BeansNBroccoli Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 Hey All! I'm new to the site but I'm not completely new to veganism or weight training/fitness. I've been vegan for about two years and I've played sports and have been an active cyclist my whole life, although I am starting now to get back into weight training. I'm also still a little new to eating a completely whole foods-based diet, as the first year and a half of my veganism involved a ridiculous amount of processed vegan "food" like fake meat and cheese. I log every workout on WeightTraining.com (profile), and I'm going to try to also log here and record my daily food intake. Hopefully, if I'm doing this right it will serve as a resource, and if I'm not doing something right, someone else can call me out on it and I can get it fixed! I'm very open to constructive criticism and critique of my plans. I'm not following a specific plan, but I've done a lot of reading and combined bits of different plans that I like and that seem to work for me. Currently I weigh around 118-119 lbs, and ideally I'd like to bulk to 125 and I know that may take me half a year or longer if I want to do it clean and keep my fat intake low, but I'm prepared for it. Strength is the primary goal, and size/aesthetics are a close second for me. I've been the skinny kid my whole life and I'm done with it WORKOUT 05Feb2013 (chest/triceps) Incline Bench Press10 x 45lbs8 x 55 lbs8 x 60 lbs6 x 60 lbs (to failure) Incline Dumbbell Fly10 x 12 lbs10 x 15 lbs10 x 15 lbs Tricep Pushdown10 x 40 lbs10 x 45 lbs10 x 45 lbs Skull Crushers (SS w/reverse curls)10 x 35 lbs10 x 40 lbs8 x 40 lbs (failure) EZ-Bar Reverse Curl10 x 40 lbs10 x 40 lbs15 x 40 lbs (time to move up) Machine Fly5 x 88 lbs8 x 75 lbs10 x 63 lbs10 x 63 lbs Dumbbell Bench Press10 x 15 lbs12 x 15 lbs12 x 15 lbs NUTRITION 05Feb2013 Breakfast Juice, fresh n raw (1/2 apple, 1 carrot, 1/2 beet, 1/2 tomato, 1 cup spinach, 1/2 cucumber)Coffee w/soy creamer Homemade high protein pasta (w/Fire Roasted Tomatoes, Shallots, Bell Peppers, and Mushrooms) Homemade Veggie Cobbler (onion, carrots, corn, celery, sweet potatoes, green beans, tofu, a little breading) Hummus w/2 cups raw broccoliClif Builder BarProtein shake (first time trying it!) 2,035 cals276g carb114g protein44g fat I'm including the first of my progress pics, the lowest one from mid-Dec2012 and the two more recent from today, ~2 months of training 3 days a week and the past couple weeks I've really been hitting it hard 5 times a week and watching my fat:protein intake ratios a lot more closely.Front, 15Dec2012Front, 05Feb2013Back, 05Feb2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeansNBroccoli Posted February 7, 2013 Author Share Posted February 7, 2013 Tonight I'm really feeling the workout from earlier this afternoon as well as the workout from yesterday. I woke up this morning (slept a little over 7 hours, Sleep Cycle says my sleep quality was "70%," which somehow measures how long I was in deep sleep) feeling more sore from yesterday than I expected, but I always welcome that morning soreness. Feeling sore the day after just makes me feel like I've actually done work, although I'm sure I'm far from being the only person who feels that way. Started my day off with a fresh raw juice as per usual which was fantastic, but as the day progressed I kept hitting snags and frustrations and by the time I was done with the work day and ready to hit the gym I was really ready to lift hard, get sweaty, and try to work off some of the frustration that I was feeling. WORKOUT 06FEB2013 (legs/obliques)Soundtrack: a lot of Bring Me The Horizon and The Chariot Calf Press15 x 180 lbs15 x 230 lbs15 x 230 lbs15 x 230 lbs Dumbbell Side Bend (each set superset'd with 15 reps Elevated Feet Oblique Crunches)15 x 30 lbs15 x 35 lbs15 x 35 lbs Squat10 x 70 lbs10 x 80 lbs10 x 90 lbs10 x 90 lbs10 x 90 lbsNOTE: usually I can hit 15 x 110 easily, but I backed weight way down today because I feel my form has