starting strength gym
Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 24

Thread: John's Texas Method Journal

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    27

    Thumbs up John's Texas Method Journal

    • starting strength seminar december 2024
    • starting strength seminar february 2025
    • starting strength seminar april 2025
    Hey guys; long time lurker first time poster here

    Brief history: After being on and off with weight training for years (31 now, started lifting around 13 I think), I started Starting Strength on November 29, 2010.

    Initial workouts were:

    • Height: 163 cm (about 5'4") <- really wish I could progressively increase my height somehow
    • Body weight: ~83 kg (182.6 lbs)
    • Deadlift: 142.5 kg (313.5 lbs) (1 set x 5 reps)
    • Squat: 102.5 kg (225.5 lbs) (3 sets x 5 reps)
    • Bench: 97.5 kg (214.5 lbs) (3 sets x 5 reps)
    • Press: 55 kg (121 lbs) (3 sets x 5 reps)


    Starting Strength: Results After 3 Months

    Here's where I ended up on March 4, 2011:

    • Body weight: ~87 kg (191.4 lbs)
    • Deadlift: 185 kg (407 lbs) (1 set x 5 reps)
    • Squat: 152.5 kg (335.5 lbs) (3 sets x 5 reps)
    • Bench: 117.5 kg (258.5 lbs) (3 sets x 5 reps)
    • Press: 75 kg (165 lbs) (3 sets x 5 reps)

    Somewhere during this time period I started doing power cleans, and got it up to a measly 72.5 kg for 5 sets of 3 reps.

    So in 3 months (95 days):

    • I put on 4 kg (8.8 lbs) in body weight
    • Increased Deadlift by 40 kg (93.5 lbs)
    • Increased Squat by 50 kg (110 lbs)
    • Increased Bench 20 kg (44 lbs)
    • Increased Press 20 kg (44 lbs)


    Began the Texas Method on March 7, 2011.

    So my workout template is now:

    Monday (volume)

    • Power Cleans (5 sets, 3 reps)
    • Squat (5 sets, 5 reps)
    • Bench Press/Press (5 sets, 5 reps) * alternating every other week


    Wednesday (recovery)

    • Power Cleans (5 sets, 3 reps)
    • Squat (2 sets, 5 reps)
    • Press/Bench Press (3 sets, 5 reps) * alternating every other week
    • Pull ups/Chin ups (3 sets to failure) * alternating every other week
    • 45 degree hyperextension
    • Weighted decline sit ups


    Friday (intensity)

    • Power Cleans (5 sets, 3 reps)
    • Squat (3 x 2, 2 x3 or 1 x 5)
    • Bench Press/Press (3 x1, 2 x 2 or 3 x 1) * alternating every other week
    • Deadlift (2 sets, 3 reps)
    • Weighted dips/1 arm dumbbell rows * alternating every other week


    I start with power cleans for 2 reasons:

    1. I feel as though my technique isn’t perfect, so practicing the movement with a light weight while I’m fresh will develop the skill.

    2. Light power cleans serve as a warm up

    I'll start the journal with last week's workout:

    MONDAY MAY 9, 2011

    Power Cleans:
    60 kg: 3,3,3,3,3

    Squat:
    157.5 kg: 5,5,5,5,4

    2nd set, saw stars after 2nd rep.
    Last set- exhausted

    Bench Press:
    115 kg: 5,5,5,3,4

    • 3rd set, last rep slow to go up.
    • 4th set: too much arch? Abs felt stretched.
    • 5th set: struggled on last rep, but failed. Try again next time.
    • Other:

    Scale: 88.4 kg

    Notes: I wonder why people at my gym do sit-ups on the incline bench…??

    WEDS MAY 11, 2011

    Power cleans
    60 kg: 3,3,3,3,3

    Squat
    132.5 kg: 5,5

    Press
    77.5 kg: 5,5,5 (+2sec hold)

    Pull ups
    Bodyweight 88.3 kg: 8,7,5

    45 degree hyperextension
    10,10,10

    Decline situps
    15lbs: 8,8,8

    (Note: hypers & situps done in superset)

    Notes:
    Saw some dude picking his nose in between sets on a rear delt machine. Nasty…

    FRIDAY MAY 13, 2011

    Dammit, aiming for a 2RM with 137.5 kg (302.5 lb.) on the Bench Press but settled for 5 sets of 1 (managed to do 3 sets of 1 rep 2 weeks ago).

    Bar touching chest of course.

