Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

January 26, 2011

I'm starting to get in shape! All free weights all the time! Haven't missed a workout in 6 months and though I'm progressing slowly, I'm still progressing.

A few pics for fun from tonight's workout with Mikkei





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I'm really enjoying training in Mikkei's garage. This was my 2nd workout there and I look forward to one or two more before I head out on tour and won't make it back to OR many more times the rest of 2011.

Wherever I go (likely TX, CA, or FL) I'll keep on training day in and day out.

Tonight we did about 8 sets of squats and 4 sets of barbell lunges.

I got up to 225 on squats for the first time in 7 years (after my 7 year break from squats and deadlifts due to injuries). I got up to 165 on barbell lunges. I almost tipped over and so did Mikkei but we kept upright.

Really fun time!

Then thendanisays made dinner which was great! Lean and Green is busy working away on www.veganproteins.com stuff and I'm preparing to say goodbye to my Portland buddies as I take off this week for LA and then in late Feb for the rest of the year.

I'll miss this place, I think. I honestly didn't miss it last year because my tour was so amazing and I loved LA and Orlando but I think this time around I'll miss my buddies a bit more.

Anyway, another workout tomorrow then flying to LA to work with BB.com at the LA Fit Expo.

Yeah......Buddies....

RC

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Check out my Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness Book on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Bodybuildin ... 497&sr=1-1

January 27, 2011

Today I had to force myself not to lift weights....a problem I haven't had in like 10 years....a great problem to have! I just have so much fun in the gym and especially with free weights. Yes....Buddy!

I had a busy day working, planning my trip to LA, fundraising, shipping, etc.

I also wrote a newsletter which I'll post shortly.

Today at the gym I simply climbed the stair stepper for 51 minutes and then stretched. I was temped to do push-ups or something with dumbbells but I know I need to rest my muscles and joints so I just chilled out and stretched a bit. I haven't mentioned it yet because I'm pumped about being injury-free, but I do have some sort of soreness, partial tear or something going on in my psoas area. It's hard to sit up, to train abs or to do specific movements....but I'm just going to rest it and I'm sure it will be fine. I probably pulled something playing basketball last week or while training abs. It has been sore for a week or 10 days but hasn't slowed me down at all aside from abdominal training. It doesn't bother me doing squats, bench, or anything else by abdominal stuff.

I'm still considering myself to be injury-free, just a little soreness. I fly to LA in the morning and I'll have a gym at my hotel that Vega booked for me. So I'll keep on training regularly, won't slip up or anything like that. I'll also be filming some short training videos so I'm really excited about that! My bags are all packed and I'm pumped.

Now I gotta go sign some books, eat and go to bed. Already past midnight and I get up early....but VeganProteins.com is giving away FREE copies of my book in the form of store credit rebate for the full cost of the book so I need to go sign a bunch to get them ready.

Night night all.

Come see me in LA at the Convention Center if you're around!

Hugs.

RC

_________________

Check out my Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness Book on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Bodybuildin ... 497&sr=1-1

January 28, 2011

Gotta be quick, going to be 2AM soon and I gotta be up early to work at the BB.com booth at the LA Fit Expo.

I'm back in LA! Sunny here!

I walked about 5 miles total, set up the BB.com booth with them, had vegan dinner at Shojin downtown and then worked out for an hour finishing around midnight.

About to go to bed. My psoas is still sore, hard to even flex abs, so I'm admitting I may have some minor "injury" now.

Tonight I trained biceps, shoulders and a bit of chest and was just fine. It's just certain movements that cause some pain. It's all good.

Night Night!

Yay Expo tomorrow!!!

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Check out my Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness Book on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Bodybuildin ... 497&sr=1-1

January 29, 2011

Today was a long day at the LA Fit Expo! I didn't eat very much at all because had very little food with me and hadn't been shopping since I got here.

I worked from 9AM-7PM and walked miles in total so, hungry and exhausted I went shopping, carried fairly heavy bags another mile back to the hotel and decided to take a day off from the gym. I just want to eat all night. I felt so skinny and wimpy going all day without food. I was still lean and looked good according to what people told me and what the mirror said, but I just want a night of sitting here in the hotel room and eating

I'm also looking to get to bed a bit sooner today. 2AM yesterday was too late and I'm still quite tired from all the time on my feet, constant talking to thousands of attendees, etc.

I plan to be in bed before midnight and not up until 8AM-ish.

Lower back is a little tight. I tripped today but didn't fall but still jolted my back a little and also carried bags for miles, and I think that is probably was caused the stiffness and soreness.

Back to eating.......maybe I'll find a movie or something on TV. Just chill tonight. Total relaxation I could use a quiet night.

Have a great weekend everyone!

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Check out my Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness Book on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Bodybuildin ... 497&sr=1-1

January 30, 2011

I had a great day at the LA Fit Expo today! I'll post some pics. Really fun time all around!

After another long day I walked about 3 miles back to the hotel and got groceries along the way. I came back and ate like crazy, inspired to put on more size! Then I went to the gym and trained back and triceps for an hour. I did dumbbell deadlifts, dumbbell rows, and triceps overhead extensions, triceps dumbbell kickbacks, dips, and for good measure I did a few sets of bicep curls, about 4 sets each of shoulder lateral, front, rear delt raises and overhead press. A couple sets of push-ups and some flexing for fun too.

