Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Saturday, October 22

Squats -
10x45 pounds
6x135
5x185
4x225
3x275 not parallel
3x325 not parallel

Pull Ups 3xbodyweight

Quarter Squats -
5x375 pounds
5x425

Pull Ups 3xbodyweight

Dumbel Incline Bench Press -
8x50 pounds each
6x60
5x70
4x80

Pec Deck - 2x10x150 pounds

Ab Crunches - 4x25

Monday, October 24

All the benches were taken, so I tried out the Hammer Strength Bench Machine. I really don't like the machine, it was twisting my shoulders in a weird way and I had the bad feeling I was going to get injured. I only did two sets and then a bench was available.

Hammer Strength Bench - 8x100 pounds, 6x150 pounds

Barbell Bench Press -
5x135 pounds
3x5x185
4x205
2x3x205

Feeling a little weak today, but it isn't surprising. I have been under some very intense emotional stress and not eating properly.

I met one of the personal trainers at the gym today, Gerard. He was really cool and very interested in my vegan bodybuilding shirt. I told him about Rob and the site and he's going to check it out. He said he had tried going vegetarian years ago, but quickly lost weight. I told him I went vegan and gained 40 pounds this year.

Dumbell Bicep Curls -
6x45 pounds each
4x55
2x60

Hammer Curls - 10x35 pounds each

Dips - 3x12xbodyweight

Excellent!

Nice going Michael! You just might have re-planted the seed! Very cool.

Yeah, talking to Gerard was really nice. We hadn't really talked before, but he has commented on my size and the semi-respectable weights I am managing these days. I guess this was the first time he saw me in my VB&F shirt and he was pretty surprised. Being a 240 pound vegan is handy in some situations.

My motivation for working out has been 100% because I enjoy it. More and more though I am inspired to reach new levels of fitness, because of the doors it opens in letting people know about a healthier and compassionate vegan lifestyle. I am a lapsed vegan activist from many years ago. It's really inspiring that my hobby is giving me a positive non-threatening way to share veganism. I'm starting to understand why Rob is so passionate about this whole Vegan Bodybuilding thing.

Tuesday, October 25

Had to wait for a space to do deadlifts, so did some cable rows while I waited. Then continued to do cable rows between deadlift sets.

Seated Cable Rows - 8x8x150 pounds

Deadlifts -
5x135 pounds
5x225
3x315
1x385
fx435 Haven't been eating enough to have that kind of energy.
3x3x315
1x315 to rack the weight.

Ab Crunches - 3x25

Pull Ups - 3,2,1 x bodyweight

Wednesday, October 26

Barbell Overhead Presses -

Strict - 5x45pounds, 5x95

Push Press - 1x135, 1x155, 1x175, 2xfx185

Push on 1st rep, then strict - 2x5x135

I'm working on overhead presses for a contest over on Vegan Fitness. I have only done strict presses before for a max of 155, the contest is to get it up any way you can. 175 is a decent weight to have overhead, but I think there is more once I master the technique. It would be better after a rest day too, not after a deadlift day. Weight lifters have so many damned excuses!

Barbell Shrugs - 10x135pounds, 10x225, 3x6x315

Barbell Upright Row - 8x100pounds, 3x4x120

My chest and triceps needed some stretching, so Dips - 2x20xbodyweight.

Friday, October 28

Felt like pushing some heavy singles today, I haven't lifted anywhere near my max for a couple of months. I was happy with the 245, just 10 pounds under my PB, but frustrated to fail on a second rep at 225. I think I will start a creatine cycle this weekend and start pushing some heavy weights again.

Barbell Bench Press -
5x135 pounds
3x185
1x205
1x225
1x235
1x245
1x225 failed attempting second rep
1x225

Pull Ups x bodyweight - 1x4, 1x2

Chin Ups x bodyweight - 1x4, 1x2

Dumbel Incline Bench Press - 2x10x60 pounds each 1x7x60

Machine Bicep Curls - 3x8x100 pounds

Dips - 2x15xbodyweight

Monday, October 31

Barbell Bench Press -
6x135 pounds
5x185
3x205
2x225 - failed attempting third rep
2x225
1x225 - failed attempting second rep
7x185

Squats -
5x135 pounds
5x185
5x225
3x275

That's it, short and simple!

I haven't been eating enough, actually started creatine over the weekend and still lost 2 pounds.

Tuesday, November 1

Overhead pressing day.

Seated - Strict
10x45 pounds
5x95
3x115
2x125
1x135
1x155

Standing - Clean and Push Press
1x135 pounds
1x155
1x175
1x185 Missed the first push and tried again! New PB by 10 pounds.

Barbell Upright Row - 3x3x135 pounds

Barbell Shrugs -
10x135 pounds
10x225
3x6x315

And you complain that your lats are too small?

Do more chin ups! Strict with perfect form, explosive up, slow down, loaded stretch at the bottom.

Even if you don't like them - especially then! - they're the best you can do for your lats. Don't just bench and press and lift Or do so, but don't complain

It's amazing how heavy you can press overhead, compared to your max weight in bench press. Or maybe it's just me, i was always weak in pressing...

I want giant lat wings like you Alex!

I guess I am doing alright though, I'm 33 and have only been lifting for a year.

I actually enjoy chin-ups, I just haven't ever been abled to do them. Good news I have gone from a max of one poorly executed chin-up to 5 with three decent reps. If you say this is the way to get lats, I'll start doing more of them.

Yeah, my bench is kind of sorry compared to my overhead. I just started doing overhead presses about two months ago and immediately added 20 pounds to my bench which is now at 255. I expect to see 265-275 by the end of the year. I'll never catch Jonathan on the 300 pounds! That's okay, I can still out-squat him!

Thanks for the feedback!

I can't believe you've only been lifting a year. At the weights you are at, I figured you had been into weighlifting for much longer. I agree with Alex about the pullups, I've been doing a couple hundred reps a week lately (at bodyweight) and have been noticing a lot of growth in the past month

Thursday, November 3

Deadlifts -
6x135 pounds
5x225
3x295
1x365
1x415 Nice solid rep with good form!
2xfx465 Ugh! I really want that one to go down soon! Failed about 8 inches up, mostly right grip. I think some chalk could have made the difference here. Stupid no-chalk gyms!
2x365
1x225

Chins/Pull Ups 4,2,2,2,2

Barbell Bench Press -
5x135 pounds
5x155
5x185
3x205
2x225
1x235
7x185

12x135 very close grip.

Tried to do some dips, but couldn't due to pain in the left shoulder blade. I woke up with the pain yesterday, but it went away. I guess there is some minor injury there?

Great work MH