Cole's Data Driven Strength

[cole]

Thursday, Jul 28th, 2022
BBM 7.3 deload

2ct Pause Squat

350lbs x 1 @ 8
300lbs x 4 @ 8
Total x Stress: @ 1.18,
Central x Stress: @ 1.22

Notes: these felt good from a technical and strength standpoint

Touch & Go Bench Press

155lbs x 10
155lbs x 10
Total x Stress: @ 0,
Central x Stress: @ 0

Tempo Bench Press

155lbs x 5
155lbs x 5
Total x Stress: @ 0,
Central x Stress: @ 0

[cole]

Friday, Jul 29th, 2022
BBM 7.4 deload

2ct Pause Deadlift (conv)

405lbs x 1 @ 8
345lbs x 4 @ 8
Total x Stress: @ 1.18,
Central x Stress: @ 1.22

Notes: bar sticking on my quads on the way up...i may have to get some baby powder and start practicing. last meet i ended up with it on my hands and it affected my 3rd pull attempt.

Bench Press with Feet Up

135lbs x 10
135lbs x 10
135lbs x 10
Total x Stress: @ 0,
Central x Stress: @ 0

****Thats it for deload week!

video:

[cole]

Monday, Aug 1st, 2022
BBM 8.1

Squat with Belt

375lbs x 1 @ 9
280lbs x 4 @ 6
280lbs x 4 @ 6
280lbs x 4 @ 6
Total x Stress: @ 1.78,
Central x Stress: @ 1.7

Notes: clearly a large strength drop off after last weeks deload....ive never responded well to pivot or deload weeks. Ive also lost more weight than i intended to and im sitting 5lbs under my weight class at the moment, so i need to eat a little more

1ct Pause Bench Press

275lbs x 1 @ 9
205lbs x 3 @ 6
205lbs x 3 @ 6
205lbs x 3 @ 6
205lbs x 3 @ 6
Total x Stress: @ 1.86,
Central x Stress: @ 1.7

Notes: see notes for squats

[cole]

Tuesday, Aug 2nd, 2022
BBM 8.2

Deadlift (conv)

405lbs x 1 @ 9
305lbs x 4 @ 6
305lbs x 4 @ 6
305lbs x 4 @ 6
Total x Stress: @ 1.82,
Central x Stress: @ 1.76

Notes: continuing on a little slump from yesterday. this week will have to be just going through the motions, intro style

3ct Pause Bench Press

255lbs x 1 @ 8
185lbs x 3 @ 5
185lbs x 3 @ 5
185lbs x 3 @ 5
Total x Stress: @ 1.08,
Central x Stress: @ 0.94

[cole]

Thursday, Aug 4th, 2022
BBM 8.3

2ct Pause Squat

315lbs x 1 @ 6
235lbs x 4 @ 5
235lbs x 4 @ 5
Total x Stress: @ 0.67,
Central x Stress: @ 0.43

Notes: easy but my joints feel like shit

Touch & Go Bench Press

245lbs x 1 @ 6
195lbs x 5 @ 5
195lbs x 5 @ 5
195lbs x 5 @ 5
195lbs x 5 @ 5
195lbs x 5 @ 5
Total x Stress: @ 1.64,
Central x Stress: @ 0.94

[cole]

Friday, Aug 5th, 2022
BBM 8.4

2ct Pause Deadlift (conv)

365lbs x 1 @ 7
275lbs x 4 @ 5
275lbs x 4 @ 5
Total x Stress: @ 0.83,
Central x Stress: @ 0.67

1ct Pause Bench Press

275lbs x 1 @ 8
225lbs x 3 @ 6
205lbs x 3 @ 5
205lbs x 3 @ 5
Total x Stress: @ 1.26,
Central x Stress: @ 1.15


Session Notes: Not at the top of my game right now mentally, physically, or emotionally. Motivation is low. I think the decrease in volume for weeks 8-12 will help reduce some fatigue. I will still be capping my top sets so I dont over reach. 4 more weeks of training and one deload week out

[cole]

Monday, Aug 8th, 2022
BBM 9.1

Squat with Belt

365lbs x 1 @ 7
315lbs x 4 @ 7
295lbs x 4 @ 5
295lbs x 4 @ 5
295lbs x 4 @ 5
Total x Stress: @ 1.71,
Central x Stress: @ 1.34

Notes: I am super relieved and happy about my squats today - 365 felt pretty good and relatively easy with minimal hip pain. I was tempted to go up to 385 and even had thoughts of 4PL8 but today was the 1st squat session in months that actually felt decent and I didnt want to push it and feel like grindy painful shit again so I stopped at a pretty smooth 365. I know that is not heavy compared to myself of 2018-2020 but that was then and this is now. Backoff sets felt great and I actually found a rythm like my old self. good shit today