Then I had 2 full servings of Vega Sport Protein, more food, uploaded some pics and now even more food before I go to bed.



I'm getting up tomorrow to train before I leave the hotel and then I'm heading to the beach to hang out in Venice the next couple of days shooting some videos and photo shoots on the beach. Should be fun!

Met thousands and thousands of people today. My hand actually got sore, almost like injured from shaking so many hands, especially those of really strong people coming by the Bodybuilding.com booth.

Here are a few photos from this weekend.

It was amazing. I'm so pumped about bodybuilding again. Perhaps......more than ever in my life....ten years after my first event I ever attended that got me super pumped about this lifestyle in the early days.

Look at how much fun I am having! 6 months ago I was skinny and looked terrible since I had taken an entire year off. I was down to my old teenage bodyweight. I fixed that in just 6 months from never missing a workout.

Loving it!

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Check out my Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness Book on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Bodybuildin ... 497&sr=1-1

Looking good, Robert Have fun!

January 31, 2011

Thanks, I am having so much fun!

Today I woke up early before checking out the hotel and got in a solid chest and rear delt workout for a full hour. I mostly did incline dumbbell press, incline dumbbell flys, dips and push-ups for chest and a bunch of rear delt dumbbell raises for rear delts. I also did some lower back extensions and about 8 sets of bodyweight squats.

Then I had my toughest workout in a while! I have 4 pieces of luggage with me, all with handles, no wheels and I carried them around for hours as I made it from downtown LA to Venice Beach. I was like a homeless guy for a while, which I technically am I guess. I rode 2 buses for only $2.50 and made it to the beach. Then I walked all over for cheap lodging. I even took all 4 bags out on the sand by the ocean and leaned against them like they were a chair or wall and laid out in the sun for a while. Then I carried them all over again and finally settled at a Hostel. I was exhausted and went to bed pretty much as soon as I checked in around 5PM

I woke up at 10PM after not sleeping well because it was so noisy and I looked through photos and re-watched The Pursuit of Happyness (one of my favorite movies) which is on my laptop. Put ear plugs in and went to bed around 2AM.

Traps and forearms are super sore from carrying around 4 heavy bags for hours. That's SWOL!

RC

_________________

Check out my Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness Book on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Bodybuildin ... 497&sr=1-1

February 1, 2011

I have to admit something that I really don't want to have to admit...but I have to come to terms with it. I've mentioned a little bit the past few days and maybe even officially made a statement admitting my situation. I've been so proud of my bodybuilding comeback and so excited about my injury-free streak the past 6 months that I haven't missed a workout. I made a return to squats and deadlifts and my lower back has been fine. It is still fine, that is the good news, but I have to officially admit that I do have an injury.

For the past week or two I've tried to convince myself that it is just "soreness" but now I am in pain just trying to flex my abs, sit-up, move certain ways and even doing a move like lunges brings about lots of pain. I'm pretty sure it's my psoas that is damaged in some way, be it a tear, a nerve issue, etc.

It honestly feels like a slight tear. I can still train chest, back, shoulders, arms, and legs but can't really train abs at the moment and like I said, many movements cause soreness. It is even sore as I sit here on a bed propped up against the wall typing. It's deep muscle (assuming that is the one injured) and I'm still trying to figure out how to heal it. I know rest is best, but I can honestly still train most muscle groups and do most exercises without any pain. I can still lift heavy weights, push myself and make progress, but I want this thing to heal too.

It could have been injured playing basketball as I went up for a dunk or rebound or blocked shot. I was playing everyday for nearly 10 consecutive days a couple of weeks ago. I could have hurt it training abs as I do tons of hanging leg raises, sometimes for 30-45 minutes. I really don't know.

Today was simply awesome (aside from the soreness I felt and feel). I went for a 30 minute run along Venice Beach in the sun and then stretched and did push-ups for another 30 minutes. Then a filmmaker Whitney Lauritsen (who I dated for months when I lived here) met me and filmed a training highlight video for me over the next two hours on Muscle Beach. It was so much fun! I couldn't flex my abs very well and I was shirtless 80% of the time, but I hope it still turned out well. It was a complete video and photo shoot. My tan was wearing off since I got it last week in Portland and worked at the Fit Expo for 3 days and showered each day so it faded a bit. I hope it didn't look too patchy.

I'll be back to Venice Beach in 5 weeks to film another video. Hopefully I'll be bigger by then too. I'm also going to likely relocate to LA once I get my first book royalty check in the summer. For now, I'm a gypsy living rent free (as I've been doing since June, 2010).

I go back to Portland tomorrow to train with Lean and Green in the evening. We're both expecting off days so I think we'll sit in the steamroom, sauna and hot tub and talk business strategy as we work closely together and we both have ambitions which are supported by the success of our businesses.

Right now I am soooooo tired! 3.5 hours of training in the sun, plus another hour in the sun walking around. I'm also sore, especially psoas and calves which will wreak havoc on me when I wake up from 30-45 min running on the beach (I also ran sprints on camera after my longer run).

