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Thread: Everything falls apart

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    MA
    Posts
    1,556

    Default Everything falls apart

    • starting strength seminar april 2024
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    Demographics
    Male, 48
    Height: 5 ft 7 in / 170cm
    Weight: 178 lbs / 85kg (maintaining)
    Bodyfat (est): 25-28%
    Net calories a day: 2000
    Lifts (5RM all):
    • Squat: 250lbs / 113kg
    • Bench: 182.5lbs / 83kg
    • Seated OHP: 115 lbs / 52kg
    • Deadlift: 285 lbs / 129kg
    • Pendlay row: 145 lbs / 66kg

    Logs are here.

    Issue
    I've hit a hard wall on all lifts other than Pendlay rows. At the end of SS I hit those PRs for 3x5 (1x5 for deadlift) and I've been unable to exceed them since, and backsliding on all - I've yet to get 1x5 on any of them.

    Narrative
    So, this is my third foray into Texas method - the first two being cut short by unrelated medical issues. I've been unable to successfully rack a power clean to save my soul, so I do rows instead.

    Quite honestly, I have no idea why I'm stalled so god-damned hard. I can't get reps on anything, and deadlifts are down to 265lbs / 120kg and I still can't get the bar to break off the floor five times.

    Sleep has been pretty good - I get some very intermittent bad nights like everyone else - but overall I eat well, sleep well, and get the recovery I think I need.
    P/F/C ratio are 21.4/31.5/48 with 30-day averages of 109g/98g/183g. I have left a job that's turned to shit and gotten a better one with different hours that's more fun.
    SWMBO and I have come back from a month-long stay at the 90-year old mum-in-laws to take care of her while she fought off some illness.

    I've videoed form checks on bench and squat and they're both pretty solid - I have a tendency to flare the left elbow on bench and raise my chin on squats, but those are resolving with focusing on the right cue. I need to get other form checks done as well.

    Program
    Here's the TM variant I'm running:

    Trying to add 5lbs a week on intensity days

    Week 1

    Monday - Press volume day
    Bench press 5x5 @ 80% 5RM
    Seated overhead press 3x8 @ 80% 5RM

    Tuesday - Squat volume day
    Squat 5x5 @ 80% 5RM
    Pendlay Row/Yates Row 3x8

    Thursday - Press intensity day
    Bench Press 1x5
    OHP 3x5

    Friday - Squat intensity day
    Squat 1x5
    Deadlift 1x5

    Week 2

    Monday - Press volume day
    OHP 5x5 @ 80% 5RM
    Close-grip bench press 3x8

    Tuesday - Squat volume day
    Squat 5x5 @ 80% 5RM
    PR/YR 3x8

    Thursday - Press intensity day
    OHP 1x5
    Bench Press 2x5 @ 80%

    Friday - Squat intensity day
    Squat 1x5
    Deadlift 1x5

    Summary
    Older lifter maintaining bodyweight and stalling like it's his job. What do.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Posts
    5,659

    Default

    I've been using & recommending a really simple variation of HLM for intermediates (when textbook TM doesn't make sense)

    Mon (Medium Stress)
    Squats: 3-4sets of 6 (use about 90% of your last confident TM 5x5)
    Bench: same idea as squats
    Light pull or row

    Wed (light):
    Press: 10 minute density block (Use 5x5 weight and do mini sets of 1-3 reps for 10 mins)
    Chins: same as press

    HIIT

    Friday (heavy)
    Squat: a heavy triple (start off using 5rm weight), then drop 7-8% for 1-3 more sets of 3.
    Bench: same idea as squat
    Deads: 5rm or 3rm, or 3 singles over 90%...whatever...just set yourself up to build momentum

    Sat:
    HIIT
    Chins

    You can flip press priority every week of you'd like.

    * aim to increase load on the bb lifts about 1-1.5% each week.
    Last edited by John Hanley; 05-01-2015 at 09:41 AM.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    London, Ontario
    Posts
    901

    Default

    Being 48 (I'm 42 so I feel your pain) it may just be too much to recover from, TM is tough. I've been using TM for a while now, and I keep modifying it to keep progress going. While I can grind through lots of volume, I need sufficient recovery to avoid feeling too beat up and keep progress going.

