Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Hi everyone,

I've been training non-stop since I made my return to lifting in November. I did a great job of keeping my journal updated for about 2 months and then I just didn't make it a priority to do so recently as I was swamped with other projects, including shipping out all the New You for the New Year prize packages.

Even though I haven't kept my online journal updated, I have been keeping a paper journal and have been training 4, 5, or 6 times a week since November, without exception.

I thought I'd be able to "go back and type up the past 3 or 4 weeks worth of journal entries" but I just don't know if it is worth the time. Maybe I'll do it later on down the road, but for now, I'm starting a new journal so I can keep up!

Oh, and I still haven't touched a machine or cable since December, 2011. All barbells and dumbbells for me this entire year and I'm up 14 pounds since I returned to lifting in November

March 17, 2012

Today I hammered out my Deadlift and Bent-Over Row workout.

It went like this:

Warm-up = I've been using the stair stepper for the past few months but now I'm switching to push-ups and sit-ups and some form of jump or leg exercise in order to focus a bit more on my chest and core. Those were the two muscle groups I injured in 2011 and haven't been training much since. This allows me to get a little bit of work in for them as they adapt to being under stress again.

Push-ups
20
20
20

Bodyweight squats
30
30
30

Mountain Climbers
100
100
100

Invisible Jump rope
200 jumps
200 jumps
200 jumps

Deadlifts
115lbs x 20
135lbs x 12
185lbs x 8
205lbs x 5
225lbs x 5
245lbs x 2
265lbs x 1 (new PB since I made my return to lifting)
185lbs x 5

Bent-Over Rows
135lbs x 8
135lbs x 8
135lbs x 10
135lbs x 8
135lbs x 10
135lbs x 10

Solid workout today. Got a lot of work done online today too.

230AM now. Better get to bed, RC!

Night!

Photo from 6 weeks ago. Tempted to say, "I'm back!" (at least still injury free, and working hard.):

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

Really great back shot... Gains so far look lean as hell, well done.

It's a slow crawl back from injury, my siatica still troubles me now but it's slowwwwwwwlg getting better. Keep making those small improvements, they soon stack up!

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"Don't fall for that crap that people are peddling on the message boards, in magazines or on TV. Get your shit in order, and get your training in order. Start kicking ass, and take out the crap that doesn't matter" Jim Wendler

Needed to comment again, the symmetry there is awesome!!!

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"Don't fall for that crap that people are peddling on the message boards, in magazines or on TV. Get your shit in order, and get your training in order. Start kicking ass, and take out the crap that doesn't matter" Jim Wendler

You are such an inspiration!!!!! I hope to have that kind of stamina some day lol!! Great work!!!!!!!!

awesome...i am starting again myself this week after a crappy last few weeks.I am mainly going to stick with bodyweight exercises...doing something a little different.

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Progress Pics.
Fitness and Diet Journal
Every human being is the author of his own health or disease. ~ Buddha ~

I'm so proud of you, JAM! You inspire me every day. And you look great, too! Even though that's not entirely what it's about, since you inspire so many by your words and actions, too. But, you do look really great! I'm actually really excited to work out with you again soon! (See how much you've inspired me?!? )

March 18, 2012

Thank you all for your kind words. I am dedicated to excellence and improvement and I'm having a lot of fun with my return to bodybuilding.

I just got approved from an apartment in Austin, TX so I'm officially a Texas resident for the next year. I'm looking forward to living in Texas focusing on my writing, training, and continued self improvement in many areas of life.

Today I met up with the largest vegan I've ever seen. I met Big Bald Mike who weighs 538 pounds, can deadlift 900 pounds, shrug well over 1,000 pounds, do bicep curls with a 120-140 pound dumbbell and he's also one of the nicest people I've met in a while. He's been vegan for about 3 years, is a Texas native with true Texas hospitality, and I truly enjoyed hanging out at his house for hours today. He has his own gym in his garage and I met with him to help inspire him to drop some weight. He used to weigh around 385 and in the low 400s but recently got up to nearly 600 pounds. Currently in the 530's I'm looking to help him get under 500 soon. He might be at my booth at the Texas VegFest in two weeks. I'm pumped!

I was at Mike's house all day but planned to train with another forum member bartronx7 at night, so I took off and Bart and I didn't get to the gym until 10PM. We blasted a really solid back and shoulder workout.

It went like this:

Warm-up:

Push-ups
20
20
20
20

Mountain Climbers
100
100
100
100

Dumbbell Lateral Raises
12s x 10
12s x 12
12s x 12
12s x 12

End of warm-up.

