Samuel Clark, Intermediate Training Log

[SClark08]

The fatigue and drop in performance I’ve been experiencing has been a side effect of under recovering. There isn’t much I can do about my sleep habits and I’m eating plenty; the remaining solution is to reduce excess assistance/accessory work (which is a no-brainer from all of the extra crap I have been adding).


I’ll be maintaining the same schedule (Texas Method Split Routine):
Sunday: Intensity Upper Body
Monday: Intensity Lower Body
Tuesday: General Physical Preparedness
Thursday: Volume Upper Body
Friday: Volume Lower Body

I will pare each session back to focus on my specific weaknesses (triceps, hamstrings and erectors) and strive to keep volume sessions limited to no more than four TOTAL exercises and Intensity sessions to not more than three. I will alternate volume each week on primary lifts in order to garner extra volume (instead of adding assistance work); should look something like this:

Example two weeks:

Volume Upper A:
- Bench 1x10 @RPE9-10, -10% x10, -10% x10 (in the TM Advanced, this is referred to as the “Shreveport tens program”)
- Press 3 ascending triples or doubles (progressing from 5 to 10 to 15 pound jumps)
- Weighted Pullups 5x5
- Weighted Dips 3x5, 50% xMax reps, bodyweight xMax reps (Bill Starr)
Volume Lower A:
- LB Squat 1x5 @RPE9-9.5, 5% Load Drop & Repeat 5’s until RPE matches initial set
- RDL 3x5
- BB Row 3 ascending sets of 5
- DB Row 1x20
- Biceps 3x10
Intensity Upper A:
- Bench 5RM
- Closegrip Bench 3x5 Ascending
- Triceps 3x10
Intensity Lower A:
- Squat (Heavy) 3 ascending sets of 2-3 reps (progressed from 10 to 15 to 20 pound jumps)
- Deadlift (Light/Dynamic) 10 sets of 2 on the minute
- Biceps 3x10
----------------------------------END WEEK A-------------------------------------------
Volume Upper B:
- Bench 1x5 @RPE9-9.5, 5% Load Drop & Repeat 5’s until RPE matches initial set
- Press 1x10 @RPE9-10, -10% x10, -10% x10 (in the TM Advanced, this is referred to as the “Shreveport tens program”)
- Weighted Pullups 5x5
- Weighted Dips 3x3 or 3 sets of 20 (body weight)
Volume Lower B:
- LB Squat 1x5 @RPE9-9.5, 5% Load Drop & Repeat 5’s until RPE matches initial set
- RDL 3x3
- BB Row 3 ascending sets of 3, -10% 1x10-15
- Biceps 3x10
Intensity Upper B:
- Bench 3 ascending triples or doubles (progressing from 5 to 10 to 15 pound jumps)
- Closegrip Bench 3x3 Ascending
- Triceps 3x10
Intensity Lower B:
- Squat Against Bands (Light/Dynamic) 10 sets of 2 on the minute
- Deadlift (Heavy/Volume) Week 2: 1x2-3 from the floor, Week 4: Rack-pull: 1x5/3, -10% x3
- Biceps 3x10

Miscellaneous Notes:
- I like ending lower body sessions with kettle-bell swings (100 reps/ various combinations)
- I warm up every day by doing 100 band pull-aparts
- I already foresee adding face-pulls or rear shoulder work to volume lower body days (time/energy depending)
- I like working on cleans (all presses will be cleaned from the floor); I cannot do push-presses anymore – each time I program them I end up severely bruising my palms and aggravating my wrists.
- The intent is simple; similar to the traditional Texas Method program (stress, recovery, adaptation), I have shifted into a two-week model; big stress, followed by smaller stress and additional recovery, then adaptation – my deadlift has progressed into a four week model simply due to the loads it employs and the additional work required to keep musculature and strength in balance
- From Mike Tuchscherer’s Reactive Training Systems blog/community, I have added Autoregulation in. As he originally described it, “autoregulation isn’t a system or a program, it’s like a scope or another tool in the box to apply to your training.” I don’t know what each week will bring, workwise, school work wise, sleep and recovery wise; I’ll be able to regulate my volume and intensity based on how I feel (NOTE: intensity sessions will ALWAYS build upon themselves/ autoregulation is only being applied to the volume training sessions).
- Program design and programming credit goes to: 70sbig.com, “The Texas Method Advanced” written by Justin Lascek, “Practical Programming for Strength Training,” 2nd & 3rd Edition, by Mark Rippetoe, Lon Killgore and Andy Baker, as well as Mike Tuchscherer reactivetrainingsystems.com

[SClark08]

Thursday, 31-Mar 2016
Weight: 221lbs, Time: 75minutes

Upper body volume day

Bench 45x15, 135x10, 225x8, 275x6, 315x4, 335x2, 365x1, 295x10 RPE9, 275x10 RPE9.5, 250x10 RPE9

Press 45x5, 135x4, 185x3 RPE8.5, 190x3 RPE8, 195x3 RPE9, 200x3 RPE9.5

P-grip Chin 50x5,5,5, 25x9, bodyweight x9

Dip 90x6,6,6, 45x12, bodyweight x20

Notes: left wrist flared up again - decided to push through. Worst case I'll have to backseat pressing and focus on squatting and pulling for a few months.