been less than perfect and I wanna get my ass to the grass on these before I move up again, so I just increased the number of sets. Kettlebell Windmill (each set superset'd with 15 reps Spiderman Planks)15 x 12 lbs15 x 12 lbs10 x 18 lbs NUTRITION 06FEB2013 Morning Juice, Fresh n Raw (cup broccoli, 1/2 apple, 1 carrot, 1/2 beet, 1/2 cucumber, 1/2 tomato, 1/2 cup strawberries)Coffee w/Soy CreamerBanana 2 servings Homemade Moroccan Lentil Soup (lentils, garbanzos, white kidney beans, carrots, onions, tomatoes) Homemade Pasta from yesterday (high protein whole grain pasta, tomatoes, green pepper, shallots, mushrooms) Clif Builder BarProtein Shake2 cups raw broccoli w/4 tbsp hummusBanana 2013 kcal117g protein314 g carbs43 g fat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegan_rossco Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Yo! Welcome aboard, I'll be sure to follow your training along! Looks good so far matey plenty of compound movements there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeansNBroccoli Posted February 7, 2013 Author Share Posted February 7, 2013 Thanks Ross! Your log is one of the ones I've been following for a week or so before actually signing up. You're a lot of motivation! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.O. Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 See, this is why I love this site so much. New members jumping in, posting quality routines and meal plans right off the bat because there are so many good examples from others here to work off of. -Dylan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegan_rossco Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 That means a lot thanks glad I've been some motivation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeansNBroccoli Posted February 8, 2013 Author Share Posted February 8, 2013 @DylanYeah, all of the fantastic plans and information on this site have really helped me out, especially in terms of focusing in on my goals and setting standards so I can actually reach them. It's great to have a forum where you can talk about lifting and bulking and not be told that the only way to do it is to go drink some whey protein and then eat an entire bird every day hahI hope that I can help continue some of the already excellent content this forum has. I feel I always learn the most from looking at what other people are actually doing versus hypothetical proposed plans, and then seeing the real-life outcome of the work people are putting in. It's all more motivating for me and gives me a lot more drive to actually get out there and get work done. Another thing that I've liked about this site is that I haven't come across the sexism that I think is sometimes a big problem on other weight training sites. It feels like here, if you wanna lift big, you're encouraged to lift big. If you wanna lose weight, you're encouraged to lose weight. The general atmosphere seems a lot more supportive and positive, and I really like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegan_rossco Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 You're right about the atmosphere on the forum dude, its like a little community of intelligent people as opposed to most fitness forums which are full of lad/bro types being sexist and using the word 'banter' to justify being complete assholes.Occasionally someone will join and be extremely rude, or even attempt to troll the site but they're always removed pretty quickly haha anyway like I said before I'll definitely be following you on your journey my friend take care Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeansNBroccoli Posted February 8, 2013 Author Share Posted February 8, 2013 Snowed like crazy yesterday in Chicago, and when I was given the option to go home early, I hit the gym early instead and let myself have a nice long lifting session, full of stretching and jump roping between sets. This workout made me feel really solid. Pull-ups are really hard for me, and