John's Texas Method Journal

[John Phung]

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

[John Phung]

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?

[Patrick Stroup]

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.

[John Phung]

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.

[Patrick Stroup]

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.

[John Phung]

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

[John Phung]

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

[John Phung]

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

[John Phung]

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.

[John Phung]

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