Crystal

No joke man, I can't believe you 20 rep squatted on a Sunday, then again on a Tuesday! What is this maddness?! I wouldn't be able to move again for a week . Good work, high rep stuff is brutal.

Thanks Sosso 5 Nov 2008 - Wed Cardio session on an eliptical machine, 600 calories was the goal. Took 47 minutes to reach it. Good times. Was just as well, couldn't go climbing today, weather has been this all day and yesterday: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v389/vegancrystal/Fall2008/Snow1.jpg View is from the 5th floor where my "office" is.

That is some nice pressing there. Now, do you do a strict press, or is it more of a push press? Just curious . Those front squats look brutal as well, those things floor me!

Oh Robert, would you just get out of bed? (same voice) It's between 132 - 134 pounds, fluctuates and all that. You are too kind, too 4 Nov 2008 - Tuesday Bench: 10 x bar, 12 x 75 lbs, 10 x 95 lbs, 5 x 105 lbs, 2 x 110 lbs, 1 x 115 lbs, 1 x 120 lbs, f x 125 lbs CGBP: 10 x 75 lbs, 10 x 85 lbs, 6 x 95 lbs Chins: 4 x palms facing in, 4 x palms in, 2 x palms in plus 2 forced *stretching Man, the bench just felt on today! I haven't hit 120 pounds since last February - felt I could have nailed that 125, too, but it wasn't meant to be. Great day!

What else do you need! Sounds like a great session

No worries man, it all seems like a normal-ish fluctuation, especially with all the injuries and niggles lately! You'll be back at it soon enough

Yay! Can't wait Robert! Will you be here for work (ie. speaking somewhere or something)? Awesome 3 Nov 2008 - Monday Squat: 10 x bar, 12 x 135 lbs, 8 x 165 lbs, 8 x 165 lbs, 6 x 175 lbs, 15 x 135 lbs, 10 x pistol sqts Leg-Press Calf: 15 x 90 lbs, 15 x 110 lbs, 13 x 140 lbs *stretching I blame the poor diet yesterday, but I felt like puking the whole time today (ya, I wish it was because I'm just that hardcore, but sadly no). The 15 reps squat burn-out was a bit of a "punishment set" because I just wasn't pushing like I had wanted to and wasn't feeling good about the session, but certainly felt like I had worked hard enough after them!

Yay for getting back to the gym! Keep it up man

It compares like apples and oranges man! One is a shear limestone cliff in the desert, the other is an amazing canyon in a Rocky Mountain climatic zone. Both amazing! I love those things! I've only been on one a couple of times after a good workout, but it was fun, especially because I had it set to change its angle from positive to negative as I climbed and it was hard! Good times Saturday I was on another Field Trip to the Book Cliffs, here are a couple of pics: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v389/vegancrystal/Fall2008/DSCF3779-1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v389/vegancrystal/Fall2008/DSCF3780-1.jpg It was a lovely day, then Sunday came and it rained all day so I stayed in and made vegan donuts and chocolate chip cookies with my little brother and of course I gorged on them *sigh*. Now I feel like crap today! Hopefully a nice squat session after lunch will help that

31 Oct 2008 - Halloween Friday 45 minutes of cardio on eliptical machine. Even after that, I still had massive amounts of anxious energy left -- I had been sitting at my desk ALL day writing up a research proposal that was due by 5 pm. By the time I was done I just couldn't sit anymore! After the cardio I went over to the weight area and did some: Lats: 4 x 10 x 90 lbs Back Hypers: 10 x 15 lbs, 10 x 20 lbs, 10 x 25 lbs Then I ran out of time or I would have stayed and done more back stuff! I certainly was not meant to be a desk person!!!

Here is what I see: I LOVE how straight your back is and how you keep your head and chest up. A+ for that, but to be a little picky, IMO your hips could stand to sink a little more at the start and you could dip down more on the catch. I think this will help with explosiveness and heavier weights. Also, it almost seems like you go in slow motion until the knees where the explosion starts and you catch the bar. Maybe explode off the floor more. That is all I have and its really nothing, your form looked pretty darn good to me. Have you ever done jump shrugs? Might help with the training. You hold the bar above the knees and jump up, keeping your arms relaxed and straight while shrugging up with your traps. Great to practice form and a great trap workout.

