Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

I'm staring a NEW training journal that I plan to commit to and make great progress as a result. Training/bodybuilding goes up and down my list of priorities from #1 at times (like last year when I competed 5 times) to maybe #5 after my book, my traveling, job with Vega, relationship, etc.

I honestly don't know where training or bodybuilding rank on my priority list right now, but I've had success in other areas because I dropped training as a top priority, but my current personal interest is to have training play a bigger role in my life.

The title of one of my 300 page books is Take Action and Make It Happen, precisely the approach I took to write, complete and release my book. I used that same approach to become a champion bodybuilder last year. I aim to use this same approach to boost my training, regardless of where it currently ranks in my life.

Let's get right into it:

Sunday May 23, 2010

Back

Neutral grip pull-downs
75 x 20
75 x 20
90 x 15
105 x 10
120 x 10

Machine wide-grip rows
80 x 15
95 x 15
120 x 10
120 x 10

Machine narrow-grip rows
135 x 12
135 x 10
120 x 10
95 x 12

Hammer strength high rows
140 x 12
140 x 12
140 x 12

Narrow-grip pull-ups
13
12
11

Wide-grip T-bar rows
45 x 12
55 x 10
65 x 10

Narrow-grip T-bar rows
65 x 10
65 x 10
65 x 10

Narrow-grip cable rows
95 x 15
120 x 12
135 x 10

Wide grip pull-ups
11

Machine bicep curls
80 x 12
95 x 10
95 x 10
80 x 12

Stationary bike for 1 hour 15 min while watching the SUNS WIN!

Notes:

I know it's high volume but I haven't trained much at all over the past 4-6 months. I just got motivated and really wanted to spend time in the gym.

The only reason I did cardio at all was because I don't have TV at home and I'm a HUGE Suns fan and timed my workout so I could train and then catch the 2nd half of the Suns game which took that long!

After my back workout I grabbed a banana and 2 Vega bars from the car so I consumed 530 calories while I biked to make up for the 400 or so I burned.

Then I ate another bar on the way to Whole Foods Market and then I stocked up on some organic foods so I'll have food available all week long.

Truth be told, as well as my book is selling, I ran out of money last week and couldn't eat very much. I saw this coming and requested tons of Vega products which were sent to me by my employer of the past 5 years. My book is self-published so I have to shell out thousands of dollars for each print run and play a game of catch up all the time. But this weekend was a huge book-selling weekend with the promo I did with the Vega t-shirt give away, so I went out and spent almost $60 on foods like bags of brown rice, organic beans, rice milk, tons of fruit, quinoa pasta, etc.

I've been on a soy-free, gluten-free, organic diet for 7 weeks now.

I'll be pounding Vega products, brown rice, beans and avocado a lot in the near future and I'll add in potatoes, yams, greens, etc. soon too. Always tons of fruits consumed as well.

Wow, that was a long report. I'll keep them shorter from now on.

Happy to be training again.

Looking forward to reading your new journal!

Have you noticed many benefits from going soy- and gluten-free?

Some "benefits" will write more later. Very late as usual. Not as late as last night, but still late.

Monday May 24, 2010

LEGS

I warmed up with 10 minutes on the stationary bike

Hipsled leg press
180 x 30
180 x 30
180 x 25
270 x 20
270 x 15
360 x 15
360 x 15
450 x 10

Narrow foot position leg press
270 x 25
270 x 30
270 x 35

Leg extensions
95 x 30
120 x 20
150 x 15
165 x 15
165 x 15

Lying Leg Curls
70 x 12
70 x 10
60 x 12
80 x 7
70 x 8
50 x 8 drop set

Seated Calf raises
90 x 30
140 x 15
125 x 20
125 x 20
125 x 25

Not as strong as I used to be, but I'm OK with that. Just like when I trained chest the day before I started this new journal, I was decline benching 165lbs. A year ago this time I was decline benching 325lbs. Today I was leg pressing 450lbs, last year 900lbs. I've taken a good 4-6 months off to focus on my book, business, etc.

I sat in the steamroom and sauna after my workout and had tons of fluids including 50g protein immediately after the workout and massive meals when I got home.

