Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Okay, accountability is what it's all about for me... waaah! Let's do it.

Name: IronMum!
Age: 38
Location: Australia
Started: Started weight training about a year and a half ago. Have lost weight and put on mass but have not been disciplined enough with fitness and nutrition (changed that now!)
Goals: To do ONE bicep pullup and one wide grip pullup unassisted; to get bigger; reduce body fat; improve fitness overall; better flexibility; squeaky clean eating; be a poster child for vegan BB/fitness
Eating: Vegan since March 2012.
Workout: Currently 4 day split for weights; aim for cardio daily.
Problems: I have really poor flexibility and need to work more on stretching; perfectionism (hate training without my buddy-spotter as I feel frustrated that I'm not working as hard)
Weight: Currently 70.8kg/156lbs (got down to 67.5kg three months ago then slacked off over winter...) Used to weigh nearly 90kg/198lbs in Jan 2011. Still a lot of body fat to lose.
I had chronic back pain a year ago and horrible slouching. That's all gone now.

Training Journal 15/10/2012
70.3kg
(weight loss of 500g this week, started daily cardio one week ago but super clean eating four days ago)

Going easier on weights as trainer-buddy and I had a break and have jumped in to lots of cardio, so she decided to drop the intensity a bit for now as we focus on fat loss.

Chest and Triceps day
- pushups (wider hands)
- dumbell bench press
- dumbell chest flies
- pushups for triceps
- overhead tricep press
- tricep pulldown

1 hour bootcamp session. Lots of jogging... couldn't do the pushups on toes as I was totally pooped from chest+tris work.
Good eating.
1200 calories burnt (yeah I'm a calorie counter, it's the only way I can keep on track and make smarter choices about food!)

Oh excellent, glad to see that you started your own journal on here.

-Dylan

Thanks Dylan

Today was Back + Biceps day. Again going easier with the weights (well, I'm still grunting and my buddy is helping me) but not at 100% intensity from the get go.

3 sets of 12 reps each of
- wide grip lat pulldowns
- bent over one arm rows
- seated row
- bicep pulldown
- alternating bicep curls
- one arm preacher curls
- cable bicep curls

Cycle class finished by a walk home
1100 calories burnt


Attached is a pic from today. I got my Vegan BB clothing yesterday, I wasn't going to wear it until I lost more weight but I thought you know what, I should be proud of what I've achieved so far. Sure I've slacked off, sure I'd be 10kg lighter if I hadn't hibernated in winter with foccaccias, but hey I'm 20kg down from where I started!

You can tell from this pic that there's body fat to lose, currently I have the rolls of flab and the big belly roll plus 'mummy tummy' (ie the leftover 'pouch' of skin). According to BMI scale I'm in the overweight category and need to drop 5kg before I'm not in that category, but I absolutely have a heap of body fat to drop.

Photo reuploaded to take out the gym toilet

Even though fat-wise this is really good progress from where I began, I consider this my new starting point for losing fat and gaining mass.

Again, not working at full capacity as trainer-buddy and I ease back in to things. All the added cardio is making us feel a little more tired but we're doing fine and will be picking up the intensity with our resistance training next week.

Legs day today:
3 sets of 12 reps each of
- 45 degree leg press (80kg... my PB is a full set of 100kg but 80kg felt so heavy today)
- squats on smith machine
- leg extension
- leg curl
- standing calf press (one leg at a time, holding a plate)
- seated calf press 40kg

Bootcamp session for one hour. Totally pooped now.
1050 calories burnt

best part of the day was receiving Robert's book in the post I could have walked home for 15 minutes but chose to get on the bus so I could start reading now THAT'S an excuse not to exercise!

Shoulders + Abs day today:

12 reps, 3 sets each of
- seated dumbell shoulder press
- dumbell front raises
- shoulder side dumbell lateral raises
- rear delt flies
- ball crunches
- air bike crunches (my flexibility is terrible on these)

Didn't hit my calorie burn limit for today but will make up for it tomorrow and Saturday.

Last minute unplanned rest day today so that meant no cycle class. Cardio tomorrow morning and Sunday will no longer be a rest day-- need to make up for today.

Go Ironmum go!!! You are doing great keep up the awesome work!

_________________
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

thanks!!! You rock!

no bootcamp/cardio this morning Stupid body. Krav maga on tonight though, yeeeeah!

