Ravi

just watched Jay's "ripped to shreds" video (2003 pre-olympia training). May that guy is dedicated! Getting up at 2am to do an hour of cardio and all that. Good to see him clean up the hardware after all these years.

I have perhaps the weakest abs known to man (really) and have been on a mission to get them much much stronger for the past 4 months. I've been making progress, but recently discovered that for my abs to really grow, I need to hit then HEAVY and OFTEN. Even more than frequency is the amount of resistance I must use. In other words, a set of crunches won't do. 3 sets of crunches won't do. I need to dedicate 3-4 ab exercises (3 sets of each) 2-3 times a week to really get a response. Just doing a couple sets of crunches every day to failure doesn't do anything for me (besides make me breath hard). Oh, the other thing, using weights makes a HUGE difference for me. Weighted incline situps are a must-do exercise. I also use medecine balls and natulilus ab machines. For me, I need the heavy resistance or body doesn't grow.

I have been taking green plant food powders for a while. I find that it gives me a stable and long-lasting source of energy. If I can stave off the coffee in the morning and just have a green drink, I am set! Do you take a green powder supplement? What is your favorite brand? I take Green Magma brand stuff and it is great. Dissovles easily.

really...eat them raw? never tried that!

where's the ice cream!

how did you have your bodyfat measured? Water retention and hydration also have an impact on bf measurement, especially if you are lowing bioimpediance-based measurements (i.e. the Tanita scales you stand on to measure bodyfat). The current travels faster through water (which is present in lean tissue not fat tissue) so a properly hydrated body could have a lower bodyfat reading.

ok, ok...i think you're right....but I'm lazy! Actually....tend to get my wheatgrass shot in the afternoon...at work. People would freak if they saw me growing wheatgrass in my office!

haha! living in seattle in a high rise condo....I can't really grow much...besides mold

Someone told me today that Jamba Juice wheatgrass is grown using hydroponic methods (using only water) instead of in soil. As such, the wheatgrass has a much lower nutritional value and "vibrational energy." Does anybody know if this is a fact? I am going to ask next time I go to Jamba, but figured I would check here as well.

awesome pics!

great pics! all the hard work is definitely paying off!

Hey Rob, when are we having voting on the summer shape up contest?

awesome! I just watched Jay's latest DVD ripped to shreds...he is a beast! His work ethic is amazing...

awesome...keep it up! btw...I'm sure veganpotter has some good bulking strategies though they all probably invovle vega and peanut butter in some way!

soo...the contest is now over....well, it actually never ends b/c I get the sense there will be another one starting right away...right rob? good luck to everyone and hope you learned a lot...I know I sure did during the last few months (especially what NOT to do..)

I love Jamba Juice, and try to get a few shots of wheatgrass per week .Things is, the stuff makes me sick! I know people say it is "detox" but I am sick having to detox for this long... other people have this issue with wheatgrass? It is getting to the point where even thinking of wheatgrass makes me sick (literally).

how is the progress going with your experiement (eating a higher % of greens)? seeing any changes?

http://www.nutritiondata.com the best nutriiton site Ive found on the net... I live on quinoa, the stuff is great. I eat it like I would rice, same serving sizes.

let me just point out that while low bodyfat is definitely super important to getting it....it doesnt guarantee it! I was 4% bodyfat what I was doing a lot of endurance races...and I didn;t have a six pack....and trust me...I wanted it! I think it will take a combo of low bodyfat, decent genetics and heavy training on the abs. Heavy training means not just crunches...but actually doing weight bearing work with the abs. Crunches with a 25lb plate on your chest. Leg raises (effectively weight bearing). Medicine ball work. The abs are basically a big slab of muscle. Work them like any other muscle. In fact, work them a little bit harder since you use of every day (like the calves). Granted...I still don't have a six pack (and am nowhere near 4% BF! more like 14!) but the above advice is what I've heard from folks who do and seem to know what they are talking about.

I'm just wrapping up the first week of my higher calorie nutrition experiment. I'm still trying to keep a decent amount raw...but I must admit it is getting hard given that I am a relative novice at raw food nutrition as it is. I'd estimate I'm about 1/3 raw right now. Here's my log for the past week. For reference I'm 5'9" and 155lb (13%BF). Day Calories Protein 1) 3200 146 2) 3250 165 3) 3170 160 4) 2810 110 5) 2650 143 6) 2369 112 7) 2950 114 My diet in the 2 months preceeding this week has been mostly raw and fairly low calorie (I'd estimate 1500-1700/day max). Before that my steady state diet has been about 2200day. When I was training for ironman I ate around 4-5000/day...but most of that was while bike riding (veganpotter will know what I mean!). My goal has been to get 3200-3500/day. As you can see, I barely hit this goal. I ate 2 big meals and 4-5 snacks throughout the day. Tofu, whole grains (quinoa), lentils, sprouts, raw nuts were my staples. I also had 2 full servings of vega daily. My first observation is that 3000 calories is a HELL OF A LOT OF FOOD! I mean really. It is absolutely obscene. I never thought I would have trouble eating this much, but if I sleep in (and dont eat a morning meal) I am totally screwed for the day. My second observation is that I feel full at all times throughout the day. This is gonna take some getting use to. The third is that my body does seem to be gaining some fat, but also is clearly getting stronger. My recovery times are also much better. I'll keep this up for another 3 weeks and see where it leads me. Robert, I have absolutely NO IDEA how you manage you manage to take in 4-5000 cal per day!

go for it Rob!

I got one of those scans done last month as part of my company's physical screening benefit...definitely cool! I learned that my left arm and right leg definitely have more lean mass than the other side. Also learned that my legs have a higher fat% than other parts of my body....which is not what I would have expected. bone density was normal to above average....which surprised the doctors given my diet. Ravi

oh...and proof that it was indeed on sale! If you are in Seattle, hit up Super Supplements and stock up!

I just stopped by Super Supplements in Seattle and was pleasantly surprised to see Vega in stock and on-sale! I picked up a few tubs of the meal replacement powder and have been an addict for the past week. I take 2 full servings a day...one in the morning (2 scoops blended with ice and soy mile) and one in the evening after my weight session (2 scoops and water shaken up). What I love about it: 1. it dissovles well in a shaker...no blender needed, not lumpy 2. doesn't sit in your gut and feel heavy, seems to digest quickly 3. made with whole food, lots of raw stuff and micronutrients What could be better: 1. taste is OK. I am getting used to it now, but I wouldn't call it tasty 2. powder tends to settle to the bottom of glass unless you drink it quickly. 3. cost....the stuff isn't cheap...but the ingredients are super high quality so I can't complain too much! Ravi

I also think bad posture and tightness has a LOT to do with this....compounded by computer/desk-bound work. I have a similar problem (shoulders slumped forward) caused by years of back posutre and years of yoga has managed to aleviate it to some degree....