mikkei

24 hour trip! That's dedication man! Welcome back!

I can't handle them because of the alcoholic content. Everyone else I know except for my girlfriend and I love them though. I kinda feel like I'm missing out. haha.

I think bringing your own lunch to work would be a great idea. I bring fruits and veggies to work and that's fine for me. If it's a longer shift I'll bring a jar of green smoothie too. You're not wrong to consider going raw as the next step in your veganism. There are just a lot of view points out there as to whether or not you get the most nutrition by eating your food in its natural state. Some people swear by it, some people don't. I personally do. haha. There are a ton of people on the forum that are raw foodies: myself, leanandgreen, tasha, and I think Rainra. I'm sure there are many others I'm forgetting. I'd recommend trying it out for two weeks to a month and seeing how you feel about it afterwards. Before I tried it, the idea scared the hell out of me, but then my girlfriend got me to try it for a week and it was simply amazing. That was a year ago. So, the important thing I think is to find out what works for you and stick with it. Your list of "good foods" is amazing. It's making me hungry! And I just finished eating a pound of sprouted lentils! Later!

Some people were asking for my routine lately, so I'd figured I'd post it here. This is pretty typical, but I'll change it up from time to time, switching out old exercises for new ones or regroup bodyparts, like today I did biceps/triceps, which isn't typical for me, but still cool. Almost everything here is with weights, except some leg exercises on machines. Here's my routine: Day 1: Back/Biceps Bent-over Dumbbell Rows, Lat Pull Down, Back Hyper Extensions, Deadlifts, T-bar rows. Double Biceps Cable Curl, Concentration Curls, Barbell Curls, Dumbbell Hammer Curls, Preacher Curls 6-8 reps each exercise Day 2: Legs Barbell Squats, Dumbbell Lunges, Leg Extensions (machine), Leg Curls (machine), Lying Hip Thrusts, Seated and Standing Calf Raises, Side Leg Raises 12-15 reps each exercise Day 3: Chest and Triceps Dumbbell Kick Backs, Overhead Triceps Extensions, Rope Cable Pushdown, Reverse Bench Dips, Dips Bench Press, Dumbbell Press, Dumbbell Flies, Dumbbell Pullovers, Cable Cross Flies 6-8 reps each exercise Day 4: off Day 5: Shoulders and Abs Dumbbell Shrugs, Barbell Shrugs, Lateral Dumbbell Raises, Military Press, Front Dumbbell Raises Decline Crunches with weight, Machine Crunches, Leg Raises and Medicine Ball Crunches (way better if you have a training partner). 6-8 reps each exercise. Day 6: Whatever body part group needs more work. Maybe do circuit training instead. Day 7: Off

Yesterday was an off day, my back was still a bit sore from my last back session, so I figured I'd lay off a bit and just hit the gym harder today. I did do 3 sets of 14 pushups at work though. April 29th 2009 - today I did biceps and triceps and had a great time. Dips and overhead dumbbell triceps extensions: bodyweight x 6 to 25lbs x 10 bodyweight x 6 to 30lbs x 8 bodyweight x 6 to 30lbs x 8 bodyweight x 4 to 30lbs x 6 Close-grip EZ Curl to Seated Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 45lbs x 10 to 15lbs x 6 45lbs x 8 to 15lbs x 6 45lbs x 8 to 15lbs x 6 45lbs x 7 to 15lbs x 7 Cable Pushdown with straight bar to Dumbbell Kick Backs: 40lbs x 12 to 15lbs x 9 50lbs x 8 to 12.5lbs x 10 50lbs x 8 to 12.5lbs x 10 50lbs x 8 to 12.5lbs x 10 Double Biceps Cable Curl to Rope Hammer Curl with a supination at the end: Dropset (40lbs, 30lbs, and 20lbs) to dropset (40lbs, 30lbs, and 20lbs) Dropset (40lbs, 30lbs, and 20lbs) to dropset (40lbs, 30lbs, and 20lbs) Dropset (40lbs, 30lbs, and 20lbs) to dropset (40lbs, 30lbs, and 20lbs) Dropset (40lbs, 30lbs, and 20lbs) to dropset (40lbs, 30lbs, and 20lbs) Concentration Curls: 12.5lbs x 6 10lbs x 7 Bench Dips: Bodyweight x 15 Bodyweight x 15 Plate Pinch for grip: Two 10lbs plates x 10 each side Two 10lbs plates x 10 each side Great workout! It was a massacre just like I like it. Looking forward to doing legs tomorrow.

Did some overhead triceps extensions today, so we'll see how that goes. I'm working on lowering my bodyfat right now, so we'll see if I can't get a bit more ripped for the contest. Once again, that's for all the great feedback everybody!

27,231 + 45 yesterday. Running Total: 27,276

Dang, 118 to 140 is pretty crazy! Good job. I'd say keep it up. And just out of curiosity, do you have any progress pics on the board?

Welcome! We're really glad to have you here. Best of luck in your training.

