Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Tue 1st May 2012

Went into the gym today for some mobility work. Warmed up, done various squats with an empty bar. Worked up on overhead squats to 35kg x5 (bar was way too far back at the top, needs practice). Then some snatch grip high pulls just with 60kg (deadlifting tomorrow) - more just to see if i could actually flatten out at the bottom. Got a few videos and definitely improved towards the end. Lots of doubles, last set;




Then some hamstring/groin stretches to finish up.

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My training log

Wed 2nd May 2012
Bodyweight = 84.5kg

Front squat (no belt)
5x5x80kg (paused all reps in last set)

Close grip bench
1x12x67.5kg

DB Bench
1x10x32.5kg DBs

Sumo deadlift (no belt)
1x5x130kg
1x5x150kg
1x5x170kg
1x1x180kg

Speed pulls (conventional)
5x2x85kg

OHP
5x5x50kg

All in all a good session. Finished deadlifts with only slight discomfort in groin after last 2 sets. It's maybe time to start a program with sumo's, they're feeling comfy.

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My training log

Nice OHP mate

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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

Cheers man. Came out of nowhere. Over the last 2 or 3 weeks I'd took 50kg for a single set of 5 and they felt like death. Felt quite easy for 5 sets.

Fri 4th May 2012
Bodyweight = 84.5kg

Squat (no belt)
3x5x100kg

Bench
3x8x60kg

Pendlay rows
1x5x60kg
5x5x65kg

Assisted GHRs
3x10

Weighted dips
1x8x5kg
1x8x10kg
1x10x15kg

Burned out from this point on;
Chins
11

Pushups
16

Had a good workout, was just myself for a change. Glad I have a couple of days rest, beasted it this week. Yesterday I done some overhead squats and barbell complexes with an empty bar.

I think I'm gonna ditch close grip bench, I always feel shitty after it. It's funny, most people get shoulder pain from wide grip then switch to close grip - but close grip just feels way more awkward for me (i'm not going super close or anything). It's always when you try to complicate things and add to many variations and exercises that stuff like this happens.

It's nothing serious, just feeling a bit dodgy.

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My training log

OHP has fast become my favourite lift since getting on 5/3/1...mainly because I hadn't trained a proper strict barbell press before it. I used dumbbell for pressing. So my ohp is pretty wank really but I have made gains.I programmed it off a low 1rm of 50kg in the hope to build a proper base for it, along with boring but big. On my 5/3/1 week last cycle 50kg was my 1 rep set & I smashed out 7 with little trouble, keeping a fair few back as I'd come off a 12hr night shift & headed right to the gym with bbb as the assistance so was pleased.

Glad to see your back hitting it man.....keep after it

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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

Good stuff veggie

Mon 7th May 2012
Bodyweight = 84.6kg
Club closed for bank holiday, workout in the house;

Squat (no belt)
1x5x110kg
1x5x120kg
1x3x130kg
1x1x140kg (equal old PB, and much much deeper)
1x1x150kg (beltless PB +10kg)
5x5x110kg

Bench
1x5x70kg
1x5x80kg
1x3x85kg
1x1x90kg
1x1x95kg (+5kg PB. old was 90x2, i was also 4-5kg heavier BW then)


150kg squat at 1:10
95kg bench at 4:55

Worked the full weekend at work, went out saturday night again. So very little sleep and a lot of time on my feet. I felt really shitty today, joints in my upper body were sore throughout. Had to pop on the wrist wraps for the first time in a while, wrists were killing during bench from the first warmup set. I honestly have no idea where that bench PB came from. I knew benching was going well recently, but not PB territory. Squats my old 140kg beltless is years old (haven't attempted beltless maxes since then), but it was most likely high. Squats today were undboutedly below parallel.

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My training log

Tue 8th May 2012

Pendlay Rows
5x5x80kg



Went to the gym to see my workout partner through his workout, he got a squat PB at 117.5kg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKAIu7Vq2D0
Done some rows while I was in. Pretty solid but using my lower back too much. Pretty sure I'm starting a new cycle next week so will concentrate on keeping it motionless with lighter weight.

