wfvegan

There are no specific recomendations for the amount of calories consumed on the Thrive Diet. He simply states that due to the food being more easily assimilated, you will probably need less than you currently do (calorie wise). The meal plan is pretty much laid out so you are eating every couple of hours, and you eat as much as you want of the foods. Brendan says that it is hard to gain fat when sticking to the diet.

As far as I know there is no recommendation to the percentages of protein/carbs/fat. Although I think I read in an FAQ that Brendan said it roughly breaks down to 20/60/20 (P/C/F). He does have specific recomendations for what to eat surrounding exercise, as this changes the ratio.

Looks like you're making some good progress and being consistent...that is key!

You might not realize it, but I think that sometimes the only way to reach your potential is to reach past the bar and know where your limit is. I know that I've learned the most about my body after injury. It may not be pleasant, but you will come back stronger and smarter

1/15/07

Squat: 5 x 5 @ 135 lbs

Bench: 5/5/5/4/5 @ 100 lbs

BB Row: 5 x 5 @ 75 lbs

Dips: 16, 11, 10

Something crazy happened in today's workout...I was able to unleash something inside of me that I haven't been able to in a long time. I use to be able to do this during endurance training and races, but I thought I had all but lost it. I don't know exactly what to call it, but it's a combination of adrenaline, discipline, and something from deep down inside. Whatever it is, I hope I have more!

Increased in everything today, reaching many PRs. Still haven't gotten a weighted belt yet, so my numbers on dips are starting to climb. It's kinda fun though doing lots of reps after only doing 5 x 5 the rest of the workout.

Off on my snowboarding vacation tomorrow, and won't be back for a week. Hopefully I'll be able to get a few workouts in there sometime, but if not I'll just have to hit it that much harder when I get back!

veganpotter wrote:

I used to do this and its no fun for intense training.

That is the biggest factor, whether it works for you or not. From what I have read over the years, as well as trying different things out myself, I don't think that the timing really matters, and what it really comes down to is calorie surplus vs. deficit. Simply put, eat more than you burn and it's hard to lose fat. Burn more than you eat, and your body will resort to fat for fuel.

If you take notice of endurance athletes, they eat simple carbs every 30-60 minutes while exercising. Once all stored glycogen is used, the body turns to fat for fuel. However, this is not as efficient of a process and takes more energy than burning carbs, so you hit the famous "wall". So if you do plan to workout first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, plan on cardio for 30-45 min. max and then eat!

1/11/07

Squat: 5 x 5 @ 125 lbs

Bench: 5 x 5 @ 95 lbs

BB Row: 5 x 5 @ 70 lbs

Dips: 14, 10, 8

Yesterday was out of town on business, and ended up getting sick with something. I woke up and felt really tired this morning, but fine otherwise. When I hit the gym though, something just didn't feel right, so I either stayed the same or backed down some of the weight. Maybe I should have skipped today and tried tomorrow, but I guess I'll know better next time.

1/13/07

Squat: 5 x 5 @ 130 lbs

OH Press: 1 x 3 @ 75 lbs, 4 x 5 @ 70 lbs

Deadlift: 1 x 5 @ 120 lbs

Pullups: 4, 4, 3

Got back up to normal on squats, and felt a lot better today. I put too much weight on OH Press by accident, and had to correct it for the last sets. No increase in pullups which was a little disappointing, but overall I felt it was a decent day considering the last couple of days I've felt like crap and have hardly eaten anything. Today I'm back in the game though.

Will only be able to get in 1 more workout before heading off for vacation on a snowboarding trip. There's a gym at the lodge we're staying at, but I'm not sure if I'll be feeling up to it after spending the day on the slopes. Just need to make sure I eat enough as I'll be burning a lot more calories than usual.

Definitely triathletes. There's no other sport that requires someone to balance three extremely demanding disciplines. Also, it requires you to use nearly every muscle in your body. On top of that, they are the most mentally tough athletes in the world to have to endure that much pain for such an extended period of time.

I completely agree that nothing will make you disease proof in this world. Some people are better off than others in certain factors such as diet, air quality, relationships, etc. That is why some people who eat complete junk are able to outlive so called "health nuts" and never get sick. I think the person that has put it best is Brendan Brazier in both of his books (Thrive & The Thrive Diet), where he discusses different stressors and the role they play on health.

Ultimately, we all have a different history which has shaped our current state of health. All that we can do is make the best of what we have, and strive to be the best that we can. Bif was and is still doing this, and she is a fine example for many to follow.

1/9/08

Squat: 5 x 5 @ 130 lbs

OH Press: 4/5/5/5/4 @ 70 lbs

Deadlift: 1 x 5 @ 115 lbs

Chins: 6,4,4

Cool Down: 10 min. of stretches, crunches, and supermans.

Squats were feeling good again, so next set I will up the weight. Failed on OH Press...this is and always has been the lift that I struggle with. It's going to be a struggle to keep up, but I've made some good progress so far and will see where I reach my limit. Chins increased today, and I felt really good doing them. Hopefully I'll be back at my max in no time. I've been doing some different stuff during my cool down routine, and thought it might help to start adding it to my log for future reference.