Welcome! It's really annoying to have people giving you shit for your dietary and ethical choices. I hope you like it here!

Dude! Finally some pictures! These are awesome. Dude LnG, you look even better than you did in Oregon. You look way more defined, and I didn't even think that was possible. That side chest pose looks sweeeeeeeeeeeet! It also looks like you were much more confident in your poses. I really wish I could have been there.

Thanks for posting this here! I really want to watch it, but I haven't had time yet. Soon though!

LnG! Welcome home buddy! Get some good rest and raw food!

Welcome home! I can't believe your competing again! Sounds cool though. Is it over after that or do you have even more lined up?

Yesterday was pretty busy cleaning and rearranging the apartment with my girlfriend, but I was still able to hit back at my small apartment gym. That's Sunday April 26th: A ton of lat pull downs, using two different positions. A weird variation I came up with using a pec fly machine. I sat on the bench facing the backrest and pulled the handles back, bringing my shoulder blades together. It really hit my inner back well. Dead lifts with 60lbs dumbbells, which killed. haha. Bent over one arm dumbbell rows. 30lbs to 25lbs mini drop sets. Dumbbell rows lying face down on an incline bench Back hyper extensions with a 25lbs weight It was a good one and with limited resources. I felt good about it. This morning I hit up 24 in Hollywood and did chest. April 27th Chest Press: 65lbs x 12 75lbs x 12 85lbs x 5 75lbs x 10 75lbs x 8 Incline DB Flies: 22.5lbs x 8 22.5lbs x 8 22.5lbs x 8 22.5lbs x 8 22.5lbs x 8 22.5lbs x 10 Incline DB Chest Press: 35lbs x 6 30lbs x 7 25lbs x 10 25lbs x 9 25lbs x 6 DB Pullover: 40lbs x 10 40lbs x 10 32.5lbs x 12 32.5lbs x 12 37.5lbs x 10 37.5lbs x 10 Decline Barbell Press: 45lbs x 8 45lbs x 6 45lbs x 7 45lbs x 7 45lbs x 7 Cable Cross Flies (drop sets): 15lbs x 6 to 10lbs x 8 to 5lbs x 12 15lbs x 6 to 10lbs x 8 to 5lbs x 12 15lbs x 6 to 10lbs x 8 to 5lbs x 15 There's a possibility of going to the gym again tonight. If I do, I'll hit triceps.

Wow, thanks for such great DETAILED feedback and suggestions. Thanks a lot for the posing tips and such specific exercise suggestions and what muscles to try to hit. I was thinking about including a leg shot, but my quads aren't where I'd like them to bet just yet. After I put in some more work, I'll definitely post them up along with back shots. I've had people before tell me I should try doing a show. I might someday, but I don't think I really have the money right now. Maybe I'll join LeanandGreen next year at something. Raw Vegans represent! Haha.

While everyone is entitled to their opinion, I can't imagine how you can look at this and think "100% raw foodism = fail". http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c110/mikkei/IMG_3768.jpg Giacomo is a raw food machine! My girlfriend and I are both on a 100% raw diet, and to be honest, we got bored in the beginning too. You just have to figure out what you like and always keep expanding on that. When I started I was just eating bananas, avocados, salads, nuts, and dates everyday. That's no way to live! haha. But seriously, raw may not be for everyone so if it doesn't feel right you shouldn't stick with it. However, I think the tired feeling you may be having is a detox symptom. When you start raw your body will start expelling cooked food toxins to try to make you healthier. That uses a lot of energy so of course you'll feel pretty tired. It happened to me to. Just off the top of my head, here's some of my favorite foods. Maybe it'll help you with ideas and keep things from getting boring. Avocados apples bananas papayas mangos kiwis strawberries blueberries young thai coconut, water and meat bell peppers habanero peppers - not for everyone, but I love them. Nuts and seeds are good, but soak them for a couple of hours to make the easy to digest Almonds Pepitas/pumpkin seeds sunflower seeds cashews celery carrots lettuce kale collard greens spirulina nutritional yeast buckwheat sprouts sprouted quinoa sprouted lentils sprouted mungbeans alfalfa sprouts dates figs sun dried raisins sun dried tomatoes When I feel tired, I always have a green smoothie or carrot juice. Also, Giacomo once told me that he thinks spirulina gives you an amazing energy boost when you take it everyday. I agree, it's great. Hope this helps!

Glad you're trying the raw food thing! First thing I thought when I saw your menu is that you'll need to eat more. I know it seems crazy, but if you're like me, you might need it. The meals you have look great and they'll keep you happy on this diet for sure! Looks like some tasty stuff. I'd just say you should throw in some extra stuff with each meal. One thing that's great for putting on muscle is sprouted grains. I am all about buckwheat right now, but lentils, mungbeans, quinoa, etc are all great. Other than that, I personally eat a ton of bananas. I also use Sun Warrior Protein, which is raw. My favorite shake/smoothie right now is three bananas, six strawberries, 1 cup sprouted buckwheat, and 2 scoops of Chocolate Sun Warrior. Also, green smoothies are amazing. We all know that leafy greens are full of nutrients and protein and if you blend them in a smoothie, you can get like 4 times the amount that you could get in a salad. Anyway, good luck! I'd like to hear how it goes.

