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12 weeks out for "Vegan Olympia" on July 25th - 27th 2013!


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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.

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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...

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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!

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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.

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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!

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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)!

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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

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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....

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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

 

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.

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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

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Thank you EmmyBear! I think everyone was just joshin me in good humor. I loved it as well but I did plan on changing it as soon as the contest was over, so.....

 

A great week in general. I need to take a nice break from chest and shoulders after testing my max tomorrow that this whole last program has been building up to. My right rotator cuff (weaker arm) hurts and it wont go away. It has happened in the past, usually when i go super heavy out of nowhere, like now. It goes away fairly easily too after I stop pushing it; hopefully that's the case; I pray it doesn't give me a problem.

 

285lb max bench press test tomorrow. Anxious but confident. We shall see. It may not go up since I have lost around 10lbs of bodyweight and all. No more excuses; tomorrow we shall see!

 

I am no longer neglecting my core as I have been for the last five months. For the last two weeks, I have been at it practically every day and at it hard. My midsection is taking nice shape in addition to bf loss; gotta train it! To get an idea I did 737 repetitions of core exercises in 5 days this week YEAH BUDDY

 

Week 7: 6/09-6/15 Final Week, 1rm bp test tomorrow as well as progress pictures!

 

Resistance Training

-Total Time: 13 hrs

-Worked out 6/7 days

-Finished cycle 7/7

 

-Barbell Bench Press

Workout #13 (6/10) 215x5, 235x3, 235x3, 250x2, 250x2, 285lbx 2 negs + 135x12 superset

Workout #14 (06/13) 230x3, 245x2, 260x1, 295x2negs, 315x1neg (3 plates)

-Deadlifts: 335x6, 345x6, 355x6, 365x5, 375x4, 385x3, 425lbx1 New pb, not too shabby!

-Squats: 275x6x, 285x6, 285x6, 305x6, 315x5, 315x5 (also got a sunday wkout in for legs but focused on sled work mainly, my shoulders were still burnt from the sun and hurt)

 

 

Cardio

-Approx Total Time: 5hrs 45min

-Played 19 games of racquetball

-14 miles outdoor cycling

-As you can see I got a decent amount of cardio in this week.

 

 

Highlights

-Comments about how much my physique has improved were at an all time high this week. I got quite the ego and happy inner peace as a result. For instance the cashier at the organic produce store asked me if I just got back from the gym because I looked muscular asnd pumped. Even with baggy tuxedo pants on, people asked me how the hell I got such massive quads. My father said my chest is really coming in nice. People told me I have gotten alot leaner others can't believe how big i've gotten. I visited my old daytrading office today and everyone said i was back! They remember me very thin last year and the secretary grabbed my chest and arms and said wow dude, you really got big, The list goes on and on... Oh and of course I got the 'juice' question once, which as to I responded yea of course..... fruit and veggie juice!

-Poundages for all the major mjm exercises I perform went sky high this week and I felt superhuman. Goes to show that you can be just as strong if not stronger as long as you do it right and EAT (or drink ion my case). Tons of cardio this week as well.

-Bicep curls were monstrous, feels good to curl 135lb on the rack. Did two reps of it today

-425lb deadlift I could have def did another 20lb but I was keeping it light.

-Tons and tons of core exercises, time to tighten up and show that midsection proudly as the bf continues to melt off.

-Psychotically deadly on the racquetball court. Cannot be touched. I got my speed back now

that i'm lighter and faster on my feet and my shot is very fast and strong. I think that's why

I just kept playing, enjoyed killing it.

-Measurements, pictures and finale 1rm test all s/b tomorrow. Very excited. I will be lifting light for a bit afterwards.

-125lb dumbbell lat rows, 140lbdb shrugs, it just keeps getting better and better, LIGHT WEIGHT!

-I finally figured out how to make my quads so sore that i cannot walk properly. Avoided hamstring training and blasted out quads on sunday for 21sets and after every set, a superset of sled leg presses followed. Also the start of the workout was 6 sets of sled leg presses.

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You're doing so well. How do you manage to focus on all your goals, how much time in your day does it take up, do you have time for your other hobbies?! I feel I need more time in the day so it can revolve around my diet and training.

And can you recommend a really healthy juice I can make with a blender that's hard core but not too hard core. Super healthy and yummy?

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Thank you AndreaFrancis! My training routines have been taking up about 2 1/2 hrs as of recently (not including cardio). I also do cardio on some days depending if there is someone to play in racquetball after I train with weights or if I get a chance to run or cycle. Today, for instance, I got 4 games of racquetball in. What kind of healthy juice are you looking for to make? Give me an idea of when and what you want to get out of it and i'll make my best recommendation. For vegetable juice blends, the yummiest way to make it is to use 1 avocado, 2 green apples, 1 lemon, some mint and then add as many dark green vegetable as possible and water......... For fruit juice blends, I thoroughly enjoy a young thai coconut meat and water, a lime and a nice amount of berries, alot.......

 

Robert I totally am looking forward to training. Perhaps I could just crash at the gym instead of someone's houses? Seems more practical!

