Texas Method: Lack of Progression in Press Movements

[Good Squire]

The six workouts preceding and including the stall.

Tom, I will get these to you by the end of the day.

I have don the Texas Method a few yeara ago and I made the mistake of doing the volume recovery and intensity split(alternating press emphasis each week). It didnt work so I changed to volume and intensity for both lifts and low and behold it worked.

At the moment I am doing a HLM split with added volume for the presses(3x5/3/1 and then a back off set if 5 @90%. It is working like a charm.

The point I am making is more volume for the presses is probably going to be mecessary for most people. My 2 cents.

What about one Wednesday being a volume press day, then the next Wednesday being intensity day rotating weekly?

[Eric Larousse]

You could try that. If the 3 day thing is what you are going for I would just do a HLM split. Bench, press and close grip.(I am doing push presses myself)

[Eric Larousse]

I second that^

[Good Squire]

The six workouts preceding and including the stall.

Just so you understand what I was doing at the time, I started with a regular A/B rotate for bench and press, as well as an A/B rotate of curls and weighted chins. Now, I confine my chins to Monday and curls on Wednesday. Also, I missed Monday's workout on the 22nd so I just bumped the workout over onto Tuesday the 23rd. Have also been skimping out on conditioning lately.

Saturday, Feb 13
Deadlift 350lbs 1x5

Monday, Feb 15
Press 132.5lbs 3x5
Squat 335lbs 3x5
Weighted Chins 42.5lbs 2x7
Dips greasing the groove, 3 sets of 21, 21, 22.

Wednesday, Feb 17
Bench 2x5 at 80% of volume 165lbs
Power Cleans 172.5 lbs 5x3
Dumbbell Curls 45 lbs 2x11
Dips 21, 22, 22

Friday, Feb 19
Press 135 lbs 3x5
Squat 340lbs 3x 5
Weighted Chins 42.5lbs 2x8
Dips 22, 22, 22

Saturday, Feb 20
Deadlift 355lbs 1x5

Tuesday, Feb 23
Bench 187.5lbs 5x5
Squat 345lbs 3x5
Barbell Curls 92.5 lbs 2x12
Dips 22, 22, 23

Thursday, Feb 25
Press 137.5lbs 3x5(failed on last rep of last set)
Power Cleans worked up to 190lbs for a single, de loaded 10% then hit 190 again
Weighted Chins 45lbs 2x6
Dips 22, 23, 23

[Tom Narvaez]

Not quite far back enough to see what I wanted on bench, but, from what I can see, I'd probably go back to LP on both.

Try this:
1) 3x5 with 1lbs jumps on press, 2-3lbs on bench
2) When you fail twice in a row at same weight, go to a top set of 5 with two back offs at 95% of the top set. i.e. 200x5, 190x5x2
3) When that fails twice in a row at same weight, switch to 3x3 at a straight weight.
4) When that fails twice in a row at same weight, go to 3RM on Texas Method for Friday's. Monday's should be a 5x5 at ~90% of the last successful 3RM on intensity day (round down to nearest 1lbs/2-3lbs for press/bench respectively.

If you're taking larger than 1% jumps per workout, multiple workouts per week, you haven't stalled on LP so much as you've run out of "easier" LP progress.

Think of it like this:
Adding 2-3% per workout is the equivalent of adding a rep at the same weight every workout. Is it realistic to increase your max by ~10% in ~4 workouts over the course of maybe 2-2.5 weeks? Only RANK novices can do that.

[Good Squire]

Not quite far back enough to see what I wanted on bench, but, from what I can see, I'd probably go back to LP on both.

Try this:
1) 3x5 with 1lbs jumps on press, 2-3lbs on bench
2) When you fail twice in a row at same weight, go to a top set of 5 with two back offs at 95% of the top set. i.e. 200x5, 190x5x2
3) When that fails twice in a row at same weight, switch to 3x3 at a straight weight.
4) When that fails twice in a row at same weight, go to 3RM on Texas Method for Friday's. Monday's should be a 5x5 at ~90% of the last successful 3RM on intensity day (round down to nearest 1lbs/2-3lbs for press/bench respectively.

If you're taking larger than 1% jumps per workout, multiple workouts per week, you haven't stalled on LP so much as you've run out of "easier" LP progress.

Think of it like this:
Adding 2-3% per workout is the equivalent of adding a rep at the same weight every workout. Is it realistic to increase your max by ~10% in ~4 workouts over the course of maybe 2-2.5 weeks? Only RANK novices can do that.

Thank you! The situation with my bench was exactly the same, stalling on the last set. I actually utilized the 1x5, 2x5 95% for my press last night and it helped me grind through the sets at 140 lbs, still making linear progress. The one question I still have goes off of your original post as well as Eric's post of the recommendation of a HLM set up for pressing movements. Since my goal by next year is to gain strength to compete in a meet, I did want to bench twice a week. I take it that the logic of doing volume day 5x5 CGBP could hit the triceps hard and drive the light day of progressing the press? Would it make sense that once I cannot progress linearly to switch to a set-up like that?

EDIT: I only want to switch to a TM/HLM set-up with benching twice a week once my bench hits a wall with LP and I switch to a 3RM on intensity day. For now, an A/B rotate of LP press and bench.

[Tom Narvaez]

Yeah, the assistance I chose in that example was specifically for someone who also cared about the press while still trying not to do it very often or at very high volumes.

Ride out the standard setup first. Honestly, if you care about a powerlifting meet, you can just periodize. Bench twice a week for the 3-4 months preceding the meet. Then prioritize the press for a while. That'll probably work better as has been suggested by others.

Also, do eventually try the 1lbs jumps on press. It is worth it.

[Good Squire]

Yeah, the assistance I chose in that example was specifically for someone who also cared about the press while still trying not to do it very often or at very high volumes.

Ride out the standard setup first. Honestly, if you care about a powerlifting meet, you can just periodize. Bench twice a week for the 3-4 months preceding the meet. Then prioritize the press for a while. That'll probably work better as has been suggested by others.

Also, do eventually try the 1lbs jumps on press. It is worth it.

Very well. Just to clarify, when I do start to prepare for the meet and start bench 2x a week, is the 5x5 CGBP used as the entire volume day bench press, providing enough stimulation for both once a week press and intensity day bench? No regular 5x5 bench?