1ct Pause Bench Press

275lbs x 1 @ 7
245lbs x 3 @ 7
225lbs x 3 @ 5
225lbs x 3 @ 5
225lbs x 3 @ 5
225lbs x 3 @ 5
Total x Stress: @ 1.78,
Central x Stress: @ 1.44

Notes: Again, very good session. Not surprising considering when my squat is good, so usually is my bench ie: I either have good days or bad days, not good specificied so much to the movement itself but rather the day.

--> Great session today. I held back quite a bit and didnt get over rpe7 but I need to feel fresh or i just dont move heavy weights so im going to titrate up slowly and easy until meet, which is 5 weeks from now.

videos:

[cole]

Tuesday, Aug 9th, 2022
BBM 9.2

Deadlift (conv)

405lbs x 1 @ 7
345lbs x 4 @ 7
325lbs x 4 @ 5
325lbs x 4 @ 5
325lbs x 4 @ 5
Total x Stress: @ 1.66,
Central x Stress: @ 1.25

Notes: I got a little behind the bar on the top single rather than keeping my shoulders in front of the bar. This has been a problem for me with top weights in the past, and it sucks the power out of the pull right at the knees. If i can stay over the bar and keep my shoulders in front, i can use much more leg press and back strength. it went easy though, and I rate it rpe 7

High Pin Bench Press

275lbs x 1 @ 8
245lbs x 3 @ 7
225lbs x 3 @ 5
225lbs x 3 @ 5
225lbs x 3 @ 5
Total x Stress: @ 1.93,
Central x Stress: @ 1.94

Notes: Havent pressed from pins in a while so i rate top single @8 bc it was difficult to lower the bar steady enough and get it set on the pins evenly, then pressing from a dead stop was a little rusty.

video:

[JohnHelton]

That pull looked smooth. I'm not sure that I see the issues that you see/feel.

[cole]

That pull looked smooth. I'm not sure that I see the issues that you see/feel.

good! im probably being hyper critical, but i do have a tendency to rock backwards right before i pull, which seems to kill my momentum and leg drive

rebuilding slowly. i feel like i really over reached earlier this year, that along with being in charge of my business AND kids all summer has been stressful

[JohnHelton]

Your hips get locked into place when you start to pull. That is good. If you drop too low, they will naturally rise before the bar breaks the ground. You are getting great knee and hip extension, which appear to be well synchronized. My only comments is that be bar appears to drift a bit away away from your legs as you pull. That is easy to clean up with some serious lat engagement/tightening during setup, just pulling your shoulders into your back pants pockets.

I really like Mike T's form for conventional deadlifts. His shoulders are directly over the bar. Also, his hips are fairly low in comparison to SS doctrine, but he then gets a lot of leg drive off the floor. When I pulled conventional, this revelation made pulling much easier.

[cole]

good observation @JohnHelton will keep in mind. ill try it next time

[cole]

Thursday, Aug 11th, 2022
BBM 9.3

High Pin Squat

340lbs x 1 @ 7
305lbs x 3 @ 5
305lbs x 3 @ 5
Total x Stress: @ 1.14,
Central x Stress: @ 1.3

Notes: These were above parallel, but still a little harder than regular squat since i was not used to a dead stop. i worked on staying tight in the hole (on the pins) and moving the weight quick

Touch & Go Bench Press

280lbs x 1 @ 8
195lbs x 5 @ 5
195lbs x 5 @ 5
195lbs x 5 @ 5
195lbs x 5 @ 5
195lbs x 5 @ 5
Total x Stress: @ 1.71,
Central x Stress: @ 1.09

Notes: moved pretty well and im happy to say my shoulder is almost 100% !!!!

video:

[cole]

Friday, Aug 12th, 2022
BBM 9.4

2" Deficit Deadlift (conv)

365lbs x 1 @ 7
325lbs x 3 @ 5
325lbs x 3 @ 5
Total x Stress: @ 1.1,
Central x Stress: @ 1.23

Notes: felt pretty good here considering I havent pulled from a deficit in a while, and its more like a 4 inch platform not 2

1ct Pause Bench Press

285lbs x 1 @ 8
255lbs x 3 @ 7
235lbs x 3 @ 6
235lbs x 3 @ 6
Total x Stress: @ 1.77,
Central x Stress: @ 1.8

Notes: really happy about my shoulder holding up nicely, wish i was a little stronger here bc i want the 3PL8 bench and I only have a few weeks left

Session notes: All in all very good session, maybe the best week of BBM program so far. my body is feeling better and so is my CNS. my stress level has been lower too which is nice. now lets hope to peak soon. E1RMs are: 410, 310, 455

Videos:

[cole]

Went to the shaw classic strongman tourney today in windsor.....bought tix for me and my boys way back last Christmas as a present. Was super fun. Unreal how big those guys are

[cole]

Monday, Aug 15th, 2022
BBM 10.1

Squat with Belt

365lbs x 1 @ 7
385lbs x 1 @ 8
325lbs x 3 @ 6
325lbs x 3 @ 6
285lbs x 5 @ 6
285lbs x 5 @ 6
Total x Stress: @ 2.22,
Central x Stress: @ 1.95

Notes: Honestly I though my shoulder impingement was going to be my weak point come meet time, now its definintely my hips. Weird how unpredictable things are regarding the human body and mind.

1ct Pause Bench Press

275lbs x 1 @ 7
290lbs x 1 @ 8
260lbs x 2 @ 6
260lbs x 2 @ 6
245lbs x 3 @ 6
245lbs x 3 @ 6
Total x Stress: @ 2.3,
Central x Stress: @ 2.48

Notes: Shoulder doing well, strength stalling a little. Good work today

Session notes: stress level a little higher than late, which is fine bc it still was very manageable today. I think around 2.0 stress level (RTS metric) is a pretty good benchmark.

Video:

[cole]

Tuesday, Aug 16th, 2022
BBM 10.2

Deadlift (conv)

405lbs x 1 @ 7
425lbs x 1 @ 8
365lbs x 3 @ 6
365lbs x 3 @ 7
315lbs x 5 @ 5
315lbs x 5 @ 6
Total x Stress: @ 2.32,
Central x Stress: @ 2.13

Notes: hard to dial in technique here on dropset triples, 5's felt much better as i was dropping my hips to meet the bar instead of shins (same thing physically, just a different mental cue which seemed to help stay tighter and pull slack from the bar and have a set back all at the same time.

High Pin Bench Press

285lbs x 1 @ 7
245lbs x 3 @ 5
245lbs x 3 @ 5
245lbs x 3 @ 5
Total x Stress: @ 1.25,
Central x Stress: @ 1.2

Notes: these are just easier than comp bench since the ROM is so much shorter

videos:

[cole]

Thursday, Aug 18th, 2022
BBM 10.3

Middle Pin Squat

345lbs x 1 @ 7
295lbs x 3 @ 5
295lbs x 3 @ 5
295lbs x 3 @ 5
Total x Stress: @ 1.23,
Central x Stress: @ 1.18

Notes: lowered the pins by one hole this week and it actually felt better. now im right at or slightly below parallel. hips still a bit achy at first. distracting

Touch & Go Bench Press

295lbs x 1 @ 8
250lbs x 3 @ 5
250lbs x 3 @ 5
250lbs x 3 @ 5
250lbs x 3 @ 5
Total x Stress: @ 1.85,
Central x Stress: @ 1.97

Notes: 295 felt great. im getting back to previous strength. puts my E1RM at 320. not bad. today was the first day i can confidently say my shoulder felt 100%. im proud of myself for being patient and rehabbing it responsibly. took almost 6 months.

video:




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--> Lately ive been working up to benchmarks for my comp lifts, then gauging where to go from there. in the past i would alter my warmups based on the weight i wanted/planned to hit. now, for example when comp squat i will warmup up to 365x1, and depending on speed and RPE I will either call it there, or go up to 385. In theory, if 385 moves well and i havent hit my rpe, i could jump again but it would have to be to 405. that way it keeps me honest with my rpe and keeps fatigue in check bc no way am i attempting 405 if 385 was tough. my benchmarks are 365,275,405.

[JohnHelton]

I think you are onto a winning formula.

[cole]

Friday, Aug 19th, 2022
BBM 10.4

2" Deficit Deadlift (conv)

385lbs x 1 @ 7
325lbs x 3 @ 5
325lbs x 3 @ 5
325lbs x 3 @ 5
Total x Stress: @ 1.18,
Central x Stress: @ 1.08

Notes: felt good

Tempo Bench Press

260lbs x 1 @ 7
225lbs x 3 @ 5
225lbs x 3 @ 5
225lbs x 3 @ 5
225lbs x 3 @ 5
Total x Stress: @ 1.61,
Central x Stress: @ 1.57

Notes: felt good

Video: