Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Happy 2013!

Jumping in here and well update the history details as we go.

I'm on a 4 day split which is supposed to incorporate cardio daily. Thus far my RA will not tolerate any cardio. I have had some issues after lifting, but not nearly enough to be alarmed. A lot of my exercises were changed up due to loss of grip and inability to do a certain motion. My hands/wrists don't tolerate DB well so I work with a lot of machines and have to strap into some of them. That all being said ... I AM lifting and I AM working all I need to work. So I'm happy with that.

The following reflects the routine he gave me, I have already modified some of it and am working on the remaining.
Wed:
Machine Incline Press 4 sets of 15/12/10/8
Cable Crossover 4 sets of 20/15/15/15 (did well, but may change to machine flies)
Machine Press 4 sets of 15

Arnold Press 4 sets of 10 (any ideas here?) Due to the wrists, I will never be able to go heavy here
Side Lateral Raises 4 sets 20/15/12/10
Hammer Shoulder Press 4 sets 20/15/12/10
Machine Lat Raises 4 sets of 15

Crunch 3 sets of 25
Lower Leg Raises 3 sets of 25
Ab Machine Crunch 3 sets of 25
Oblique Crunches 3 sets of 25

Thurs:
Superset
Leg Press 4 sets of 15
Hack Squat 4 sets of 15
Superset
Smith Squat 4 sets of 15
Leg Ext 4 sets of 15

Triset
Wide Stance Leg Press 3 sets of 20
Leg Curls 3 sets of 20
St Leg DL 3 sets of 20

Supposed to follow with Plyo Close Jump Squats and Single Leg Butt Squat with the RA, this isn't going to happen ideas?

Friday:
Close Grip Lat Pulldown 4 sets of 15
Wide Grip lat pulldown 4 sets of 15
Hammer Row 4 sets of 15
Weighted Machine Hyper Ext 4 sets of 15

Upright row 4 sets of 20 - I used the barbell on this and it killed my wrists, ideas?
Rear Lat Raises 4 sets of 20

Weighted Side Bends 3 sets of 20
Weighted Machine Crunch 3 sets of 20
Reverse Crunch 3 sets of 20

Tomorrow is Bis & Tris and Plyo moves. I am perplexed on this one and my dude is out of town for the weekend. I am unable to do curls, BB, DB, and Cable nor the Tri ext or the OH ext and especially the dips. My wrists will not support these exercises. So I'm open to ideas here as well. I'm thinking machines for tris and I'm not sure on bis. The plyo moves are abs and butt. I can't do side lunges nor jump squats. I'll have to figure out alternatives.

I'm excited that you are keeping a journal. I have a friend with RA that I have been trying to convince to go on a plant based diet for a long time.
Happy 2013 to you as well!

-Dylan

Thank you for stopping in



No training today. Major flare so here we go again. Would love to sleep but the pain is too bad and the pain killers don't begin to touch it. I would love to know if it's just a flare (for no reason) or the training triggered it. The joints that were agrivated in training are in intense pain now. I'll keep you posted.

Rooting for you. Flares take me out for days at a time, dangit.

what are flares? (excuse my ignorance)

Jumps in pain level. On average I'm at a 3-4 on a scale of 10 daily. Lately it's been 8-9/10 thanks to a flare up.

How are you feeling?

How have you been? How is training going? Any epiphanies or insights with your RA treatment? Anything having to do with diet would be great to pass along to my friend.

-Dylan