If I can get myself out of bed early tomorrow (I'll set my alarm again as I've been doing every day here in LA, hammering it and pushing it hard) I'll run on the beach again tomorrow if calves, psoas, my body can take it. Then I've got to track down some mail sent for me to Whitney's house and then hop on a bus and head to the airport.

Great day today....for so many other reasons too. Oprah's vegan special, her mention of Forks Over Knives, my friend's all vegan store here in Venice is doing well and I'm just happy. I'm smiling a lot. I barely have enough money to get home, but I follow my passion around every turn and I make due, make sacrifices, and make things happen.

Night night everyone. I'm going to eat more food and curl up in bed. Possibly finishing watching The Pursuit of Happyness for the second time or simply just call it a night.

Hugs.

RC

_________________

Check out my Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness Book on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Bodybuildin ... 497&sr=1-1

hey rc why did you put the 2.5 weights under your heels in the squatting pic above? Also saw some running photos of you on facebook! nice!

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Liking the log Robert, Nice pics working out and some yummy grub

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**** Vegan Atheist ****
Most atheists see themselves as realists - their atheism is a part of their willingness to square up to the world as it is and face it without recourse to superstition or comforting fictions about a life to come or a benevolent power looking after us.

Hope your injury sorts itself out - wishing you the best!

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vegan for the win!

January 2, 2011

Thanks all. Marystella...check my squat thread in the photos section, I explain the plates under my feet in detail.

Today was another interesting day.

I stuffed myself last night, stayed up later than planned and then woke up earlier than planned. I had a check sent to me via FedEx and I had to sign for it at my friend's house. She said it could come as early as 930AM and she was leaving at 9. To avoid missing that window I got there at 9AM and sat in the sun waiting for my delivery. FedEx finally arrived more than 2.5 hours later.

After I got my check I went back to the hostel and picked up my luggage and hauled it around. I sold a couple of books to a local store and then got picked up from one of the Forks Over Knives staff members and ate lunch over at Whole Foods on Lincoln in Venice after I took my check to the bank. I ran to my friend's house and back and ran to the bank so I got at least a mile of running in and 5 or 6 straight hours of sun. My face, nose, forehead, arms and shoulders are sun burned at the moment. Oooops.

Forks Over Knives buddy took me to the airport and I flew to Portland, OR where Lean and Green picked me up and we went directly to the gym. I know, it's my off day...so we just sat in sauna, steam and hot tub.....then ate some fruit, met up with thendanisays and had a late night hangout eating vegan corndogs and tater tots

I did "diet" and do cardio for my photo and video shoots in Venice so I ate a ton of crap today and guess what....yep...you guessed it...I feel like crap. And I have incredible gas, even Lean and Green can't take it and he is co-president of the straight up gas institute (with me).

On my off day I ran, walked a ton and was still in the gym I even stretched for minutes while standing in the aisle on the plane

I think I was a bit softer than I would have liked for my photo shoot and my tan was wearing off big time which I figured would happen, but we shot anyway.

Images are here:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... 2307778706

I think the link will work. Just look up Eco Vegan Gal on Facebook. She posted images there.

samples:






It is almost 2AM and I'm filled with grease from tater tots and corn dogs and it's cold here...time to rest my sun burned face

Night all.

Hugs.

RC

_________________

Check out my Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness Book on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Bodybuildin ... 497&sr=1-1

February 3, 2011

As I promised I would, I stayed away from weights today.

I still went to the gym with Lean and Green but while he trained chest I sat in the steamroom, sauna and hot tub for a combined full hour, possibly a bit longer because he came to join me and we hung out for a bit in the hot tub relaxing muscles and talking business. We're both looking to grow our businesses (Vegan Proteins for him and Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness for me) so we bounce ideas off one another.

While in the heated areas I did some stretching, some thinking and drank a ton of water. Nice!

I had Vega today, Baxyl, a joint supplement, and a bunch of energy bars along with tons of food. I went shopping since I just got back into town (I leave again on Monday) but loaded up on fruits, potatoes, etc.

After the gym we met up with thendanisays and her friend visiting from Boston and had vegan pizza in NE Portland. Then more shopping (Daiya Vegan Cheese) and now home working.

I'm pumped to be working with Whitney again on my new video. It will just be about 1 minute long made for YouTube but I'm still super pumped and excited about it. She's great!

I'm missing the sun already.....a shot from my training session at Muscle Beach a few days ago:



Night Night!

_________________

Check out my Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness Book on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Bodybuildin ... 497&sr=1-1

Hey RC -

Great to catch up on what you've been up to the last couple of days. I really hope you consider taking a few days off to heal that tear...I'm sure it will be hard for you to do but you know you'll come back stronger and healthier after. You're working so hard, sleeping little and you're body is trying to tell you something. Rest well my friend.

But I'm so glad to hear you're having such a great time! So jealous of your few days in sunny LA, Boston is just getting pummeled with the worst winter has to offer! ick!

Train hard. Rest hard.

XO, Steph

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I'm so sorry to hear about your injury, Robert. Rest up and see a doctor if you need to!