Rossco's journal

[esqinchi]

Nice dude! Did it work? Do you feel like you accomplished less because you went straight into the heavy weights instead of more volume by warming up with deadlifts before?

 

Nice work on the carbs mate. Sounds delicious!

[vegan_rossco]

Nah it was still a big victory but I do like doing loads of work prior to the bigger lifts

 

Did a bench session in the garden with a couple of friends today, got rained on real heavy and had to call it off earlier than I wanted..

 

Bench press

After warming up

 

60Kg x 12 reps

70Kg x 8 reps

80Kg x 4 reps

100Kg x 1 rep!

 

Switched to a closer grip

70Kg x 8 reps

60Kg x 13 reps

50Kg x 16 reps

50Kg x 12 reps

50Kg x 11 reps

Feeling the buuuuurn

 

DB overhead press

10Kg x (lost count but lots)

15Kg x 20 reps per arm

15Kg x 18 reps per arm

15Kg x 16 reps per arm

 

Shoulder lateral raises, drop set torture!

Lots and lots of reps until I couldn't move my arms...

 

I've been losing weight pretty steadily recently but starting to stall, weighing myself in the morning so fingers crossed,

Am also down to 11% body fat! I'm seeing some serious abs going on and without the beans and grains I'm never bloated anymore which helps!

I do have a wide torso though... Looking it up and straight away it could be from deadlifts and squats... Dam though would never give those lifts up..

[esqinchi]

Damn dude that's lean! I wish I could get that low. Maybe I need to cut my oats in the morning?

[vegan_rossco]

Well it's certainly worked for me but that's not to say it'll work for everyone, The lack of bloating is fantastic, I feel so normal these days, and sorry to be crude but I haven't farted in a long time hahaha.

I would say it's worth a go dude

[vegan_rossco]

Did a squat and deadlift session with some friends today, nothing major!

 

Squats

After warming up

60Kg x 15 reps

80Kg x 10 reps

90Kg (198lb) x 8 reps

100Kg (220lb) x 6 reps

 

Sumo deadlifts

Getting really good at sumos! Thinking of switching permanently

 

60Kg x 10 reps

100Kg (220lb) x 5 reps

120Kg (264lb) x 4 reps

150Kg (338lb) x 2 reps ( sumo PB!)

150Kg ( x 1 rep

160Kg (352lb) x 1 rep (sumo PB!)

 

Real happy with this!! Just did a bit of assistance stuff nothing major!

[vegan_rossco]

Wanted to train today and had every intention but got screwed over at work... Had to go in early, got soaked in the rain and then my entire shift was a waste of time...

After work I went off the rails with my diet a little bit... Had chocolate and a sugary tea... But the mood I was in I absolutely needed it.

 

Feeling calmer now and getting an early night, bench press tomorrow! That'll definitely clear my head

 

I'm looking and feeling leaner too! Weight is currently at 82.5Kg I think it's safe to say the water weights been dropped and I'm removing the stubborn fat at this stage, I can see my obliques for the first time in a while and I'm noticing that my External obliques are huge! Unfortunately this makes my hips looks kinda wide... Squats and deadlifts could be the cause? Not that il stop doing them

[vegan_rossco]

Got rained off from my outdoor training today... Weather is horrendous in the U.K at the moment so I did this Madbarz routine! Totally kicked my ass

[mrbear666]

4 cycles of that?????? doubt i could do one haha

[vegan_rossco]

Lol! No that's misleading sorry, thats just the total for each exercise at the end of the workout,

It was like 8 dips, 10 knee raises, 6 pull ups, etc..

Won't be doing it again any time soon, much prefer to be under a heavy barbell!

[TankOnTwoLegs]

Hey Rossco,

 

I saw that you are doing basically a Paleo approach to your diet, with not eating grains and what not? I know omnivore's have little issue with that but how does a vegan do when a solid portion of a textbook vegan diet is grain and bean? Can you maybe post what a typical day of eating looks like for you?

