Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Oh my. I just woke up at 3 AM and had to take an Ibprofen to help me go back to sleep and while I am waiting for the 20 minutes for it to take effect, I thought I'd log in what I did to cause this. I may have overdid it yesterday. . . . In addition to Vega's new PreWorkout Energizer, I also did a Yogi Tea's Kombucha green tea in my water bottle that I drank while working out. I had so much energy, and was feeling very motivated to push for heavier weights. I now have to focus on recovery for my Back and Triceps that I did yesterday:

Back

Cable Low Row (V-bar): went right for the heaviest 75/25 warmup, 105/15 (same as last time), 120/15 (3 more than last time), and tried a new weight of 135/8~2 (8 good ones, 2 not full range of motion, but still some motion )

Neutral-Grip Widebar Pulldown: no warmups, went straight for 105/15 (like last time), 120/12+3 (partner helped me with the last 3, giving me a total of 5 more than last time), 135/8+4 (double what I did last time!)

HyperExtension with a 15lbs bodybar: 4 sets of 25 - the first two sets were easy as I could come all the way up with the bodybar when the set was done, but on the last two sets I had to put the bodybar down on the floor and then come up to get off the apparatus.

HammerStrength BackRow: straight to 90/15 (3 more than last time), 110/10+5 (partner helped), 120/10+5 (this was a ff - for fun set last time for only 4!)

LifeFitness Assisted Machine Pull-up: 60/15, 50/15, and a new weight 45/8+2

my partner wants to do traps, so we did Smith Press Barbell Shrugs: 180/25 (with straps all the way - though my arms still felt like they could pull out of the socket at any moment that I did not fully focus on keeping them in!) for 4 sets.

Back was now completely done, and my muscles were screaming OUWIE!!! but the caffeine was still talking to me, so on to Triceps!

Triceps

Straight bar Pressdown: 90/25 new warmup weight, 100/15, 110/15 (5 more than last time), and 120/6~2 a new weight!

Tricep Extension/Chair/Overhead: 90/15 (3 more than last time), 100/15 (more than last time), a new weight 120/8

LifeFitness Assisted Machine Dips: 30/15, 10/10, and just my bodyweight/8! (3 more than last time!)

And now I am feeling the effects of a caffeine induced workout! I wonder if I can recover enough to stay on schedule. I have 6 days before I have to do Back and Triceps again. Legs is tomorrow, so my Back/Tricep soreness shouldn't interfere with that workout . . . right?

The ibprofen worked, because I was fine the next day (my neck is a little sore after doing Legs today - which is from doing the shrugs yesterday of course).

Oops, left my little red workout book at the gym (right on the table next to the office). I guess I will have to log in my Leg day tomorrow (it is too slushy/rainy/snowy outside and I don't really have the energy to go back out and even drive there). It was another awesome workout though. I got back up to 9 45lbs plates on each side (18 total) on the Leg Press, even though it was our 3rd exercise in the routine! I like Vega's pre-workout energizer and the green tea water bottle during working out.

I wonder what time tonight I am going to wake up in pain?

Hopefully tomorrow I will be feeling OK to do Chest and Bicep day. We are off a day because of my Youmacon off day, and we both realized that we can not do a Chest and Bicep day followed by a Shoulder day. We need the rest day in between those days to rest up the chest-front delt muscle tie in. The pec near our armpit can not handle it, so our weights go down because the recovery is not complete in that short amount of time. Plus this way, we get to have all of Saturday off!

Does anybody else consider Mann's sugar pea pods their addiction? I just polished off another whole bag for today (and did the same yesterday).

This is so painful for me to enter this post right after doing Chest and Biceps today. I really am amazed at how much I am energized to push the heavy weights with Vega's pre-workout and green tea. Going to have to see if I can recover quickly enough to do delts on Sunday. I am one sore puppy right now. I am so happy thinking that all this soreness will turn into muscle if I am successful in my recovery!
Now what I did on Leg day (I retrieved my little red book today - and nobody had written anything in it!):

Leg Extension: 90/25 (usual warmup), 240/15 (3 more than last time -tlt), 255/15 (same as last time), 270/14 (2 more tlt), 285/12 (2 more tlt), and I put some weights on the whole stack for a whopping 300/10 (new PB)

Plie/Sumo Squats: 180/25(same), 240/15 (same), 250/15 -range of motion was very small movements; just using the belly of the quad and gluteus muscles to move the weight) new PB

Leg Curl: 130/15 (same), 145/15 (same), 160/11 (new weight, but since it was more than 10 reps, I decided to go onto the next heavier weight), 175/6 (new PB)

Leg Press: (# of 45lbs Plates on each side/reps) 4P/25 (easy warmup/same), 6P/15 (easy/same), 8P/12 (4 more tlt), and I did my 9P/8 (my PB from last month's routine was 9P + 25lbs plate, so I was closer this time - but it still is the third exercise for this cycle's routine, not the first when I did my PB)

Calf Raise: 300/25 I&O (inner and outer foot position) for 4 sets. Hamstrings were aburning on these. I did a 25 rep this time, only 15 rep last time.

