Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Today was a quick trip to the YMCA gym for leg & arm work. No running today.

Today's workout:

Squats - 105lbs 3 sets of 8 reps
Leg extensions - 120lbs 3 sets of 12 reps
Calf raises - 275lbs 3 sets of 12 reps
Hip aductors - 120lbs 3 sets of 12 reps
Hip abductors - 120lbs 3 sets of 12 reps
Leg curls - 80lbs 3 sets of 10 reps
Bicep curls - 2 arm 70lb curl, 3 sets of 8 reps
Tricep extns - 100lbs, 3 sets of 12 reps
Ab crunches on high pulley - 150lbs 3 sets 50 reps
Back extensions - 165lbs, 3 sets 20 reps

Breakfast - instant oatmeal
Snack - Raw protein shake (after workout)
Lunch - Yves "roast beef" sandwich on spouted protein bread, small green salad, Vega smoothie

Today's workout:

Chin ups with front leg raises - 2 sets @ 10 reps, 2 sets @ 8 reps
Bench press - 3 sets @ 125lbs x 12 reps
Incline bench - 1 set 95lbs x 12 reps, 1 set 105lbs x12 reps, 1 set 125lbs x 10 reps
Front db raises - 30lbs x 8 reps each arm
Drips - 3 sets x 15 reps
Shoulder press - 3 sets @ 140lbs x 12 reps
Cable crunches - 3 sets @ 150lbs x 50 reps
Lats - 1 set @ 110 lbs x 12 reps, 1 set @ 120lbs x 10 reps, 1 set 130lbs x 8 reps
Back extensions - 3 sets @165lbs x 20 reps

Happy New Year!

Started the New Year off on the right foot (literally!)...

7am, 18 mile run along the river path in Vibram Bikilas, in 2 hrs 57 mins, average pace was 9:50, average heart rate was 155. Took a gel every 30 minutes, and Vega Recovery Accelerator when got I got home.

Big Sur marathon here I come!

Do you run outside year round out there in AZ?

_________________
Darth Vader from Sandlot once said, "Heroes get remembered, but legends never die." Then he later died.
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Absolutely! Tucson is a great place for outdoor activity for most of the year. It was clear skies, 47 degrees at 7am when I set out and I got to watch the sunrise over the mountains as I ran. It's forecast to be 78 degrees and sunny all day today.. now that's what I call winter! It rarely gets below freezing here.

The summers are hot - average is 100 degrees - but the humidity is low since we're in the desert. Summer runs tend to start around 4am or 5am and even then it's already 80 degrees.

No workout today because it was back to work for a 10 hour shift after 11 days off in a row. Plus I decided to take a rest day after the 18 mile run yesterday.

Food was healthy -

Breakfast - one serving instant oatmeal, black tea with unsweetened soy milk
Snack - one banana and handful of almonds/sunflower seeds, green tea
Lunch - large green salad (no dressing), cup of garbanzo beans, apple, Vega whole food optimizer shake
Snack - apple, green tea
Dinner - one Gardein scalopini, steamed brussell sprouts, kale, & rainbow chard, glass of water
Snack - 2 slices sprouted grain protein bread ground peanut butter

Hoping to get up early to run before work tomorrow.

Today was a great workout day!

6.25 mile run at 5:30am before work, then I hit the weight room on the way home from work. Here's what I did in the weight room:

Pull ups with hanging leg raises at body weight - 3 sets x 10 reps
Bench press - 3 sets x 10 reps @ 125lbs
Incline bench - 3 sets x 10 reps @ 105lbs
Dips - 3 sets x 15 reps @ body weight
Seated shoulder press machine - 3 sets x 12 reps @ 140lbs
Smith machine barbell shrugs - 3 sets x 10 reps @ 245lbs
Standing cable pullover - 3 sets x 12 reps @ 110lbs
Cable crunches - 3 sets x 40 reps @ 150lbs
High pulley cable chops - 3 sets x 8 reps each side @ 50lbs
Seated back extensions - 3 sets x 20 reps @ 170lbs
Dumb bell rows - 3 sets x 10 reps each arm @ 50lbs
Planks - 2 sets @ 30 seconds
Side planks - 2 sets @ 30 seconds each side


Food today was filled with good choices too:

Pre-run snack - black tea with soy milk, banana
Post run - oatmeal with quarter cup of raisins and tbsp chia seeds, black tea with soy milk
Snack - apple and handful almonds, green tea
Lunch - large green salad with avacado, baked tofu, cup of quinoa, green tea
Snack - orange, Vega smoothie
Snack - Garden of Life raw protein shake combined with Gen Soy protein shake after weights
Dinner - 2 wholewheat tortillas with pinto beans and chopped tomatoes, glass of water

Feel as though I accomplished something today

Awesome journal, Colin!