Well, because along with feeling better later in the day, that is when work demands are higher, meetings take place, social gatherings are scheduled, etc.

I hear that...that's another reason why I find that the mornings are usually better for me. No one else to contend with except my ego. Plus the gym is much less crowded at 5am than at 6 or 7pm

Despite having studies and people say that it's best to work out later in the day when lifting heavy, I think I'll continue to do it in the morning as that's what works best for me and I feel most alert.

I would be interested to see if my strength were to increase/decrease depending on the time of day though. Maybe I'll test this out sometime in the future.

Interesting topic, as I have played around with my sleep over the last year. I've found that when training minimally (3x per week for about an hour), I do well on about 8 hrs of sleep. However, I need a good 9-10 when increasing my training. Also, I noticed that I needed this amount before going vegan...guess my body needed more recovery time to digest animal protein.

Overall, I have found that the best method that works for me is to get up at the same time every day, and then let my body tell me what time to go to bed. This way, my sleep is never exactly the same, but I get what my body needs.

The most interesting sleeping pattern I've come across is polyphasic sleep. You don't do all of your sleeping in one lump of time, but rather take naps throughout the day. Supposedly you will need less sleep overall, and have a lot more free time. If you're interested, check out a few posts by Steve Pavlina and his experiment with this method http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/10/polyphasic-sleep/.

1/5/08

Weight = 132.5 lbs

Squat: 5 x 5 @ 130 lbs

OH Press: 5 x 5 @ 65 lbs

Deadlift: 1 x 5 @ 110 lbs

Pullups: 4,4,3

Red = Decrease, Green = Increase, Black = No Change

With the new year, thought I'd color code my log to make it simple to see where I have gone up/down since the last workout.

Although I managed to pump out all 5x5 on squats, my form really took a hit at the end, and I did not go through the full ROM. I noticed that when driving up, I tend to favor my right (dominant leg), which could lead to an imbalance. I've always had this problem doing endurance sports, where my right side always seems to develop more than my left. Not sure how I can correct that besides just trying to focus on using both sides equally. So next workout I think I will keep it the same weight and concentrate more on form.

On another note, I thought that I had hit a sort of milestone with the squat and done my own BW. However, when I stepped on the scale I was shocked to find out I gained 2.5 lbs in a week. My diet was pretty crappy and usually when that happens I lose weight, but by some miracle (and a lot of calories), I increased. So unfortunately I still have yet to squat my BW.

Deadlift is starting to feel pretty heavy, especially now that squats are beating me up. Going to re-read about proper deadlift technique for next time.

Pullups took a hit today, but I was pretty wiped out by the time they came around. Also, I think I used a wider grip than usual, which makes them harder.

1/2/08

Squat: 5 x 5 @ 125 lbs

Bench: 5 x 5 @ 90 lbs

BB Row: 5 x 5 @ 70 lbs

Dips: 14, 8, 8

Squats felt really tough today..and my form suffered from it. Been doing squat stretches on my off days, which seems to help out. Some days though I just don't feel "it", and today was one of those days. Bench was definitely maxed out, as I really had to push for the last rep, but it felt really good. By the time dips came around, I felt completely wasted, so I was happy to churn out the numbers that I did. Overall, a solid start to the new year.

12/31/07

Squat: 5 x 5 @ 120 lbs

OH Press: 5/5/5/5/4 @ 65 lbs

Deadlift: 1 x 5 @ 105 lbs

Chinups: 5,4,3

Everything went smoothly today except for the press. Just couldn't squeeze out one last rep. Chinups seemed rather hard today, but I guess it's been awhile since I did them last.

Well, this was the last workout of 2007. Despite only starting this routine roughly a month ago, I look and feel 10 X better than before. I can only imagine the changes to come in the next few months!

Happy New Year!

12/29/07

Weight: 129 lbs

Gain: -1 lb

Squat: 5 x 5 @ 115 lbs

Bench: 4/4/5/5/4 @ 90 lbs

BB Row: 5 x 5 @ 65 lbs

Dips: 14, 8, 7

Stepped on the scale only to find out that I lost 1 lb in the last two weeks...and I thought that I had eaten pretty well over the holiday! Now that I'm back home and in the routine again hopefully I'll get back the mass. Training wise everything felt great this morning except for bench. I probably could have done the full 5 x 5, but didn't want to push it since I didn't have a spotter.

12/27/07

Squat: 5 x 5 @ 105 lbs

OH Press: 3 x 5 @ 65 lbs, 2 x 4 @ 65 lbs

Deadlift: 1 x 5 @ 100 lbs

Pullups: 5,4,4

Squats felt incredibly easy today...sure enough when I was unloading the plates I realized that I used the wrong ones! Maybe the whole thing about bigger muscles = less intelligence is true

Still struggled on OH Press, so will keep it at same weight for next time. Still steadily increasing deadlift, but today I definitely felt I had to concentrate on my form more than usual.