Abductor&Adductor machines: 120/25 for 4 sets, supersetting (one machine and then the next, and then back to the first, etc.) This was a higher weight than usual (an extra 10lbs), so I did have a longer rest in between sets - just to make sure I could get out 25 reps.

Overall I had a good workout session. My legs are reasonably sore the next day. Putting a heat pad on them tonight while I am entering this post (just the quads right now). I did not wake up in pain last night from my legs. I did take an ibprofen today before doing Chest and Biceps because my traps still hurt (and the neck muscles are also sore today) and I did not want those to interfere with my Chest workout today.

I tried to streamline this workout session to just a warmup in the beginning exercise, then onto one 15 rep set, and then 2 heavy sets.

Chest

Dumbbell Flyes (Incline bench to just the first notch): 20/25 (same), 25/15 (same), 30/15 (same), skipped to 40/15 (5 more tlt), and 45/10+2 (I lost focus for the last two that my partner helped me on because a thought flashed thru my head that I would have to force myself to do 50lbs dummbells next time - and I think that scared me yet again)

Smith Press (on same Incline bench): 90/15 (same), 110/9 (1 more tlt, and no help), 120/7+1 (new PB)

HammerStrength Chest #2: 120/15 (same), 150/10 (2 more tlt), and I just threw up 2 45lbs plates on each side and kicked out 5 on my own and 3 with my partner's help! - 180/5+3 (a new PB)

Chest done. Was not feeling as pumped as usual, but more like fatigued instead.

Biceps

MaxRack Barbell Bicep Curl: 10/25 (same warmup), 20/15 (same), 30/12 (2 more tlt), 40/8 (new PB) - note, elbow ligaments hurt in the second set, but disappeared for the rest of the heavy sets; I think I cautiously kept my elbows to my side/waist and it helped my elbows at that angle for some reason.

Rope Hammer Curls: 70/15 (3 more tlt), 80/15 (new), 90/8 (couldn't stop at the 15 rep range set, so I did the next one up and got a new PB) - note, the ball on the end of the rope dug into the thumb area. hurt alot. so i found another rope with smaller rubber balls on the end, and extended my thumb around the ball instead of under it. worked out better

Lateral Cable Bicep Curl: 35/15 (3 more tlt), 40/12 (2 more tlt), 45/8 (a new PB - these hurt alot and I really don't like them!)

Dumbbell Curl Descending Sets: I wanted to do what I did last time - 15/12/8, but my partner was doing that! I had to do one up on her! She even said I had to! Oh bother because I was already so fatigued. . . . so I chose 20/12.5/7.5 (should've opted for the 5lbs weights at the end). I did all 4 sets with 15 reps each weight, but I was making faces, whining, and some rocking just to get it up there. And I took long breaks inbetween sets, just to get feeling back into my biceps. It must've took a good 10 minutes for us to finish our Bicep routine with this exercise. I definitely was in distress when I finished. My mind ruled this time. My body will now retaliate with pain tomorrow probably.

Rest day is tomorrow. Something tells me that this Saturday is going to be more of a pain day. . . . .

Is your partner a vegan?

She is not a vegan, but went thru a vegetarian phase. So, she has respect for what I eat and understands it. Personally, I think she could be a vegetarian again, because the girl likes her Fettuccine Alfredo! I tell her to enjoy that now, because it won't be allowed during the cutting phase!

I have been vegan for over ten years now, and it is not the priority it once had with me. I just try to be a role model and let people decide for themselves. Plus I have the persona that you don't want to mess with me, even though I am really friendly in the gym. So I don't get teased about being a vegan anymore. I still have to educate people in the gym about what exactly a vegan is, though just about everybody knows what a vegetarian is at least.

My partner's mantra is that bigger is better. I haven't seen a female in our gym that has that mentality. Fuels my efforts to push for bigger and heavier weights again. The last time I was doing comps, I also had a partner that helped me power on up (her boyfriend/then husband was a huge weightlifter/powerlifter/BBer - so he supported her). I guess I like to have partners to keep me supported and focused. Doesn't matter what their diet is (though I let her try my Vega brand stuff, and she likes it).

That's cool, I was just curious.

