So does the Texas method suck?

[kanahan]

HLM can absolutely vary the rep ranges. I even wrote about it in that thread.

And you kind of have to, once you can't do weekly linear increase any longer.

[Bryan Dobson]

HLM can absolutely vary the rep ranges. I even wrote about it in that thread.

You are correct I was thinking of the Starr template.
But templates beg to be adjusted.

[marcf]

I really like the HLM setup once you pass advanced novice. It's a natural transition, and you can tweak the program to last for a very, very long time.

This thread has my thoughts on the program along with lots of good discussion, even though it got a bit fucked at the end.

It was also the source of many memes.

http://startingstrength.com/resource...grindfest.html

[The Berserker]

A major problem for the SS community is the programming trainwreck that often hits people when novice phase ends. For people with this problem, threads like this are a goldmine.

The unfortunate part of PPST is that it doesn't explain even the most basic of periodization models very well. So I can post a linear periodization program and people have no idea what is going on with it because they've been educated poorly. It's not even their fault. This is where even the most basic education on periodization really helps.

The matter is further compounded by the fact that in PPST periodization is reserved for only rare individuals and the vast majority of lifters it is stated will never need periodization.

From the intro of Chapter 8- The Advanced: "Most lifters and strength athletes will never advance to this level unless they are active competitors in the barbell sports or strongman competitions. ...it is a rare individual who has managed to exhaust the complexity of all the potential intermediate programs discussed in chapter 7."

[Aaron Montgomery]

Google "daily undulating periodization".

Izzy posted some examples earlier.

The way I use it (personally) is like this:

Press
Week 1
Monday: 4-5 sets of 8@~7-8
Wed: 4 sets of 6 at ~7-8
Fri: 3 sets 4 at @~8-9

Week 2
Monday: 3-4 sets of 3 @8-9
Wed: fast singles with about 80% e1rm
Fri: ramping singles with a few at 9.5 & 10


^ when I can no longer get appreciably stronger in 2 weeks, the cycle is extended...with the vast majority of weeks biased toward hypertrophy...and - maybe - 2 weeks focused on very high intensity work

Interesting. I just switched to Baker HLM, so working primarily in the 5 rep range. Bench (H), OHP (L), then close-grip Bench (M). What would your 2 week rotation translate to in terms of rough %? Since I'm just now transitioning away from SSLP, I'm not too interested in RPE stuff, but wouldn't mind percentage based programs that have an AMRAP without-failure component. If I remember correctly, I think you had a 1 week template somewhere around here with 4x8 on Monday, 5x1 fast singles Wednesday, and 3x3 AMRAP Friday.

With the above^^ program I assume you are only bench pressing? I'll start digging through the thread history to see what Izzy's posted earlier, that way I can have some free programs in my back pocket for down the road.

[John Hanley]

What would your 2 week rotation translate to in terms of rough %?

Hmmm. Maybe something like below...

Press
Week 1
Monday: 4-5 sets of 8@~7-8 (70-72%)
Wed: 4 sets of 6 at ~7-8 (77%)
Fri: 3 sets 4 at @~8-9 (82ish%)

Week 2
Monday: 3-4 sets of 3 @8-9 (87-88ish%)
Wed: fast singles with about 80% e1rm
Fri: ramping singles with a few at 9.5 & 10 (1 new PR single...)

Something like that ^. Once you have the first cycle down, you could simply increment each session (so for the next 2-week cycle, I'd simply add about 2 pounds(IOW 'what I did 2-weeks ago plus 2 pounds.)

bench pressing?

I think the bench press is a sin against nature. An ugly abomination. It's what you'd get if the devil manifested as a motor pattern.

By "press" I meant "overhead press".

But yeah, I'd use a similar template for bench. Though, I'd probably turn Week 1 Wednesday into a lighter, secondary bench movement. I'd add 'density blocks' of press (tertiary pressing movement if bench were priority) somewhere.

[Austin Baraki]

i think the bench press is a sin against nature. An ugly abomination. It's what you'd get if the devil manifested as a motor pattern.

lol

[Tim K]

As I mentioned before, I am running an HLM program right now. Currently I'm doing 3x5 on my heavy bench day. One thing I was considering for when I can no longer add 2.5lbs every week was to do something like this:

Week 1:
3x5

Week 2:
4x5 (same weight)

Week 3:
3x5 (+2.5lbs)

Week 4:
4x5 (same weight as week 3)

Repeat


Extending the cycle to two weeks instead of one, and adding volume on week two instead of adding weight. When this no longer works you could bring in a third week to the cycle where you're doing 5x5 before adding weight again on week 4. The medium day SetsxRepsxWeight would progress the same way. The two week cycle would yield a 15lb increase in 3x5 weights over a 12 week period. 60lbs a year if it was sustainable. Expanding out to a 3 week cycle would give 10lbs over 12 weeks, 40lbs a year.

To me this seems like a natural way expand the training cycle to keep pace with the trainee's lengthening SRA cycle. I haven't tried it though and I'm wondering what you guys think. Would it work?

[John Hanley]

As I mentioned before, I am running an HLM program right now. Currently I'm doing 3x5 on my heavy bench day. One thing I was considering for when I can no longer add 2.5lbs every week was to do something like this:

Week 1:
3x5

Week 2:
4x5 (same weight)

Week 3:
3x5 (+2.5lbs)

Week 4:
4x5 (same weight as week 3)

Repeat


Extending the cycle to two weeks instead of one, and adding volume on week two instead of adding weight. When this no longer works you could bring in a third week to the cycle where you're doing 5x5 before adding weight again on week 4. The medium day SetsxRepsxWeight would progress the same way. The two week cycle would yield a 15lb increase in 3x5 weights over a 12 week period. 60lbs a year if it was sustainable. Expanding out to a 3 week cycle would give 10lbs over 12 weeks, 40lbs a year.

To me this seems like a natural way expand the training cycle to keep pace with the trainee's lengthening SRA cycle. I haven't tried it though and I'm wondering what you guys think. Would it work?

There's no possible way I could do this (without completely fucking myself up).

That extra set (on top of the prior week's @10 set) is a massive increase in stress.

[Tim K]

There's no possible way I could do this (without completely fucking myself up).

That extra set (on top of the prior week's @10 set) is a massive increase in stress.

Well I guess I was assuming that if you were coming off of a stall that you would drop the weight a bit at the start of this so that the first week 3x5 wasn't @10.