I used to be a boot camp junky!!! I had to quit due to my intense training schedule

_________________
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

I enjoy my bootcamp because it's exercising in the fresh spring air for a change, instead of stinky gym

Legs day today. Trainer-buddy has changed our program to three sets of 10 reps on a heavier weight (instead of 10-12 on slightly lighter). Still grunting though so it's all good!
- leg extension
- squats (was having a very mild freakout about the weight of the bar on my back, need to get my mindset right cos the weight will only get heavier)
- barbell lunges (started off with Olympic bar plus weight, felt too unstable and 'wrong' so I switched to a lighter barbell)
- single leg deadlift
- leg curl
- standing calf raise (holding weight plate)
- seated calf press (yeeoowww)

Bootcamp class for one hour

Some leg photos from today post-workout, forgive the skinned knee. I had to really change the brightness-contrast of the photos to give myself a tan I don't like these photos much, I think Imy legs are more muscular in person, heh!

As you can see, quite a bit of work is need to drop body fat.

Back + Biceps day today, my favourite! Reps have dropped to 10 on harder weight, I'm loving it.

- forward pulldown
- lat pulldown
- seated row
- T-bar row
- back extension
- bicep barbell curls (slight problem with swinging my back a tiny bit when I'm getting tired, thank goodness for strict trainers!)
- incline bicep curls
- hammer curls

Followed up by a cycle class.

My best training this week has been reading Robert's book, in fact that's the best part of my workout because I read it on the bus

post workout photo: yep, more evidence of how much body fat I have to drop! Some days I find it hard not to get discouraged but I started off three dress sizes bigger. I'd like to say I have visible abs but they jiggle too much for that

Chest + Triceps day today:

- wide hands pushups
- flat dumbell press
- incline dumbell flies
- decline dumbell flies
- tricep kickbacks
- standing EZ bar triceps press
- two handed overhead dumbell tricep press
- 1 arm cable tricep suplinated grip

1 hour bootcamp class which was boxing, skipping, jogging

Felt sick all day with no appetite, wasn't sure how training would go but felt better afterwards and got my appetite back.

post workout vanity tricep-under-the-fat photo...

Amazing workout! New PB!

I had a great session this morning. Hit a new PB on shoulder press. Ate a Thrive (Brendan Brazier) energy bar recipe right before workout, and smoothie earlier for breakfast and a Thrive recipe for dinner last night. I haven't eaten like this before for a long time (really good fueling) and I felt so energetic. Previous PB was last week or so, and I was convinced I'd stay on that weight for a few more months, as that has been the pattern and even a 1kg jump feels different halfway through a set. Trainer-buddy only lets me increase weight when I can finish a set unassisted or with minimal assistance on the last few reps. I'm really excited that I've jumped up and convinced my new way of fueling has something to do with it.

Shoulders + Abs day:
- seated dumbell shoulder press (new PB)
- rear delt bentover cable flies (I think...)
- bent over dumbell flies
- front dumbell shoulder raises
- shoulder side dumbell lateral raises
- ab crunches
- oblique crunches

Determined to start eating more nutrient dense foods based on Thrive. Loving some of the recipes but may have to add in more protein on the side. It's a tricky business this wanting to lose body fat but pack on muscle!

Girl tell me about it!! I lift heavy twice a day 4 times a week with a delicate balance of cardio just to maintain my weight while I bulk on the muscle..... worst part is eating on a super tight budget.

_________________
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

Yeah exactly! I tell myself "well hey, this is a consequence of crappy lifestyle choices you made so suck it up!" But at the same time, I am frustrated by my big stomach rolls when doing crunches at bootcamp I also feel really heavy when doing the jogging and I breathe like a dragon.

Speaking of which, morning bootcamp session this morning but where my right hamstring was really sore from the jogging element, my right quad is now super sore and I couldn't do the running without pain. I did a high intensity aerobics class after bootcamp but only managed medium intensity as I couldn't do much with my stupid leg. I couldn't even manage air bike ab crunches because the leg was too sore. so that's annoying.

Today is also day one of me eating nutrient dense foods and trying to fuel my body appropriately for energy and recovery. So I'm considering this my real day 1 of a new program because the eating is going to be squeaky clean.