 

Okay well news flash, this latest routine if OFFICIALLY OVER! It was a huge success and everything I could have hoped for. Bot only was I able to increase my bench press by 50 pounds but I also leaned out a great deal of the course of the last two weeks; even though that has nothing to do with this training regimen, that's more b/c of my dieting down.

 

So, here's how it went down:

 

warmup 115x5, 115x5

warmup #2 175x8

warmup #3 195x4

 

And the grand finale (drumroll) 285lbs a new one rep maximum since I have resumed training this year!

 

I was anxious but pretty confident. I abused my body a little bit at the last minute with some heavy negative so i would know how to handle this weight. Last week, I was doing 315lb negatives so that 285 for a full rep would feel ok. It took so long to get up but it was slow and steady....

 

If you take a look at my sig, I have posted new progress shots to show what the latest mass bulking and then quick cutting phase has done for my body so far. Not to sound all like yeh I am cool but I noticed the biggest change as of just recently; drastic progress and i'm very happy about it.

 

I am only 120lbs away from my old bench press record. I'm not worried about that right now though, I am cutting down and getting ready and preparing for a contest. I want to be on stage for the first time as a vegan and show my stuff. It's going to be a lot of work but I am putting my heart and soul into it right now and I am not going to let anything stand in my path. The time is now, no more procrastination or i'll never get there. Expected estimate: This fall sometime, depending on how long it takes to shred down....

 

On another note, my weaker side (right side), I developed an impingement on my right shoulder. It's kind of painful, painful to the point where I cannot even perform pullups without being in pain and needing to stop. I will be barely if not at all working out my upper body for the next 2 weeks or so and rehabing my right shoulder. I beat the crap out of it really hard over these last 7 weeks and although my muscles kept up, my weaker side is not happy about it. Rehab every day for the next 2 weeks with a trainer who said it didn't look too bad but to lay off it. I pray pray pray it goes away. It's happened before when I go unusually very very heavy for an extended period of time and has went away every time so i'm not overly worried, however, i'll be very anxious for it to fully heal. I need to train! Will be doing exercises that don't hurt it for my upper body. Suggestions are welcome.

 

I will probably just finish this week out with some heavy lifting and design a nice medium-high repetition workout for next week to carry on and over into vv08' in mid july.....

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Thank you AndreaFrancis! My training routines have been taking up about 2 1/2 hrs as of recently (not including cardio). I also do cardio on some days depending if there is someone to play in racquetball after I train with weights or if I get a chance to run or cycle. Today, for instance, I got 4 games of racquetball in. What kind of healthy juice are you looking for to make? Give me an idea of when and what you want to get out of it and i'll make my best recommendation. For vegetable juice blends, the yummiest way to make it is to use 1 avocado, 2 green apples, 1 lemon, some mint and then add as many dark green vegetable as possible and water......... For fruit juice blends, I thoroughly enjoy a young thai coconut meat and water, a lime and a nice amount of berries, alot.......

 

Super, this is exactly what I was looking for, I will try each of those out and let you know how it goes! After that I'll have a better idea of what I'd like to try next...perhaps each time getting more adventurous...as for your shoulder, I don't have good advice, but I know taking the injury seriously and resting somewhat is good, I wish I had done that with my knees.

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Awesome, glad to be of assistance! Let me know how they work out once you try them Andrea.

 

I got assessed by the trainer I hired to help me with my shoulder. Hopefully we can start a regimen tomorrow. It is killing me that i cannot train back, shoulders or chest but i'd rather rest up and heal my right shoulder, than stress it out and prolong the healing process.

 

Okay, now the real reason why I am posting mid week instead of a weekend recap; just had to share today's hardcoreness.

 

Just to put all the fears to rest about juice feasting and perceived lack of energy, this is what I did today, 20 days into my feast and did i mention I have been restricting my intake the last 3-4 days.. :

 

Biked 2 miles to the gym, parked, immediately played 7 very intense racquetball games back to back (15 minutes per game) against some of the big talent in the gym. Then proceeded to do 20 sets of core work and without stopping, picked up and went outside and jogged 8 1/2 miles in an under 10 minute per mile pace and might I add, one of the most vigorous mind blowing sprints I have ever done for the last 1/8 of a mile. Then i biked two miles back home and drank a whole bunch of juice

 

Oh and by the way, in case anyone is curious, I haven't jogged in almost a month and this is the longest distance I have jogged this year and since years ago. I ran 6.2 mile race at a slower pace two mos ago but this was longer and it felt good, not painful.

VEGAN JUICE FEASTING POWER!!!!!

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Nice! We truly notice a difference with juice fasting because we don't feel any digestion, everything is smooth and no loss of energy just to assimilate the nutrients.

Going to the gym in bike is awesome, I like it too, it becomes part of the workout if you go fast and anyway you can't really relax when cycling in downtown NY or MTL with all the stress from the traffic, so arrived at home or stopping in a park you can finally relax and maybe drink a huge juice. Unfortunatly nowadays it's not rare to see people using their car just to go buy milk at the store two blocks away...

 

You're a true inspiration with your high activity level, running, cycling, going to the gym. In Quebec it was raining all week but now summer is officially arrived ! This morning there was a 10k, 21k and 42k marathon, I wanted to run the 10k but I'm working this morning Maybe next time.

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