Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Heavygan: Because there shouldn't be a pause between the words "heavy" and "vegan" when you think about lifting weights.

For the last year, I've continuously kept some form of a training log going - either with handwritten notes compiled into a binder or, more recently, in the form of a tumblr-log that complements my actual blog, Vegan Atlas (they're both linked in my signature if anybody's interested). However, since tumblr doesn't really make discussion and feedback super easy, I've decided to cross post my log on this forum and in my tumblr-log.

Anyway. While I don't want to just jump into logging, and I wrote a really long and involved "introduction" to my tumblr-log that I'll just provide the link for (http://heavygan.tumblr.com/post/14173359140/heavygan-lift-heavy-live-posi), I'm just going to put up some quick stats about myself and my program since today was a rest-day.

Age: 23
“Sex:” Female
Height: 5’3”
Weight: 123

Squat: 145
Deadlift: 125lb
Bench: 75lb
Total: 345lbs

Macros: ~60/135/180
Calories: 1,800
Foods: 90% whole foods, IIFYM
Supplements: Brown rice/pea protein (soon to be adding Vega); VegOne Multi-Vitamin; caffeine (in the form of coffee)

TRAINING
2 power days, 2 hypertrophy days based, loosely, on PHAT but more adaptive in terms of weight/reps/sets and when to take rest days since my work schedule varies week-to-week.

Work Out A:
(Lower body power)
Barbell squats
Barbell deadlift
Leg press

Work Out B:
(Upper body power)
Bent over barbell rows 5x5
Standing barbell overhead press
Barbell bench press

Work Out C:
(Lower body/arms and chest hypertrophy)
Barbell squats
Leg press
Leg extensions
Leg curls
Seated calf raises
Barbell bench press
Incline dumbbell bench press
Dips
Pull-ups
Hammer curls

Work Out D:
(Shoulders and back hypertrophy)
Bent over barbell rows
Standing barbell overhead press
Standing dumbbell shoulder press
Shrugs
Side lateral raise
Front raises

GOALS
Short-term
Unassisted pull-ups
1.5xBW Squat
1.5xBW Deadlift
1xBW Bench

Long-term
600lb total
12lb muscle gain
Personal trainer certified
Natural powerlifting competitor
To be as strong as I can be

Go get em!

Every day! Thanks!

12/18/11

Cycling
10 minutes/2.4 miles

Bent Over Barbell Rows
1x8x55
3x8x65
3x5x70

Standing Barbell Shoulder Press
2x8x45
1x4x45
1x5x45
1x3x50
2x2x50
2x45

Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
2x10x20

Barbell Shrugs
3x10x130

Side Lateral Dumbbell Raises
2x10x20

Front Dumbbell Raises
1x10x15
1x10x20

Upright Dumbbell Rows
1x10x20
1x10x25

Bent Over Dumbbell Rows
1x10x20
1x12x25

Side Lateral Pulley
2x10x30

Long Pulls (machine)
1x10x40
1x10x50

Notes:
- Upon further calculations, and seeing the scale continuous wave between 122 and 123, I think I'm going to bump my calories up. There is no reason I'm still so low other than apprehension. 1,800 is what I'd be burning doing nothing. And I do quite a lot.
- Return of the Jedi was on SpikeTV while I did my warm-up cardio. If this happened every time I did cardio, life would be perfect.
- Going to switch from barbell shoulder presses to dumbbells and see if I see progress. I have been.
- High volume > everything.
- I found myself falling into IF today and didn’t really have much to eat before the gym, maybe 200 calories. So, at about 11:30 p.m. post-gym, I still had 1,600 calories to crush. I'm still working on crushing food so pictures will be added later.

Great! Glad to see you are posting a log on here now mate!

I figured it had to happen sometime!

Macros: 42/141/136
I cannot eat any more food. Waiting until 11:30 p.m. to eat of your macros is a bad idea. However, in three hours I did manage to take down the following and plan on having big eats tomorrow to compensate. Plus, tomorrow's lower body power day - I need all the calories I can get!

PWO/Dinner: green smoothie (1 cup of spinach, half a cup of kale, berries, 1 cup of soy milk, protein powder), a sunflower seed butter and raspberry sandwich on sprouted bread, and Cincinnati chili.



Second dinner: another seed butter sandwich, Food Voodoo, and a cup of soy milk.



IIFYM:

Whoa, nice eats! The Cincinnati chili looks wicked!

Oh how I wish they sold Clif builders in Australian Supermarkets (Woolworths).

It's great to see that you're using Layne Nortons principles of Power and Hypertrophy! Nice Plan you made!

Subbed btw!

Work out:

Cycling
12/19/11
10 minutes/2.4 miles

Barbell Squat
1x8x100
1x8x120
5x5x135

Barbell Deadlift
1x8x95
1x8x105
5x5x110

Incline Leg Press
1x8x120
1x8x145
5x5x170

Today felt great. I was pumped walking into the gym, I was pumped stumbling out of it. I attribute much of this to the fact that I broke parallel on squats for virtually every rep, dead lifts flew up, and I went ass-to-ankles on every single leg press. I felt like I could have lifted the world today. I know a lot of people hate leg days but I think, hands down, lower body power days are one of my favorite things in the whole world. Maybe it's because my upper body strength leaves a lot to be desired and I like to focus on my strengths. However, I don't think that's a bad thing.

