Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

PROFILE INFO:

Name: Simi
Location (City, State, Country): Melbourne, Australia
Gender: Female
Age: 25
New Year’s Resolution Goal: Bigger, Stronger, Fitter, Faster!
Start Date: It’s already begun
Desired Achievement Date: As long as it takes
Past workout History: Training for almost 2 years, solidly for about 1 year
Biggest Obstacles: Gaining lean mass, learning to eat properly to support my training
Favorite Foods: Vega protein mousse (just add a little chilled water to Vega protein powder and beat until thick) seitan, green vegies, dark chocolate
Favorite Exercises: Free weights
Current training frequency: 5-6 times a week (except lately have only been doing 2-3 easy sessions to try and get my body to focus on fighting my chest infection.)
Any injuries or info your mentor should have: Not really, I have a history of bad knees but it hasn’t bothered me for a while.

I started training in March 2010 when my health hit an extreme low. I was underweight, partied too much, and didn't know how it eat properly or look after my body. I was stressed, anxious, depressed. Long story short, things in my life started to improve, and I realized how much my physical health was letting me down. I made a commitment to myself to make my body the best it could be, and along the way I felt not only my body strengthening, but my mind and spirit along with it.
I have since put on about 10kg of lean mass, and hope to keep increasing through 2012.
I was lucky enough to befriend the owner of my gym who continues to mentor me though my health and fitness goals. Without him I would not be where I am today, and I owe him my health and sanity!
I have been vegetarian since I was 13 (the age my mum let me make the choice!) and have never looked back. I became vegan a few years later, but when I started my weight training I began using Whey Protein powders. I had no idea of the cruelty that is still present in the dairy industry, and upon being made aware of this, I made the commitment to live life on a completely plant based diet once again, and swapped the WPI for plant based protein.
After reading Robert's book, I was so inspired to one day "make it" in the fitness world as a vegan, and to prove that you don't need animal products to build amazing muscles! I realized that it wasn't "impossible" to be a vegan in the world of bodybuilding, just that not many people are actually doing it... yet! Thank makes me feel pretty special too.
Robert and everyone else involved in this website and forum have created such an amazing, inspiring, informative and supportive environment for like-minded people, and I cannot express how thankful I am that I found this place!

Stay tuned for updates!

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Feel free to add me on Facebook! But send me a message so I know who you are
https://www.facebook.com/simi.monique

Nice abs!!! Keep up the good work

Nice job, good success! Hope to share success with you!


Lance

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"Rest and success don't sleep together"

1/1/2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I managed to get down the the gym today for a very easy arm session. Still being careful with myself, as I am struggling with coughing fits and difficulty breathing due to bronchitis. I took long breaks between sets so as not to puff myself out and aggravate my coughing even more. I also went a bit lighter than usual.

Seated tricep press
1x15 - 10kg
3x12 - 12kg

Tricep push down
4x12 - 10kg
1x15 - 5kg dropset

Tricep overhead extension
1x15 - 10kg
3x12 - 15kg

Cable one arm tricep extension
1x15 - 5kg
3x12 - 7kg

Barbell curls
17.5kgs - I started coughing a lot at this point, so my reps and sets were really inconsistent as I had to keep stopping to catch my breath

Dumbbell bicep curls
4x10 - 7kgs

Incline dumbbell curls
2x12 - 6kg
2x10 - 7kg

I can't wait till my cough settles and I can train properly again, I feel like I'm just getting by on the bare minimum lately

_________________
Feel free to add me on Facebook! But send me a message so I know who you are
https://www.facebook.com/simi.monique

2/1/2012

Still going relatively easy in the gym, this cough is being very persistent! Today I decided to hit the back. Despite "going easy" yesterday, my triceps are feeling a little tender, which is good!

Close-grip lat pull down
1x15 - 30kg
3x12 - 40kg
1x10 - 30kg drop set

Bent over barbell row (reverse grip)
4x12 - 35kg

Leverage high row
4x12 - 40kg

Leverage iso row
4x12 - 35kg

Straight arm pull down
4x12 (rest/pause last 3 reps) 25kg

Seated cable row
4x12 - 40kg

Dumbbell pull over
1x15 - 10kg
3x12 - 12kg

_________________
Feel free to add me on Facebook! But send me a message so I know who you are
https://www.facebook.com/simi.monique

3/1/2012

Didn't make it to the gym today, so today counted as a rest day.

I did however drop in to see my partner's niece for her 5th birthday... and for the record, anyone not wanting to sign up for a gym membership, try this:
Combine one 5 year old birthday girl with her 7 year old sister, mix in too much sugar, excitement, and imagination, and try to keep up! It was non stop chasey, piggy backs, twirling and wrestling for about 2 hours straight, you don't need a gym after that!

However, today still technically counts as a rest day
BIG LEG SESSION TOMORROW!

_________________
Feel free to add me on Facebook! But send me a message so I know who you are
https://www.facebook.com/simi.monique

4/1/2012

LEG DAY!

I tried a few variations today. A friend of mine has swapped going heavy to doing high reps, drop sets and reverse drop sets, with really good results. I gave it a shot on a few things last time I trained legs and even though the weights were low, the burn was intense! So I gave it another go today.
I'm also finding squats very frustrating at the moment, I can't seem to go very heavy on them. So I gave myself a break and did hack squats instead.

