MONDAY – CONDITIONING
40 minute walk with 40 lb weight vest

TUESDAY – INCLINE BENCH
Warm up
Close grip incline with shoulder saver pad paused 260x3, 300x3, 335x10, 260x15
Dips against mini band x10x15x17
Inverted barbell rows w/legs elevated 3x10
Bonus Work:
SS – W/ankle weights leg ext 1x50 w/leg curls 1x50 w/calf raises 1x50
SS – Pushdowns 50 3x12 w/tbar rows 50 3x12
SS - Face pulls 50 2x12 SS w/ Curls 70 2x12

WENESDAY – CONDITIONING/RECOVERY
40 minutes treadmill LISS
Planks 6x30 seconds

THURSDAY – CONDITIONING/RECOVERY
40 minutes treadmill LISS
Thrusters 2x10

FRIDAY – BENCH
Warm up
Bench 300x3, 345x3, 385x10
FSL Speed bench w/various grips 300 3x5
Close grip bench w/legs up and shoulder saver 365x8x8x9
D-Rows 140x20, 160x20x15
Bonus work:
Hammer curls 30x10, 40x10
Band pushdowns mini bandx50

SATURDAY – CONDITIONING/RECOVERY
30 minutes treadmill LISS
30 minutes rolling and stretching

SUNDAY – SQUAT/DEADLIFT
Safety squat bar squats 295x3. 335x3, 380x5, 295 3x5
Trap bar deadlifts 300x3, 345x3, 385x3, 300 3x5
Bonus work:
SS - 45 degreee back raise 5x10 w/barbell wrist curls 45 5x20
SS - 25 plate raise 3x10 w/handing leg raises 3x10

First I will start with the picture. Look good, bench good I say. I am a diva with gym outfits. I like to match. This one just about had me runway ready.

The good thing is, I feel as good as I "think" look. My body is really coming around. The biceps tendonitis is completely gone. My knee bothered me just a bit the other day, but after I stretched out, that was gone. The back and hip is coming along really well. Interestingly I have started to incorporate a little shoulder stretching which has really helped my back along.

I have just been feeling that if most of my back pain is up into the thoracic area, that is in pretty close proximity to my shoulders. I know since incorporating ytwl's over the physio ball into my warm ups my back has felt better. Instinctively I just started doing arm circles forwards and backwards the other day. I do 10 each and then follow them up with some cat camels or hip circles a couple of times a day. Wow, my back has really opened up.

While speaking to the all knowing Mayor McCheese - Mr. Matt Rhodes this evening, I realized I cannot static stretch. I always tend to overdo it. However, when it's dynamic in nature, I don't do myself in. It's amazing how much you can learn about your body when you stay in tune with it.

Anyway, training went great. It was a 3+ amrap week with my 5/3/1 program. I pushed it on the incline and bench. With the squat and deadlift I kept the RPE to no more than 8. The plan is to slowly build on this. I can happily say my back has not felt this comfortable squatting and deadlifting in as long as I can remember.

Bonus work was exactly that. After my main work I can do whatever I feel like, if I feel like doing anything at all. At 20 weeks out from my meet a little work is only going to help.

Conditioning was pretty mild. Just some walking on the treadmill and outside with the weight vest. I threw a few thrusters in the other day just because. I feel like I'll add some more challenging work in next week. Stay tuned.

Thanks for reading. See you all on the Powerlifters Top Model Tour 2016.