Paul B

Ugh, eating a whole chicken a day? Ewwwww! Well, that sounds disgusting even before I became vegan. I would not usually be picked at all in p.e. back in elementary in junior high school (in high school we got out of that by being in marching band. yay!), and instead would be assigned a team by the teacher, much to their dismay. Wasn't particularly heavyset back then, just not athletic, not coordinated, hated objects flying through the air at me (Keep my eye on the ball? To hell with that! I'm dodging it and then running the other way), etc. I don't have any great "Hey, look at me now!" experiences to post since I've only been training with a focused intent the last month, but I feel a lot better at least! =D Plant based will save you a ton of cash, and, I believe, give you an advantage over the "chicken a day" women anyway. Good luck on the competition, and just remember all the wonderful effects bio amplification is having on those poor omnivore ladies :/ Keep at it! And welcome to the forums! Paul B

Haven't been keeping this up, but as a general update Hand barbells up to about 20 lbs, depending on angle and exercise. Barbell for bench pressing, etc., is comfortable at 50 lbs. now. Situps and push ups are easier. I do my yoga often times wearing a 40 lbs vest and some lighter weights on my wrists and ankles. Walks include the vest as well, though if I'm running the extra 40 lbs do not go well, so I leave that at home. Diet has been about the same, more or less... fairly generic vegan, only less and less junkfood. I am finding I have to eat a LOT more to be satisfied, but I am staying around the same weight. Got some comments from people on how I seem different, etc., in a positive way. I don't think anything is changing visually body wise at this point, but I am walking around with more confidence in general, so that may be it. Anyway, just an update. Pics coming eventually Paul B

Hello Julia, Will do, definitely. Both of my parents had some command of the language in their college days, and most of the people in my professional circles can speak a little, but not a ton. I picked up one of those "teach yourself" CD courses which will probably only help me a small amount, but it'll prep me for the fall. I speak more Spanish in addition to English than anything else, and of course the random French, Italian, etc. typical song languages, but German would be great to actually learn instead of just sing. I so far mostly know a bunch of random phrases which are either really sweet or dirty (Brahms and Rammstein are my two biggest teachers... go figure). So, hopefully I'll pick up the regular basics in the meanwhile. I'm sure it's like someone learning English from the Beatles and Tenacious D ... just a little eclectic mix of randomness. In a few weeks I'll try some stuff out on you. Paul

And hello Julia, You did me the honor on my thread so I followed you back. One of the choirs I work with is going to try to sing in the Vokal Total (spelling?) festival in the Summer of 2011 in Austria and I'm trying to work my German up in the meanwhile. I only know a smattering of words from all the Brahms we end up singing, but I'll be working on it formally this coming Fall. It'll be fun to see how it works out in your neck of the woods. Paul B

The routine I am setting up, as is, is about a 30 minute yoga routine followed by a 2-3 mile run each day, then 3x a week with a day in the middle I am doing everything I can with my weight set, ab work, etc., until I am just sore all over (up to 40 lbs with the larger barbell, since apparently 50lbs was too much.) I wasn't able to do anything during the morning and day yesterday, so I got the workout in during the evening. Left me wired all night and I think I soaked the bed with sweat while I tried to fall asleep, but it was a lot of fun! Had a client this morning, was sore, but it's not hurting my ability to work. I'm finding I have to eat and drink a /lot/ more, but that is expected. I was "shopping while hungry" and just picked up three large packages of frozen spinach and broccoli on a craving. Not sure what I was missing, but I have them now. Gig_coleman: I used to do a lot of martial arts back in the day, and perhaps I can get back into it at some point. I work as a piano accompanist and massage therapist, so I am a little leery of something with a higher chance of hurting my hands and wrists (I used to hurt myself a lot when I was in martial arts back in the days). If one hand is tweaked out a little bit for even a week, I will lose a lot of work. So, taking it nice and slow and carefully. As far as getting the motivation to do it, trying for modeling, helping the self esteem, and trying to impress a lady really adds to the incentive. And, ultimately, it was time. I am a very emotional and intellectually centered person, and I have to engage my moving center to reach a balance. Julia: I'm hoping to pick up dancing again in the meanwhile. Perhaps with the next fall semester I can work it in with my other 20-30 units plus gigs (not sarcasm... I tend to do that sort of thing). My coordination and balance could use some work. Robert: Thank you for the welcome and the greeting : ) I try my best. Hopefully I'll get some pics up soon to show what I am working with "currently" which isn't a whole lot except for energy and personality (haha). And speaking of clients, I have a performance gig this evening so I am off. I'll be back later on. Paul B