[SClark08]

Friday, 1-Apr 2016
Weight: 223lbs, Time: 73minutes

Volume Lower Body

Warmup: band pull parts 4x25

Squat 45x10, 135x8, 225x6, 315x4, ADD Belt: 405x2, 455x1 RPE8, 475x1 RPE8.5, 495x1 RPE 8.5

2-ct pause squat 415x5 RPE9,9.5,10

Barbell Row 225x10,10,9

RDL 295x5,5,5

Barbell Curl 105x10,10,6-2-1-1

Notes: took leave/ worked out after lunch instead of at 0600 - a little fuller from the rice I ate as opposed to a couple prices of toast. I may have puked and swallowed.

[SClark08]

Sunday, 3-Apr 2016
Weight: 224lbs, Time: 60minutes

Upper Body Intensity Day

Warmup: band pull apart 5x30

1-ct paused Bench 45x15, 135x10, 225x8, 275x6, 315x4, 335x2, 355x2 RPE8, 365x2, RPE9, 375x2 RPE10

Slingshot 395x4

Closegrip 215x8, 255x8, 285x8 RPE10, slingshot Closegrip 295x8, 285x8

Triceps Quad-set: underhand push down, overhand push down, bodyweight dips, Closegrip push up: 50lbs: 15/15/10/5, 12/12/8/4, 10/10/7/3

Notes: wrist felt okay as long as I used wrist wraps. Solid bench PR today at 375 - the meet in Feb was a shaky 380

[SClark08]

Addendum: I exhausted three ascending triples and could have moved from 10lb to 15lb jumps - however I've been mired for too long at the same weight. Instead I've shifted to 3 ascending doubles, starting at 10 lb jumps and will progress to 15 and 20 lb jumps as progress slows. When that no longer works I'll play with singles across for awhile and then implement a similar ascending paradigm

[SClark08]

Monday, 4-Apr 2016
Weight: 223lbs, Time: 55 minutes

Lower Body Intensity Day

Back Squat: 45x10, 135x8, 225x6, ADD Belt 315x4, 405x2, 455x1, 475x1, 495x2 RPE8, 510x1 RPE10 (missed 2nd rep), 510x2 RPE 9.5

Speed Deadlift: 365 10x2 on-the-minute

Barbell Curl: 105 4x8

Notes: Pre-workout sucks... every time I take it I end up farting constantly and nearly shitting myself. It is impossible to get tight when as soon as you descend into the hole you blow an o-ring... how the hell are you supposed to maintain tension when you deflate through your butthole? Maybe that's why bros will never get strong - they're too preoccupied with not shitting themselves. Anyway, I originally intended to squat three ascending doubles with 15 lb jumps. I got to the second double and my feet started sliding apart (the fitness center on base has a crappy waxed surface that is never cleaned - it's only every conducive to adequate foot traction when it's humid). Since I nearly messed my underpants and ripped my vagina in half on set two (and missed a rep) I decided to keep the weight the same and retake the attempt. I successfully made it. I think next week I will progress the top set by 5 pounds and work backward from there (i.e. 485x2, 500x2, 515x2). This whole endeavor is pretty frustrating because not two months ago I weighed 6-7 pounds less and hammered 515x3 RPE10. I'm not sure if the paused squats on volume day are paying out - sure its nice to practice grinding out a weight, however if the stress isn't high enough I will NOT make progress - over the next few weeks I'll revert back to three sets of five (perhaps ascending at first to re-adapt to the stimulus).

[SClark08]

Went to see the doc yesterday; had my left wrist and hand X-rayed. No fractures. Just a sprain. Doc prescribed a brace and no bench or press for a month. Looks like lots of squats and 'core' exercises

[SClark08]

Thursday, 7-Apr 2016
Weight: 224lbs, Time: 40minutes

1. Pullover machine 70x10, 95 6x15

2. Pec Deck 130# 5x10

3. Reverse Pec Deck 80# 5x10

4. Triceps? Machine 70# 10,10,10,10,6

5. Lateral Raise Machine 50# 4x12, 30-second hold-12 more reps

Notes: can't even call this training... I'm so restricted in what I can do with this wrist brace; I'm trying to at least get a descent blood flow - kept rest between sets to 30 seconds or less. I'll be able to squat and work on hamstrings and other lower body movements on Mondays and Fridays but upper body work has been relegated to "pump work"

[SClark08]

Friday, 8-Apr 2016
Weight 222.5lbs, Time: 90minutes

Volume lower

Squat 45x10, 135x8, 225x6, 315x4, 405x2, 425x5 @8, 440x5 @8.5, 455x5 @9, 470x5 @10

P-grip Pulldown 120x15, 130x15, 140x12

High pulley rear fly 35x15, 40x15, 45x12

1-Leg extension 55x20,10,5,5; 2-leg 55x10

1-leg lying curl 25 x10,10,5,5 2-leg 25x10

- 45* Back extension bodyweight 3x15
- capt chair leg raise 15,15,10,5

Seated Calf raise 90x 15,13,11,10

Notes: in the absence of productive upper body training on Saturdays and Thursday's, I've added work that I actually can do to Friday's volume session. I'll likely add some extra back and leg work to the intensity session as well, just with less overall volume


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[SClark08]

Link to channel vid: Texas Method Volume Day - 8-Apr 2016 - YouTube


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