getting a better lat spread is definitely a goal, so I've decided to do some wide-grip negative pull-ups every few days.Biking 6 miles in the crazy Chicago snow yesterday really hit my already sore legs, too! Feelin fantastic. WORKOUT 07FEB2013 (back/biceps) T-Bar Row10 x 55 lbs10 x 55 lbs10 x 55 lbs Wide-Grip Negative Pull-ups3 sets, 5 reps each Wide-Grip Lat Pull-down (SS w/hammer curls)10 x 70 lbs10 x 70 lbs10 x 80 lbs Hammer Curls10 x 20 lbs10 x 20 lbs8 x 20 lbs (to failure) Close-Grip EZ-Bar Curl (SS w/concentration curls and 21's)10 x 35 lbs10 x 35 lbs10 x 35 lbs Concentration Curls10 x 15 lbs10 x 15 lbs10 x 15 lbs 21's (I never know whether to count these as 21 reps or 7 reps, but I'm sure you get the idea)21 x 35 lbs21 x 35 lbs21 x 35 lbs NUTRITION 07FEB2013 Morning Juice, Fresh/Raw (1 cup broccoli, 1/2 orange, 1 carrot, 1/2 cucumber, 1/2 cup strawberries)Coffee w/Soy CreamerCouple handfuls Pistachios (~1/3 cup) Homemade Moroccan Lentil Soup (Lentils, garbanzos, white kidney beans, carrots, onions, celery) Salad w/2 cups spinach, 1 cup pinto beans, 1 cup diced tomatoes, balsamic vinaigrettePabst! 2.5 cups raw broccoli w/3 tbsp hummus1 package Trader Joe's Complete Oatmeal, Maple & Brown Sugar in water (if you have a Trader Joe's near you, this stuff is great. tons of protein and calcium) Clif Builder Bar 10 oz SoymilkFuji Apple3 tbsp raw peanut butterHomemade chocolate chip cookie dough protein bar (Larabar copy from ohsheglows.com (recipe), really delicious but a little high in fat) 2,399 kcal290g carb102g protein88g fat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeansNBroccoli Posted February 9, 2013 Author Share Posted February 9, 2013 This afternoon my motivation was the promise of a craft beer on the train ride home, and pushing as hard as I can because tomorrow's rest day and that means today is the day to go big as hell. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow because it's Saturday and my girlfriend actually has the day off (we rarely get to spend entire days together because of work schedules). Last night's sleep was really horrible (50%), and I think it's because I woke up a couple times to one of our dogs wandering around the bedroom, looking for trouble to get into. He's pretty convinced that if he isn't sleeping, I shouldn't be sleeping. Good thing he's so cute WORKOUT 08FEB2013 (abs/shoulders) Military Press (SS'd with dumbbell shrugs)10 x 35 lbs10 x 45 lbs10 x 45 lbs10 x 45 lbs Dumbbell Shrug10 x 45 lbs10 x 45 lbs10 x 45 lbs10 x 35 lbs Ab Plate Twist (SS'd with 3-point plank for 1:00)15 x 25 lbs15 x 25 lbs15 x 25 lbs Air Bicycle and Roman Chair Leg Raise Super Set3 sets of 15 reps/exercise Arnold Press10 x 15 lbs10 x 15 lbs10 x 15 lbs Front to Side Raises10 x 8 lbs10 x 8 lbs10 x 8 lbsNOTE: I'm not 100% sure what to call these. My trainer friend in college showed them to me. Essentially it's a front raise, then move arms to the side and down to the starting position for a side raise. Then side raise and bring arms/weights back together with arms extended in front of your body in a front raise, then back down to starting for one rep. Whatever they're called, this combo of front/side raises always kills and I really enjoy it. Leg Press10 x 90 lbs10 x 110 lbs15 x 110 lbsI decided to throw these on at the very end of my workout because legs are usually Wednesday so I have plenty of time to recover, and I've been feeling really weak about my squat lately. It feels like when I squat, my back is what's actually stopping me from putting on weight rather than my legs. All of these sets were completely ass to ankles, literally. I touched down at the stop in the machine for every rep before going back up. Any tips regarding this would be very much appreciated, especially as to whether it might be preferable to switch to just leg press for at least awhile rather than doing squats. I have no intentions of competing, so being able to do squats for competition isn't a consideration for me. I just want to be strong and put on some muscle and weight. NUTRITION 08FEB2013 Breakfast Juice, fresh n raw! (broccoli stalk, 1 carrot, 1/2 cucumber, 1/2 tomato, 1/2 cup spinach, 1 cup strawberries)Homemade Breakfast Burrito (tofu, black beans, kidney beans, garlic, onion, bell peppers)Coffee w/Soy Creamer Salad w/2 cup spinach, 1 avocado, 3/4 cup pinto beans, and 1.5 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette dressing 1 Can Butter Beans Protein shake w/two scoops protein today (usually only 1)Clif Builder BarWhite Rascal Beer (found out that my favorite beer has 1.5g protein today when I scanned it into my food tracking app! win!) 2,353 kcal298g carb151g protein60g fat I probably won't be back to log again until Sunday, because tomorrow will be entirely devoted to resting up and relaxing with my favorite person in the world. Thanks for stopping in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeansNBroccoli Posted February 13, 2013 Author Share Posted February 13, 2013 Stayed out of the gym for the weekend and into Monday, but I made up for it with some biking and generally just being really active for those few days. Generally I do a little lifting on the weekends from home, but I was lucky and had my lady home for most of the weekend so I had other priorities.Got back into it yesterday though, goin hard. WORKOUT 12FEB2013 (chest/tris) Dumbbell Bench Press 10 x 15 lbs10 x 25 lbs10 x 25 lbs10 x 20 lbs Tricep Pushdown 10 x 45 lbs10 x 45 lbs10 x 45 lbs Incline Bench Press8 x 55 lbs8 x 50 lbs8 x 50 lbs8 x 50 lbsNOTE: I was really disappointed in my incline bench, but later realized it's likely due to the fact that I went harder than usual with the flat bench. My chest is probably my least developed area, so it's easy for me to get disappointed when I can't pull the numbers I want to. Any advice for a better way to build chest strength than what I'm already working with would be greatly appreciated. Incline Dumbbell Fly10 x 15 lbs10 x 15 lbs10 x 15 lbsNOTE: These were really tough as well, but I used some of the frustration that I was feeling from the shitty incline bench day to push 'em as hard as I could and knocked out all of my sets. Behind Head Skull Crusher10 x 40 lbs10 x 40 lbs10 x 40 lbs Reverse EZ-Bar Curl10 x 45 lbs10 x 45 lbs10 x 45 lbs Dumbbell Kickbacks10 x 10 lbs10 x 10 lbs10 x 10 lbs Then, later, after I got home... I ate dinner and was a little blazed and still feeling like pumping so I decided to use the bar I have at the house to start training deads and this happened... EZ-Bar Curl10 x 40 lbs10 x 40 lbs10 x 40 lbs10 x 40 lbs10 x 40 lbs Deadlift 10 x 40 lbs10 x 40 lbs10 x 40 lbs This was literally the first time I've ever done deadlifts and I used the maximum weight I've got at home. Usually when I lift at home I increase the reps like crazy because I just don't have the weight that I'd use at the gym. It felt good using a much lower weight than I'm sure I could pull because I focused very closely on my form which is really important when learning a new lift. I think I'm ready to tackle this one in-gym with substantially higher weights. NUTRITION 12FEB2013 Homemade Breakfast Burrito (tofu, black beans, kidney beans, onions, garlic, green and red bell peppers, whole grain tortilla)Coffee w/Soy Creamer Homemade Lentil/Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie (2 servings) Homemade Creamy Broccoli and Bean Soup (new recipe - tasted way too healthy even for me. i don't think i'll be making this one again, not enough nutritional content to make the taste worth it hah) Almond Milk w/Protein Shake (2 scoops again)Clif Builder BarPabst! 