Great stuff!

Keep it up and have an awesome rest of your week!

-Robert

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

Thanks for the kind comments, Robert!

Here's what I did today:

Got up at 5am, out running by 6am for a gentle 5k in the Vibram Bikilas. Average pace of a 10 min. mile. Nothing too strenuous, but felt good to start the day this way.

Had a hectic day at work, but here's what I managed to eat today:

Didn't eat before heading out for the run but had cup of black tea with soy milk.
Post run breakfast - rolled oats and chia seeds with vanilla hemp milk, another black tea with soy milk
Snack - apple, handful of peanuts, green tea
Lunch - mixed spring greens with cup of red kidney beans, green tea
Didn't get an afternoon snack to due providing 3 hours of training for faculty at work!
Dinner - small baked potato, steamed broccoli, pan-fried sprouted tofu, home-made "chicken" gravy, glass water, blueberries & raspberries for dessert
Snack - 2 slices sprouted grain protein bread with cashew butter, cup almond milk.

I'm really enjoying chatting via email with Ellen Jaffe Jones, the mentor Robert hooked me up with. She's such a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. Thanks Robert and Ellen!

Here's today's workout...

Seated leg press - 3 sets x 15 reps @ 255lbs
Prone leg curl - 3 sets x 10 reps @ 80lbs
Seated leg extensions - 3 sets x 10 reps @ 110lbs (should I be using the same weight for the hamstrings as for the quads to even that out?)
Standing calf raises ( toes pointing in, front, out - one set each) - 3 sets x 12 reps @ 275lbs
Hip adbductors - 3 sets x 12 reps @120lbs
Hip adductors - 3 sets x 12 reps @ 120lbs
Goblet db squat - 3 sets x 12 reps @ 40lbs
Cable crunches - 3 sets x 35 reps @ 150lbs
Standing cable tricep extensions - 3 sets x 12 reps @ 100lbs
Two-armed preacher curls - 3 sets x 10 reps @ 70lbs
Front & side planks - 2 sets each for 30 seconds.

Somehow I hurt the tendon on the inside of my left elbow - I think I twanged it somehow with the cable chops during the last workout (it felt uncomfortable but didn't hurt per se) but it became pretty sore today by the end of the workout. I took two ibuprofen and I'll rest it for a couple of days.

Here's what I ate today:

Breakfast - rolled oats with almond milk, tbsp chia seeds, quarter cup raisins. Black tea with soy milk
Weight workout
Post workout snack - Raw protein powder
Lunch - half cup quinoa, chopped veggies (celery, tomato, cucumber, bellpeppers), Vega whole food optimizer
Snack - handful of almonds, apple, packet of wasabi seaweed, green tea
Dinner - home made black eye pea & veggie soup. Steamed kale and rainbow chard, brussell sprouts, and sunflower seeds. Glass of water.
Snack - 2 slices sprouted grain protein bread, peanut butter.

I intended to do a 6 mile speed interval run this morning and did drag myself out of bed at 4.30am, but that became a 3 mile fartlek run instead... for some reason the Garmin watch decided to forget the workout I had programmed in last night and I only discovered that as I was heading out the door, so.... whatever, it worked out fine and I guess I now have more left in the reserves for Sunday's long run

There's a nice 3 mile loop around my neighborhood - all concrete and asphalt though which is a little harder when wearing the Vibrams. There's a one mile "hill" with a couple of hundred feet elevation, but I ran fast up and slowed down on the downside. Fastest pace was a 7 min mile, overall pace for the full 5k was 9 min. Of the total distance, 1 mile was ran at an 8 min pace or faster. So I can live with that for today

Here's what I ate:

Breakfast - amaranth with almond milk & raisins, black tea with soy milk
3 mile run
Post run snack - apple
Snack - apple, handful almonds, green tea
Lunch - one slice wholewheat sour dough bread, tofurky, veggie relish, chopped tomatoes, green tea
Snack - Vega instant smoothie
Dinner - visit to Sweet Tomatoes/Soup Plantation salad bar for big plate of veggies, baked potato, split pea soup, glass of water
Snack - 2 slices wholewheat sour dough bread with almond butter, glass of water