I just got the little bench setup in the attic, along with two small barbells. The barbells only go up to about 16lbs each, but 10 lbs is kicking my ass, so they'll last a while. The bench goes up to 100lbs (cheap, etc., but it was inexpensive and I can't afford a gym right now) but then just 30 lbs on that thing absolutely destroyed me. Current routine is (and I don't know the terminology very well) 45 minutes of yoga (for core, generic, and flexibility) 30-60 minute run/jog (cardio, legs, etc.) Then every other day I'm doing 12 barbell bench presses at 30 lbs, 12 biceps curls at 30 lbs, 12 overhead triceps extensions at 10 lbs (don't laugh too much), and just a whole variety of arm work with the little 10 lbs barbells. I actually don't have the flexibility currently to even get in a good squat position, so I'm hoping the yoga will help with that so I can do squats soon. Again, I'm coming from almost nothing as far as strength and flexibility. Any leg work so far besides just walking/jogging/running has proven too uncomfortable due to flexibility issues, so hopefully that will work itself out in a couple of weeks. Paul B

Picked up a bench, couple of smaller barbells, and one larger one to begin actual weight training. Most of tonight was spent getting upstairs into the attic I live in and clearing and cleaning. Hopefully it'll get setup this weekend.

Starting Strength arrived yesterday. Beginning the read through. Paul

Soy yogurt, variety of berries, banana, oats, mineral supplements, couple vega bars later, 3 bean and rice burritos, 1 pot of coffee 5 Mile Hike

5-24-10 5-25-10 Same generic diet plus some vega bars. Big party with college friends leaving after graduation, so not the healthiest diet alcohol wise. Couple miles of walking in the middle. Let's hope things improve a big!

5-22-10 2 bowls of fresh berries, shredded wheat, multivitamins 1 large burrito, consisting of carrots, mushrooms, refried beans, black beans, peppers, and a ton of spices 2 Mile Walk. Mostly a gig day. 5-23-10 2 bowls of whole-wheat oatmeal. Raisins. 1 banana. PBJ, whole-wheat bread, almond butter, orange jam Noodles and fried tofu (not the healthiest) Large glass of soy milk and chocolate vega mix 4 Mile Run. Mostly a gig day.

5-21-10 2 mile walk. 1/2 hour of yoga. 2 bowls of whole-wheat oatmeal with raisins and a dash of flax-seed oil, soy milk. Multivitamins. Banana for breakfast. Sauteed soy and sprouts "burger" with carrots. Unsweetened green tea. Vegan chocolate chip cookie. Dinner of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, some carrots and hummus, large cup of soy milk with Vega powder mix. Several gigs tomorrow, so let's see if I can at least work a walk in.

I thought I'd start a training log of how I am doing with my fitness goals. I am 6'1 and currently around 165-170 lbs. I've lost about 50 lbs in the last couple years by eating a vegan diet, and another 15 since I became slightly more active. My stamina is still low and my strength is nothing to speak of and I come from a mostly sedentary lifestyle, but I'd like to change that a little at a time. I'd like to build up some muscle tone and stamina over the summer, and be able to do some backpacking in the next month or two without dying in the first couple miles. By the end of the Summer I'd like to be able to do some light modeling without feeling terribly self-conscious about my gut, etc. Compared to those a little more athletically inclined, this may start off /very/ low-key by comparison, but coming from my background this is a lot to start off with. Let's see how it goes. Plus, it'll help me to see what I actually /did/ and /didn't/ do, in addition to what I actually ate, since my memory is not the best with these things. 5-20-10 2 mile walk between music gigs. 10 sit ups. 10 push ups. Meals so far: 2 bowls of shredded wheat with a 1/2 cup of raisins, a banana, and mineral supplements. Some too-sugary coffee from a cafe down the street (shame on me). Edit: Added another meal this evening of whole-grain rice, couple garlic cloves, onions, and a salad with random-lettuce, snap pees, hickima (spelling, it's that white chunky root that tastes like apples) and half an avocado. One small cup of regular coffee. Added another 10 push ups and sit ups.