On a positive note, the cough is almost gone! Glad I can breath a little easier while training now

Hack squats
1x12 - no weight (warm up)
1x12 - 10kg
1x12 - 20kg
1x12 - 20kg

Leg press
4x12 - 80kg

Lying hamstring curls
10x5kg, 10x10kg, 10x15kg, 10x20kg, 5x25kg (continuous sets increasing weight, repeated 4 times)

Leg extensions
10x5kg, 10x10kg, 10x15kg, 10x20kg, 5x25kg (continuous sets increasing weight, repeated 4 times)

Seated calf raises
4x10 - 40kg

Calf press SUPERSET WITH Abductor machine
Calves: 4x10 - 68kg
Abductors: 4x10 - 65kg

_________________
Feel free to add me on Facebook! But send me a message so I know who you are
https://www.facebook.com/simi.monique

I wanted to individually thank Lyndsay Braswell for all the help, support and encouragement she has been giving me through email for Vegan Bodybuilding’s “New Year, New You Challenge”.

I really look up to her, she is a perfect example that it IS possible to be a vegan AND successful in the fitness, figure and bodybuilding world. I know there are plenty of vegan athletes out there, but I don’t know of any personally, and its so awesome to be able to contact Lyndsay with questions and concerns.

She is dedicating and donating her own personal time to help out participants in the challenge, free of charge, and I really appreciate what she is doing not only for me, but everyone else she is mentoring and all the people she inspires, motivates and helps to achieve their goals.

You can follow her blog here: http://www.lilgreendress.com/

You can also read her profile on the Vegan Bodybuilding website here: http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/?page=bio_braswell

_________________
Feel free to add me on Facebook! But send me a message so I know who you are
https://www.facebook.com/simi.monique

Gun update - posting purely for vanity's sake, but hey, nothing wrong with being proud of hard work!

_________________
Feel free to add me on Facebook! But send me a message so I know who you are
https://www.facebook.com/simi.monique

5/1/2012

CHEST/DELTS/b]

Today my cough was pretty much non-existent, so I was really excited about being able to push myself a little more!
I trained for quite a while, but I was feeling up for a big session!

[b]Dumbbell bench press
1x15 - 10kg (each arm, so 20kg total)
1x12 - 12kg (24kg total)
3x10 - 15kg (30kg total)

Incline press machine
4x drop set - 30kg, 20kg, 10kg

Cable flies super set - (downward motion/upward motion)
12x20kg downward, 10x10kg upward - repeated 4x

Dumbbell shoulder press
4x10 - 8kg (each hand, 16kg total)

Single arm cable delt raise
4x12 - 5kg

Side lateral raise
1x12 - 7kg (each arm - 14kg total)
3x10 - 8kg (16kg total)

Bent-over single-arm lateral raise with cable
4x10 - 5kg

_________________
Feel free to add me on Facebook! But send me a message so I know who you are
https://www.facebook.com/simi.monique

6/1/2012

INTERNATIONAL ARM DAY

I know I know... EVERYONE trains arms on Friday! Gotta get that pump before you head out to the clubs, brah! Haha, unintentional coincidence I swear! I'm not into clubbing, unless it's the caveman kind and involving someone I don't like

Anyway, had a good session, tried mixing in some dropsets and a superset to really get a good burn

Dumbbell bicep curls
1x15 - 7kg
1x12 - 8kg
3x10 - 9kg

Barbell curls
1x10 - 17kg
1x10 - 17kg

DROPSET:
3 sets of 8x17kg - 8x12kg

Incline dumbbell curls
DROPSET:
4 sets of 10x6kg - 10x4kg

Scullcrushers and close-grip bench press
SUPERSET:
4 sets of 8x12kg skullcrushers - 12x15kg close-grip bench press

Cable one-arm tricep extension
4x12 - 7kg

Tricep pushdown
4x12 - 10kg

Leg raises (abs)
3x20 (a bit half-arsed, I figured all the coughing I'd been doing earlier this week made up for not training abs, haha!)

_________________
Feel free to add me on Facebook! But send me a message so I know who you are
https://www.facebook.com/simi.monique

Nice lifting, keep it up!

_________________

"Obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated." -Arnold


My Training Journal:

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=26321

Thanks mate!

_________________
Feel free to add me on Facebook! But send me a message so I know who you are
https://www.facebook.com/simi.monique

Hey, I just noticed you purchase from bulknutrients too, and was wondering if you have ever asked them if they will ever be stocking soy protein in the near future?

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"Obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated." -Arnold


My Training Journal:

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=26321

Not sure dude, they have rice protein isolate, and recently started supplying pea protein too, but I've never tried them, only their eaa's. Also, their rice and pea protein powders are unflavoured (which may or may not suit what you are after)
Is there a particular reason you wanted soy? I've tried a fair few different brands of pea, rice, and blended protein powders, and I'd gladly give you my opinion/feedback on them if you want But I don't use soy

_________________
Feel free to add me on Facebook! But send me a message so I know who you are
https://www.facebook.com/simi.monique