1,989 kcal269g carb129g protein40g fatNOTE: obviously i struggled with total kcal intake today... some days are better than others. i had intended to eat a double portion of the broccoli and bean soup which would've bumped me another 300 but honestly just could barely get through the first one, so i stashed the extra and will try to slam it post-workout today. in retrospect i should've made myself a juice at the end of the day but life got in the way. oh well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaël1611124383 Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 Hi BnB, you started a detailed log and i will be following your progress. your meals could be an inspiration for myself. just a question, you're into hardcore/metal(core) music?Greetz! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeansNBroccoli Posted February 20, 2013 Author Share Posted February 20, 2013 Hey Michaël! Thanks for dropping by. Yeah, I'm really into hardcore/metalcore. I played bass/guitar in bands for years, but my position these days is usually more that of a spectator/elbow thrower in the crowd hahThere's not much that gets me pumped up to go push plates as hard as I can better than bands like Converge and The Chariot and gLASSJAW. Pretty much any music where there's just completely raw emotion and I can picture the frenzy in my mind is the absolute best. Sometimes I even listen to my own band(s), but I don't usually advertise that as it makes me feel incredibly narcissistic I'm backlogged on these, but I'm going to update a few days at once. WORKOUT 13FEB2013 (legs n obliques) Leg Press (taking a break from squats because my back isn't feeling it, and I want to get those quads pumped)10 x 140 lbs warmup10 x 160 lbs10 x 160 lbs10 x 130 lbs dropset Dumbbell Side Bend (SS'd with 20 elevated feet oblique crunches)15 x 35 lbs15 x 35 lbs20 x 35 lbsNOTE: these are some of my favorites these days, and they're really getting my obliques popping. who cares about obliques? i do. apollo here i come. Dumbbell Windmill (SS'd with 15 spiderman planks)15 x 12 lbs12 x 15 lbs10 x 15 lbs Deads10 x 50 lbs10 x 50 lbsNOTE: first time hitting these in the gym. felt a little self conscious about the little baby plates on the end of my bar but everyone's gotta start somewhere. Calf Press15 x 180 lbs warmup15 x 230 lbs15 x 230 lbs15 x 230 lbsNOTE: starting to see some really good definition in my calves from these, and my calves were already pretty solid from all of my biking. nice. Also, ended up walking 4 miles home from the bar in the middle of the night with my girlfriend, so I think that counts for something. NUTRITION 13FEB2013 Breakfast juice, fresh n raw (don't recall exactly but probably apples, broccoli, bok choy, carrots, a beet, etc)Coffee w/Soy Creamer Homemade Black Bean and Bulgur Chili TJ's Complete Oatmeal2 Clif Builder Bar (1 post-workout, 1 late at night because i was hungry and walgreens isn't very clean-vegan friendly)A lot of beer (girlfriend and i went out for pre-valentines shenanigans)A couple bananas 1921 kcal83g protein266g carb29g fat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jungleinthefrunk Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 Why do u want to keep fat intake low?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeansNBroccoli Posted February 20, 2013 Author Share Posted February 20, 2013 I try to get good fats in my diet with stuff like nuts and avocados, but I know my own personal tendency to go overboard with both of those things. I've also only been eating really clean for the past six months or so, and my diet before that had a lot of processed stuff with a lot of fat in it, so I'm really conscious of it now.I'm certainly not anti-fat, but trying to keep my calories in check while getting as much protein as I want to get in kind of necessarily restricts my fats and carbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeansNBroccoli Posted February 20, 2013 Author Share Posted February 20, 2013 WORKOUT 15FEB2013 Military Press10 x 35 lbs warmup10 x 45 lbs10 x 45 lbs10 x 50 lbs Dumbbell Shrug10 x 45 lbs10 x 45 lbs10 x 45 lbs Ab Plate Twists (SS'd with 1 min three point planks)15 x 35 lbs15 x 35 lbs15 x 35 lbs Dumbbell Front to Lateral Raises 10 x 8 lbs10 x 8 lbs10 x 8 lbsNOTE: these still burn so bad, but my shoulders look so damn good while i'm doing them that