Rest day was OK today. It was sunny and close to 60 degrees F, so I headed to the trail for a walk after my afternoon nap. I am a little fatigued in places - not really sore per se, but one up from there. Delts are ready to go tomorrow though. Chest does feel a little sore in specific places like by the sternum, but that won't interfere with my delt workout. It is only the pec muscles near the armpit that gave me trouble last time during the delt workout. Legs felt good after the walk too. Recovery seems to be getting faster lately. Awesome!

Delt day. I was hoping that this would be a better Delt day than last time, and it was! Even my partner made some gains on this. I guess you just have an off day sometimes - you never know what is going on, but the body knows and acts accordingly.

MaxRack Military Press with Short Chair: 20/25 warmup (same - but my delts were really feeling this warmup), 30/25 (new warmup? NOT - it was hard to get the first 10 done, and then it just became easier and easier), 40/15 (no stops this time), skipped the 50lbs, and went straight to 55/6~2 (same - oh well) but I did it twice

Rear Machine Delts: 60/25 (same), 90/15 (same), 95/12 (no stops this time), 100/8~2 (~ means not full range of motion, more like a valiant effort to get it up there, but only came halfway up) This exercise was done with the grip being vertical, because the horizontal grip hurt my clavicle/chest, but this was way harder to pull the weights back.

Front Raise MaxRack barbell: 25/20 (2 more tlt), 30/10~2 (the extra motion of the ~2 made me try a new weight), 35/8!

Dumbbell Side Laterals: 22.5/15 (no stops), 25/12 (4 more tlt, which made me go up in weights), 27.5/8

we then decided to do descending sets of 3 weights of 15 reps each (at least to our ability): I chose 15/12/7.5 dumbbells. Plus I played around with the massive rope and tried an exercise that some teenage athlete was doing: cable between the legs with an EZ bar attachment and doing a Front Raise. Way easier than the MaxRack Front raise! I was able to do the kid's 40lbs no problem (even though my delts are trashed).

So another valiant effort in delts today. I am still trying to get use to seeing myself getting big again. My partner declared that Delt day was also tank top day, so I had to look at myself during some of the machine exercises as they are in front of the mirrors. I don't like it when I am not cut/ripped. I just have to mentally picture myself with the bodyfat low. I do like it when my partner smiles and tells me how she loves how big I am getting. And I am a little jealous of how quickly she is getting big even though she is moving less weight than me!

I am one hurting unit. It was an awesome Back and Tricep day (really it was an awesome Back workout day). It is 2 hours later, and I am hurting all over in my upper body. I am so glad that tomorrow is a rest day, and that it is only Legs after that (so my upper body has more time to recover).

Back

Cable Low Row (V-bar): 75/25 warmup (no problem there), 120/16 (1 more tlt), 135/ 10~2 (2 more tlt - since it was practically in the 12 rep range, I went up in weight), 150/6~2 (so awesome, new PB)

Neutral-Grip Widebar Pulldown: 120/15 (no help this time), 135/10+2 (did 2 more on my own tlt - and again, since it was in the 12 rep range, I went up in weight), 150/4+4 (the last 4 my partner helped me with really made my lats almost feel like they were ceasing up on me, such a weird feeling, but awesome that I can almost do my off season body weight, and past my comp weight of 135)

HyperExt: same as last time. little more easier that last time, like I could go up and get off the chair with the bodybar still on my shoulders - not throwing it on the ground, and using my hands to help myself up and ease out of the chair.

HammerStrength Back Row was occupied, so we went to the Pull-downs next

LifeFitness Assisted Machine Pull-up: 50/15 (same), 45/10 (same), and a new weight of 40/8+2. I either need to build enough muscle to do 40 less assisted pounds, or lose 40 lbs of fat! Then I can do my own bodyweight! Since dieting doesn't even begin till March, it will have to be the first option!)

HammerStrength Back Row: 90/15 (same), 110/15 (no help this time), I would've done the 120, but I saw the 25lbs plates on each side from my partners turn, and I said to just put the 45lbs plates on each side and went for it - 140/4+3 . At this point, I was thrashed. I had to sit down for 10 minutes or so, and talked with the people at the table outside the office. The gym was starting to fill up with alot of people. It was a on the dot 5 o'clock crowd that I have never seen before. I started to get worried about so many people coming into the gym all at once, and sure enough, we had to start to fight for a bench and a machine. Ugh!

Triceps

Straight-bar Pressdown: 90/25 warmup as usual, 100/15 (same, maybe stricter form), 110/15 (same, and stricter form - no leaning forward at all), 120/8 (pretty easy, and same as before - thought I would press on for a heavier weight just to see what I could do), 125/6~2 (the extra 5lbs rubber square was just hanging around the machine, so I put it on to see what I could do - plus I had to do strict form as I was showing someone how to do it correctly - this person would lean forward and use their chest muscles to help).