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My training log

Wed 9th May 2012
Bodyweight = 83.5kg

Sumo deadlift (no belt)
1x5x140kg
1x5x150kg
1x5x152.5kg
1x5x155kg

Speed pulls (conventional)
5x3x100kg

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My training log

Fri 11th May 2012

Squats (no belt)
3x5x90kg (pause first and last rep)

Front Squats
1x5x70kg (pause first and last rep)
1x5x90kg (pause first and last rep)
1x5x100kg

OHP
1x5x40kg
1x5x50kg

BB curls
3x10x20kg

OHP (behind neck, wide grip)
1x5x30kg
2x5x40kg

Todays workout was a bit of a mess. For the last couple of weeks during bench when unracking the bar (whether myself or getting a handoff) my forearms/wrists have been very sore (monday I was going to do more benching at the end but unracked 70kg for a rep out set and it was too sore). Also on Monday my shoulders/arms been very uncomfortable with the bar on my back for squats.

Have a couple of theories of what it can be, i'm going with either fucking about with olympic lifts (I've injured myself in the past trying hang cleans) or close grip bench press (feels very uncomfortable). Just my whole arm/shoulder area feels like shit and strained. Should heal up as long as I take it easy.

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My training log

I need to get back to doing some OHP's, has been a while. Nice work with all the videos, definately adds that extra dimension to a journal

Do you incorporate deficit deads from time to time mate? I have always found with myself and my clients that they are great for improving grip strength, power and further developing strength through the lumbar region. I don't have a platform at the main gym I lift at, but I improvise with the 20kg plates:



I usually just work up to a final set of 140-160 pulling from a couple of plates.

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1st Place Raw Champs 2011, 2012 (3 raw records)
Training for my first 100 mile running race

WEB: http://jimsty.wix.com/strength-vs-size
FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mini-Forklift/161273440616736?ref=hl
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/user/kiwilifter?feature=mhee

I think I've done them once or twice before (long time ago). I've saw some of the lifters at our club do them as well. My deadlifts were always very fast off the floor so I never seen the need for them. Now, pulling sumo I've noticed I'm slow off the floor with a good lockout. I don't see deficit sumo pulls that often and I'm still trying to get used to the form so probably won't be bringing them in for a while, cheers for the suggestion though!

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My training log

How have found the swap from conventional to sumo?

I tried switching a while back, but I just don't have that flexibility/power through the hips to make them work for me. Most I ever puled sumo was 160, versus 200 pulling conventional style.

All comes down to your individual biomechanics at the end of the day, I'm just not suited well for sumo although if I could make it work I would definately make the switch.

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1st Place Raw Champs 2011, 2012 (3 raw records)
Training for my first 100 mile running race

WEB: http://jimsty.wix.com/strength-vs-size
FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mini-Forklift/161273440616736?ref=hl
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/user/kiwilifter?feature=mhee

Nice work man!! OHP is coming on nicely!!

I finally was fortunate enough to bump into the Scottish powerlifting chap today, whom I've heard a lot About. He's a fucking beast!!! Asked him to have a look at my deads & he pointed out a couple of small things, like coming a little narrower with my stance as an example.

Nice guy, wouldn't wanna take a Slap off of him

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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

Haha, did you get any pics of you with him?

Must be the haggis ?!

_________________
1st Place Raw Champs 2011, 2012 (3 raw records)
Training for my first 100 mile running race

WEB: http://jimsty.wix.com/strength-vs-size
FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mini-Forklift/161273440616736?ref=hl
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/user/kiwilifter?feature=mhee

It feels like a completely different lift for me. The reason I switched was for the life of me I could not pull conventional without rounding my back. I tried taking the weight down and building back up a couple of times but think it was just stuck in my brain. I never got injured, but it would only have been a matter of time.

To be honest I really don't like sumo. It's uncomfortable, setup's a pain in the arse, stupidly slow off the floor at higher weights. Although my lockout is faster, holding it at the top is uncomfortable. But at the same time I can keep my back straight at decent weights (but can't really compare poundages because I haven't had the belt on yet). My beltless 5RM can't be far behind my conventional. I've done 170x6 beltless sumo, and highest beltless conventional i think is somewhere between 175-180 x5.

I'm going to keep plodding away with it though. I have a bad feeling I won't get as much out of a belt on sumo.


Cheers, I don't know where my 5x5x50 came from, because 1x5x50 felt like shit tonight. But I was concentrating more on why my wrists were hurting so damn bad (I didn't setup great either).
Who is this scottish powerlifter you speak of, is it someone who lifts at your gym?

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My training log