Ate 13 times today Gassy as hell, but making my way back to being fit again. Not sure when I'll compete again or when I'll call myself a "bodybuilder" again but working on getting fit right now and stronger while I pursue other meaningful things like becoming a best-selling author, paying off debt, touring and inspiring others, and writing more books.

Robert

Hey Robert, I look forward to reading the new journal! Keep up the great work

Any reason why you're omitting soy?

Taking a break from soy to see if it helps digestion, reduce gas, etc. 7 weeks into it. I can tell it is making a difference to some degree...well, at least the combo of gluten-free, soy-free has led to less gas and bloating, though I still get it.

Today I went to the gym and rode the bike for a little over an hour as I watched the Suns cruise to victory over the Lakers.

Then I did about 6 sets of bicep curls and 6 sets of incline hammer strength bench press.

So today was basically an "off day" after training the past 3 days (one which was completed before I started this journal). So I'm thinking of maybe 3 days on, 1 day off, 2 days on, 1 day off, something like that. Maybe I'll do 4 or 5 in a row, we'll see. But today was basically cardio the whole time, just 20 minutes at the end which was pretty light but wanted to do something with weights before I left.

Biceps
EZ curl bar
55 x 12
55 x 10
60 x 8

Dumbbell Hammer Curls
27.5 x 10
27.5 x 10
35 x 8
35 x 8

Chest
Incline Hammer Strength Press
90 x 10
90 x 12
90 x 12
90 x 12

Will try to get to be a bit earlier tonight than usual. Gotta get more rest these days.

Books are still selling well, I can get some sleep and get back to it tomorrow.

I trained at the gym at my apartment complex today which is suitable for a few muscle groups. It's not a big gym by any means but it does the job for chest, abs and not too bad for back. I've trained here a bunch of times since it takes me 18 seconds to walk from my front door to the front door of the gym It also has a sauna in there, multiple restrooms, etc. so I'm all set even though I'm only a less than 20 second walk back to my place if I need to go there for any reason.

Today I trained abs and while there decided to throw in 16 sets of chest and make it a 1 hour 20 min workout

It went like this:

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Abdominals

Leg raises:
15-25 reps
15-25 reps
15-25 reps
15-25 reps
15-25 reps
15-25 reps
15-25 reps
15-25 reps
15-25 reps
15-25 reps
15-25 reps
15-25 reps
15-25 reps
15-25 reps

Bent-leg knee raises
15-25 reps
15-25 reps
15-25 reps
15-25 reps

Machine chest press (great feel on this machine, one of my favorites I've used, based on feel and squeeze)
60 x 35
70 x 24
80 x 18
90 x 16
100 x 12
110 x 12
120 x 8
110 x 12
110 x 10
100 x 14

Dips
13
16
15
24
18
16

Sit-ups on the ball
A few sets

Sit-ups on the ground
A few sets

Then walked back 20 seconds to my apt and made some dinner. See food journal.

Night night.

Thursday May 27, 2010

Trained back today.

I thought I'd train shoulders too, but back was going so well, I just kept rolling with it and trained for a good 1 hour 10 minutes, all back and though it may not be super heavy, it was intense.

Lat pull-downs
75 x 30
75 x 30
90 x 20
105 x 15
120 x 15
135 x 12
150 x 12

Wide grip machine rows
125 x 20
125 x 15
140 x 12

Narrow grip machine rows
160 x 8
140 x 12
140 x 12

Wide grip T-bar rows
45 x 12
55 x 12
55 x 12

Narrow grip T-bar rows
55 x 12
55 x 12
55 x 12
55 x 12

Neutral grip pull-downs (love these so much, even though I did some pull-downs did more with my fav grip)
120 x 15
130 x 12
140 x 12
150 x 10

Pull-ups
12
12
12
11

Machine rows (again) to do some drop sets, get a pump before leaving
140 x 12
90 x 10
60 x 15

I think that was it in the gym.

I had to pee 5 times during my workout and every 5-10 min when I got home and I had to get the car to drive later so I went for a run around the block a few times to sweat some of it out, then had to pee again, then went back out and ran up hill sprints and that helped. Normally I don't do cardio because I drop weight so quickly, but the up hill sprints felt pretty good, even with my sore hamstrings from my recent leg workout.

Then I went to a friend's house and must have peed 8 times while there.

Go me.

May 28, 2010

After 6 days in a row (5 in this journal and 1 day before I started the journal) I took the day off today.

