitar, write music, snowboard, roast coffee, travel, read, fight for those who are less fortunate than myself.

No idea what exactly is wrong with me. All i know is I have a sharp pain under my clavicle at times. Came back even when I tried to lift light. Maybe this is going to take more than a month to heal.

_________________
What do I do when not bodybuilding or working? Spend time with family, play guitar, write music, snowboard, roast coffee, travel, read, fight for those who are less fortunate than myself.

My chiropractor said a tear or strain of one of the tendons can take a month or more to heal, if it keeps getting reinjured. The re-injury part is important. Sometime a part doesn't heal because it doesn't get a chance to, due to repeated aggravating activities. He said I should take abuot one month off with no weights and just cardio. Man, I am going to lose so much ground.
 

_________________
What do I do when not bodybuilding or working? Spend time with family, play guitar, write music, snowboard, roast coffee, travel, read, fight for those who are less fortunate than myself.

It does not seem to be getting better...in fact it really hurts. I feel it would be better in a sling, hurts to brush teeth or do anything.

_________________
What do I do when not bodybuilding or working? Spend time with family, play guitar, write music, snowboard, roast coffee, travel, read, fight for those who are less fortunate than myself.

Almost 6 weeks later and still not better. I tried a light workout the other day, two in fact. I felt good, but then today the pain and soreness was back. Not as bad as before but still there. I guess I just keep plugging away lightly.

Problem now is I am losing muscle and as a result my metabolism is slowing and I am gaing fat. I had everything dialed in perfectly, I was gaining muslce, looking fairly cut, and now I am losing muslce and gaining fat and my diet is up in the air because I am not sure what to do next, other than maybe heavy duty cardio, in which case I will lose even more muslce UGHHHHH, this is sooooo frustrating.

_________________
What do I do when not bodybuilding or working? Spend time with family, play guitar, write music, snowboard, roast coffee, travel, read, fight for those who are less fortunate than myself.

At least it's starting to get better man. Keep your chin up! You'll be back in action before you know it.

_________________
My training log

Thanks guys....

As an ugly side effect of not training hard, I am gaining fat, the last thing I need. Luckily I had some decent light workouts last week and so far no problems with the strained muscle or tendon so I am taking it up a notch next week.

_________________
What do I do when not bodybuilding or working? Spend time with family, play guitar, write music, snowboard, roast coffee, travel, read, fight for those who are less fortunate than myself.

This darn thing will not heal. Over two months and still stopping me from doing heavy freeweights.
I have a diagnostic ultrasound in Novermber to see if they can see a tear or swelling, etc.

_________________
What do I do when not bodybuilding or working? Spend time with family, play guitar, write music, snowboard, roast coffee, travel, read, fight for those who are less fortunate than myself.

Hope it gets better dude, see your doc again? Try do some light stuff and perhaps cardio in the mean time to stay in shape? Been through a low body injury that left me dead in the water for 6 months, know how it feels

My friend who is a trainer and a good guy, says I should not be bodybuilding as it is unnatural and the cause of injuries. He said that is why the pros all take roids to get beyond what is natural and to help avoid injury.

_________________
What do I do when not bodybuilding or working? Spend time with family, play guitar, write music, snowboard, roast coffee, travel, read, fight for those who are less fortunate than myself.