Eats are still going for the day so total macros will be posted later. However, my dinner was so good I wanted to go ahead and put up a picture while I debate how to fill out the rest of my macros.

TVP and salsa mini-quesadillas topped with nutritional yeast cheese, served with a side of a chili beans and guacamole.



10F/61P/89C (including two more quesadillas not pictured) crushed.

Nicholas: Cincinnati chili is awesome - it's one of the few things I miss about home now that I'm permanently living in Cleveland but I think I'm perfecting it slowly.

I dig Clif Builders but wish they were ... better. Ha. I don't know how to explain it, I always think it's going to be awesome to eat one and then, about half way through, I'm just not that into it anymore.

And I love how Layne has PHAT set up but I wanted to tailor it more to what I know works best for me. So far, I'm loving this split - I definitely get why so many people hype it.

Work out:

Cycling
10 minutes/2.04 miles (tired, tired legs)

Standing Barbell Shoulder Press
1x8x45
5x5x50
1x3x45

Barbell Bench Press
1x8x45
1x8x55
1x2x65
5x5x60

Bent Over Barbell Rows
1x8x50
1x8x65
5x5x75
1x3x75

Notes:
I reached a different kind of intensity today. Instead of prowling around the squat rack, banging my fist against my chest to Blacklisted (I know, I know), I found myself rocking back and forth on the balls of my feet, nodding my head to Bane. Focus and determination definitely got me over the wall I was facing on my shoulder presses and bench. I refuse to buy into the "females don't have upper-body strength" mentality - I will hit a triple digit bench within the next four months.

I’m not sure how to work out the rest of my week’s split: there’s no way I can lift the day before Xmas Eve, Xmas Eve, or Xmas because my work schedule is all over the place and those will be the first, and only, three days I'll see my parents for who knows how long. Are these excuses? No, because I have three options:

1.) Run through all four work-outs without a rest day.
2.) Only do lower-body hypertrophy tomorrow/Thursday.
3.) Do a combo of lower-and-upper on tomorrow/Thursday, cutting out the big lifts.

I suppose we should see how I feel tomorrow after work/running errands.

Macros: (to be edited in along with my pictures probably)



Mocha java BBQ tofu steaks with basil-dill-nutritional yeast brussel sprouts, kale, and onions, served with a side of TVP (not pictured).

* However, I'm switching to higher fat/lower carbohydrates until Xmas Eve since I won't be lifting for those three days and, when I asked my parents what they wanted me to make while they were here, my mom responded, "Your famous vegan pizza. And cookies. Pancakes, too." I wish she knew she that not only did she just summarize my favorite Rzl Dzl song but all of FMM.

Quote: “I won’t stop until I’ve broken every chain.” – Verse, “Sons and Daughters”

Work out
Dumbbell Bench Press
1x10x20
1x8x20
1x6x20
Speed work, super-setted with …

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
1x3x20
1x12x15
1x8x15
1x6x15

Lying Tricep Extension
1x8x30
1x5x20
1x15x10

Chest Press (machine)
1x6x40
1x12x50
2x5x60

Lateral Pull-Downs
2x10x55

Barbell Squat
1x8x95
1x8x105
1x8x115
Speed work, super-setted with ...

Front Barbell Squat
1x6x65
1x8x65
1x8x70
Speed work despite first time attempting.

Incline Leg Press
1x10x170
1x8x170
1x10x160

Seated Calf Raise
1x12x140
1x12x135
1x10x130

Seated Leg Curl
1x10x70
1x7x70
1x10x70

Notes:
I’m glad I didn’t let feeling severely under the weather deter me from hitting the gym today. Definitely helped clear my head and I walked out sore, smiling, and feeling, at least temporarily, better. The iron, literally and mentally, gives me such a pump. I don’t know how to really describe it. Though much of this could be attributed to the fact that, for the first time, I listened to Have Heart and Verse while I lifted. So much positive aggression, put me in such a good place. If you think that’s an oxymoron, you’re doing it wrong.

Eating 30 minutes before lifting definitely was a good call today, especially with my energy lacking from having a slight fever all day. I think I can get used to this.

Switched to dumbbells for bench because some guy was doing ¼ squats in the rack. I don’t like to judge people but he was seriously using the same weight that I warm-up with to do this. I can’t really judge given that today just proved how weak my arms are since 20s were hard to handle. I’m not going to let it get me down – just another mountain climb to get to where I want to be.

Looking forward to back and shoulder hypertrophy tomorrow, I just hope my body can handle it.


Macros: (ETA) 52/137/169;1692 calories

Kale, onion, mustard, and seitan quesadilla with falafel chips, hummus, and a spinach pie.



My work gave out free coupons for frozen mini-pizzas to compensate us working a lot right up until Christmas. We, of course, have a vegan one with a whole wheat crust. The best part? It clocks in at 150 calories TOTAL and … IFMM perfectly. Well, with some PWO protein and veggie additions (I still prefer homemade/yes, I’m still having pizza on Christmas day with my parents. Come at me, gains.)



Seriously. IIFMM, I do it. Layered protein-ice-cream … thing. A crumbled Clif bar micro-waved topped with frozen protein sludge, covered in chocolate peanut butter, a chopped banana, almonds, and sunflower seed butter. Fuck cake, this was the best thing I've eaten in a long time.

Great training!


OMG THAT FOOD LOOKS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Especially the last one)