Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Definitely feeling 'good sore' from yesterday - those deads and cleans really sorted out my back. More cardio today!

Treadmill HIIT:
30 minutes (1 up, 1 down) 6mph & 2mph
10 degree incline

Feeling good today! Had a great workout and I'm definitely noticing improvements.

Chin Up:
Form was better than last week - going slower and lower. Will switch to pull ups once I'm really happy with form.
5x5xBodyweight

Decline DB Pullover:
Got some serious fatigue on the 4th set.
5x20lbs
5x22.5lbs
5x25lbs
5x30lbs (failure!)
5x25lbs

Barbell Push-press:
Had the gym pretty much to myself today which was awesome! Went heavier on these than I thought I would and was surprised I managed to get through all of it. Having to do a power clean for the first rep only added that little bit extra.
5x65lbs
5x75lbs
5x85lbs
5x95lbs
5x105lbs

Romanian Deadlifts:
Yes, I did do regular deads on Wednesday when according to Derek's plan I should've done them today. But, I hadn't looked at the proper form for them yet; hence the switch.
5x135lbs
5x145lbs
5x155lbs
5x165lbs
5x175lbs

Incline DB Chest Press (FST-7):
Ouch! This made lifting half my max feel like it was sooooo heavy towards the end. I'm always so suprised. First set... "this weight is too light.. pssssh". Last set... "$^&!@%#^&!!!!"
12x30lbs
12x30lbs
12x30lbs
12x30lbs
12x25lbs
12x25lbs
12x25lbs


Felt good about the workout today. It definitely feels good to notice some gains in strength. Even though my weight has stayed around 167-169lbs I'm confident that some bf% has dropped and there's some extra muscle. Going to have a relaxing weekend and get some light cardio in. Ready to hit it hard next week!

Managed to get some cardio in on a Sunday - just steady state since I'm feeling sore from the week and need to get ready for tomorrow's weight day

Elliptical:
30 minutes
422 calories
Resistance 10

Today's workout was pretty good - still sore from the previous one though so I'm feeling that I'm going to have to increase my protein consumption if I want to keep on Derek's routine. The barbell was also in use so I had to go with dumbells unfortunately. It was a good opportunity to stretch out and work on depth/form though.

Goblet Squats:
Same weight on the last set as last week but the previous sets were heavier. More volume overall so I'll call that a step in the right direction.
5x65lbs
5x70lbs
5x75lbs
5x80lbs
5x85lbs

DB Chest Press:
This weight was feeling great and without a spotter it's difficult for me to go any heavier. Slow, with good form but definitely want to go heavier on these.
5x55lbs
5x55lbs
5x55lbs
5x55lbs
5x55lbs

DB Bent Over Row:
Went heavier on the last two and they were super hard for me.
5x40lbs
5x45lbs
5x50lbs
5x60lbs
5x70lbs

DB Shrugs:
Grips were definitely going on the last set.
5x65lbs
5x70lbs
5x75lbs
5x80lbs
5x85lbs

Cardio after work today. More fake hills!

Treadmill HIIT:
30 minutes (1 up, 1 down) 6mph & 2mph
10 degree incline

7.5 minute medium pace to cooldown/watch the end of the Celtics/Heat game.

Cleans:
An improvement on last week and it actually felt easier. Strength gains.. yay! Feelin like a 167lbs big man...
5x95lbs
5x105lbs
5x115lbs
5x125lbs
5x135lbs

Incline DB Chest Press:
Was lucky enough to have my buddy to spot me and managed to reach a new PR on the last set. Feelin' strong today.
5x45lbs
5x50lbs
5x55lbs
5x60lbs (spotted)
5x65lbs (spotted)

One Arm DB Row:
5x60lbs
5x65lbs
5x70lbs
5x75lbs
5x80lbs (grip and form starting to fade!)