Working Sets:

Wide-grip pull-ups
16
14
12

Narrow-grip pull-ups
18
14
16

Standing Straightbar Overhead Press
70lbs x 10
70lbs x 12
80lbs x 6
80lbs x 8

Super Set with Barbell Shrugs
225lbs x 10
205lbs x 12
205lbs x 10
205lbs x 10

Upright Rows
80lbs x 12
90lbs x 6
90lbs x 8
90lbs x 8

Last night I went to bed after 3AM from a late night of working and tonight it is getting close to 130AM and I'm just winding down from workout, late dinner and shower.

Hope to be in bed soon. I fly to Seattle in 36 hours. Lots to do before I go.

Have an outstanding week everyone!

-RC

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

March 19, 2012

Oops. I made a mistake today. I tried to adjust my position on the bench while doing skull crushers and as I sat up to re-seat myself, something snapped in my wrist. I've been icing it off and on for the past couple of hours.

I'm still going to consider myself injury-free and take tomorrow off which was my intention before I had the issue in the gym, and I should recover soon and continue on with progress as planned.

It is quite sore at the moment, so we'll see. Perhaps it is worse than it seems, but I'm optimistic.

On with the workout.

Today I warmed up by doing a power walk outside for 20 minutes. Sounds silly, you're thinking. Sure, it could appear that way, but it was 80 degrees at 6PM. What would you do? You'd power walk alongside me.

Warm-up:

20 minutes of power walking in the sun

Push-ups
20
20
20
20

Mountain Climbers
100
100
100
100

Skull Crushers
70lbs x 12
70lbs x 10
75lbs x 8
80lbs x 6 (this is where something snapped in my wrist causing pain. I was doing super sets as well, which will be listed below, so I was 6 sets into the workout when I had my little issue.) I thought about stopping but I tested the wrist out and it could keep going, so I just finished up. Maybe it would have been smarter to stop right there, but I didn't feel like I was doing additional harm by continuing. I was able to do exercises at angles that didn't bother the outside of my wrist. But perhaps, I should have just called it a day. Either way, I went for a bit longer.
80lbs x 6

Narrow grip chest press (which were super sets after each set of skull crushers)
70lbs x 12
70lbs x 10
75lbs x 8
80lbs x 10
80lbs x 10

Two arm overhead triceps extensions
70lbs x 15
80lbs x 13
90lbs x 10
(thought about going up to 100 since I was doing such high reps but wanted to change the exercise to give my wrist a break)

Dumbbell Triceps Kickbacks
25s x 12
30s x 10
30s x 10

Called it a day and headed to the grocery store to get some frozen raspberries and blueberries to put on my wrist. Been doing that off and on for going on 3 hours now.

I'm sure I'll be fine in a day or two.

I'm on planes all day tomorrow and it was a scheduled rest day and then legs are due up soon so that gives me plenty of time to rest the wrist. Luckily I can still give a thumbs up!

As far as I'm concerned, I'm still injury-free. Just one little slip today.

RC

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

Your back looks great, nice work Robert! Are you going to Seattle for vegfest?

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"life is a permanent possession of no one, but on loan to all" lucretius

“Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.”
Albert Einstein

Hit me up on facebook @ Todd Hunt

Thanks. I appreciate it. I will indeed be at Seattle VegFest, for the 7th consecutive year. There is no other festival I have attended as many times as the Seattle VegFest.

See you there!

_________________

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

March 20, 2012

Today was a scheduled rest day, not just because I snapped something in my wrist yesterday, but because I spent all day flying from Austin to Oakland to Portland.

I'm still not ready to admit that I am "injured" but I sure am having a hard time using my hand. No idea what happened when my wrist snapped in the middle of exercising but it is quite sore.

I'll still train legs and abs and will not let this little issue slow me down. As far as I'm concerned I'm still injury-free and moving along, full speed ahead!

PS, left 80 degree sun in Austin for 30-something degree and 7 inches of snow in Oregon. Driving to Seattle tomorrow, assuming I can move my car in the morning.

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

March 21, 2012

Today I was scheduled to meet up with Champion Vegan Bodybuilder Ed Bauer for a workout at 10AM. I'm borrowing my sister's car which hasn't been driven in months and needed a jumpstart so I was late. Ed and I just hung out and I planned to train later in the day. Then I got a phone call saying the weather was pretty crazy down in Corvallis where I needed to go and that I better come sooner than later because of all the snow falling. So I headed to Corvallis, did what I needed to do there and opted to go to an OSU basketball game tonight. Some of you recall I went to a bunch of home games while I was here over the winter. As it turns out the Beavers were in the semi-finals of an NCAA tournament and I went with my uncle to cheer them on. The lost and their season is over. Bummer.

