Difference between a Heavy Day at HLM and a Intensity Day at TM?

[Huggybear]

Dear Andy,

I have read with great interest your articles "A Plan For Annual Periodiztion" and "Rotating Rep Ranges". These are very informative and useful articles! Many thanks for them!

Is there at “The Annual Periodization” actually an essential difference between a Heavy Day at HLM method and Intensity day with TM? And is the Medium Day at HLM the same as Volume Day with TM?

In “Rotating Rep Ranges” you discussed the 531 method. You advised in a comment that with across sets a lifter should start with following percentages:
Week 1: 3-5 × 5 @ 80%
Week 2: 3-5 × 3 @ 85%
Week 3: 3-5 × 1 @ 90%
Week 4: Repeat cycle or Deload
I assume that this would be the Heavy Intensity or Intensity Day, isn’t it? Which percentages and repranges would you advise on the Medium or Volume Day?

Many thanks in advance.
In Strength, Rene

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Sometimes the relationship between the two programs is very close. But essentially on a Texas Method program you have two "heavy days" per week - once for volume and once for intensity. Most of the HLM programs I design for clients use a "top set + back offs" on the heavy day so there is a combination of both high intensity and relatively high volume on the heavy day. It might looks like this:

Heavy Day Squat: work up to 1 x 5, then 4x5 @ (-5%)

Light Day Squat: 3 x 5 @ (-20%)

Medium Day Squat: 4 x 5 @ (-10%)

Something like that.

[Huggybear]

Regarding a top set with four backoffsets this is like you describes in your great article "5 ways to 5x5" that this works better for me than across five sets.

You write that the intensity on the medium day should be 10% lower than on the heavy day. Is this 10% less than the top set or 10% less than the backoffsets?

Many hanks, I really appreciate it very much that you always take the trouble to respond!

Rene

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

In this instance, about 10% less than the top set, assuming it was a set of 5. If you are doing 1-3RMs for the top set and then 3-5x5 as back off, then medium day would be 5-10% less than the back off sets. Be careful of getting so caught up in the %'s that you lose sight of the gist of the program. Not complicated if you keep the bigger picture in mind of what each day is supposed to accomplish.