it's okay. Air Bicycle/Roman Chair Leg Raise Supersets15 reps for 3 sets EZ-Bar Curl (because it was friday and i knew i wouldn't hit biceps again until at least sunday or monday at home and i just love the pump)10 x 50 lbs10 x 45 lbs10 x 45 lbs NUTRITION 15FEB2013 Almond "yogurt" with apple cinnamon granola and blueberries Homemade Black Bean and Bulgur Chili Homemade Sweet Potato and Lentil Shepherd's Pie BananaClif Builder BarA couple beers (it's just party central this week, I guess!)Strawberry Unfrosted Poptarts (had a houseguest bring over the most vegan food he could find in his house for our group valentine's dinner last night, very sweet thought, and someone's gotta eat those poptarts...) 1959 kcal61g protein319g carb32g fatehhhhhh not my best ratios this week! but there was a lot of celebrating around valentines day, even though my girl and i don't really celebrate. i suppose weeks like this are why i'm so controlled about my nutrition the rest of the time when it's not party time... so that when it's party time, i can party! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeansNBroccoli Posted February 20, 2013 Author Share Posted February 20, 2013 Okay! Valentine's week is over and so are all of my excuses to eat processed junk and skip days in the gym. WORKOUT 19FEB2013 Dumbbell Bench Press10 x 20 lbs10 x 25 lbs10 x 25 lbs10 x 25 lbsNOTE: switching from the bar to dumbbells has certainly helped my form and comfort with the press. i can also definitely feel it in my chest now, rather than feeling the most push in my arms. i think i'll stick with dumbbells for at least a little while. Skull Crushers (SS'd with Reverse Curls)10 x 40 lbs10 x 45 lbs10 x 45 lbs EZ-Bar Reverse Curl10 x 40 lbs10 x 45 lbs10 x 45 lbs Tricep Pushdown10 x 45 lbs10 x 45 lbs10 x 45 lbs Incline Dumbbell Bench Press10 x 20 lbs10 x 20 lbs10 x 20 lbsNOTE: same as the flat bench, this feels much better and much more targeted. my chest is my weakest spot in terms of visible development, and i hope hitting these presses with DBs instead of the BB will help me make more progress. Dumbbell Kickbacks10 x 10 lbs10 x 10 lbs10 x 10 lbs Machine Fly 10 x 64 lbs10 x 64 lbs10 x 64 lbsNOTE: added these on because i just didn't feel like i hit my chest hard enough today, with being a little cautious about the dumbbell presses. NUTRITION 19FEB2013 Breakfast Juice, Fresh n Raw (Broccoli, Carrot, Beet, Apple, Orange, Celery)Homemade Spinach and Broccoli Breakfast Burrito (w/butter beans and tofu, whole wheat tortilla)Coffee w/soy creamer Homemade Spinach/Mushroom Lasagna Rolls (2 servings) Homemade Vegan Baked Beans Clif Builder Bar2 BananasProtein shake 2201 kcal130g protein323g carb36g fatsnutrition is back on track! i made tons of food over the weekend; our entire fridge and freezer are completely stocked with soups and lasagna rolls and baked beans and a million frozen burritos for easy eating this week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeansNBroccoli Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 Leg n Oblique day has quickly become my favorite, which is a far cry from when I started training again in November or so and all I ever wanted to do was get the biggest bicep pump I possibly could before going home WORKOUT 20FEB2013 Dumbbell Side Bend (SS'd with elevated feet oblique crunches, 15 each)15 x 35 lbs15 x 40 lbs15 x 45 lbs Leg Press10 x 130 lbs warmup10 x 160 lbs10 x 160 lbs10 x 160 lbsNOTE: this continues to feel so, so much better than squatting for me. I'll probably hit squats again in a few weeks, but for the time being, I'm really enjoying just hitting the leg press and getting a little more isolation. Kettlebell Windmills (SS'd with spiderman planks, 15 each)10 x 18 lbs10 x 18 lbs10 x 18 lbs Calf Press15 x 230 lbs warmup15 x 250 lbs15 x 270 lbs15 x 270 lbsNOTE: i think it's time to hit 300 on these. 