Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

are you stretching your biceps in between sets? every other muscle group (no scratch that-hammies and quads as well) i ca nget away with not stretching too much, but biceps i absolutely have to or i am way too sore for days. and biceps are not they type of muscle that really get a good rest ever because we use them so much in day to day activities.

Thank you so much Dani! For those of you who don't know Dani=thendanisays, which I never would have figured out had we not myspaced, I was baffled, lol. I never thought about the fact that stretching would help out my biceps and also the fact that they get trained so much. I feel other muscles like triceps fall into that category but my triceps just love to break down repair and grow at an alarming rate... genetics.

Anyway, could you (or anyone else for that matter), think of any other quality bicep stretches other than the one where you have your arms stretched out and bicep facing up and you pull your wrist back towards your body?

Week 4: 5/19-5/25

Resistance Training
-Total Time: 8 1/2 hours
-Worked out 6/7 days
-Finished cycle 4/7

-Barbell Bench Press
Workout #7 (5/19) 200x5, 200x5, 215x3, 215x3, 220x4
Workout #8 (5/23) 220x3, 220x3, 235x1, 235x1, 260x3 negs 1/2 reps
-Deadlifts: 285x6, 295x6, 305x6, 315x6, 325x6, 335x6, 405lbx1
-Squats: Took this week off from squats; felt like hammering out the sled
in the beginning and all workout long with supersets. My sled presses are
weak in comparison to where I was. For some reason, it just feels like
the weight is about to crush me every time and i'm only doing a measly
450lb x6 rep sets. I don't get it. Hopefully they'll improve, it would be
nice to work my way up to 1000lbs.


Cardio
-Approx Total Time: 2 hrs 40 min
-Played 6 games of racquetball
-jogged 7 miles (2 separate occasions)

Highlights
-It felt great to lift my 1rm on bench when this routine began 4 weeks ago
twice in the middle of a bench workout.
-My friend Honora grabbed me at the gym and asked me to jog outside two
days in a row, good stuff!
-I have been having the uncontrollable urge to beat the ever loving crap
out of my legs for almost 2 mos now. I Did a huge number on them
sunday but I could've done worse. I was running on low sleep and the
gym closed. I want to not be able to walk straight after this coming
week's leg workout.
-Had alot of fun for memorial day and after a lack of sleep, caught up a bit
sunday night. I was unconscious for 12 hrs in bed and it was much
appreciated.
-Played one of the best guys in the gym in rball and beat him 2/3 games
first time i've played him since 2 1/2 yrs ago. He was just coming off an
injury but it still felt good to win.
-Dumbell bench pressing 85lbers for 6+ reps a set after heavy bbell
benching. Looking forward to those 100lbers slowly but surely.
-Have taken not that my hamstrings are alot stronger than my quads for
some reason even though my quads look bigger. This has never
happened.
-Just found out my sister has been vegetarian for 6 weeks since reading
skinny bitch which i gave to her. A friend I work with was an ex
vegetarian and after talking with me came back to me a month later and
told me he has stopped eating meat again and that i influenced that...

the other bicep stretch i do is to stretch my arm out straight to the side, palm facing down and put the side of my index finger up to sometihng, like the frame of a weight machine or something. then i stand slightly in front of my arm, so my arm is straight out to the side but on a small angle behind me and slowly turn away from my arm. it sounds tricky when i write it out but it's really simple. if you try it, you'll figure it out. it's a similar stretch to the one you mentioned, just at a different angle.
hope that helps!

Dani I have absolutely no clue, I tried to picture it in my head and i'm too shot to think about it now. I'll ask you about it tomorrow; i'm sure i'll understand =D


Week 5: 5/26-6/01

Resistance Training
-Total Time: 6 hours
-Worked out 5/7 days
-Finished cycle 5/7

-Barbell Bench Press
Workout #9 (5/28 ) 205x5, 205x5, 220x3, 220x3, 225x3
Workout #10 (06/01) 225x3, 225x3, 240x2, 240x2, 250x1
-Deadlifts: 305x7, 315x7, 325x7, 335x7, 345x6, 355x4
-Squats: 235x6, 245x6, 255x6, 275x6, 285x6, 295x6


Cardio
-Approx Total Time: 2hr
-Played 8 games of racquetball

Highlights
-Lifted Deadlifts of the ground as opposed to off the rack for the first time.
It's no joke getting the bar off the floor to start the exercise, challenging.
-I will be cutting pretty seriously now and my goals may be taking a
backseat to decreased bf which may lead to some muscle and strength
loss. Nothing wrong with cutting up for a month when you've been bulking
for 5.
-On dumbell bench press day, I managed to work with the 100lb
dumbells for 1 rep unassisted, which was huge for me. That is one of my
goals. Well to rep it but hey, it's a start.
-Squats felt really REALLY strong and confident this week. I wonder if it's
because I took a week of of them. Even jumped up in weight a bit extra
in the middle of my squat routine.
-Started my Juice Feast and am blogging it here:
June is For Juice Feasting!
-Benched 15lbs more than my old bench max and i've lost a couple of lbs
and it was after my work sets on bench. Feeling confident about 285lb in
two weeks.

