Cole's HLM/TM

[Cole Gorton]

11/18
Volume Day


Squat
360 x 5 x 5
still waiting only 5 minutes between sets, prob be changing that to 6 min next week to coincide with that plate math. squats are tought to gauge bc everything over 315 feelz heavy on my back but these were popping up pretty easy

Bench Press
275 x 5 x 5
first set was really hard, i think coming directly from squats had me still pretty tired or something bc set 3,4,5 were fine. i wanna bench 365 at my meet in feb




notes
-weekend was long and boring which is fine w me. ate my macros and lounged. did a little yard work for the sunshine and fresh air. went on a couple walks. took the family out for some steaks. now im gonna meal prep some bison monster mash. bison meat is hands down better than beef

video
Squat - YouTube
Bench - YouTube

[Cole Gorton]

11/20
Recovery Day


Squat(-20%)
290 x 5 x 2
some slight DOMS from mondays volume

Press (-10%)
147.5 x 5 x 3

Chins
bw x 8, 5, 5
actually these get your abs!



notes
-not much to report on my recovery day. still feeling really well recovered and strong in general. i did lower my trt dose from 160/wk to 120/wk so i hope that doesnt stop the recent gainz train. was getting a little to "hot" at 160...too much adrenaline or something. i did fine at 120 for most of the year so i think i found my sweet spot from now. now any future adjustments will be very carefully scrutinized before changing. gotta cruise from here on out.

[irongeek]

Squats and Bench looking great - good work!

[Cole Gorton]

Squats and Bench looking great - good work!

thanks paul

[Cole Gorton]

11/22
Intensity Day


Squat
400 x 5
wish i could say these were easier but i guess thats the point of intensity day - to push yourself. its gotta get slow at some point

Bench
305 x 5
no problem with this set. felt great

DL
440 x 5 (PR!)
sweet! PR train hasnt reached its final destination quite yet. every rep is slow, but after the 2nd rep i knew i could get all 5.




notes
-squats seem like the lift that is slowing down the most. maybe between the 5x5 mon and the 2x5 wed is too much much fatigue? i hesitate to drop any volume while things are still rolling along, but i do think the recovery day squats this week did not really do much to help prepare me for today, if anything just kind of added to the lower body fatigue. i think omitting the recovery day will be neccessary at some point. that will ential combining upper body lifts together and splitting up volume days (ie going to a 4 day split like before)
-labs came back today, T was 750 - free T was 185. not supraphysiological by any means. i dont know how motherfuckers can roll with 1500 + levels. i feel like wigging out any time i go up past 750.

video:
Squat - YouTube
Bench - YouTube
DL - YouTube

[Cole Gorton]

11/24
Volume Day


Squat
365 x 5 x 5
first set was awesome. then my wife came in and told me she needed help with installing the range hood that got delivered. couldnt wait bc her brother just got there to help drill into the tile (hes a tiler). so, i was trying to help and then run back in and do a quick set and go back out and help. a few minutes in my wife announced that she had a hair apt and had to leave but hoped we had fun. after fucking around with the range for about an hour we decided it wasnt going to be secured enough and was too large, so wifes brother left and by then it was past lunch so...

lunch break, then

Press
165 x 5 x 5
seemed a lot harder after fucking around with the range hood and cooling off after lunch. last rep of last set barely went. delts pumped.




notes
- session took forever. i increased the rest times to 6min (which ended up being way more due to the running in and out to help wife/brother in law) and 5 min for upper. i wasnt that focused since i was distracted with the home improvement project. also i got a couple work calls as well so i didnt feel like i ever got in the groove for squats. thats just how it is sometimes i guess....

video
Squat - YouTube

[Cole Gorton]

11/26
conditioning

HIIT
airdyne / treadmil intervals - 30 minuntes


notes
bw 232, waist 41.5

-measured pm so its usually a little bigger than am. am weight is normally about 5 pounds less and waist about and inch less believe it or not.
-low back joints sore after yesterdays volume day, not terribly worried but its not the good kind of sore i usually have (like in the muscle) after volume day

[Cole Gorton]

11/27
Recovery Day


Squat (-20%)
290 x 5 x 2
super easy but my low back is real fatigued, i almost skipped squats today. just not explosive out of the hole like normal and my low back joints are achey and stiff. hoping to feel a little better for fridays attempt at a set of 405

Bench (-10%)
247.5 x 5 x 3
smooth. no prblems

chins
bw x 5, 5, 5




notes
trying not to get in my head about my low back fatigue/achiness/weakness. last week 400x5 went fine so there is no reason this week 405 should be a problem unless i get in my head.

[Cole Gorton]

11/29
Intensity Day


Squat
405 x 5
wew...been having anxiety and hesitancy about this for some reason and it showed, as I seemed to cut these a little high (not to below parallel like they need to be). you can tell, especially the first rep bc usually the bb is about an inch from hitting the safety bars, and these were more like 2-3 in from the safeties. first rep especially, then reps 2-4 were prob close to parallel, then the 5th was below, probably due to fatigue and getting loose. im not copmplaining too much bc this matches a PR and i can tell im strong enough to get all 5 even if i go to depth (like i need to!)

Press
182.5 x 5 (PR)
pr. no problem at all. getting good at these and i bet i can get a bw press for a single at this point.

DL
445 x 5 (PR)
another pr. waiting for the pr train to end here and it keeps chugging along. these do look a little slower and i can do better with pushing the bb away from the floor instead of trying to pull the barbell off the floor. i can tell my back is strong enough for 5's still bc im finishing the lift from the knees stronger than the first portion off the floor. also can anyone tell me why my 5th rep of a limit set of 5 is faster than the first rep???




notes
-great session overall. i am picking apart my technique a bit, especially on the squats since they were not below parallel. considering re-doing the same volume/intensity weights for squats next week to bury the heavy set of 5 next time. although i think im strong enough to go for the 410 pr next week
-low back is quite fatigued, and i can see a situation were i need to actually increase the upper body stress while decreasing the lower body stress for the week. maybe pull heavy/squat light one week followed by squat heavy/pull light the next week? and just press/bench heavy weekly?
-only went 1,000 cal over my target yesterday despite it being thanksgiving. those 2 slices of pie were worth it!

video
Squat - YouTube
Press PR - YouTube
DL - YouTube

[Cole Gorton]

12/2
Volume Day


Squat
370 x 5 x 5
went really well, actually was pretty easy. 6 min rest betweem sets.

Bench Press
280 x 5 x 5
phone died right before starting these so i had to kind of guess rest times between sets and im usually pretty eager so i probably didnt wait long enough, but got them done.




notes
-still trying to eat 250+g protein per day and i think thats been a game changer.

video
Squat - YouTube