Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

I binge out of boredom.....

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I do because I can. I can because I want to. I want to because you said I couldn't.

I don't make excuses... I make results

If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you

Today was a controlled day. I controlled my calories, had all my supplements, worked out really heavy and hard, and did my cardio. It is night time and I am not hungry - but actually tired! I added back in 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice, and one piece of bread - no EB and no toasting it, just plain - one slice only.

It was just me and my MP3 player today as I did Chest at the gym. My partner has the virus, or whatever is going around here, and is in full blown sickness mode. Sigh. . . . bummer for me. Though it was fun to dance in between sets - as there was no one really at the gym - even though it is drizzly and grey outside, but it is a Saturday and I went kind of late (4 PM). When I first got to the gym, I saw a couple of guys (high schoolers) that I tease at the gym (always coming in with their huge GNC protein . . um. . buckets - huge pails of whatever GNC had on sale that day) and they said they were heavily into LaCrosse now, so they can't get to the gym whenever they want to. At least I got to say Hi to them as they left. And one older woman commented to me, "Sure is quiet today. I should come at this time all the time!" - so apparently she likes it quiet. It was nice to pick a machine, use it for the set, walk away without anyone stealing it from me, and come back and do another set. I have to confess that I did alittle posing in front of the huge length of the wall mirror in the workout area of the gym - and waved at the cameras for the girls in the gym office who will be reviewing the tape tomorrow morning.

Going to try running with a group that meets at the gym on Sunday morning (8 AM) tomorrow. I wanted to see if running with some people might make me go faster (trying to keep up at least) and burn more calories (they say they go around 5 miles - which is what I already do on the trail - I guess they do sidewalks and subdivision roads). So my leg is still alittle sore, and I am declining to go back to the gym and do some more cardio - save it for tomorrow - and will stop if my leg hurts more from the running tomorrow - petrified that I am going to injury it somehow and won't be able to do cardio!).

Sorry to hear your partner is sick

_________________
I do because I can. I can because I want to. I want to because you said I couldn't.

I don't make excuses... I make results

If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you

Me too! I hate it when anybody gets sick!

Today's run was awesome in its own way. It was at 8 AM, and I got at the gym/starting place, at 7:30 AM and started to warm up on the elliptical (5 minutes only) and stretched out some, when they started to show up. Some guy that runs has a beautiful springer spaniel that came into the gym (and stayed right by her master - such love and loyalty in that dog's eyes made me want to cry because it was so beautiful). Anyways, I was apprehensive as it was not yet 50 degrees outside, just got done with a misty raining, and the wind was blowing. Luckily I was triple shirted and a windbreaker on. Off I went with some vague directions, and what do you know, the famous high school hill was the first thing we tackled! On the ball of my feet all the way up! Passed some of the veteran runners! And now I was alone - and had my sights on the girl with the purple UA shirt in front of me. Passed her when I knew we were on our way back (and confident that I knew how to get back to the starting place). Next on my radar was the lady in a green running jacket. Did not catch up to her, though I tried to sprint thru the parking lot to catch up to her! Her phone APP said she did 10.38 minute miles, and she extrapolated that I probably did 10.50 (and a total of 5.38 miles)! Which is way better than my 12-13 minute miles I usually do. So it did help me to push myself alittle bit more. And my right leg didn't hurt at all while I was running, but it dpes hurt when I turn it out sideways. Weird.

Did Biceps and Triceps this afternoon. Sooooooooooooooo Booooooooooorrrrrring! Nobody in the gym, as it finally got gorgeous outside (laid out in the sun for the specified 20 minutes on the front and on the back), so I figure everybody else was out and about enjoying the gorgeous sunny day. I am going to go for a 3 mile walk tonight instead of going back to the gym to do some cardio. I just ate my seiten salad (I was shaking as I ate it) and I can already feel my energy waning after an hour of eating it. So a walk will do. Especially when it is so nice out! Already looking forward to my last meal of a protein shake!

are you still on track for comp?? where does the name gaia come from?

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Darth Vader from Sandlot once said, "Heroes get remembered, but legends never die." Then he later died.
https://www.facebook.com/BigMeeeeech

I am trying really hard lately. I've upped the cardio, and am fiddling around with my diet too to get to the 160 by the end of this week. My lowest weight was yesterday at 163.6.

Gaia is Greek for Mother Earth. It is not my birth name, but a name I associate with for some reason.

Today was Leg day, which was hilarous, as my calves were so sore from that run up that hill from yesterday's run with the group. I took 2 Ibprofen to ease the swelling a bit, so I could work the quads and the hamstrings. It worked, and I did a pyramid set of ascending weight and descending weight, with reps till failure on each set. I got up to almost my PB's, but I didn't push it today as my legs are not fully recovered from that run.

But that is not all. I started out with a 30 minute 3mph treadmill walk, and then felt fine and did a light 38+ minutes (had to do the 5K island trail on the screen) at level 1. I also ended the day with a 3 mile trail walk at dusk again. My legs feel like tree trunks right now at night, but not really sore . . . yet. As long as I am not injured, I want to keep pushing the cardio (matching the muscles to what they can handle - like walking when they are tired, and hopefully a full 5 mile trail run in 2 days when the weather gets back up over at least 50 degrees so I can enjoy being outside). I have to figure out how to get the weight to start to drop again.

I am loving leg day well I was until I started this program and his HIGH reps on leg day.... I can't wait get back to lifting heavy

_________________
I do because I can. I can because I want to. I want to because you said I couldn't.

I don't make excuses... I make results

If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you

Mental games today with the scale:
Morning: 163.4 (lost .2lbs so far this week)
Went for a 5 mile trail jog: 162.0 (sweat lost)
went to the bathroom after weighing myself, and out of curiousity weighed again: 161.7!