When I read your journal it really makes me want to go to the gym and lift heavy weights

Thanks Guillame, that's a good thing!

In the words of a t-shirt I saw on someone at the gym last night...

"Friends don't let friends lift light"

Forgot to mention, guess who was doing sets of unassisted pullups and chinups on tuesday???

Not many but it's a start

Wide Grip Pullups 6xbw, 5xbw, 4xbw, 4xbw
Chinups 6xbw, 5xbw, 4xbw, 4xbw


As for today, I was a complete animal in the gym and if I didn't leave, I would have done 100sets of work. I couldn't stop.

39sets for chest and shoulders + 200 pushups thereafter.

Alot of good liquid juices all day today and 176gms of spirulina/chlorella blend with water. GOTA GET THAT PROTEIN!

Good man.

raw or not, gotta get dat.

NO DOUBT!

Today:

-232grams spirulina/chlorella blended with 100oz water
-Deadlifts (Second week off the floor instead of off the rack):
325x6, 335x6, 345x6, 355x6, 365x4, 375x3, 405x1 (first time off the
floor, super easy, i'm going for ALOT more next week)

all while losing 6lbs of bodyweight this week and juice feasting (vegetable and fruits)!

How much protein is in 232g?

78grams protein from chlorella
78grams protein from spirulina

156grams total.

I'm getting it from the veggies and certain fruits like the durian as well. I feel good at this level. If I had some hemp powder, i'd be chugging some as well but i don't yet. I should get some

That's more than I get from my GOOD OLE cooked food. Very nice.

Algae Report: consumed a hair over 2lbs of algae last week!

Before I post, would just like to say that last week has been the best week thus far since i have resumed training back in january. I lost 7lbs thanks to juice feasting, everything is tighter and i have increased strength in every exercise and honestly have had an unstoppable surge of energy every day. I can't bring myself to leave the gym once i walk into it

Week 6: 6/02-6/08

Resistance Training
-Total Time: 10+ hrs
-Worked out 6/7 days
-Finished cycle 6/7

-Barbell Bench Press
Workout #11 (6/04) 210x5, 210x5, 230x3, 230x3, 230x3
Workout #12 (06/07) 225x3, 225x3, 240x2, 240x2, 255x1
-Deadlifts: 325x6, 335x6, 345x6, 355x6, 365x5, 375x3, 405x1 was way
too easy, going for bigger 1rm next week.
-Squats: didn't get around to them, did on monday, this week. btw 3 plate
club, bout time! I'll talk about it the next post next week....


Cardio
-Approx Total Time: 1hr 45min
-Played 4 games of racquetball
-11 miles outdoor cycling


Highlights
-I stated before, this week was just plain fantastic, surreal even. Even
though I lost weight more people than ever told me that i've gotten alot
bigger, probably because i'm getting more defined.
-Started to sets of unassisted pullups and chinups. I should be doing
bigger sets and weighted pullups and chinups before i know it! I am
going to go for the 100 pullups before a back workout after this routine is
over. It may take alot of sets but I think I can do it.
-I seem to just unconsciously workout longer and longer as the days
progress. As of right now, I am weight training for like 2-2 1/2 hrs a
session and i force myself to leave.
-I blasted my chest out so hard and then my shoulders that when i biked
home, my triceps spazzed out and i couldn't extend them. I thought my
arms were going to fall off and i didn't even isolate and train triceps!
-I am feeling very strong and energetic, though i am nervous about my
ability to lift 285lbs on the bench next tuesday, I am anxious and ready.
-405lb deadlift off the floor after my worksets came up without even the
slightest bit of effort. I'm going for alot more this week. Hopefully my
strength keeps up as I am juice feasting and losing alot of weight....

Very very inspiring! I'm excited for you and will work towards having that sort of energy! have to look into some of the foods you eat as well, haven't heard of all of them.

thanks andreafrancis. There are many fruits and veggies out there that I would like to try and haven't yet either, like lamb's quarters and purslane.


Figured today's bicep barbell curl workout was noteworthy enough to have it's own individual post. Especially since I haven't even been focusing on them much yet they are getting strooooong.

bicep barbell curls: 95x6, 100x6, 105x6, 115x1, 135x1, 145x 1 negative
got to curl the 45's like i used to, will be nice to rep it out soon, hopefully


might as well post yest's squat numbers as I finally lifted 3 plates....
Squats: 275x6, 285x6, 295x6, 305x6, 315x4, 315x3