Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

hey man just checking up to see what you've been up to....

Very cool that you are rock climbing 2 days a week. That 'rocks'! Seriously though, that is totally awesome.

I'm glad you're learning about weights and training. For me, growth usually comes in waves. I'll explode in growth and then level off for awhile and then out of nowhere it will happen again, as if I am like superhuman for a week in comparison to the other weeks. Remember how much you gained right away in the beginning? Maybe it's your bodies way of acclimating itself to the new growth and adapting and before you know it, you'll have another stage out of nowhere.

Dunno the rhyme or reason, it didn't happen according to the changes I would make, just comes whenever it feels like and all sorts of things happen for about 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 weeks and then it levels off, for me at least......

don't ever get discouraged my friend, just keep on doing your thing and make sure you eat clean often.

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Where do you get your protein?
http://www.VeganProteins.com

Karmakatcher: thank you for the words of encouragement. i had missed your comments previously.

L&G: I appreciate your compliments as well.

Note: I feel like i want to modify my program i just felt weird today, could be because for the last two days i have not eaten much food stuff. I am giving it one more week with me eating clean and see how i feel. I just realize while doing this that i do not have very good endurance. Im thinking about switching up the pace working out lighter with more reps and sets. Again we shall see what happens this coming week.

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My Training Journal

before and after accountability photos

so last week when i did a leg day i was so week that i just kinda got discouraged and stopped working out all week until sunday when i did some out door rock climbing. I am not entirely sure the program i was on was right for me. This week im going to be rock climbing all week to help some endurance issue i feel im facing. then next week im starting a strength training program with cardio.

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My Training Journal

before and after accountability photos

so its been a week and i have done no weights but have instead rock climbed every other day and done 15-20 minutes of cardio, i am back to my normal weight again. i feel great. it is going to be hard to once again start lifting.

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My Training Journal

before and after accountability photos

Hey Phil,

Great to read your training journal - both as a gay vegan and someone who just recently started lifting (6 months now, 2-3 times a week)- a lot of your story rings familiar to me, especially some of the early body image stuff.

Looking forward to reading more and sharing more of my journey as well

peace,
Jade

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Jade
www.halcyonday.net

Hello Jade,

I would love to hear and share stories with you. I often get discouraged because at times it feels like others perhaps do not understand some of the internalized pressure that my history can enforce. I would love to know what your training plan is as well, you look amazing!

looking forward to hearing from you.

Phil

Soo i stopped counting weeks because i have fallen off the wagon in terms of weight lifting. I did however rock climb every other day last week and this week as well as through 15-30 minutes of cardio in the mix. I really enjoy rock climbing i just do not have the endurance as of yet to encorporate both rock climbing and weight lifting congruently. I think i will climb this week and next week, then get into a 2 day split with 2 days rock climbing. I am feeling great as i am decreasing my body fat.

Emotional response and feedback ajustment:
I have been walking around my house topless for the last few weeks so that i can get use to the idea of my body. I have not enjoyed my body for quite some time, but i have also never endeavored to change it until now. So i am doing a duel program of working to improve myself as well as my emotional response to my physical self. there are things that i cannot change on my body that have been damaged by being severely overweight but there is much that i can change. In the end it is about having unqualified love for oneself in all aspects.

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My Training Journal

before and after accountability photos

Hey Phil,

My heart goes out to you re: all that internalized pressure / personal history / self-care challenges. In my line of work (as a Personal Trainer of sorts) I hear these kinds of concerns a lot. Believe it or not, I have some strategies for you to try if you're game. You can check the website below my signature for more info... I bet what I teach (EFT - Emotional Freedom Techniques) could really help with those troubling emotional issues that seem to "drive" some of the not-so-good habits and feelings... anyhow - just thought I'd throw that out there!

Here's to going easy on yourself and not taking it all so seriously. I've been going to realjock.com to get their free workouts, then going to the gym and doing what I want, what feels right. my pic makes me look bigger than I am, btw.. hehe.. but I too am working on my alignment and just going with the flow - and trying to stay out of all the self-judgment stuff - easier said than done!