Ya, that would work: http://img.metro.co.uk/i/pix/2007/06/BusPulling_450x317.jpg versus: http://www.rapidfatlosscardio.com/images/David-Hoffmaster-Bus-Pull.jpg or: http://english.cri.cn/mmsource/images/2007/12/19/4581strnogman.jpg

Hum, maybe you could just form a sort of strap to go over one shoulder from a towing rope? Good luck figuring all that out! http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/tbr/lowres/tbrn229l.jpg

Oooo, I love car pushing! Definatly for time, but places can be determined from distance if not everyone finishes. Even with a timed race, you should put a time limit on it so someone can't just keep pushing forever even though they don't make it. Does that make sense?

30 Oct 2008 - Thurs Bench: 10 x bar, 12 x 75 lbs, 10 x 90 lbs, 8 x 100 lbs, 5 x 105 lbs, 3 x 110 lbs CGBP: 10 x 75 lbs, 10 x 80 lbs, 6 x 85 lbs Chins: 4, 3, 3 - palms facing in Plank: 3 minutes Good day of benching, felt great afterwards, hooray

Welcome, good to have you here . I'd totally recommend starting a training log, its a great way to stay on track.

In true camera-in-mirror fashion, here is a quick pic of the hair length : http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v389/vegancrystal/Fall2008/DSCF3692.jpg Used to be: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v389/vegancrystal/PortlandSummer2006/IMG_4391-1.jpg

I totally agree that you can do your whole routine with all that minimal equipment, squats of course are amazing and a pull-up bar in a door frame would be easy to come by . Nice training! Back to basics!

Yup, my hair is in a pony tail, I'll have to take a picture - I noticed in your pics how long your hair is Robert, crazy, your hair AND you muscles are getting big! 29 Oct. 2008 - Wednesday Some sport climbing in Big Cottonwood Canyon, at what is called the "Challenge Buttress". First, I led a 5.9 called "Hollow Man", I always make these things harder than they should be when I lead! If I had top-roped it, I bet I would have flown up, as it is I took lots of rests . After that, top roped and cleaned the second 5.9, I forget the name, but it was just over 30 meters high. I know this because the rope is a 60 m one, I had no length to spare. Fun easy route, the crux was almost devastating though, I'm glad I didn't lead this one! Was a lot of fun, but that was all I got in. It started getting really cold. Those who know me well know I don't handle a lot of cold, but I did just fine today, you'd be proud . Went to the Vertical Diner for the first time afterwards as well, wahoo!

I'm ~5'9" and 135 pounds and I'm maintaining pretty good at 2200 - 2300 calories a day. That said, its different for everyone and below 2000 calories my body rebels and I can't move I'm so tired, but weight stays the same. I can't imagine getting only 1500, or anything in the teens! I wouldn't be able to get out of bed let along workout. There are a lot of good calculators out there (exrx.net jumps to mind), even though that is only a guideline, I'd suggest starting there and adjusting calorie amounts and activity levels from there.

Hello to all Houston Vegans, I am going to do a summer internship down in Houston, Texas, probably May - July/Early August, and I need a place to live! So, if you or someone you know would like to have a vegan roommate for summer 2009, please let me know . Part of my internship is to get a housing stipend so there would be no worries about me paying rent, etc. If not roomies, I'd still love to be able to hang out with other awesome vegans, meet some new workout partners, or get involved locally . I know its still a ways off, but let me know!

28 Oct 2008 - Tuesday 35 minutes on an eliptical machine, just over 400 calories burnt (which was the target calorie count). I've said this elsewhere, but I LOVE eliptical machines! I miss running and its the closest I can get to it without massive pain. I hope these machines stay around for many years (and that I don't get sick of them!) Legs are a bit sore from yesterday's squatting, but not bad.

I like the routine, but that fourth day seems like a "whatever" sort of day, but that is okay! It should be modified to read: workout/hike/rock climb though . Speaking of, we should go bouldering sometime! I hear there is good stuff in Little Cottonwood Canyon (I just got a guide book for it). The pictures are good too, it seems to me (and I know you've mentioned this) that you will be able to build massive quads if you so desire. Be happy, many of us cannot! I'm looking forward to you updating this more often

I went hiking to Notch Peak on Sunday, a great hike near Delta, Utah. It was amazing, thought I'd share a photo from it: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v389/vegancrystal/Fall2008/Notch%20Peak/DSCF3680-1.jpg

Oh, man, I'm SO jealous! I LOVE the Chicago Diner! Have fun and eat loads there