Texas Method intensity day squat form check

[hbvika]

Hi

I recently posted this video on the Technique forum:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9iVLckT3XU

The response was that I was looking in the mirror and GMing the weight up. Therefore, I tried hanging a t-shirt in front of the mirror.

Here is a video of my most resent intensity day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LlDqYo4TAs
It felt very close to a 2RM.

Do you guys think this is acceptable form for the intensity day squat? I think my back becomes too horizontal, what cues would you give my to fix that? Are there any other problems?

If you're interested, here is a video of all the work sets on my last volume day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JroWY8IjH3o

And four of my previous intensity days (where I look in the mirror):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU9VwH71Ehc

Thanks

[Steve Hill]

Based on some additional commentary, I'm adijusting my original questions:

What form of Texas Method uses a 2RM on intensity day? You're supposed to be doing either a 5RM or three sets of two, but you only posted 1 set. Did you do the other two sets? Second, volume day is supposed to be done at 90% of your previous 5RM (from the last Friday). If your previous 5RM was 182.5kg, then your volume day should have been 164 or 165kg. Not 150. Some TM schedules pull back volume day as far as 80%, but at your apparent age and size, I'm wondering why you made the decision to do so.

The problem with 2RM is that it's very close to 1RM, and so form breakdowns that happen could be due either to weakness in one particular area, or simply technique issues. And telling you to fix your technique when the issue is a breakdown in strength won't fix anything.

All of which is irrelevant because you're doing the same wrong things you were being told in the technique forum on your volume sets. The cue that we would give on the platform is either to keep your shoulders even with your hips, or to keep your chest up. You are driving your hips up and back. Hips are supposed to drive up. Finally, you are not setting your knees early enough - they are in continuous motion throughout the the rep. Finally, STOP LOOKING IN THE MIRROR. You are a grown human being. MAKE yourself look at the floor.

Fix these things and post the last two or three sets of your next volume day working sets.

Note to everyone else: 2RM is not the same as 3x2. 3RM is different than 2RM. Three singles (and five singles) are different than 1RM. This is why I'm asking OP these questions. Thanks for your input, but unless you're the OP's coach, let's let the OP answer the question, please.

[hbvika]

Thank ypu very much for your time and your constructive response.

The way I've done the intensity day is one set of 5, 3, 2 or 1:
I started doing a 5RM at 142,5 kg, and used 5RMs for five weeks.
Then I moved to 1RMs for 5 weeks.
I again switched to 3RMs for 8 weeks.
The last time I attemted a 3RM, I did 182,5x2 and one failed rep. The next time I therefore tried for a new PR that I was confident that I would be able to do, so I did 185x2. Every time I hav changed the reps, the reason has been that it felt really close to failure or a missed rep. After switching the reps, the next attempted weight was slighty lighter than what my "theoritical" RM based on the previous succesful intensity day set.

The reason I have not been doing 3x2 or 5RM, is because I didn't understand that the squat should be programmed differently on intensity day than the BP. In Practical Programming it says to attempt 3,2 or 1RM on intensity day. I see now that it does not say the same where the squat programming is discussed.

Other than the reason of misunderstanding, I like the idea of putting all of my effort into one set, and I have progressed nicely the way that I have done it.

Volume day: The way I have done it is to calculate a theoretical 5RM based on the last intensity day and use 90% of that for the volume day. Last intensity day was 182 kg x2, that gives a 5RM aroud 169 kg. 169*0.9=152,5 kg. Therfore I did 152,5 on monday.

I will make myself look at the floor and not in the mirror. I will also try thinking of keeping the chest up.

I am not setting my knees early enough. Should I try the trick with a block of wood?

On the light days I have been doing 80% of the volume day squats for 2 sets of five, maybe doing front squats instead would help?
Do you think I should move back to doing one set of 5 on intensity day?
I have been doing 3RM in the BP and 2 RM deadlifts on the intensity day.

Thank you very much for your input.

Stats:
BP 108x3
Deadlift 223x2
PC 90x3x5
Press 77x3x3

Bw ~96kg Age 23 with roughly 2 years of training

[Les Hahn]

Correct. But I have seen templates that just work up to a top double/triple on ID as well. It doesn't have to be 3x2, 5x1, etc. Just like volume day doesn't have to be 5x5 and 90% of ID. Your original post was pretty far off the mark on your programming comments, which is probably why you deleted all of our posts.

[Steve Hill]

Correct. But I have seen templates that just work up to a top double/triple on ID as well. It doesn't have to be 3x2, 5x1, etc. Just like volume day doesn't have to be 5x5 and 90% of ID. Your original post was pretty far off the mark on your programming comments, which is probably why you deleted all of our posts.

No, I deleted your posts because they had nothing constructive to answering the question that I asked. The OP has done that far more effectively than you could ever possibly have, since you are not psychic.

That being said, stepping off of a 5x5/1x5 split so quickly is usually indicative of either impatience or of some other issue. The OP has been lifting for 2 years, from 21 to 23, and his squat is just now getting to 405# (185kg). That's a problem, and my opinion is that his problem with his technique, and his problem with his progress / programming are related. Most telling is his statement that he was switching programming when he felt missed reps were imminent, without ever actually getting to that point.