I didn't get a gym workout in today, but I did carry firewood on the farm for an hour. It was a pretty good workout, I built up a sweat even in 35 degrees and inches of snow falling, and my wrist held up pretty well too.

It wasn't a gym workout, but exercise none-the-less.

Lately I've been thinking of taking a week off, just to recover in general, since I've been doing exclusively compound barbell and dumbbell exercises since the beginning of the year, and haven't taken a break from training in general since November. Now with my wrist a bit mangled (not sure what is wrong with it), and a busy travel week, heading up to Seattle all weekend, then back down to Corvallis, then Portland, then back to Austin, I think I'll take this week off to rest, recover and heal up. I may do some abs exercises and maybe run some stairs at a hotel, but after 5 months of solid training, a week off could do some good. That is what I meant to do last year just before hurting my chest. I had trained 7 months without taking more than 2 days off in a week and eventually hurt myself. Time to rest up, recover, and continue to eat big.

Have a great one!

Off to Seattle now.

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

Do you have health insurance? I know some good Active Release people who can take care of your wrist before it gets any worse.

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Bonebreaker Barbell Crew! - ALIEN BABY!
Twitter @IronCladBen | My Blog

Hi Robert, i received my NYNY package today and i'm really happy about it! all the way to Belgium yeah!! Just to let you know that you're a great inspiration and a good frontliner of the vegan sports lifestyle in general.

one week rest won't knock your progress back that much. If i was you with all the travelling and stuff i would take one week off. afterwards it feels always better to train again, you'll have more hunger

greetz man!

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My training

April 2, 2012

I'm back!

It has been a full 2 weeks since I trained. I'm still not ready to admit that "I'm injured" with my wrist that is bothering me, but I took some time off to rest up. The wrist issue really hasn't improved over the past couple of weeks so I picked up a Level 3, medical grade wrist brace today and I wore it to the gym. Some exercises hurt a bit, but for the most part, I had it on as tight as I could (nearly cutting off blood circulation, but not quite, of course) and it seemed to provide a level of support enabling me to train again.

Lots to catch up on!

Ben, thanks for the note. I don't have insurance and haven't had my wrist looked at yet. Same story for my previous back injuries, and others I've sustained. I just haven't had a "regular" job that provided insurance, nor have I created the budget to fund my own insurance, so I just manage the best I can.

Michael, glad your package arrived! Thank you so much for your support and involvement in our program! All the very best to you!

Over the past two weeks I did an incredible amount of traveling! I saw a whole bunch of members of our website, recruited more members, and signed a bunch of books and sold a lot of Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness clothing. I spent two weekends at Vegetarian Festivals and then did additional traveling in between. I worked at the Seattle VegFest and the Texas VegFest. Both were outstanding, two of the best I've been to in my seven years on the road at these kinds of festivals. I met up with a bunch of long time forum members, including some I hadn't seen in years. I also saw my family, spent a couple of nights in the Olympic National Forest, and met up with a number of role models including Brendan Brazier, Rip Esselstyn, Dr. Esselstyn, and others. Oh, and officially moved into my own place in Austin, TX and it is amazing! I just love it here! I've only spent three nights here but it just rocks so much!

Good times.

Anyway, on to today's workout. My apartment complex has an 11,000 sq. ft gym so I trained here tonight.

With my wrist in a brace, I tackled my first weights in 2 weeks. I did spend 3 days flexing at VegFests and a few days moving, carrying heavy boxes and luggage, so I had some physical exercise, but this was my first night back at it with barbells and dumbbells.

Warm-up:

I ran for about 4 minutes from my apartment to the gym.

Stair stepper for 12 minutes, 63 floors climbed.

Bodyweight squats
30
30
30

Arm circles and stretching

Workout:

Dumbbell lateral raises
10s x 15
12.5s x 12
12.5s x 12

Dumbbell front raises
10s x 15
12.5s x 12
12.5s x 12

Wide-grip pull-ups
12
14
12

Dumbbell shrugs
80s x 20
80s x 20 (I stopped here because it was hard on my wrist to re-rack the weights)

Barbell shrugs
185lbs x 10
185lbs x 10
135lbs x 15

Narrow-grip pull-ups
24
18
16

That was about an hour and I called it good and walked back to my apartment.

It's in the mid-80's out here and I'll be doing a lot of training outside along the trails, pull-up bars, pools, etc.

So pumped to be living in Texas!

Glad to be back on the forum after crazy travel and time-zone changes, and late nights and long days too!

-RC

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