TM recovery question (shift workers advise welcome)

[Leakey]

Hi Rip,

I planned on starting TM shortly, in preference over something like Wendler's 5/3/1, but I need to be reasonably well conditioned, and I'm a shift worker (meaning sometimes I will have too little rest, or too much time between workout days). I'm also 34.

In your experience, as well as the other guys on here, do you think I'm asking a bit much? I read Stef said once that TM is not the best idea from around my age anyway.

[David_G]

TM volume days are brutally hard, it takes me 4 days atleast to recover from, my avg. sleep is 6 hours during the week as a student and a shift worker(one day after vol. day I MUST sleep 8-10 hours, and the night before I sleep 8 hours atleast, or else my whole week would go down the drain)

It's all about vol. day, if you manage to set your week around them and pay extra careful attention to the 3 days surrounding them(night before, same night, night after) then TM would work just fine, if you don't it will just over-train your ass pretty quickly

[Rob Israel]

TM gets a bad rap for "older" trainees and besides, you aren't old.

You didn't ask me but since you asked Rip in Andy's forum I'll answer your question anyway. :-)

The key for making TM work at age 45 is listening to my body and taking an extra day or two of rest before Volume or Intensity day when I need it. I love the TM-- but after about 6 weeks it requires some extra recovery. You gotta be willing to take it, especially if you aren't getting enough sleep.

For conditioning, you are best doing it on volume and intensity days, but that can be difficult since volume days can take forever and after 5x5 squats the last thing I want to do it pull out the prowler. I've seen it recommended that you do it on the day after intensity day too since you then have another day of rest after that.

Finally, I have skipped my recovery workout altogether frequently and now have switched to 2 squats a week: Volume and Intensity which is a great relief. By doing so I can go in and do more assistance work (or conditioning for that matter) and overall it's mentally and physically less taxing. That would work well with doing 5/3/1 with pressing. Just make sure you have at least 2 days off between your squat days.

[CFB]

Well, I'm not working shift. However, I'm a father of four kids, having a more than 100% job, serving in the Army Reserve, ... and, I'm 40 years old. So I know what you are talking about. I'm on the TM since last November and made great progress, much greater than on 5/3/1. BUT, recovery is an issue, especially if you want to combine TM with conditioning work. At the beginning I did some CrossFit style conditoning twice a week and I couldn't recover any more. Then I didn't do any conditioning for a while. Lately I reintroduced conditionings, one on recovery day, one on the day after intensity day. I'm just using bodyweight stuff, most of the time sprint stuff (suicide runs or gassers). This works fine and doesn't interfere too much with recovery. TM works best for me with a fixed schedule, so for example Mo, We, Fr. However, due to my duties I have to modify the plan quite often. Usually I then leave out the recovery workout. However, it's important to have at least two days of recovery between volume and intensity day. Finally for a guy like me with some mileage mobility and soft tissue work is important to speed up recovery. The good thing is: if you do it, it works and you're far less sore. Hope that helps a bit in your decision making.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Hi Rip,

I planned on starting TM shortly, in preference over something like Wendler's 5/3/1, but I need to be reasonably well conditioned, and I'm a shift worker (meaning sometimes I will have too little rest, or too much time between workout days). I'm also 34.

In your experience, as well as the other guys on here, do you think I'm asking a bit much? I read Stef said once that TM is not the best idea from around my age anyway.

If your rest/recovery situation isn't optimal I would opt for a split routine. Wendlers program would qualify as a split routine. Its not that you CANT make progress on the Texas Method, but in your case it is probably the longer harder road to your goals. Mid thirties certainly isn't old, but it is a world different that 25. There is less chance of a fuck up with a split routine, and probably more likelihood of success.

[ba0412]

I work 24 hour shifts as a firefighter and getting 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep per shift is considered a good night. I get off at 8am, go home make breakfast then take a nap then go to the gym. I find that getting that extra 2 to 2.5 hours of sleep helps out during my workouts. My work cycle is a 3 week cycle and i do not train while on duty. This makes my training days as follows; Week one: Mon(vol) Wed (recovery workout/with heavy presses mixed in) Fri(intensity). Week 2 starts on Sun(vol) Tue(recovery) Thur(intensity) then reverting back to a M/W/F next week. Only having one day from intensity day and volume day seems doable for me so far but i don't think the opposite would be possible. I find I need the greatest recovery time following the volume day. I don't like skipping the recovery day... it helps my legs do just what the day states, recover. For conditioning I might do something on wed and possibly sat but lately I've just been getting up a little earlier on duty days and running a couple of miles before work. Nothing crazy just 2 to 2.5 miles. One of the best things you can do is on your off days make sure you are getting at least 8 hours of sleep. This means going to be 8.5 to 9 hours before you have to get up, so it gives you enough time to fall asleep. And eat of course. That"s just my 2 cents.

[Leakey]

Thanks very much guys, it's appreciated and very helpful.