Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Hey everyone. I've been off the forum for some time now and the simple reason is that I haven't been training. I took some (maybe a lot) of time to sort out my professional life, and landed a (potentially) well-paying steady job that I can commit to instead of working 3 jobs a week and still trying to cram in freelance work just to pay the bills.

I really haven't been on my game and today I'm getting back on it. Or maybe I'm getting on an all new game. New month, new game. Anyway, I love (and always have loved) this forum because it makes people (specifically me) accountable. Sharing everything in a public place keeps you honest, so in the interest of being honest and accountable, I have some confessions and goals I need to lay out.

Confessions:
1. I have had more than a couple of days where I totally fell off the raw diet. I can clearly feel the effects of it and it sucks.
2. I've neglected my training, but I've already said that haven't I?

Goals:
1. Get a visible six-pack.
2. Bench press my bodyweight. Last time I was at the gym I lifted 90lbs. I have a good ways to go.
3. Increase relative strength.
4. Get bodyfat between 3% and 3.5%
5. Make fitness a way of life, and not just a goal.
6. Serve as an example of what you can do on a raw vegan diet.

I'm not sure what my training plan is going to be like. All I know is that I'm doing it raw vegan with intensity, dedication, and accountability. I'm going to be calorie counting online, more to keep track of the foods I eat than to restrict myself. I'm using livestrong.com now, but would love to hear suggestions about others.

I've also been drawing inspiration from gymjones.com. They have a slogan that reads "There's a fine line between salvation and drinking poison in the jungle." I figure when I've reached my goal, I'll get what it means.

If there's anyone in the Beaverton area that is interested in an EARLY morning workout partner at 24 fitness, please hit me up. I'm also down to be a virtual training partner to give mutual motivation to anyone who's interested in a similar program. I'll call you at 4am everyday and ask you why you're not at the gym yet!!

Anyway, I started the day with a glass of cayenne pepper, lemon juice and water, followed by a couple glasses of pure water. Going to the gym at 6am.

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I remember when I first joined these forums you were posting everywhere, and till this day I always wondered where you'd went haha.

Glad you're getting back into it man, is it bodybuilding or strength training you're going for?

And damn, 6am is early

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Yeah, these forums were my addiction when I first started! Without it I would have barely met anyone after I moved to Portland, OR.

I wouldn't say I'm going for either bodybuilding or strength training. I'm hoping for a ripped physique as a result of increased fitness and strength.

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I really like this. I need to remind myself of this a lot.

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vegan for the win!

Looking forward to hanging out in person on a regular basis!

See you soon!

Robert

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Well, I've still been pretty inconsistent, but I got a good quick workout in today.

I did:

Turkish Get Ups (20lbs DB) paired with Knee Jumps (40lbs BB) for 3 sets.
Bench Press, high reps with 70lbs, for 5 sets.
Deadlifts with 135 (just above bodyweight) for 5 sets.
Decline pushups with 10lbs DB for 3 sets.
400 meters of rowing

The workout was quick, but high intensity. I'm hoping to getting small workouts in 5 days a week and progress to longer after I get it back into my routine.

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Why do you want to try reaching such a low bodyfat??Abs can be visible also at the 8-10 % range depending on the individual. You want to maintain there or try it for once? I mean it can be pretty unhealthy such a low percentage..I think 3% is the fat only needed for your organs..you also need it for the fat soluble vitamins and.... ....

Btw , turkish get ups might be cool, eh? I've never tried it but it seems interesting enough as part of training..

Good luck with being back @ it! I loved seeing turkish getups in your routine. thats awesome stuff!

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Yeah, I know that 3-3.5% sounds pretty low and it's not just something I picked arbitrarily. I noticed that when I was completely raw, had the most energy, and felt the most physically fit I was around 3% body fat. Also, the only place the only place (other than my organs) that accumulates fat is my gut, so at 7% I have no visible abs.

Turkish get ups are one of my new favorites. I love full body exercises like that because it's something I never did much of before. They totally kill me and I can only do it with a 25lbs DB max.

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Oh Forgot to say congrats on the new job. I never did Turkish Getups with Dumbbells. Always used a bar (which is killer for stability). If you have access to some light bars (i wouldn't start with a 45 pounder) give it a shot and let me know your thoughts. Do you do overhead squats? That is another total body killer.

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Thanks! The new job is good. I might be making that one full-time soon so I'm not so spread out. It'll definitely let me get more consistent at the gym.

Hit up the gym at 6am today. Had another short, high-intensity workout.

4 sets of dips, doing as many as I could for full range of motion and then switching to negatives.
4 sets of barbell rows with 80lbs.
barbell squats, going deep with 65lbs.
Clean and Jerk with 50lbs.
leg raises.
bicep DB curl with 20lbs.
Floor wipers with 40lbs barbell.

500 meters of rowing on a Concept 2.

Good workout. My quads were killing from the knee jumps I did yesterday, so the squats were brutal. This makes 2 days in the gym in a row my record for the past couple months. If I can get in tomorrow, I'll be happy and take a rest day Saturday.

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And one quick note...

I'm trying to keep all my workouts fresh and new, both to not get bored and to keep my body guessing so it doesn't get used to anything. I can think of a lot of different exercises to do, but it would be cool to incorporate things that don't even come from me directly.

Suggest any exercises and I'll try to put at least three of the suggestions in my workout tomorrow!

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Awesome on the job and the 2 day working out record!!!

How about.....

Overhead squats?
kettlebell swings?
Wallballs??

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Keep after it! Great to see you tonight at the gym! Such an awesome surprise! Let's train together soon too!

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Forgot to update my last workout. I actually did my "Friday" workout on Thursday night, since I knew it'd be really busy all Friday.

I did:
Overhead Squats (Very light, but deep)
Dumbbell Swings @ 25lbs (No kettlebells available)
Leg lifts and hip thrusts
DB Shrugs w/ 60lbs each.
Stiff-legged Dead Lifts
Cable Rows
Tricep Rope Pushdown
Standing Calf Raises holding a 25lbs plate.

Good short workout. I was pretty beat from doing one in the morning, but I'm glad I went. Saw Robert and Julia, so that was rad. I tried overhead squats for the first time and I had to do it light so that I could work on form.

It's no Sunday and my legs are still sore. Calves are especially sore, which is surprising since I didn't use that much weight on my calf raises. I guess it's just been a while. Looking forward to hitting it up tomorrow, but not sure if I'll have time. Tuesday for sure though.

Thanks for the suggestions Mary Stella! I tried two, but am not sure what a wall ball is. I'll have to look it up.

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