Something I do that has done wonders for me physically is visualization. It's pure quantum physics (plus, it feels really good) to imagine yourself toned, feeling great, feeling connected, really inhabiting your body, giving yourself good nutrition, not needing much sugar... feeling sexy, whatever is on your personal 'goal' list. Being able to fully inhabit the feeling of what you desire for yourself is Step 1. The rest is just taking inspired action...

anyhow, I'll get off my soap box - been thinking about hanging out a shingle for fitness/performance stuff more - so just trying it out!

be well,
Jade

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Jade
www.halcyonday.net

so i have not been doing well. I havent been rock climbing for a while now and no working out to be had. i lost some weight but its mostly fat so not too worried there. I have never felt so bad about myself before this week which is weird because i have been really over and really underweight. I think im dissapointed in myself which is the hardest thing to shrug. My weight lifting plan was not working for me, besides giving me a sense of completion as far as working out it was not the right program. I jsut feel so new at excercise that its hard to train without someone telling me how to do this or that. I am going to revamp my program and my nutrition. I also feel really bad about my chest. the extra skin is killing me. It makes me depressed every day to look at it but i don't want to get surgery without trying my hardest with working out first. and i can honestly say that while i have put in effort it has not been maximum effort with maximized nutrition.

I am going to try to eat 2500 calories or so a day with over 120 grams of protean. I think before now i have been only getting about 50-70g of protean if i try really tried hard. I looked into the gemma protean powder and i can get enough for three servings a day for over three months for under 100 dollars. which is amazing.

Next comes the workout plan. I want something challenging but not overwhelming. I am thnking that since the gym is free weight and cross fit to start intensively doing body weight workouts incorporated with weights. like dips chin ups push ups pull ups with squats dumbell pressess and what not.

I really need help here finding a program for me any suggestions would help me greatly as i follow direction well i just suck at innovation.

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My Training Journal

before and after accountability photos

Alright guys new plan. I worked out once this week with the following routine. I am listing two routines first being a modification of what my normal one is because i am working out at my crappy office gym. next week my schedule normalizes and i am able to go to the awesome gym.

i can see how that would be more benificial. This week i have somewhat modified my routine since i found out they have a gym at work and in order to save me some hassle of walking to and from work then too the gym i am working out here. Until next week when i start at noon and can reasonably get up and go to the fully equip one.
They do not have a chin up bar nor a dip bar. they have an Olympic weight set and then a rack of dumbbells as well as a rack of ez curl bars in various weight increments from 5lbs to 200 lbs. they also dont have a squat rack. so i am modifying this weeks program to the following

Monday:

barbell over head press
close grip upright row
bent over one arm dumbell row
Cable Rear Pulldown


Today I will do the following:

hack squat
good morning
dead lift
Dumbbell Single Leg Calf Raise
pilates for 20 minutes for core

Friday:

pushup
Dumbbell Decline Bench Press
dumbell benchpress


then i will start with the work out modified with everyones suggestions.
==================

day 1
pull ups
overhead press
upright rows
wide grip rows

day 2
squat
dead lift
front squat
roman chair
step ups


day 3
pushup
dumbell benchpress
dip

day 4 rockclimb

day 5 rest

day 6 start over.

Weight:172
BF %:22

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My Training Journal

before and after accountability photos

Day two went well. Did a modified version of my program since i am working out at work this week. My legs are feeling a bit tired today but i think i have to hit them harder next week. i was hoping to destroy them but as a warm up routine not bad.

Hack Squat
Dumbbell Single Leg Calf Raise
2 leg machines one for quadriceps and another for the back of the leg.

next week ill be adding in my squat variations so it should be a good deal.

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My Training Journal

before and after accountability photos

alright people i know it has been a while since i have posted. For a bit, i got discouraged because either the program seemed to hard or not hard enough and i couldnt get my nutrition right, I am still working on my nutrition but i have been working out for about 6 weeks now. This last week i started a new program that i am going to keep for about 6 more weeks before adding some agility exercises and more specific exercises to the plan.

edit:i posted the wrong workout, here is the correct one.
here is my workout plan for the next 6-10 weeks

day 1
dumbbell bench press 3x12
cable front pull down 3x12
incline bench press 3x12
bent over single arm row 3x12

day 2
dumbbell squats 3x12
dumbbell straightleg deadlift 3x12
dumbbell single calf raise 3x12
dumbbell lunges 3x12

day 3
dumbbell shoulder press 3x12
dumbbell upright row 3x12
dumbbell rear delt row 3x12
tricep extensions 3x12
dumbbell curl 3x12

day 4:

modified bicycle kick (2 sec per side) 15 reps, followed by 30 reg crunchx3
reverse crunch 20 repsx3
roll ups (5 seconds down) 10 repsx3
rockclimbing (just for fun)

This is the most ambitious and hard workout i have ever tried. But I am a weak bitch and im tired of being a vegan stereotype.

/the end

Here are some pictures from today that i took. You can see my origonal pictures from the link in my signature.

even though i am the judge i am still going to track my progress. Ill post stats later this week.

legs:



back:


front:


side/arms:



171lbs 20% body fat.

My goal at the end of this three month challenge that i am embarking on is to be 175lbs and 16 percent body fat. I know it is doable i just gotta get it done. Ill be posting here regularly again.

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My Training Journal

before and after accountability photos

I like the routine, but that fourth day seems like a "whatever" sort of day, but that is okay! It should be modified to read: workout/hike/rock climb though . Speaking of, we should go bouldering sometime! I hear there is good stuff in Little Cottonwood Canyon (I just got a guide book for it).

The pictures are good too, it seems to me (and I know you've mentioned this) that you will be able to build massive quads if you so desire. Be happy, many of us cannot!

I'm looking forward to you updating this more often

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http://veganfarmgirl.blogspot.com/

Hey Crystal,

Thank you for stopping by my thread. I agree i think i could gain massive quads. Right now im going for a bit of muscle and to get my endurance up. I have been doing this routine for three weeks as of today and the results are phenomenal. I was using a 6 rep max routine before so switching to three sets of 12 has been a pain but a good one. I am almost back up to the amount of weight i was using for the 6 rep on 12 reps for 3 sets which to me is amazing. I would love to be as an end goal 185lbs at ten percent bodyfat. Right now i am shooting for 175lbs and 12-16 percent body fat. I am currently 171 and 20 percent or so. I have about two more months of this bulking phase and then im going to cut to see what i have gained. I am also thinking about after next week doing a 1 week cutting phase then two weeks bulk one week cutting, as my body gains fat very quickly. Not sure yet. I do know that all my clothes do not fit me so i do have a bit more fat than before on me.

You are absolutely right about the 4th day. I realized at three days i always felt like i didnt do enough and at 4 days i felt it was too much work so i threw in a purely abs day to make sure i was moving and getting some sort of exercise. I would love to go bouldering. I have never bouldered outdoors only rock climbed. Let me know when you would like to go and I am down!

Phil

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My Training Journal

before and after accountability photos

I'm shocked, you haven't updated this log with todays workout yet! Better get on top of that . . .

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http://veganfarmgirl.blogspot.com/

Note to self: No one wins the death lunge race 2008...no one. *groans* lol.

Alright so updated blog. Hopefully I am going to keep this workout log fairly updated as i am gaining a good amount of strength. Lets see before i describe today i am going to go over some things. I think as of 5 weeks i have gained around 3 lbs of muscle 2 lbs of fat or something to that effect. Which is great. I definetly feel more bulky in the back and chest. I noticed today that doing squats was easier because i have gained some trap muscles for the bar to content with. I am now consistantly doing 12 reps at 3 sets of my 6 rep max of 5 weeks ago. So yeah im doing well.

Alright now for the training blog. Today was my introduction into power style lifting or at least i think its called that. Crystal and I meet up for our first joint workout, and let me tell you she is a task master. She showed me how to do a power clean and a hanging clean. Something that will help me immensly in my workouts. I found just ask she described that i didnt feel work out for the compound movements but i am sure i will be feeling the DOMS tomorrow.

So of course what do two insane hardcore people do on there first workout meeting Squats day, because if you dont squat your not working out.

We did forward squats and regular squats. I find that forward squats are more difficult to keep proper posture. After this and some warming up learning the clean movement we did the ultimate lunge race of death. She did 30lb dumbbells and i did 25lb dumbbells. We were lunging until failure and i definitely collapse after the finish line. While Crystal is the clear winner of this race, i realized in hindsight that no one wins in the squat race. lol. We finished off with some single leg dumbbell raises for the calf and then the quad machine to just add another movement for the day. I have never used the machine on one leg at a time but it makes much more sense to do this.

I cant wait to workout with crystal again because i learned so much and it was nice having someone who is a patient teacher as well as competitive. I have some form issues to work on but having seen them in person it is more more clear as to what i should be doing in comparison to what i am currently doing. One thing is for sure i am going to incorporate light weight cleans into my warm up for my other days workouts so that i can gain familiarly with the movement.

Next workout with crystal is going to be at the university gym so i can see what my small gym is missing besides leg room.

After working out we chowed down on some vegan dinner food. I was stuffed and walking funny by the time i dropped her off.

More to come later.....

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My Training Journal

before and after accountability photos