I'm in Denver, CO right now visiting my brother for his wedding this weekend.

RC

May 29, 2010

Rest day today

Sunday May 30, 2010

Today was my brother's wedding. I did a bunch of push-ups but plan to get to a proper gym tomorrow and Tuesday, then I'll be back home and have proper training facilities again.

So today was all about push-ups in the sun.

Push-ups
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

Decline push-ups
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

Monday May 31, 2010

Late night workout training arms in Colorado while visiting my brother.

1 hour 10 min workout finishing at midnight.

Warming up:

5 sets of triceps rope extensions
5 sets of machine bicep curls

Biceps

Machine Bicep curls
80 x 20
80 x 20
95 x 15
95 x 15
110 x 10

Alternating dumbbell bicep curls
30s x 8
27.5s x 10
27.5s x 10
30s x 8

Hammer curls
35s x 10
35s x 10
40s x 7
35s x 8

Neutral grip two-arm bicep curls
40 x 10
40 x 10
40 x 15
40 x 15

Straight bar curls
60 x 10


Triceps

Rope extensions
35 x 25
35 x 20
35 x 20
70 x 15
70 x 15
70 x 15

Skull crushers
40 x 10
40 x 10
40 x 10
40 x 10

Narrow-grip presses super-setted from skull crushers
40 x 10
40 x 12
40 x 12
40 x 12

Overhead triceps dumbbell extensions
55 x 12
60 x 10
65 x 10
70 x 8
65 x 10

Narrow grip bench press (hurts my wrist, but tried anyway)
135 x 4
115 x 8
115 x 8
115 x 4 (hurt too much, had to stop)


High volume today!

Not much rest time between sets, over an hour long, went well, just wrist got sore at the end as it does at that angle....same with skull crushers but I had a neutral (hammer) grip on these skull crushers and no issue.

Tuesday June 1, 2010

After that late night midnight arm workout, I got up and trained legs in the morning. I had forgotten I had committed to going running with my younger brother in the afternoon but when I realized it, I didn't let up during the workout, I just went for it.

Leg Press
90 x 25
90 x 25
180 x 20
180 x 20
270 x 15
360 x 12
450 x 8
360 x 10
270 x 15
180 x 15
90 x 15

Hack Squats
90 x 20
90 x 15
90 x 15
90 x 15
90 x 20

Walking Lunges
20-40 reps
20-40 reps
20-40 reps
20-40 reps
20-40 reps


It wasn't a super heavy workout, but I've only trained legs a few times over the past 4 months or so. I was doing tons of power cleans and heavier training during the winter holidays but then took a break basically from Feb-May. Back at it and decided to toss legs back in it sooner than later.

Then I went for a run at 5000 feet elevation in the hot sun after training legs for over an hour with my brother who is a competitive runner. We only ran for about 3 miles but it was tough! There were some hills too, but it was the fatigue from the workout that hampered me a bit....I pushed really hard though. My lungs and legs were spent after that! Great time with my brother though.

Wednesday June 2, 2010

I trained chest tonight.

Pec Deck machine to warm-up
75 x 12
75 x 10
75 x 10
90 x 10
90 x 10

Incline machine press
80 x 12
80 x 12
95 x 10
110 x 4
95 x 10

Looked for a bench press....unavailable during busy hours at the gym and having only 2 bench stations (lame).

Hammer Strength Machine Bench Press
140 x 8
140 x 7
140 x 7
140 x 7
140 x 10

Cable flys
80 x 12
90 x 10
100 x 10
110 x 10
90 x 12

Dips
13
14
12
14
15

Decline Barbell bench press
135 x 12
155 x 10
155 x 8
155 x 8
155 x 9

Over an hour at it today.

Again, not super heavy weight, still building myself back up.

Time for bed.

Thursday June 3, 2010

I rode the bike for 35 minutes watching the 4th quarter of the Lakers/Celtics game and then I trained abs for the next 40 minutes.

Decline sit-ups
25
15
15
10
15

Sit-ups
20
20
20
20
20

Hanging leg raises
25
20
20
20
20

Bicycle crunches
50
40
40
40
50

Sit-ups
30
30
30
30
30

Knee raises
20
25
20
25
35

Headed home after that and got some food and prepared book packages to mail tomorrow.