Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

THX Lobsteriffic. It's usually at it's worse in the morning and then after I get everything cleared out, I'm good for the day. Just not a fun way to start the day and it makes running in the AM a lot less fun. Once the pollen goes down, I'll be better. I don't like to take meds if I can help it...

Same deal here gsop. Rinsing with saline (or seawater, if you're near a clean ocean!) helps clear things out a lot, gets right up in those sinuses and flushes everything out. You can make it up yourself with seasalt for next to nothing, too, just get one of those little rubber pump ball things (like for flushing wax outta ears), fill it with the solution, tilt your head back and pump it in there

Sounds like fun! Thanks for the tip Trillium! Maybe I'll give the rubber bulb thing a try!
In the past, I've used a neti pot but it broke.
I've also been thinking of just using a tea pot I've got lying around. The spout should be a nice fit!
Just tilt the head sideways and pour in one nostril and it should flow out the other. The first time I did it I gagged because I didn't quite understand how to breathe through my mouth while water is flowing through my nose.
...I've also tried Agrisept in the water before...it worked really well but a little too powerful for my liking! LOL

Bill Starr Intermediate 5x5 Day Six

morning run: 20 minutes (3km) on treadmill -- I think that's about a ten-minute mile pace??

Afternoon:

Squats:
59kg x 5
75kg x 5
91kg x 5
108kg x 5
127kg x 3
91kg x 8

Bench:
45kg x 5
55kg x 5
67kg x 5
79kg x 5
93kg x 3
67kg x 8

Rows:
45kg x 5
50kg x 5
57kg x 5
64kg x 5
73kg x 3
57kg x 8

40 minutes and out.

Go, gsop_3, go!

YeAh BuDdY!

Bill Starr Intermediate 5x5 Day Seven

morning run: 2 miles in 20 minutes on the treadmill after a 5 minute warm-up, then off to breakfast.

Afternoon:

Squats:
65kg x 5
77kg x 5
95kg x 5
110kg x 5
127kg x 5

Bench:
45kg x 5
57kg x 5
69kg x 5
81kg x 5
93kg x 5

Row:
45kg x 5
51kg x 5
59kg x 5
66kg x 5
73kg x 5

Then, an hour of badminton and off to dinner.

note: I'm having some stiffness in the sacrum area and not sure why. When I squat or deadlift, there's no pain or discomfort. It seems to only be after I've been sedentary for a while. It feels really good after I roll it out on the baseball bat for a few minutes. I'm also getting 'adjustment' type movement when I'm sitting in a chair and lock my feet together on the floor and pull against them. I do have a broken back in my history from wrestling but it's a totally different feeling...more like a subluxation issue.

Try doing some reverse hypers for the lower back. If your gym doesn't have a reverse hyper machine (which is likely; I wish mine did), you can use a elevated swiss ball or just face backwards on a regular hyperextension bench if you have one. Youtube it if you need to, I'm sure you can find a way to make it work no matter what your set up.

THX Mosh! I've actually got them listed as an assistance exercise but don't have the best facilities for doing them. Maybe it's time to just make do with what I've got and stop avoiding it!

Bill Starr Intermediate 5x5 Day Eight

Last night I played a hard 45 minutes of soccer and ended up with a low grade fever. My body felt really anxious and I couldn't get to sleep. Took some Ibuprofen to get the fever down and get rid of all the aches.
Today I had dental work done so I am a bit wiped from that...emotional stress is quite draining physically! That, and I had a fever.
So, today was a bit lackluster in the gym. I also forgot my log book so, I made it up as I went along and tried to remember my numbers as best I could.

Front Squat:
1x5 - 65kg
1x5 - 77kg
2x5 - 95kg

Incline DB Fly:
4x10 - 23kg dbs.

Deads:
skipped

Finished with a static hold on tuck front lever for 30 seconds with several pull ups from that position
front lever article

Another thing I would recommend is actually doing deadlifts (I assume that's what bothers your sacrum most), but do them very light for high reps. When I say very light I mean start out only using the bar for the first day. Try 4 sets of 25. Do that for a couple of days, then maybe after 3 or 4 days try 3 sets of 25 with the bar then a set of 25 with 5 or 10 kilos on each side. The next day do 2 sets with the bar, 1 with 10 kilos on and 1 with 20 kilos on. Continue this pattern for 10 days. Keep the reps at 25 and the sets at a total Pf 4 or 5. It should hurt, but you should be able to tell the difference between re-injury and blood flushing. If at any time it feels like re-injury stop doing it

Thanks for the input Mosh! Sounds like you've been in this situation before.

As of right now, I've been sick since Tuesday with a fever, and diarrhea since Wednesday...I think from bad food. A cold dish (while out to eat) can be risky business in here...even a vegan one.
I didn't even get to the gym today and weighed in this morning at 3.5kg less than Monday morning... 83kg. The fever broke some time last night but the rest is still hitting me.

At this point, I am thinking I may need to take a few steps back on everything due to the sickness. So, I'll get to the deadlift bit after I'm healthy.

Feel better soon!

Feeling better now! YAY!!

It felt SOOOO good to get back into the gym today. I didn't want to hurry anything and it ended up being very enjoyable...I dare say the most enjoyable. I just went in with the mindset that I am going to squat today and get blood flowing. I started at 45kg and added 10kg each set and ended up 8 sets up to 115kg. In between the sets I did pec dec planning to follow with bench, but just felt so good when I finished squats, I left it at that. My legs were worked, the chest got some blood and I feel energetic. I think that's a success for today! I felt kind of like a liberated horse that's been training and racing when he finally gets let loose in the pasture to run free and play. Really good feeling! I think I'll do something similar the rest of this week.

Today's W/O:

morning session: (the goal of the am session is to get the blood flowing...NOT burn anything)
10 minutes - treadmill run
stretch
Squats:
1x10 - 89kg
1x8 - 95kg

pec dec:
3x12 - 54kg??

EZ curl preacher curls
3x12 - 30kg

Afternoon:
played a rather rigorous 20 minutes of badminton - got pretty sweaty, HR up to 140's

Then...
Squats
1x5 - 99kg
1x5 - 105kg
1x5 - 125kg
1x3 - 139kg (PR)
1x2 - 145kg (PR) I only planned to walk it out and stand with it but it felt so good I had to squat it!

Leg Extension:
3x12 - 54kg
Followed by DC-style quad stretch

Incline DB press:
3x12 - 25kg DB

pec dec:
3x12 - 54kg setting

followed by DC-style pec stretch.

I drank a load more water today and only ate two meals (before and after afternoon lifting)...actually felt like I had more energy than normal.

Nice! Don't you just love it when you do more than you intended to?