I hit the weight room this morning. The elbow tendon is still a little sore so I took it easy, reduced weight but increased reps, cut back on the number of exercises, etc:

3 sets pull ups with hanging leg raises x 10 reps @ body weight
Db bench press - 3 sets x 15 reps @ 60lbs total
Db front raises - 3 sets x 15 reps @ 20lbs each arm
Seated cable row - 3 sets x 15 reps @ 150lbs
Cable crunches - 3 sets x 35 reps @ 150lbs
Seated shoulder press - 3 sets x 15 reps @ 100lbs
Seated back extensions - 3 sets x 20 reps @ 170lbs

The tendon held up though it became a little sore during the bench press.

Here's what I ate today:

Breakfast - rolled oats, almond/hemp mikl, raisins, cup black tea with soy milk
Weight workout
Post workout snack - Vega instant smoothie with Raw Protein powder added
Lunch - one Thai spring roll, vegetable Panang curry, glass of water
Snack - Lara bar, handful mixed nuts
Dinner - veggie wrap, french fries, spring green salad, green tea (this was dinner out with my parents at Create Cafe where there are no formal began options on the menu so I did the best I could - well, except the french fries but I'll be doing a long run tomorrow so I can burn those off.... that's my excuse anyway! LOL )
Snack - two slices of sprouted grain toast with almond butter, glass of water

Well, I did it... I ran 20 miles today in the Vibrams I ran 3 hours straight (18 miles) before I took a walk break, and I only ended up taking the one. I took a CarbBoom gel every 30 minutes, and had an average pace of 10:08 by mile 18. Even with the walk break , my overall pace for the 20 only dropped to 10:15. I drank coconut water and naked juice along the way, so ingested 900 calories but expended 2,180. It felt good, no real fatigue even when I got back home. I did warm ups beforehand and stretches afterwards Feels good to know that I'm preparing well for the marathon that's still 14 weeks away.

Here's what I ate today:

Breakfast - amaranth with almond milk & dried cranberries, black tea with soy milk
Run - CarbBoom gels, naked juice & cocnut water
Post run snack - Vega recovery protein shake
Lunch - 2 slices sprouted grain bread with Tofurky & cucmber, coffee with soy milk
Snack - apple and handful of almonds, green tea
Dinner - Butternut squash with quinoa & chopped veggies, homemade wholewheat tortilla chips, glass of water
Snack - undecided yet!

Here's today's workout:

Chin ups with hanging leg raises - 3 sets x 10 reps @ body weight
Db bench press - 3 sets x 15 reps @ 70lbs total
Db incline press - 3 sets x 15 reps @ 60lbs total
Front db raises - 3 sets x 10 reps each arm @ 20lbs
Lateral db raises - 3 sets x 10 reps each arm @ 20lbs
Db rows - 3 sets x 10 reps each arm @ 50lbs
Cable crunches - 3 sets x 30 reps @ 150lbs
Dips - 3 sets x 15 reps @ body weight
Db shoulder press - 3 sets x 10 reps @ 60lbs total
Planks - 2 sets @ 30 seconds
Seated back extensions - 3 sets x 20 reps @ 170lbs

Here's what I ate today:

Breakfast - rolled oats, dried cranberries, tbsp chia seeds, almond milk. Black tea & soy milk.
Workout
Post-workout snack - Vega smoothie with Raw Protein powder
Lunch - Spaghetti squash with quinoa & chopped veggies, an orange, tea with soy milk
Snack - handful almonds, banana, green tea
Dinner - large spring greens salad with cup of garbanzo beans, green tea
Snack - 2 slices sprouted grain bread, peanut butter, cup warm soy milk

I felt some fatigue those morning bit I think that was more likely down tot he 10pm finish at work last night than the long run on Sunday. Either way, I took it east today..

3.2 mile run in 33 minutes, with a 10:25 pace, followed by 30 minutes of yoga - new yoga DVD after Ellen's recommendation: Yoga for athletes.

Here's what I ate today:

Breakfast - oats, dried cranberries, almond milk. Black tea with soy milk.
Post run snack - banana
Lunch - 2 slices sprouted grain bread with Tofurky, potato/lentil chips, black tea with soy milk
Snack - banana & almonds, green tea
Dinner - large spring green salad with garbanzo beans, apple, green tea
Snack - 2 slices wholewheat sourdough toast with peanut butter, cup soy milk