Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Yay! Finally starting a training log here .

My goals are to be able to maintain my health well enough to be able to continue to lift heavy weights, go rock climbing, and hiking (or other outdoorsy stuff in general). For those who don't know me (or don't know), I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and when it flares-up, I can't hardly move, let alone workout, go to school, work, etc. Right now I'm on some decent medications that keep things under some degree of control, but the new problem is that they supress my immune system, so I get sick all the time (I currently have a sinus infection ) and I have to get my blood checked all the time to monitor other bad side effects. I can't run at all anymore, and cycling is out as well. I can walk, swim, and use most low-impact cardio machines. I'm not supposed to lift as heavy as I once did, but that is harder to do

So, with that in mind, and having taken the last 6 weeks off of training due to a Geology Field Class, I hit the gym again today for a nice "Welcome Back" session .

25 June 2007 - Monday

Squat:
4 x pistol squats
10 x bar
10 x 65 lbs
10 x 95 lbs
10 x 135 lbs - whoa, too much for first day back,
10 x 95 lbs
10 x 95 lbs

SLDL: 5 x bar, mostly to stretch out hamstrings, paused at the bottom

OH Press:
10 x bar
10 x bar
10 x bar

DB Bench:
10 x 20s
10 x 20s
10 x 20s

Didn't feel like much weight on my back, but boy where my muscles feeling it, my legs are even wobbly after that little bit! Oh well, gotta ease back into these thing .

My plan is to do similar stuff like this all week, then next week start to up the weight and sets, and lower the reps in a standard 3-day split, and through in some more lifts. I'm keen on a good 'ol 5x5 routine, but I'm not entirely sure what the plan will be. I hope to rock climb once or twice a week, even if only at the local rock wall, and go hiking once a week because I've really got a feel for it after my geology class. Some days may be hiking and climbing combined, depends on where I go.

Good times ahead!

Welcome back Crystal.

Welcome back to Square 2 !

Nice to see you back. You are great! I hope you're feeling well soon and that everything is great. You are always so upbeat and fun to chat with so let's talk soon!

Good luck with regaining your impressive strength.

Hi Crystal!
I'm very glad you are back and thanks for sharing a little about your situation! I have a similar situation with health problems and can really relate. I support your efforts to be healthy 100% and promise to keep up with your progress on this online journal

Thanks all, its good to be back

26 June 2007 - Tuesday
Went climbing at a rock wall in Juarez, Mexico last night for about an hour. Its nice there because its quick and easy to access, and free!

Mostly worked on a roof problem set up under the stairs, but warmed-up on the traverse around the bottom of the tower. Good times, except my legs are SORE from Monday's squat session!

Crystal i read an article on the BBC they have found that echinacea can reduce symptoms of flu and cold and shorten the duration of illness. Supplementing with this stuff might help you out. Does eating things like pineapple and taking glucosamine help to reduce damage from the arthritis?

Thanks for the advice CollegeB, I've been taking zinc and vitamin C, but no echinacea right now, I'll have to pick some up sometime soon and give it a whirl. As for the glucosamine, I only recently stopped taking it after about 6 months 'cause it didn't seem to do anything .

27 June 2007 - Wednesday

Bench:
10 x bar
10 x 65 lbs
10 x 75 lbs
10 x 85 lbs
10 x 85 lbs
9 x 85 lbs

Dips:
3 x 5 x bw

CGBP:
10 x bar
10 x 55 lbs
10 x 65 lbs

DB Hammer Curls:
10 x 12.5s
8 x 17.5s
8 x 17.5s

*stretching

Phew, what a workout, this one really drained me and I was shaky the whole way through, welcome back to weights indeed!

29 June 2007 - Friday

Deadlift:
10 x 135 lbs
10 x 155 lbs
10 x 165 lbs
10 x 175 lbs

DB Shrugs:
20 x 40s
15 x 40s
15 x 40s

*stretching

The gym closed early so skipped doing barbell bent rows (and had to stretch out in the hallway), but I'll make up for it with lots of climbing tomarrow

1 July 2007 - Sunday
Sport Climbing today at a local State Park. Starting to feel like I'm getting in shape again, too .

2 July 2007 - Monday

Squat:
6 x pistol squats (ie. one leg sqts)
10 x bar
10 x 75 lbs
10 x 105 lbs
3 x 10 x 135 lbs

SLDL:
10 x bar
10 x 65 lbs
10 x 75 lbs - all paused at the bottom

Superset of
Leg Ext: 3 x 10 x 20 lbs
Leg Curl: 3 x 10 x 20 lbs (both one leg at a time)

Standing Calf:
3 x 15 x 200 lbs

*stretching

Not a bad day


3 July 2007 - Tuesday - Stupid gym is closed tomarrow for Independance Day, so moved my bench day to today.

Bench:
10 x bar
10 x 65 lbs
10 x 85 lbs
3 x 4 x 95 lbs - curses! Was going for 3 x 6

Dips:
5 x bw
6 x bw
6 x bw

Skull Crushers:
3 x 10 x 35 lbs

DB Hammer Curls:
10 x 15s
8 x 17.5s
6 x 20s

*light stretching (so sore from yesterday)

Decent session, could have cranked out one or two more reps on the bench but I had no spotter as usual. Oh well, upward and onward!

4 July 2007 - Wednesday - Happy Independance Day Everyone!
~3 hours of hiking in the Franklin Mountains. I was planning on more, but my legs were still sore and my cardio sucks! Next week I'll try to go a little further a little faster

View of how far I made it (road in distance is ~where I started):


View of northwest El Paso, with cool cloud + shadow:


And it wouldn't be a good hike without a cool critter shot:

It looks beautiful there! I will have to travel to Texas sometime in the future.
Gotta love the lizard

Great photos!

Wow, sorry to hear about your arthritis. Do you find that exercise helps the condition or hurts? I hope it helps. Ciao