    Power Clean
    72.5 kg (159.5 lb.): 3,3,3,3,3

    Squat
    172.5 kg (379.5 lb.): 5

    • 1 vertical jump before set
    • Last 2 reps were difficult
    • If squeeze back, core feels more stable


    Bench Press
    137.5 kg (302.5 lb.): 1,1,1,1,1

    2nd set failed on 2nd rep
    Struggled half way on 4th set

    Deadlift
    197.5 kg (434.5 lb): 3,3

    Dips
    90 lbs: 3,3,3

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    27

    Default

    Power clean
    62.5 kg (137.5 lbs): 3,3,3,3,3

    Squat
    157.5 kg (346.5 lbs): 5,5,5,5,5

    Press
    77.5 kg (170.5 lbs): 5,5,5,5,3

    Notes:

    * Yawning a lot after squats. Thinking about changing from 5×5 to 8×3
    * Triceps felt fatigue as the set of presses progressed. Maybe because of the dips last Friday?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Florence, SC
    Posts
    4,174

    Default

    why do you need to change to 8x3? You have done 2 days on volume squats. Keep the same weight and volume until your intensity day fails to progress.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    27

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Patrick Stroup View Post
    why do you need to change to 8x3? You have done 2 days on volume squats. Keep the same weight and volume until your intensity day fails to progress.
    Curious about how the workout would feel @ 8x3 compared to 5x5 (using an appropriate weight to have similar volume) and what the results would be like. But you're right, I should not change until progress stalls on intensity days.

    Just to clarify I started doing volume squats on March 7, 2011, however I started keeping a record online on May 9, 2011. That should be 11 volume squat workouts unless I counted wrong.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Florence, SC
    Posts
    4,174

    Default

    I say go get justin lascek's e-book on texas method. He goes over everything in way more detail and gives you tons of options and how to get things unstuck.

    Way better than practical programming did.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    27

    Default

    Weds Recovery Day

    Power clean

    62.5 kg (137.5 lbs): 3,3,3,3,3

    Squat

    135 kg (297 lbs): 5,5

    Bench Press

    112.5 kg (247.5 lbs): 5,5,5

    Chin ups

    11,8,6

    45 degree hyper-extension

    10,10,10

    Weighted decline sit ups

    15 lbs: 8,8,3

    Notes

    • Bodyweight: 88.3 kg (194.3 lbs)
    • Superset hypers & sit ups
    • Chin up on a skinny bar

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    27

    Default

    Power Clean
    75 kg (165 lbs): 3,3,3,3,3

    Squat
    182.5 kg (401.5 lbs): 1,1,1

    Press
    92.5 kg (203.5 lbs) : 2,2

    Deadlift
    202.5 kg (445.5 lbs): 3,3

    1 Arm Dumbell Rows
    110 lbs

    Right: 13+2
    Left: 12+3

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    27

    Default

    Here's my workout log for Monday, May 23, 2011:

    Power clean
    65 kg (143lbs): 3,3,3,3,3

    Squat
    160 kg (352lbs): 5,5,4

    Bench Press
    115 kg (253lbs): 5,5,5,5,4

    Notes:

    Squat


    • Failed on last rep, 3rd set
    • Planned on doing 5 x 5 but felt too hot/ light headed



    Bench


    • Failed last rep at bottom

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    27

    Default

    Power Clean

    65 kg (143lbs): 3,3,3,3,3

    Squat

    135 kg (297lbs): 5,5

    Press

    77.5 kg (170.5lbs): 5,5,5

    Chin Up

    BW: 88.4 kg (194.5 lbs): 12,8,7

    45 degree Hyper Extension

    10,10,10,10

    Decline Sit up

    (15 lbs): 8,8,8

    Notes:

    Chipped tooth during push press attempt...dammit. And I think it's partially dislodged too!


    Happened when I was warming up for the press. Never done push press before so I figured it would be safest to do them with a lighter weight just to try them out. Went down and pushed with my legs...some how the bar nicked my chin causing my lower front tooth to jam into my top front tooth.
    It's barely noticeable, but still.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    27

    Default

    starting strength coach development program
    Power clean

    77.5 kg (170.5lbs): 3,3,3,3,3

    Squat

    182.5 kg (401.5lbs): 2,2,1

    * Failed first attempt. Dead squatted 122.5 kg from pins to rack.
    * Failed last set, last rep

    Bench

    137.5 kg (302.5lbs): 2,2

    Deadlift

    207.5 kg (456.5lbs): 3,2

    * Couldn't lockout on the last rep, last set

    Dips

    Body weight (~88.4 kg): 15,15,15

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •