Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Everyone else has a training log, so I want one too! I'm definitely not going to log all my workouts here but whenever there's something new happening, I'll post it. I could also use some comments and suggestions from you guys so please reply whenever you feel like it.

I had 3-split program practically for the whole 2008 and I went to gym 3.5 times a week in average. I've had a habit of writing down _everything_ I do at the gym for over 1.5 years now so there's plenty of reference data available. For the purpose I use ten years old Palm III, which is totally superb for it (for several reasons, but mostly because of its copy-paste-capabilities). I know I draw some attention with it but I don't care - I'm a professional nerd and very proud of it

Back to the original subject; in the beginning of this year I changed my program to two-split and now I'm going four times a week, which naturally translates to working out the whole body twice every week. So far it feels very right, as I'm not having any problems in doing so and I'm feeling stronger already. For all the bigger muscles I do five sets (plus one or two warmup sets) with 7-10 reps. For example, here's most of my yesterday's workout (without the warmups):

Squats 3x10 with 60 kg / 132 lbs + 2x8 with 80 kg / 176 lbs (Due some joint problems my legs are weaker than my upper body)
Flat bench 3x8 with 80 kg / 176 lbs + 2x10 with 70 kg / 154 lbs (usually I do 5x6 with 85 or so but I'm trying to keep this week a little lighter for the chest)
Seated calf raise machine 2x14 with 40 kg / 88 lbs, 2x10 with 60 kg / 132 lbs
Dumbbell flys 4x10 with 18.5 kg / 40 lbs
Leg extension machine 4x10 with 70 kg / 154 lbs
Seated leg curls 4x10 with 65 kg / 143 lbs
3 sets of sit ups

As I mentioned, I've suffered from this joint infection for almost two years now and that has greatly affected on my leg workouts. Now that I'm getting better by the day, I can finally focus on my legs as well. I honestly feel that I have muscles to squat with 100 kg / 220 lbs without problems but I just have to take it a little easy because of knees that aren't used to such stress (yet ).

That's it for this time. I'll continue tomorrow and/or Sunday with upper body.

It's a good thing that more Finns start their journal here. I'm sure to read your journal, though I doubt that I have anything special to say. Keep it real, man!

Vegan power!!!

Kiitti HCP!

Anyway, here's what I had on Saturday and Sunday:

Saturday - arms and back. Again, warmup sets not listed here.
Preacher curl 5x5 with 43 kg / 96 lb (last two sets were more like 4.5 reps..)
Dip 3x12 without extra weights
Barbell french press, lying 5x5 with 35 kg / 77 lb
Barbell upright row 5x7 with 38 kg / 84 lb
Dumbbell bicep curl 5x7 with 16.5 kg / 36 lb
Straight leg deadlift 5x8 with 60 kg / 132 lb
Situps on a bench 5 x plenty

Sunday - deadlifting and chest:
Deadlift 7 reps with 90 kg / 198 lb then 5x5 with 110 kg / 242 lb
Dumbbell incline bench press 5x7 with 28.5 kg / 63 lb
Rotated torso machine 5x10 with 70 kg / 154 lb (machine's max :/ )
Pec dec machine 5x14 with 70 kg / 154 lb (again, max)

If you have anything to say about these exercises, don't hesitate! Currently I'm trying to gain some weight and thus I'm keeping reps low, whenever possible. Yesterday after the workout I scaled myself to 76.5 kilos / 168.5 lbs.

Now, back to recovery

Everything looks good to me.
Plenty of Compound movements and good regular workouts.
You have a lot of Strength in your chest and arms, very impressive...
Hope your joints continue to improve

Thanks sydneyvegan! Great to hear that I'm doing something right

Here's my yesterday's workout - arms and back again:

Hammer curl 5x8 with 16 / 35 (with short pauses between sets, < 1 minute)
Tricep press down 10, 10, 8 and 7 with 70 / 154
Lateral pulldown 5x8 with 60 / 132
Seated cable row 5x8 with 70 / 154
Barbell shrug 5x8 with 80 / 176 (had some grip problems here)
Barbell bicep curl 3x9 with 28 / 62
Cable pushdown curl, one arm at a time 12 with 20 / 44, then 3x8 with 25 / 55
Four sets of slow situps on a bench

There, these posts include all of my current weekly exercises. I don't have a strict program so every now and then I do something I didn't do last week, dips being a good example. It has become quite clear to me that it's my relatively low bodyweight that's currently preventing my progression the most and thus I'm really trying to eat big. I'm not looking for huge weight gains but I don't see problem in getting few extra kilos before dieting a bit for the summer.

Rock on.

Yesterday's leg workout was dramatically better, as I assumed it could be once I just get used to it. Here we go:

Squats 2x8 with 80 / 176, then 3x6 with 90 / 198. I'll probably try few reps with 100 kg next week.
Seated calf raise machine 4x10 with 65 / 143. I don't know if i'm doing something wrong, but it doesn't feel much anything.
Three sets of leg extensions and leg curls.

Also did some incline bench with a smith machine, dumbbell flys and situps. Would be nice to know what's the weight of smith's bar and the locking mechanism as it feels so much heavier than ordinary, free 20 kg / 44 lb bar. Naturally there's also some friction that makes it feel heavier.

Mostly thanks to this site, I'm more motivated than ever!

Well that's only a good thing!

Had good workouts on Saturday and Sunday again. I think that I'm going to the right direction, for Saturday's 5x5 preacher curl set with 43 kg / 95 lb wasn't that hard anymore. I think I'm going for 5x6 this week. On Sunday I benched 5x5 with 87.5 kg / 193 lb, which was also relatively easy. I also deadlifted 130 kg / 287 lb (1 RM), and then the normal 5x5 with 110 kg / 242.5 lb set. Body weight closing to 77 kg / 170 lb.

For the first time this year, I had three full days between workouts. I went to the gym quite actively for the whole Jan, so I figured one slightly lighter week could be useful now. In practice it probably means just three workouts, in stead of the normal four.

I also changed my program a bit; moved all curls to one day and all presses to another. Still continuing with 5x5's, mostly.

Strength-wise yesterday wasn't very bad at all. Hilights:

Preacher curl:
5 reps with 43 / 95,
3x5 with 45 / 99 (pb, although the 5th on the last set failed),
5 reps with 43 / 95

Lateral pulldown:
5x7 with 65 / 143

Seated cable row:
5x7 with 75 / 165

Seated leg curl:
5x7 with 80 / 176

Body weight has remained the same; 76.5 kg / 168.5 lbs.

Yesterday I had the presses.

Flat bench:
4x5 with 90 / 198 (I'm pretty sure I could've done the fifth set with a spotter)
2x6 with 80 / 176

Squat:
5x6 with 85 / 187

Tricep cable pushdown, both hands:
5x8 with 70 / 154

Same but with one arm at a time:
5x8 with 25 / 55

Dumbbell flys, flat bench:
4x6 with 21 / 46 (I was quite surprised it went so well, next week i'm going for 5x5)

There's been a slight delay here but that doesn't mean I wouldn't have been at the gym - quite the opposite! I've been following my program, maybe adding a kilo or few here and there. Today I did 5x7 seated leg curls with 90 kg so my leg muscles really seem to grow fast! I can hardly wait for tomorrow's squats

Looks like I might be changing my program a bit after this week, for it has remained almost identical since the new year. Basic stuff will definitely remain but the rest of the exercises I'll probably replace. I actually tried flat bench with 32 kg dumbbells already (inspired by Robert) and it felt really effective so that's definitely going to be in my new program. Although it's a shame the heaviest dumbbells at my gym are 35ers

New bench record: 107.5 kg / 237 lb!

Otherwise I had quite normal, although longish workout today. I did five squat sets with 87.5 / 193 now and it was still a bit on the easy side. My legs are improving faster than I thought possible, I feel like i can add another 5 kg every week! BW 76 / 167.5 (and I can hardly wait to get my rid of the fats!)

At a body weight of 76kg This is seriously impressive

Keep up the good work.

Thanks, sydneyvegan! More to come, I promise!

Here's my complete workout from yesterday. The weather was nice and sunny so I instead of biking, I walked to the gym. Worked as a good warmup.

Deadlift:
5x6 with 110 / 242. I think I could do more if my forearms (= grip) would be better.
3x8 with 60 / 132

Flat bench, dumbbells:
3x10 with 28.5 / 63
4x7 with 32 / 70

Calf raise machine:
1x10 with 60 / 132
1x10 with 80 / 176
3x9 with 90 / 198

One-armed french-press, seated:
1x5 with 13 / 27, just barely
4x7 with 10 / 22

Leg press on a 45-degree machine:
3x8 with 100 / 220
1x7 with 120 / 264
1x6 with 140 / 308

4x20 situps with added 15 / 36 weights on the chest.

Another slight break on updating this, but it's only because I've been too exhausted from all the training I've been going as I've used to, but added one weekly aerobic workout to my program. To realize it, I was on a stepper for half an hour on Monday. For some reason the stepper seems to suit me well, although I can't seem to keep the pace nor my heartrate in any reasonable figures, but go little too fast all the time. Anyway, it felt good and I was actually somewhat surprised by my aerobic fitness. I guess it's all the biking that's keeping me in relatively good shape, aerobicswise.

I've also increased my lateral pulldown weights to 80 kg / 176 lb and leg curls to 90 kg / 198 lb. The scale at the gym has been broken for a while so I don't know my current BW exactly.

Today I'm gonna have my chest- & squat-workout, but that's going to be the last of the week as I'm travelling up north for the weekend.

Edit: almost forgot that I also did 4x15 dips after the stepper and had almost no problems with them. I dipped a lot a ~year back but then I left it for some reason. Must start again, for it still seems to be quite effective and nice.

Rock on