Undulating Texas Method volume

[BarbellJunkie]

Hi guys.

I've just finished reading this excellent thread: http://startingstrength.com/resource...ad.php?t=28373

And have had some thoughts about TM volume day progression.

I noticed some guys would hold their VD stead for ~3 weeks before moving up. Some guys were only doing 3x5 for VD etc.

Combining these two ideas, what about a combination of progressing sets and reps? E.g.:

W1: 315 3x5
W2: 315 4x5
W3: 315 5x5
W4: 320 3x5
W5: 320 4x5
etc.

My thoughts:

- Good for a 'TM veteran' who can't continue upping the weight every VD.
- Despite the slow progress, every workout is a step forward, you don't feel like you're spinning your wheels on VD day not increasing the weight for a few weeks.
- Provides a minor form of volume periodization.
- Probably not the best for TM noobs (due to rate of progression)
- The discrepency in volume may provide some weeks of too little stimuli.

Your thoughts?

[MikeC1]

If 3 sets is enough to get the desired response (as in, it should be very draining, like it is at the end of the SS routine), then 5 sets two weeks later will probably be brutal if not impossible, and conversely, if 5 sets is what's needed, then the week with 3 sets probably won't provide enough workload.

Also, with this scheme, week 4 will be significantly easier than week 3, you might even call it moving backwards.

you don't feel like you're spinning your wheels on VD day not increasing the weight for a few weeks.

In principle, how you feel about your program shouldn't have any bearing in programming decisions. The only factor that should matter is if the program will work or not.

[BarbellJunkie]

If 3 sets is enough to get the desired response (as in, it should be very draining, like it is at the end of the SS routine), then 5 sets two weeks later will probably be brutal if not impossible, and conversely, if 5 sets is what's needed, then the week with 3 sets probably won't provide enough workload.

Also, with this scheme, week 4 will be significantly easier than week 3, you might even call it moving backwards.



In principle, how you feel about your program shouldn't have any bearing in programming decisions. The only factor that should matter is if the program will work or not.

I don't necessarily disagree with you, but for the sake of argument:

1) If we look at your first point from the other end: the 5x5 was a big dose of stress that you completed but it was tough. It provided for an excellent training effect but you wouldn't be able to back it up next week (e.g. need more than a week for recovery), voila, your volume is cut by 40%.

2) I note your mention of 'in principle'. But the average user of TM is a recreational trainer, making progress instead of holding things steady does give many a mental boost that can have a positive effect on training.

I guess what I'm suggesting here is a departure from one of TM's core principle (weekly recovery), but I think it may assist in the enlongation of a TM run.

[MikeC1]

1) If we look at your first point from the other end: the 5x5 was a big dose of stress that you completed but it was tough. It provided for an excellent training effect but you wouldn't be able to back it up next week (e.g. need more than a week for recovery), voila, your volume is cut by 40%.

This is where we don't quite agree. To me, the volume day should leave you beat for several days, but not lasting into the following week. If you did need to string together weeks of accumulating fatigue like that in order to make progress, then you would be looking at advanced programming, not TM.

but I think it may assist in the enlongation of a TM run.

Keeping the volume day the same for a few weeks when appropriate also serves this purpose, and does so more simply.

making progress instead of holding things steady does give many a mental boost that can have a positive effect on training.

It can help to (psychologically) recalibrate how you measure progress on TM by thinking of the volume day in the same terms as the recovery day, and focus on the intensity day numbers to see if you're getting stronger. But yes, maybe not everyone will like this.

[BarbellJunkie]

This is where we don't quite agree. To me, the volume day should leave you beat for several days, but not lasting into the following week. If you did need to string together weeks of accumulating fatigue like that in order to make progress, then you would be looking at advanced programming, not TM.


Keeping the volume day the same for a few weeks when appropriate also serves this purpose, and does so more simply.



It can help to (psychologically) recalibrate how you measure progress on TM by thinking of the volume day in the same terms as the recovery day, and focus on the intensity day numbers to see if you're getting stronger. But yes, maybe not everyone will like this.

Good discussion. I think you've helped boil this down to when such an approach may be useful...

- ID day can only be driven by a very strong dose of volume AND
- The very strong dose of volume required cannot be recovered from week to week

It could be used as a bridge between TM and advanced programming.

Essentially it shifts the recovery cycle from 1 week to 3.

[MikeC1]

That's a good way of framing it. Though, if I were going to do this, I would still tweak it to something like two weeks at 3 sets, then two at 4, and two at 5, to stretch it out, for the reasons I gave earlier.

[Mart002]

3x5 for volume is just fine for me and holding it for 3-4 weeks isnt an issue as the volume work is a function not the result, the less volume work required to move ID the better, I care only when the ID doesnt spin.

[Callador]

Good discussion. I think you've helped boil this down to when such an approach may be useful...

- ID day can only be driven by a very strong dose of volume AND
- The very strong dose of volume required cannot be recovered from week to week

It could be used as a bridge between TM and advanced programming.

Essentially it shifts the recovery cycle from 1 week to 3.

I don't thing the volume day has to be that hard. I've noticed that backing off on volume day has increased my intensity day. For instance, I was doing heavy 5's on volume day (4x5). I took a deload and starting doing 3x8. Even though my volume day is now easier, my intensity day continued to increase. The same sort of thing happened with my squat too.

With your initial approach, it sort of looks like the Hepburn method. He would start with 4 sets of 3 and add a set every time he did that movement. Once he got to his top amount of sets, he added weight and started back at the bottom. So I do think it could work, especially if the 3x5 day isn't maximal. Moving up to 4x5 and 5x5 would be more challenging, but not so hard that you weren't fully recovered for your intensity day.