Deadlifts:
Almost getting up to my max on the final set which I'm stoked with. After 4 weeks on this I'll probably just test out my 1 rep max and see how that goes. Heavier than last week on the last 2 sets - stoked!
5x135lbs
5x155lbs
5x175lbs
5x195lbs
5x215lbs


Wasn't optimistic heading into the gym today but I realised that the weights were feeling lighter this week which was a huge boost. Gotta keep up with lots of protein this week so I can keep the intensity for this routine. I get what Derek says about using this workout for 4-6 weeks at a time, so I'll stop at 4 weeks just to be safe for my first go around. Luckily, the cafeteria at work has a salad bar where I pack a box full of veges (mostly based around broccoli and fresh edamame beans/chickpeas). We also have a great program where if you walk/bike/carpool to work you get money to go on your account. So, since I bike to work every day, I pretty much get free lunches. Yeaaah!

My girlfriend went to the gym for some cardio last night so I decided to join her.

Elliptical:
30 minutes
410 calories
Resistance 10

More cardio later on today. I'll probably keep it on the lighter side.

Thursday cardio day... I keep telling myself to just take it easy so I can recover better. Was just planning on a brisk 30 minute walk or something but ended up doing more since I sometimes slip into the "go hard, or go home" mentality. Do you think pushing myself on cardio days will make recovering harder? Am I hurting myself by not taking it SUPER easy on my "off" days.

Treadmill:
3 miles
29:58

Had to work out in my apartment complex gym today No good freeweight/barbell setup here... the dumbells only go up to 50lbs! Increased reps to make sure my volume didn't lag behind.

DB Curls into Arnold Press:
8x30lbs
8x30lbs
8x30lbs

Leg Press Machine:
No good freeweights for squats/RDLs but managed to get a nice burn on these...
12x100lbs
10x140lbs
8x180lbs
6x210lbs (machine max )

Double DB Bent Over Row:
12x45lbs
12x45lbs
12x45lbs

Incline DB Press:
Started with a really high incline and gradually decreased it to hit all angles.
5 sets of 8x45lbs

Shoulder Lat Raise:
7 sets of 12x15lbs

Didn't get enough sleep last night but had a surprisingly good workout today! Just had a light jog to warm up and got straight into it...

Goblet Squats:
5lbs increase on each set today. More volume, higher max. Progress.
5x70lbs
5x75lbs
5x80lbs
5x85lbs
5x90lbs

DB Chest Press:
Managed to get a spotter for these. Felt stronger on these than last week.
5x45lbs
5x50lbs
5x55lbs
5x60lbs
5x65lbs (spotted)

DB Bent Over Row:
Started heavier for more volume. Same max as last week though.
5x50lbs
5x55lbs
5x60lbs
5x65lbs
5x70lbs

Military Press:
Too light at the start but felt like I reached a good weight for the last 3 sets.
10x50lbs
8x60lbs
5x80lbs
5x80lbs
5x80lbs

Nerd core. Those are some serious work outs!

-Dylan

Thanks Dylan - I've noticed a lot of improvement on this kind of routine! Unfortunately, I've run into a bit of an issue. There has been a slight tingling in my feet and extremeties... this has happened before and I had all the blood tests done and all the doctor can tell me is that I'm perfectly healthy. All I know is that it's most likely a B-12 issue which I'm supplementing now. I feel stupid that I haven't kept up with my B-12 since this happened some months ago, but I only have myself to blame. I guess I'll take a few days off and get this issue sorted so I can hit the gym hard when I'm back at 100%.

Frustrated.

Interesting. Is it like they your extremities are falling asleep? I've had that before too actually but never often or regular. I have a B supplement, that's a good reminder because I haven't been taking it. I actually started taking it because my jew-fro hair started thinning a little, not too bad, just down to avg people hair thickness I think. But I got worried about it and read that biotin, B vitamins, and flax/ omega 3's are all important for hair care.

Have you noticed any improvements with your issue since you started taking the B vitamins?

-Dylan

It's been 2 weeks and I'm almost back to normal - going to start back in the gym later this week. It's a total bummer though, I hate having to stop training when I feel like I was making good progress. My extremeties didn't feel like they were falling asleep or losing any function. It's just like 'pins & needles'.

Nice to see you're on the mend amigo!

_________________
"Don't fall for that crap that people are peddling on the message boards, in magazines or on TV. Get your shit in order, and get your training in order. Start kicking ass, and take out the crap that doesn't matter" Jim Wendler