Recent comps: May 7, 2016 RPS Mid-Atlantic Powerlifting - Raw 132, Pro total June 12, 2015 NPC Junior Nationals - Women's Physique Scott Paltos has been doing my programming since March 2015 for both powerlifting and physique. The off-season was programmed to add more size and work my technique on my raw lifts. Then slowly transitioned to raw powerlifting meet prep for May. As of right now, tentative physique show planned for September... #creatingamonster. 

I like to begin my "week" on Saturday with leg day. Well, last week I was visiting some family on Saturday.  So if you read the previous log (which I know you did because you're  dying to see what my leg days are like), then you'd know I did legs on Friday with Saturday off.

So this week was a monster week, going every day. Even my "off" day from lifting on Wednesday was a really fun HIIT session. Things are coming along nicely.  It's hard to believe I really only have 8 weeks left, but a lot happens between weeks 6 and 3. I can already tell that I'm tightening up. Leg cuts are already started to show. My upper body comes in fast. I know I'm leaning out when my pec separation pops up and my delt lines are visible when not even pumped.

Some food for thought.... people like to ask me if I want to go pro.  That's probably like asking a 10 year old if he wants to play in the NFL. *Duh*. For years now, I've told people, "Eh, I mean, if I make it, I make it. Sure it would be nice, but I really don't think I have a shot."

Now honestly, this could be one of the first times in my "athletic career" that I've ever really just shrugged it off.  Some might psychoanalyze me and say that I'm setting myself up for failure. Or that I'm being negative so when I don't go pro, I'm not disappointed. Now, I did well in powerlifting.  I did REAL well. Ranked 1st a few times, held some records (back when there weren't quite as many) and still have several lifts on the All-Time American and All-Time World lists.  Won some nationals, but I wouldn't consider myself one of the best ever.  Nowadays girls pulling close to 500 is a daily thing. Chicks benching 225+ raw for reps.

I'm blabbering a bit... but where I'm going with this? Well, I used to dismiss the idea of being a great bodybuilder because I was convinced I couldn't go pro without the help of some aides. Can I really get to the Olympia level without? I'll work my tail off, just like I did in powerlifting, to make it to the top. A little mindset change makes all the difference.

It's been quite the  year of learning.... learning about my body, what it needs, what it can do... and it's made me a better coach as well. Not every protocol works for every body. So it's been cool to mess around with some different stuff.  What's even cooler is having a coach who was dead-on with what he thought we needed to do.  I have learned a lot from all the coaches I've had in the past too. Scott helped out last year and seeing the results (which were still awesome), he knew we needed a different approach this year. And he was right. And it's working.  Holy sh*t is it working really well. Cardio is minimal (which means when it's time to add it in, it should be a good final touch), my legs are leaning out sooner than they have in the past.  Upper body is getting striations BUT still keeping it's size.  Crazy.  So thanks Scott for all you've taught me.

On to the training.........

Sunday
A. Seated around the worlds 4x12
B. Plate loaded shoulder press 5x8-12 with drop sets
C. Heavy DB laterals 4x12 with rest pauses
D. Face pulls 
E. DB rack attack curls x3
F. Straight bar pushdowns 
G. Abs 5mins

Monday Monster
A. Chest supported rows 4x15-20
B. Lat pulldowns (BB style) 5x12 drop set last one
C1. Rope stiff arm pulldowns 3x
C2. Drop cable down to bottom and row 3x
D. Low cable rows 
E1. DB shrugs rack attack x3 
E2. DB rows rack attack x3
(So HERE'S a funny story... I did curls for the last exercise, not rows.  and didn't realize I did it wrong until right this very second. Lol. Like as I type this.  During training I was like, "man, curls with 40's is tough.".... that's cuz you were doing it wrong silly head!!)

Tuesday
(This was a really tough but really fun day. LOTS and lots of swole, like thought my arms were going to fall off at the shoulders.  But felt awesome to get such a great pump without all the weight. And acted as some glycogen depletion/hiit too)
A. Db bench press 30 secs on 30secs x4 sets
B. Db push press 60 sec on 120 off x4 sets
C. Battle ropes laterals 30 on 30 off x5
D. Alt arms big 30 on 30 off x5
E. Circles 40 on 60 off x5
F. Standing laterals rack attack x2
G. Abs 5mins

Wednesday - Cardio, Bike
60 on 60 off 4 sets
45 on 60 off 5 sets
30 on 60 off 6 sets
15 on 60 off 2 sets

Thursday
A. Machine seated row 3x12
B. Meadows rows 5x12-12-10-10-8 drop set last one
C. Low cable seated row w rope 
D. Rear pec deck 
E1. Db incline curls stretch bottoms position 4x6
E2. Biceps stretch
F. Preacher curls 4x15 with drop sets
G. Lat pull downs bb style 4x12-15
Lower body posing hard 8mins

Friday
A. Seated Db shoulder press 3x20
B. Seated cleans 3x15
C. Barbell strict press 5x10
D1. Cable upright rows x4
D2. Laterals x4
E1. Db curls 
E2. Triceps pushdowns 
F1. Single arm concentration curls 
F2. Incline Tate's 
G1. Banded pushdowns x100
G2. Banded curls x100