I'm by no means an expert, but I do have experience being 130 at 5'10". I'm actually 135lbs now, and that's my lifetime high weight. All the exercises seem good. It seems like they're almost all on machines which is cool with me. Though now, I prefer weights. For whatever reason, I found I got much better results once I switched over to "pumping iron". One question is how often are you working out? I assume you're probably swimming most (if not all) days of the week. How often do you have time to weight train? Seems like 4-5 days would be optimal, but that can be a lot if you have a busy schedule. For starting weight, I think the recommendation is 60%-80% of your one rep max on that particular exercise. I just keep raising the weight until I can only do 6-8 reps (8-12 for legs). Once I can do 9 or more reps, I up the weight. That's for gaining size and strength. For toning and conditioning I think the reps you should use is 8 - 12 reps (12-15 for legs). Anyway, that's my advice. I wish I was a pro and could speak with more authority, but using this knowledge has worked wonders for me. Best of luck!

Yeah, what's with the silence? I'm dying over here!!!

Congrats man! That's amazing. Can't wait to see pictures and video! I bet you guys had a blast afterwards!

Yeah, definitely could use some shoulder work. Hoping the abs come soon. I'm working on lowering bodyfat right now. Thanks for the feedback!

Yeah, sometimes it's more fun to listen to non-agressive, boring, wannabe-posi stuff at home. Maybe in the car.

Alright! Damn, it's been a week since I updated this. Let's see if I can remember anything. Friday April 17- I thinking I did biceps with Giacomo. But I honestly can't remember. Saturday April 18 - was an off day I believe Sunday April 19 - Calves Biceps and Triceps Seated Calf Raises and Standing Calf Raises: tons of reps. Superset of double biceps cable curl, barbell curl, and hammer curls. Great routine that murders biceps. Of course, learned if from LnG. Dumbbell Kickbacks: contraction on these felt really good. Barbell skull crushers Reverse Bench Dips Monday April 20 -abs and legs with Giacomo. Medicine ball throws on a decline bench, then crunches with a dumbbell, then leg raises with leg throwing. For legs we did what I will now always remember as the "LeanandGreen Routine". Circuit of lunges, to hip thrusts, to side leg raises. Then drop sets of leg extensions and leg curls. Tuesday April 21 - Back and shoulders in the AM, Chest in the PM. Bench Barbell Rows to dumbbell shrugs x 4 sets. Bent over One-arm Rows: Drop sets. Two sets with 30lbs, 20lbs, and 10lbs. Two sets with 35lbs, 30lbs, and 20lbs. Arnold Press: mini-drop sets. 20lbs followed by 15lbs. Deadlift: 80lbs, then 90lbs, the two sets of 100lbs. Barbell Shrugs: with bar in front and behind at 115lbs. Back hyperextensions: with 25lbs plate Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 15lbs x three sets. Lat Pull down: 4 heavy sets followed by one drop set. For Chest: Bench Press: mini drop sets. I was still TIRED from the morning workout, I probably shouldn't have done chest since it's one of my weak points, but I did and almost couldn't handle the weight. Bad call. Incline DB flies: 22.5lbs x five sets Decline DB Press: 20lbs x 3 sets, 15lbs x 2 sets Chest Press Machine: 40lbs, slow and long with extreme concentration on the contraction DB flies on flat bench: 15lbs x 5 sets Cable Cross: two drops sets. Wednesday April 22: Biceps and Triceps. Was still recovering from last bi/tri workout, but I was really motivated. I went for it, but quickly found out I wasn't at the top of my arm-game. Superseted double bicep cable curls, barbbell curls, and hammer curls. Then did concentration curls, machine curls, rope hammer curls. Wasn't a bad session, just wish I could have hit it harder. Thursday was a well earned off day. Friday April 24: Legs and Abs Lunges holding 25lbs plates supersetting with DB squats at 135lbs. Seated Calf Raises supersetted with hip thrusts and side leg raises. Calf raises at 115lbs and 20 reps. Hip thrusts with 25lbs plate. Four sets there. Then switched to standing calf raises. three sets moving up to 120lbs. Then three drop sets of leg extensions. Decline crunches: x 20, x 12, x 12, x 12 Crunches: x20, x20, x 20, x20 left side, x20 right side. Ab Solo Medicine Ball throw: about 60 throws. Today I'm hitting back and chest. Gonna try to really concentrate on getting a good pec contracion. This week was the first time I seriously tried deadlifting, and i think i'm in love with it. It felt so good. It makes you hardness so much power. I can't wait to build that up and really get into it. It killed my hamstrings for days afterwards.

Yeah, I know. When Giacomo and Octo's cousin got lost in the mountains, one of the news stories kept saying that Giacomo was 18 years old. They felt people would like the story better if they thought they were both teens.