Tricep Extension with a pair of Dumbbells today (there were a pair of guys that took over my bench set-up and they were supersetting - so that was going to be awhile before I could get back in there. And the other cable that could be positioned downward was being used by the personal trainer and his lacrosse client (teenager) - so that was going to be awhile. So we opted just for dumbbell skull crushers!): very cautious as this uses ligaments and not just the belly of the muscle
15/15, 17.5/15, 20/15, 22.5/15, 25/8

LifeFitness Assisted Machine Dips: 10/10, B(body)/8 for 2 sets.

Forgot about doing Shrugs, but the machine was being used, and I just wanted to get out of the crowded gym (not so good with a loud crowd around me. my claustrophobia OCD kicked in for some reason - probably because I was so worn out physically that I was starting to be worn out psychologically too perhaps?). I suggested we do shrugs on Leg day (if we can fit the time in) and that they shouldn't interfere with next day's Chest and Bicep day.

Far out girl! I don't even thin our leg press holds 9 plates per side! That is huuuuge! Great work

My goal is 1000lbs. I want to be in the BigBoyz club! Even if I am a girl! I have been working on it for decades now. . . maybe when I am 50 I will be able to do it!

Another pleasant sunny Rest day, and I did want to go for my trail walk, but with Leg day tomorrow, I decided not to. Upper body still pretty messed up that even a good afternoon nap did not fix. Maybe an extra bowl of oatmeal with Vega for tonight might do the trick for tomorrow.

I was talking with my partner and she said she has never felt this: when you are jogging or just running a little bit, you can feel your quads going back and forth on top of your femur bone. She asked me when did I think that I was a true bodybuilder, and I said that - when I go out jogging, I can feel my quads wobbling on top of my femur bone. Then I know that I am getting big. She has never felt that. So am I strange in this? Does every BBer not feel the quad's wobble back and forth? I have seen some BB girls do it in their posing routine, but not all of them. I was wondering if only some of the BBers can do/feel this? Perhaps a genetic thing.

Very weird Leg day. One of those days that you are going all out heavy, and yet you feel like you have done nothing when you get all done. I shall not complain though, because my legs have felt like they were just thrashed on the couple of last Leg days, I have one more Leg day with this routine, and then it will be the end of the month and time to come up with a new routine. I wonder if my body is already figuring it out and is now ready for what I give it - like plateauing. Good then. Almost time to cycle to a new routine!

Leg Extensions: 90/25 (warmup as usual), freaked my partner out and jumped right to 270/15 (1 more tlt), 285/13 (another 1 more tlt), 300/12~1 (2 more than last time, plus an attempted rep - came off the machine with a loud Ow! and several hopping steps to make the pain go away), and then I upped it with more of those little black 5lbs weights for the StarTrac machine: 310/9~1 (new PB!)

Plie/Sumo Squats: 180/25 (warmup, same), 240/15 (same, with a little more depth to the reps), my lower back was hurting at this point for some reason (like it was being compressed by the heavy weight) so I backed off the weight to 230/and did an amazing 25 reps. I kept touching my toes to stretch out my lower back afterwards, and that seemed to help (with a yoga flat back/chest forward/grabbing the toes and pulling down).

Leg Curl: 130/15 (same), skipped to 160/13~2 (2 more tlt and 2 half reps), 175/8 (2 more tlt) - yeah, this is now more than my bodyweight!

Leg Press: same as last time. did not press it here too much. my range of motion may have increased a little bit more. plus at the end I did my partner's 6 Plates on each side for 25 (which is 10 more than my usual 6P/15 - I guess it was too easy for me to do. Sigh, shall I say this is my new warmup weight? I may tire myself out before I reach my 9P set).

Calf Raise was the same also. I noted on my book to go to 330 lbs next time.

Ab/Ad uctor Machines: were the same as last time also.

Decided not to do Shrugs as my neck is still bothering me. I hope it gets better before I have to do side laterals on Shoulder day again!
And we did Leg day in 1 and 3/4 hours! Not 2, or even 3 hours (which has been our usual when we have 2 bodyparts to do that day). So again, the routine is becoming established.
We have a lying leg curl coming soon to our gym (I do not like the Seated Leg Curl that we have been using for Leg Curls). They told us they ordered it, but it takes 8-10 weeks to get it as they make each machine to order and then ship it. So it will either be a nice Christmas present or a New Year's toy to play with! And yes, at my old gym, I could do the whole stack! I think it was 240lbs.

So awesome to see you back!

Wooohooo!

Keep rockin!