Wow, thanks for the replies! Hslorlando, The funny part about gym hunting is that there are maybe, hmm, 5 or 6, within about a 30-40 mile radius, so there aren't a ton of options. I'll be checking them out though in the next week. I'm not in the sticks, but I'm certainly not in the city by any means. Chrisjs, I have the book on order now, thanks. I didn't know what a power rack was, but upon a quick search it's something I used before in years past, but I just didn't know the name for it. Paul

Hello, and thanks about the weight loss I don't have a routine at the moment. Over the last couple months I've been able to build up the strength to do full and complete push ups (maybe 5 or 6 at a time), and I can get in a few sun salutations without my arms giving up on me. That is where I am coming from, both limb strength, and core. So, any suggestions would be wonderful in that regard! At the moment I am having a difficult time even coping with my own weight with push ups, sit ups, etc. and it certainly isn't giving me a full body workout. The fact that Summer is starting is giving me some time to get into a good routine on things, since students and classes and gigs all drop off a bit. I'm just starting to look at gyms in the area (there's a sports therapy place just over the hill) to find something that has the egregious hours I need to fill (very early morning / late at night) as well as the right equipment and people there to help me /not/ injure myself using something improperly. I took a quick gander at the food blog, and it is positively horrifyingly yummy looking! Got it bookmarked now. Thanks, Paul

Hello Vegan Bodybuilding and Fitness Forums, My name is Paul. I'm 29 years old and have been an ethical vegan for just over two and a half years. I managed to drop down from approximately 220-230 lbs to 180 by changing diets (was living on cheap fast food before that and in a bad living situation), and with a slightly more active lifestyle I have dropped another 15 to around 165-170 depending on the weather (I'm about 6'1" tall, if that helps with where I should be or not. I'm not really sure). I have noticed a marked increase in stamina and energy over the last few years in part due to the change in my diet. In addition, I suffered an injury to my lower back last winter which required me to use a cane for almost a week and since then I have difficulty sitting for long periods of time. I have been doing some simple core strengthening exercises which have helped the lower back pain, but it is still present. I am a professional musician and massage therapist and spend a great deal of time in rehearsal and performance in addition to a full school load when I am not working with clients or teaching. I figure, though, that I have time for more. I have become interested in bodybuilding over the past several months for three reasons. The first is that I'd like to not simply be the "not obese or sickly" vegan (since many people expect me to be sickly looking, instead of a little stocky but not a junk-food addict) but actually a more streamlined and muscular vegan. The second is that I'd like to "impress a girl" (a bit shallow, but REALLY motivating, and it'll help my self-esteem either way). The third is that I'd like to do some modeling in the next few years, and figure the sooner I get started, the better. I do some simple yoga exercises currently 2-3 times a week and try to go on daily walks. This alone has helped me a great deal, but I still remain fairly inflexible (but better than I was) and my stamina is not the greatest. In addition, while I have lost my "man boobs" of years past, I'd like to let me inner Narcissus out of the bag a bit and be able to look at myself in the mirror and say, "Oooo! I look good!" instead of, "Eh, well, you're not /too/ out of shape, just not in shape." Thank you for reading through my introduction, and I look forward to participating in the community. I'm reading through some of the FAQ's now, but I'm a little lost on where to start. I appreciate any help and feedback as I start this journey. Paul