As long as I saw it once on the scale, I am happy! (Might as well, as it usually goes the other way and I get frustrated. So I will celebrate with whatever I have to do to get it there - without actually cheating by hanging on the dresser or doorway to lighten the load!).

Partner came back into the gym today. She looked marvelous as usual, so she really did feel better. She pretty much did a little of everything to warm her body back up to weightlifting - so she doesn't aggravate the shoulder/neck injury again either. I am not going to push her with my workout ethic anymore. I am going to let her intuitively feel what she wants to do.

Sigh. I just seem to be a beast when it comes to building my body, and perhaps as a vegan I can do it faster and healthier. I do hurt myself, but I work around it and smartly apply the other bodyparts. Oh, I do not think I could sit still for awhile. It took all my control to tell myself to not do a bodypart because it wasn't done repairing itself yet (DOMS) during bulking.

I did Back today, and was happy when I did 165lbs for 6 reps on the Lat Pulldown - my bodyweight! I will have to try it next time to see if I can do a Chin-Up by myself (not using the Assisted Machine for help). Today's Back workout focused on quickly doing a warmup set, get to the heavy set of 6-8, and then do a couple of descending sets of 15, going very slow and feeling all the muscle fibers being recruited for the motion. Talk about a Pumped Up feeling. I definitely had the bodybuilder stance going on (back lat spread mostly - as you walk around between sets).

I did a 5 mile trail run this morning, with gusty winds at my face at times, and at 60 degrees. I am sad because it is back down to the 40's now and will stay here for the rest of the week (more gym time in the morning for cardio. . . sigh. Though I do sweat more when the speed is known and I try to keep that speed for the length of time required. love the outdoors more).

After 2 nights of spinning for an hour (on my own listening to my K-Pop blasting from the boombox), I have reached my goal: 160.4 today! And I have yet to go for my 2 hour bike ride!

Since Back day on Wed, I did Arms (Biceps and Triceps are now one workout session) on Thursday, and Chest on Friday. I was 161.2 yesterday morning, and I cut way back on my calories, and after the nights of spinning (and knowing today I would be bike riding) I just couldn't do Legs. I do not know if I will be able to do Legs today. Thinking of skipping to Delts today, and doing Legs tomorrow (switch the days up).

OK, 160 down, now onto 150 by the end of this month!

congrats!!!!!

_________________
I do because I can. I can because I want to. I want to because you said I couldn't.

I don't make excuses... I make results

If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you

great job! yeah i saw gaia as a brand of some product at the healthfood store! and was curious.

_________________
Darth Vader from Sandlot once said, "Heroes get remembered, but legends never die." Then he later died.
https://www.facebook.com/BigMeeeeech

I am getting totally out of control with cardio.

Let's see, I did switched up and did Delts on Sunday, and Legs on Monday. And today I did my Back (after passing out for a 30 minute nap right before going to the gym). And I did heavy weights with 3 ascending and 3 descending sets for each exercise that I did for each bodypart. For the last descending set, I did it really slow and held a static peak contraction for as long as I could: feeling the muscle fibers being ALL engaged and then fatigued till they could hold the light weight no more. Physically draining on me. . . plus all the cardio - that I am loving to do - when I get going. For now, it is slow and steady. Trying to burn only the bodyfat and not glycogen stores.

On the day I did Delts, I did the bike ride for 2 hours and froze all the way! It was too cold for me (I feel like I am becoming the Ice Queen. I never seem to get really warm while exercising - now a hot shower for 30 minutes helped this time to unthaw me out after the bike ride).

Next day was Legs (was able to do the 990lbs on the Leg Press still! some guy was really impressed with me and laughed as I did a little dance after I got off the machine and realized I was still able to do it!), so I did a 2 mile trail walk in the morning and at dusk (didn't seem to hinder the legs with the walking - was not sore the next day).

Today with Back, I did 60 minutes on the Elliptical at level 2 only, keeping the heart rate average around 120 bpm. Now I am thinking of going back to the gym and do some spinning for an hour (low resistance), but I am still feeling shaky after dinner/meal#5. I am waiting for the food to supply energy to my body again. Incorporating sprouts into my diet to help in repairing the abuse I am doing to my body. It feels weird to just grab a handful of Crunchy Sprouts and chew them down, and think Yum! These tastes great (I can tell which ones have radish sprouts in them now - very spicy!). OK, I can feel the energy coming back into my body. Took about an hour and half. If I want to I could also have a sweet potato after the cardio as I popped 3 small ones in the oven tonight, just for fun. One small one with a protein shake before showering (cardio sucks in that I go thru alot of workout clothes in one day - I am still sweating alot during my cardio workouts, and all the fast showers I take during the day! Except the trail walk. . . those I do not sweat enough to warrant a shower and change of clothes).

Still 160.6 this morning (not bad, as the 1st I was 160.4, and had a celebrated cheat meal of lemon vegan cheesecake - but saw a raw mango cheesecake recipe/photo, so that is probably for next week's cheat meal!). Hopefully I can easily get the 2lbs for this week off of me with all this cardio. I have yet to see a 150 something on the scale (I feel like I might be getting into the addiction zone of losing weight - it is on my mind constantly, and every decision is based on that priority).

160.0 even this morning. Geesh, all this work for 0.6lbs loss? Guess so.

Little achy this morning: cold again outside. 40 degrees F. I think this morning is a non cardio time. Maybe this afternoon it will be warmer, and was thinking of doing HIIT by going to the track (2 blocks away from my house at the Elementary School where the high school has there soccer games) and sprinting around, and around, and around, in a circle (sprint on the straight away, and then recover on the the end curves).

Only have to do Arms today in the gym.