270 just flies by too easy. NUTRITION 20FEB2013 Breakfast Juice, fresh n raw (broccoli, orange, strawberries, spinach, carrot)Homemade Breakfast Burrito (pinto beans, bell peppers, onion, tofu, garlic, whole wheat tortilla w/flax seeds)Coffee w/soy creamer Homemade Lasagna Rolls (Spinach, tofu, mushrooms, onion, homemade tomato sauce) Clif Builder BarProtein Shake 1463 kcal123g protein191g carb31g fat...so far. i may or may not update that tomorrow after i've finished eating for the day. i think there's some cereal and peanut butter really calling my name right now, and i haven't even eaten proper dinner yet, so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.O. Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Haven't seen you post in a bit, are you still gettin' after it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeansNBroccoli Posted April 24, 2013 Author Share Posted April 24, 2013 I haven't been logging on here much but I've been keeping up with my training. Currently following the Power Muscle Burn program roughly with some minor changes to specific lifts just to incorporate movements that I'm comfortable with and stay completely away from machines other than the leg press and lat pulldowns. My biggest challenge lately is just to eat enough - my appetite hasn't been what it should be and I've had a few bad experiences with my protein shakes lately so I'm a little leery of them. I think I probably need to try a new brand or start making shakes with fruit in them because soy milk and protein powder is just really grossing me out lately to the point where I can't drink it. I started taking creatine a week and a half ago, and I think it's helping. It's difficult to tell because I started it at the same time as I started this new program, so I'm not sure whether the increased muscle soreness I've had this past week is due to getting a couple extra reps out with the help of the creatine or if it's due to changing my plan of attack with training. Either way, I've had some intense DOMS this week but in the best possible way. My training has continued to shift more and more towards big compound movements, and I've enjoyed the pump that comes with the huge burn out sets that I've added to the end of my workouts as part of the new program. I'm now doing deadlifts twice a week and it makes me feel really solid and strong. Yesterday I trained quads and hamstrings. Back Squat10 x 90 lbs10 x 100 lbs10 x 120 lbs6 x 130 lbs6 x 130 lbs RDLs10 x 95 lbs10 x 105 lbs10 x 115 lbs6 x 125 lbs6 x 135 lbs6 x 135 lbs Leg Press10 x 160 lbs10 x 170 lbs10 x 170 lbs20 x 150 lbs (burnin it out)20 x 150 lbs (completely shaky at this point, crawling out of the gym) I really want to gain some confidence with front squats and add them into my quad/ham rotation. The few times I've tried I couldn't really figure my form out. I'm also going to try to get some video soon hopefully so maybe someone can check my form for me and give me some pointers? The one friend I lift with occasionally doesn't really get into the big lifts so he's not much help in form critique, so I could definitely use input. And here's some progress photos from the other day (actually from 4/12/2013, but apparently I was getting ahead of myself hah): Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeansNBroccoli Posted April 24, 2013 Author Share Posted April 24, 2013 Today was chest and biceps. Bench press is slowly but surely becoming more comfortable, and the dumbbell bench press is showing real progress. I'll be moving up weights for the dumbbell press next week for sure. I still hold myself back a little with the barbell press because of not having a spotter and preferring to err on the side of caution. Someday maybe I'll have a friend to lift with and trade spots... Bench Press 10 reps x 45 lbs6 reps x 75 lbs6 reps x 75 lbs 4 reps x 80 lbs Alternating Hammer Curl 5 reps x 30 lbs 5 reps x 30 lbs5 reps x 30 lbs Wide-Grip Incline Bench Press 10 reps x 60 lbs 10 reps x 60 lbs 10 reps x 60 lbs Alternating Dumbbell Curl 12 reps x 20 lbs 10 reps x 25 lbs 8 reps x 25 lbs Dumbbell Bench Press 12 reps x 25 lbs 