    If you like your current set up, I would suggest trying ever other day. That way you get a full day of recovery between sessions. I would bet that you would see some better progress that way.

    I did this a few months ago, and I've been able to keep progress going with the extra rest.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
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    Default

    I'm not a nutrition expert but your calorie intake seems low and your protein is about half of what it should be

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by jusmoren View Post
    I'm not a nutrition expert but your calorie intake seems low and your protein is about half of what it should be
    And this ^. 109 grams? Dude.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    New Jersey
    Posts
    3,436

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by John Hanley View Post
    I've been using & recommending a really simple variation of HLM for intermediates (when textbook TM doesn't make sense)

    Mon (Medium Stress)
    Squats: 3-4sets of 6 (use about 90% of your last confident TM 5x5)
    Bench: same idea as squats
    Light pull or row

    Wed (light):
    Press: 10 minute density block (Use 5x5 weight and do mini sets of 1-3 reps for 10 mins)
    Chins: same as press

    HIIT

    Friday (heavy)
    Squat: a heavy triple (start off using 5rm weight), then drop 7-8% for 1-3 more sets of 3.
    Bench: same idea as squat
    Deads: 5rm or 3rm, or 3 singles over 90%...whatever...just set yourself up to build momentum

    Sat:
    HIIT
    Chins

    You can flip press priority every week of you'd like.

    * aim to increase load on the bb lifts about 1-1.5% each week.
    I really like this set up a lot. especially Wednesdays session. I have often used this type of set up for opposing lifts doing amrap for a time and seek to improve the amount of reps

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Posts
    2,101

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by John Hanley View Post
    I've been using & recommending a really simple variation of HLM for intermediates (when textbook TM doesn't make sense)

    Mon (Medium Stress)
    Squats: 3-4sets of 6 (use about 90% of your last confident TM 5x5)
    Bench: same idea as squats
    Light pull or row

    Wed (light):
    Press: 10 minute density block (Use 5x5 weight and do mini sets of 1-3 reps for 10 mins)
    Chins: same as press

    HIIT

    Friday (heavy)
    Squat: a heavy triple (start off using 5rm weight), then drop 7-8% for 1-3 more sets of 3.
    Bench: same idea as squat
    Deads: 5rm or 3rm, or 3 singles over 90%...whatever...just set yourself up to build momentum

    Sat:
    HIIT
    Chins

    You can flip press priority every week of you'd like.

    * aim to increase load on the bb lifts about 1-1.5% each week.
    I'm curious, why'd you switch the Heavy and Medium Days (MLH instead of HLM)? To make it more like Texas Method, with Monday more volume focused and Friday more intensity? Also, no light squats?
    Last edited by hollismb; 05-01-2015 at 12:15 PM.

  8. #8
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    Nov 2012
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    Quote Originally Posted by hollismb View Post
    I'm curious, why'd you switch the Heavy and Medium Days (MLH instead of HLM)? To make it more like Texas Method, with Monday more volume focused and Friday more intensity? Also, no light squats?
    Yeah. I just love the TM template. It's like a little machine that builds momentum...and if you tweak the stress (amount, distribution and timing) just right, beautiful things happen.

    I don't think there's room for light squats right now. I'm seeing 28% bf and thinking HIIT would be really nice midweek (& HIIT and light squats together might fuck Friday's 3RM progress). Once his work capacity is great, he can add light squats if he wants, & then eventually more volume on medium day.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
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    Quote Originally Posted by mgilchrest View Post
    I don't know what the hocus pocus is about red meat, but it seems to matter.
    Superior amino acid profile, good source of EFA's, iron and a natural source of creatine. It also seems to be the Human thing to do. I literally only started eating red meat again after years a couple of weeks ago, and I feel better already.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    New Jersey
    Posts
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    Default

    starting strength coach development program
    Quote Originally Posted by Strength_Power_Progress View Post
    Superior amino acid profile, good source of EFA's, iron and a natural source of creatine. It also seems to be the Human thing to do. I literally only started eating red meat again after years a couple of weeks ago, and I feel better already.
    I know it is expensive but try to eat organic feed beef.

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