[vegan_rossco]

Hey Rossco,

 

I saw that you are doing basically a Paleo approach to your diet, with not eating grains and what not? I know omnivore's have little issue with that but how does a vegan do when a solid portion of a textbook vegan diet is grain and bean? Can you maybe post what a typical day of eating looks like for you?

 

Hey dude, well despite being vegan for 5 years I'm just vegetarian these days so I eat eggs and a little bit of dairy (cheese only)

I don't think it would be easy to the whole paleo thing as a full vegan

 

Here's what I eat on a typical day (I'm cutting at the mo)

 

Meal 1: 3 or 4 eggs scrambled in sunflower spread with an avocado

 

Meal 2: Brazil nuts, frozen cherries/raspberries, protein shake with almond milk, coffee/green tea

 

Meal 3: some form of meat free product (usually quorn) with a salad of cucumber, avocado, spinach, French Mayo, beetroot/whatever veg is in the fridge.

 

Meal 4: either eggs or some form of meat free dish like quorn sausages/burgers, with ALOT of broccoli or button sprouts and Red Leicester cheese.

 

Meal 5: pistachio nuts, green tea/peppermint tea, a few greengage plums.

 

Meal 6: cashews, protein shake with water.

 

I supplement an omega 3,6 capsule and a multivitamin.

 

This all depends on if the Mrs is teaching in the evenings or not as we like to have dinner together, sometimes she'll make a bolognese that I have without pasta, I chuck in as much veg as I can, including chillies

I don't normally snack but if I'm feeling really hungry il have a hot drink (green tea, chai tea, coffee) and a bit of fruit or some nuts to keep me going, calories are currently at 2,050 but when I bulk that goes up to about 3,300

[TankOnTwoLegs]

That looks pretty solid. Quorn is a delicious brand. When I was a vegetarian I ate a good amount of eggs, probably about 6 a day. (I'm allergic to dairy) There has been a bird flu that's swept across the US and depleted a lot of chickens and turkeys, so now stores can't get their supplies in because their suppliers have to establish their flocks all over again. It's making eggs cost $5.50 per 18 pack. It's been difficult getting in my nutrition with grains in my diet because I have digestive issues so it's been frustrating and I've been wanting to omit them since it doesn't feel like they stay in my system long enough to benefit from eating them. Plus with wifey being diabetic, most of the grains we buy are going into my gut and tearing it up. I like how your diet is set up. I drink a lot of tea too. My usual go to snack when I'm hungry between meals is tea with a banana or raisins and sunflower seeds

[vegan_rossco]

Yeah it didn't take long after removing grains to realise how bad they were for me haha, same with beans, especially soy.

I get all my eggs and a large amount of my fruit/veg locally here on the Isle of Wight, feels more natural that way, also just picked up 18 eggs for £1.40 . I still don't identify with the word 'paleo' I find the concept and community a little annoying but I would say my diet was very close to it.

I forgot to include how much regular tea I drink lol, it's s British thing I think, can't get enough of it haha

[TankOnTwoLegs]

It's a lot like any other fitness/nutrition community, you have your intelligent people who just want to spread the word, then you have people who are overbearing asses. I'm sure there are people who feel like the same about the vegetarian/vegan community.

 

That's really cheap for eggs even with the conversion factor. I'm jealous. Beans hurt my stomach but don't give me as violent of a reaction as grains do. Dairy is just a no all the way around. Really glad they have nondairy milks out there in such supply nowadays, when I was younger all they had was soy milk which, of course, wreaked havoc on my stomach. Lol sometimes it doesn't pay to eat.

[vegan_rossco]

I went off the rails with the diet a little bit today... Was stuck indoors most of the morning and had a bowl of cereal... Hasn't affected me too much so it's all good haha, still under my calorie goal

 

I didn't want to tell too many people because I don't want to get my hopes up but I'm so excited at the prospect I have to say something!...

I applied for a job working as an emergency call assessor for the NHS, two of my best friends work in the hub and I went there today for an informal visit and to meet the manager which went very well.

The pay is just over double what I'm earning currently in my shitty supermarket job and it'll be challenging meaning il actually get to use my brain!

Anyways.. Training went well!

 

1 hour walk (in the rain..)

Circuit style training for a couple of rounds,

-Kettle bell swings

-pull ups

-crunches

-push ups

-shadow boxing with 1.25Kg plates in each hand

Was fun but I needed to get the bar out!

 

Sumo deadlifts!! Very slow, very controlled, best form as possible.

60Kg x 10 reps

100Kg (220lbs) x 5 reps

130Kg (286lbs) x 3 reps

150Kg (330lbs) x 1 rep

150Kg x 1 rep

150Kg x 1 rep

100Kg x 10 reps

 

Had enough...

I ran out of broccoli and button sprouts :,(

So as my dinner veg I fried up two whole red onions, some garlic cloves, a few handfuls of frozen mixed peppers and half a red chilli! Beaut!

[esqinchi]

No broccoli man is cause for alarm! Haven't been getting notices of these updates lately for some reason. Anyhow, looks like you're doing well buddy, despite the weather. I thought you liked training in the rain like an animal, no? What else is new? Any luck convincing the Ms. on getting a rower?

[vegan_rossco]

Hey Chris! The rain here has been torrential, just too much to train in unfortunately :/ managed to catch a break today though

No luck with the rower.. I saw one in a charity shop yesterday for only £30 but it was huge and the Mrs was having none of it haha, il keep on though because I would love one!

 

How are things your end?? I haven't been on here much lately so haven't had s chance to catch up on your training log, will pop by shortly!

 

 

I spoke to an old friend recently about my weight loss (he's an experienced bodybuilder) he was shocked at how much I've lost in such a short amount of time and suggested that I either up the calories a little or add in more cheat meals or just refeed more frequently.. So I went for that latter haha, did a weekend long refeed and still stepped on the scales this morning at 81.5Kg! I did have a small spell of nausea and a general feeling of weakness last Thursday (which prompted me to ask my buddy about it) but things are real good at the moment, even managed to eat grains during the refeed and have had no bloating issues.

 

Anyways. I'm babbling..

 

Bench press!

After warming up..

70Kg (154lbs) x 5 reps

70Kg x 5 reps

70Kg x 5 reps

70Kg x 5 reps

70Kg x 5 reps

 

50Kg (110lbs) x 20 reps

50Kg x 20 reps

 

Biceps curls...

Because.... Your mum that's why.

20Kg (44lbs) 1 set of 25 reps

 

Finished off with 5 sets of kettle bell swings, 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off with a 10Kg plate

[vegan_rossco]

Had a killer workout yesterday with a buddy of mine!! Didn't train squats as intended...

 

Deadlifts

60Kg (132lbs). x 20 reps

100Kg (220lbs) x 5 reps

130Kg (286lbs) x 5 reps

150Kg (330lbs) x 3 reps

170Kg (374lbs) x 2 reps

130Kg x 5 reps

130Kg x 5 reps

 

Lots and lots of Aussie pull ups... Not sure just how many haha

 

Finished up with some arms

 

I've already started looking at bodybuilding programmes to follow in October! Just one more painful month of cutting, I can see the light!!!!

[vegan_rossco]

Fridays training

 

Squats 5x5 @90kg (198lbs)

 

Bench press 5x5 @ 72.5kg (159.5lbs)

 

Finished with tri extensions and kettle bell swings

 

Spent yesterday on a big hike with friends, we were looking for caves along the coast for most of it, not sure how long we were walking for but it took a good 4 hours.. also did a huge hill sprint at the end.. definitely earned my Saturday night pizza! Currently suffering with a bad stomach becasue of the pizza...

Hopefully training again tomorrow with friends

[HIT Rob]

PIZZA!!! Your banned from the church of keto, you sinner lol.

 

If your looking into BB / hypertrophy specific training ideas, id strongly recommend getting in touch with Brain Johnston on the Dr Darden HIT forum, he has a few new books and dvds (High density training and Variation - the mother of innovation), best money I ever spent on natural bodybuilding idea material. The mans a genius.

[vegan_rossco]

Hahaha I know man, but a pizza/couple of ciders or wine on a Saturday night is not something I'm willing to drop, especially if I'm feeling miserable, it's gotta be done

 

Well I tried HIT before but didn't like the amount of rest in between workouts so a conventional programme suits me better, im going to do Jim Stoppanis shortcut to size programme with a friend of mine but with a few variations,

For example his programme prescribes no pull ups on back day just last pull downs :s and no dips on chest day!... I'm not saying I know better than him but jeez man what the hell..

 

Training very shortly, gonna give day 1 of shortcut to size a trial run and see how it feels

[vegan_rossco]

Absolutely loved training! Wasn't as strong as I suspected but I'm not used to doing high reps with high volume!

 

Back to my usual training regiment until October!

 

Shortcut to size day 1 (trial run)

Chest and triceps

 

Barbell bench press

50Kg x 15 reps

50Kg x 13 reps

50Kg x 13 reps

50Kg x 15 reps

Rest pause + 6 more reps

 

Barbell incline bench press

35Kg x 15 reps

35Kg x 15 reps

35Kg x 12 reps

Rest pause + 5 more reps

 

Dumbbell flys

10kg x 15 reps

10Kg x 15 reps

10Kg x 15 reps

Rest pause + 8 more reps

 

Triceps extensions (overhead)

17.5Kg x 15 reps

17.5Lg x 15 reps

17.5Kg x 14 reps

Rest pause + 6 more reps

 

Skull crushers

17.5Kg x 15 reps

17.5 Kg x 15 reps

17.5 Kg x 15 reps

Rest pause + 5 more reps

 

Calf raises

4 sets of 30 reps with 2x10Kg plates

Rest pause on last set + 15 reps

 

Really enjoyed it, am looking forward to October!

[HIT Rob]

Hahaha I know man, but a pizza/couple of ciders or wine on a Saturday night is not something I'm willing to drop, especially if I'm feeling miserable, it's gotta be done

 

Well I tried HIT before but didn't like the amount of rest in between workouts so a conventional programme suits me better, im going to do Jim Stoppanis shortcut to size programme with a friend of mine but with a few variations,

For example his programme prescribes no pull ups on back day just last pull downs :s and no dips on chest day!... I'm not saying I know better than him but jeez man what the hell..

 

Training very shortly, gonna give day 1 of shortcut to size a trial run and see how it feels

 

Miserable or not, a wee drop of something wet now and then does ya no harm

 

Brian Johnston isn really HIT per se, he advocates training 3x per week and mostly not training to failure. The techniques he developed focus on optimizing hypertrophy by producing more contractions per unit of time (high density), this is of huge value to the natural bodybuilder, as we dont rely on recovery inhancing drugs.

 

But ethier way, best of luck with whatever appoarch you go with:)

 

Rob

[vegan_rossco]

The Mrs is performing at 'Bestival' here on the Isle of Wight, she's dancing on the port stage with the likes of 'skrillex' and some other artists I hate haha, which means I have the house to myself for the weekend!!! I'm gonna go look at a rowing machine I saw recently, I figure once I've bought it there's nothing she can do about it right??? I'll start planning my funeral immediately after..

 

Haven't really trained since Tuesday but I've been very very active At work.. My dreams have been super weird and vivid, I was told it was something to do with my CNS not being fully recovered... I'm planning to do some deadlifts shortly but won't go too heavy because of that.

 

Also I'm planning to go on a bit of a bender this weekend.. I think the rowing machine will help shed some unwanted calories obtained from the alcohol and bad eating, I don't want to set myself back too much.

Anyways weighed in at 79Kg this morning am gonna try carb back loading on days that I'm able to, I'm stoked!

[esqinchi]

I say get it and teach her to use it, say it does wonders for toning arms . My wife actually loves the rower, and I thought she wouldn't. Sounds like a grand weekend ahead of you mate - have fun!