Overall it appears that I was able to maintain most of my strength despite having a crazy holiday week. Now it's time to step it up again for the new year!

@Robert: Thanks for the motivation...compound exercises are definitely tough but the results speak for themselves.

12/24/07

Squat: 3 x 5 @ 115 lbs

Bench: 4 x 5 @ 90 lbs, 1 x 3 @ 90 lbs

BB Row: 5 x 5 @ 60 lbs

Went snowboarding yesterday and definitely felt sore this morning. Decided to hit the gym anyways since I was out. Used same weight as last time as this is still my "off" week. Felt good on everything except for the bench, which is where I struggled last time. Going to take a couple of days off and will continue again on thurs or fri (assuming my travel plans go better then my trip here!).

Thanks for keeping up w/ the journal Robert...I particularly like how you seem to get a ton of variety in everyday. Do you shoot for a particular calorie goal, or have you just gotten to the point of being able to intuitively eat to maintain your physique?

12/22/07

Squat: 4 x 5 @ 115 lbs

OH Press: 3 x 5 @ 65 lbs

Deadlift: 1 x 5 @ 95 lbs

Despite not going to sleep last night due to being re-routed 2 times, then put on a bus over night (long story), I had a ton of energy all day long and decided to head on over to the gym. Felt really great, not to mention it was in the afternoon when I usually workout first thing in the morning. Just took it easy, only increasing my load on the deadlift. I've pulled all nighters before, so I know I'll crash soon here and let my body recover with some seriously deep sleep.

12/20/07

Warmup:

Same

Routine:

Squat: 5 x 5 @ 115 lbs

Bench: 2 x 5, 3 x 4 @ 90 lbs

BB Row: 5 x 5 @ 60 lbs

Dips: 13, 8, 8

Feeling better on the squat every day as my form is developing again. After that though, the bench killed me as I couldn't crank out the full 5 on the last few sets. Next time will give it a go again. Rows were tough, but managed to get through em. Getting better every time at dips too. Now I'm off on holiday, so next 2 workouts may or may not get fit in. At least I know I'll get one part of my training in though, nutrition

@Potter: Thanks for the tips! Sounds like a plan I can stick to.

12/18/07

Warmup:

2 min jog

2 x 10 squat stretch

2 x 5 squat @ 45 lbs

Routine:

Squat: 5 x 5 @ 110 lbs

OH Press: 2 x 5, 1 x 3, 1 x 4, 1 x 3 @ 65 lbs

Deadlift: 1 x 5 @ 90 lbs

Chinups: 5,4,4

Tore up the squat today and felt great, 110 seemed almost easy despite not being able to do it the last few workouts. The mind is still something I'm trying to conquer as I believe it is what held me back before. OH Press tore me apart though, and I struggled with the last few sets. Will try again on Thursday. Accidentally increased by 10 lbs instead of 5 on deadlift...no one is perfect

Don't sweat the injury Richard, it happens to the best of us

If it's just your upper body though, what about working your legs? Even if you can't do much I found that it does wonders for the mind to get moving during times of injury.

12/16/2007

Weight: 130 lbs

Gain: +2 lbs

Warmup:

2 min jog

5 x 2 squat stretch

5 x 2 empty bar

Routine:

Squat: 1 x 5 @ 95 lbs, 5 x 5 @ 105 lbs

Bench: 5 x 5 @ 85 lbs

Barbell Row: 5 x 5 @ 55 lbs

Dips: 12,7,7

Tack on another 2 lbs in a week...nutrition seems to be in check! Squat was tough today, didn't feel like I could up it to 110 like planned...so stuck with 105. Looking back I think I could have done it, but I'm still not fully confident in my form so I didn't want to push it. Will go for 110 next time. Felt really good on rows and dips today. Cranked out some good numbers. Two more training days this week and then it's a rest/recovery week while I'm on vacation. I will have access to a gym, but I think I'll take it easy and do some isolation exercises with low weights high reps...maybe work on some BW exercises too.

Any suggestions on light training during recovery weeks in order to maintain gains?

@Richard: I'll take anything I can get right now, although ideally mostly muscle. If the fat starts getting outta control, then I'll refine the diet a little more

12/13/2007

Warmup:

2-min jog

5 x 2 squat stretch

5 x 2 @ 45 lbs squat

Routine:

Squat: 1 x 5 @ 110 lbs, 4 x 5 @ 105 lbs

OH Press: 1 x 5 @ 65 lbs, 4 x 5 @ 60 lbs

Deadlift: 1 x 5 @ 80 lbs

Pullups: 3,3,3

Lowered weight on squat and OH press after first set as my form fell apart...will try higher weight again next session. Pullups blew me apart today. Just couldn't crank em out like usual. Maybe because I'm not used to doing them at the end of the workout?

Thanks for doing this Troy. Interesting information!

Anybody tried doing an analysis on Vega?

Thanks for doing this Troy. Interesting information!

Anybody tried doing an analysis on Vega?