I would also argue that a 3RM 5# heavier than a 5RM, or any other variation of RMs thereof, is not indicative of much progress. Have you also seen programs that just do a 1RM on ID? I haven't. The OP is also calculating 5RMs based on 1/2/3RM and then calculating what 90% of that would be for ID. If I hadn't asked the question, we would not have known about that, either, would we?

[Steve Hill]

OP:

I would give serious consideration to moving back to a standard TM program of 5x5 @ 90% of your 5RM from the previous Friday, and then doing 5RMs on Fridays until you actually start missing reps. This gives you the opportunity to also work on technique over a large number of reps on Mondays and Wednesdays (on which you'll do back-off sets). My opinion is that in chasing higher weights at lower reps (instead of trying to keep your rep count similar to a 1x5 intensity day by doing 2x3 or 3x2 or 5 singles) is that you're allowing form issues to become worse by making them weaknesses (your back angle problems (at heavy weight) are a failure of the hamstrings to maintain back angle) over time.

I started doing a 5RM at 142,5 kg, and used 5RMs for five weeks.
Then I moved to 1RMs for 5 weeks.
I again switched to 3RMs for 8 weeks.

How much body weight did you gain over this time? And what weight ranges for your intensity day are we talking about? I'm specifically looking for what your weights were when you change number of reps you were doing on ID. I'm inferring you made 2.5kg jumps each time, but I'd like to hear that confirmed.

[Les Hahn]

No, I deleted your posts because they had nothing constructive to answering the question that I asked. The OP has done that far more effectively than you could ever possibly have, since you are not psychic.

That being said, stepping off of a 5x5/1x5 split so quickly is usually indicative of either impatience or of some other issue. The OP has been lifting for 2 years, from 21 to 23, and his squat is just now getting to 405# (185kg). That's a problem, and my opinion is that his problem with his technique, and his problem with his progress / programming are related. Most telling is his statement that he was switching programming when he felt missed reps were imminent, without ever actually getting to that point.

I would also argue that a 3RM 5# heavier than a 5RM, or any other variation of RMs thereof, is not indicative of much progress. Have you also seen programs that just do a 1RM on ID? I haven't. The OP is also calculating 5RMs based on 1/2/3RM and then calculating what 90% of that would be for ID. If I hadn't asked the question, we would not have known about that, either, would we?

You adjusted your original post, but I stand by what I saw in it. You were off base on the ID/VD comments. There was nothing wrong with asking questions, and it is good he chimed in with calculated max issue.

On point 2, there is nothing wrong with cycling through intensity work. You start with 5's, when that starts to burn out, you move to 3's... etc. At first the work with 3's is easier than it was with the 5's (in your example), but that is sort of the point. It gives you a little breathing room to keep reaching up to your real max. And yes, I have seen programs that top off with a real 1RM. Then you would reset and start with 5's again. I was also wondering, what are your current best 1RM's (if you know them) on the big 4? If not, 5RM's or whatever you are doing is fine. Just curious.

So yeah, nothing wrong with asking questions, but you came off like an asshat on the original unedited post.

[Briks42]

Wow, deleting Callador's posts? This new section is off to a great start.

[Steve Hill]

You adjusted your original post, but I stand by what I saw in it. You were off base on the ID/VD comments. There was nothing wrong with asking questions, and it is good he chimed in with calculated max issue.

On point 2, there is nothing wrong with cycling through intensity work. You start with 5's, when that starts to burn out, you move to 3's... etc. At first the work with 3's is easier than it was with the 5's (in your example), but that is sort of the point. It gives you a little breathing room to keep reaching up to your real max. And yes, I have seen programs that top off with a real 1RM. Then you would reset and start with 5's again. I was also wondering, what are your current best 1RM's (if you know them) on the big 4? If not, 5RM's or whatever you are doing is fine. Just curious.

So yeah, nothing wrong with asking questions, but you came off like an asshat on the original unedited post.

I will agree that I was inaccurate in how I asked the question, but I stand by what my original point was: to find out why a trainee was bouncing around between 1, 2, 3 and 5RMs. As far as asshat goes, that's your opinion, and you're welcome to it. As far as my lifts go, of what possible relevance are they? Currently, SQ on Friday will be 3x5@420, DL today was 1x5 at 415, bench is 3x5 at 175 and press is 3x5 at 135. My cycling career reveals itself.

[Les Hahn]

I will agree that I was inaccurate in how I asked the question, but I stand by what my original point was: to find out why a trainee was bouncing around between 1, 2, 3 and 5RMs. As far as asshat goes, that's your opinion, and you're welcome to it. As far as my lifts go, of what possible relevance are they? Currently, SQ on Friday will be 3x5@420, DL today was 1x5 at 415, bench is 3x5 at 175 and press is 3x5 at 135. My cycling career reveals itself.

Fair enough.

As far as the lifts, I really know nothing about your training history. Since you don't have a log, I thought I would ask. Thanks.