12 reps x 25 lbs 12 reps x 25 lbs EZ-Bar Curl 12 reps x 45 lbs 12 reps x 50 lbs12 reps x 50 lbs BURN SETSSSSSSPec Deck 30 reps x 63 lbs 30 reps x 63 lbs EZ-Bar Preacher Curl 30 reps x 30 lbs30 reps x 30 lbs Also, have a post-gym pumped obnoxious bathroom mirror selfie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vegan Aspirant Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 Hey Beans, looking really lean there! Nice going, keep up the good work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeansNBroccoli Posted April 30, 2013 Author Share Posted April 30, 2013 Yesterday I hit chest and biceps again. I skipped a couple workouts last week because of some personal/job stuff that I've got going on, I just didn't have the time or the motivation really to get in there and get it done so I gave myself a little extended rest. Of course, resting for me isn't necessarily "resting"... I still got in some good bike rides (30 miles on Saturday - it was absolutely gorgeous outside) and some rollerblading with my girl, because she's trying to learn how to rollerblade for the summer and I've had skates on my feet since I learned how to walk so I'm all for it. Anyway, I'm back full steam in the gym this week and my eating has been much more on track for the past few days. I'm still lacking in appetite a little, but I'm overcoming it and shoveling in those calories anyway. I figure eventually it'll come back up and I don't want to sacrifice the gains I could be making just because it's a little tough to eat sometimes. I've been focusing really hard on improving my bench press and I'm starting to see some great improvements. Week three on this program is feeling fantastic so far. I'm not seeing a lot of aesthetic changes (outside of some increased vascularity, which is fantastic in and of itself), but my strength gains are undeniable. I feel like every week I'm moving up weight or moving up reps and that type of progress is a great motivator. Today I'll hit quads and hams, so it's a big day for squats and RDLs and I'm planning to use the safety bars like MF recommended and see what it does for my confidence. Wish me luck! Bench Press 10 reps x 65 lbs5 reps x 75 lbs5 reps x 80 lbs4 reps x 80 lbs (had to rack the bar after 4 because I couldn't get 5 all the way up)5 reps x 75 lbs Alternating Hammer Curl 5 reps x 30 lbs6 reps x 30 lbs6 reps x 30 lbs Wide-Grip Incline Bench Press 10 reps x 60 lbs10 reps x 60 lbs8 reps x 65 lbs Alternating Dumbbell Curl 10 reps x 25 lbs10 reps x 25 lbs12 reps x 25 lbs Dumbbell Bench Press 10 reps x 30 lbs8 reps x 30 lbs10 reps x 25 lbs EZ-Bar Curl 10 reps x 55 lbs10 reps x 55 lbs8 reps x 55 lbs (to failure) Incline Dumbbell Fly 20 reps x 10 lbs 20 reps x 10 lbs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.O. Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 Good pics, seeing some progress! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeansNBroccoli Posted May 1, 2013 Author Share Posted May 1, 2013 (edited) Felt a little more rushed than I would have liked to today, so I kept it pretty simple and to the point. Now it's been a super long day and I'm about to make myself a fruity protein smoothie and go lay in front of some Law and Order with my dogs. I take my relaxing very seriously. Back Squat 10 reps x 95 lbs5 reps x 125 lbs4 reps x 130 lbs5 reps x 130 lbs5 reps x 130 lbs Romanian Deadlift 6 reps x 135 lbs5 reps x 135 lbs3 reps x 145 lbs5 reps x 135 lbs Leg Press 10 reps x 170 lbs12 reps x 170 lbs 12 reps x 170 lbs20 reps x 130 lbs20 reps x 130 lbs I also recorded a couple form videos, partially for myself to critique my own form and partially to post up and see what critiques other people have. I think I could get deeper on my squats and try harder to not round my back in my RDLs, and any other suggestions/criticisms are very welcomed. Thanks! Edited May 3, 2013 by BeansNBroccoli Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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