squat

[kayno]

gday rip, i would appreciate some critique on my squat, hope it doesnt frustrate you. this is the 3rd set of 5 @ 147.5 kg .http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzWnvlMNfJY
also, i have a question about the time length of a session. im doing TM and the heavy day is now taking over 2 hrs. my squat sets are gruelling and my breaks are prob around 6min + . So from the time i walk into the gym i start the clock and im done with squats from around 50min + total warm up included. The big 3 exercises are normally done under 2 hrs but now that i chuck a couple of assistance exercises at the end im going beyond 2 hrs and this session in the video was my longest ever at a mammoth 2hr 45min. i actually start to really enjoy the session once i get through the squat effort and ride on a bit of a high, its like a big weight has been lifted from my shoulders and i can go all day. (now thats a pun). i believe youve said that if the session is more than 2 hrs your probably talking too much or fucking around or something, but youve also said you need to rest as long between sets as it takes to complete the reps. so what do you reckon continue doing what im doing or could something be changed where the session doesnt have to be so long.
this was the 2hr45min sess: squat 147.5kg 5/5 bench 103.5kg 5/5 deadlift 167.5kg 5/1 front squat 50kg 12/2 GM 30kg 12/2 4sets of weighted ab exercises.
my weight 91kg age 34 height 5'9" in the morn
the assistance exercises have only been a part of my program for 6 or 7 weeks, ive been doing TM for about 10 months.
thanks again, any input is appreciated.

[Mark Rippetoe]

The squats look pretty good, but I think you'd actually be using your rebound more efficiently at a little bit better depth. These are legal, just barely, but I think they'd be stronger about an inch deeper, especially if you just shoved your knees out to get the depth. As for your workout time, I'll trust that you are not fucking around, and since this is the case, that's just how long it takes to train at this level. You could go to 2x/day, but that might not work better for your schedule. You're a lifter now, and this is what's required of us.

[KingOatmeal]

I have a thought regarding the length of time. You mentioned that you added assistance exercises. I assume you added these to the heavy TM day? Maybe this is a bad idea, but for my heavy TM days, I leave out assistance exercises and stick with the core (i.e. squat, bench or press, weight pull-ups or chin-ups). I put most of the assistance stuff on the other days.

This has helped me keep the heavy day to < 2 hours. Someone else can chime if I'm fucking up my TM programming.

[kayno]

cheers rip im getting all gushy inside, ill work on getting down another inch, it'll be a confidence barrier for sure so ill take up the challenge.

You're a lifter now, and this is what's required of us.

so this is why i talk passionately about training effectively and love so much calling "silly bullshit" on 95% of what everyone else is doing.

[kayno]

I have a thought regarding the length of time. You mentioned that you added assistance exercises. I assume you added these to the heavy TM day? Maybe this is a bad idea, but for my heavy TM days, I leave out assistance exercises and stick with the core (i.e. squat, bench or press, weight pull-ups or chin-ups). I put most of the assistance stuff on the other days.

This has helped me keep the heavy day to < 2 hours. Someone else can chime if I'm fucking up my TM programming.

yeah, i must admit i quandered on this a little, experimented a little. until i decided on the rationale, heavy training day is the big stress day/ next training day is recovery time/ and next training day is time to perform.
now i couldnt be recovering if i did sets across of chins or pull ups or tri ext. or GMs etc. on recovery day and i definately wouldnt feel at my peak on performance day 2 days after that with other stuff. i also figured this stuff would tap in too much at the end of a performance day to be able to add more weight to the bar on the heavy day. so for me, there was really nowhere else i could perform effective assistance exercises. i am interested in any interpretations to my application of the program.

[roman209]

I found that the TM was taking me too long to do 5 sets accross on the volume day as well. It aint easy squatting your max for 5 sets and takes time.

Because of that reason i switched from the TM to one of bill starrs 5x5. It is similar to texas with a volume, recovery, intensity day. But the training days are more manageable time wise because you work your way up to a 1 set 5RM personal best instead of doing all the exercises for sets accross which takes alot of time between sets.

It still seems to generate enough volume to cause an adaptation because i ahve made progress on it for about 8-10 weeks now and thats doing the intensity day hung over (for all of those weeks).

Therefore, it would seem to me that 5 sets accross is actually an overkill in volume and unnecessary if your a novice just moving into intermediate.

[Bison]

Kayno,

Have you considered splitting the Bench/Press days and Pull/Squat days, so that you are basically doing 2 Texas Methods concurrently? They overlap and create a 4-day template which means less time in the gym on the volume sessions. I have organised my programme like this because 2 hour+ workouts were eating into my evening too much and I prefer to spread it out.

So it becomes:

Mon
Squat (intensity)
Press / Bench press (light)
Pull (intensity)

Wed
Bench press / Press (intensity)

Thu
Squat (volume)
Pull (volume)

Sat
Squat (light)
Bench press Press (volume)
Pull (light)

Then you can whack your assistance exercises on top, and it isn't taking forever. Still follows the volume-rest-light-intensity-rest-rest order on all exercises...

[gannimal007]

Personally ... I like the Marley and the red, gold and green plates ...

Ire' Mon.

Good squats too ... solid.

[kayno]

Kayno,

Have you considered splitting the Bench/Press days and Pull/Squat days, so that you are basically doing 2 Texas Methods concurrently? They overlap and create a 4-day template which means less time in the gym on the volume sessions. I have organised my programme like this because 2 hour+ workouts were eating into my evening too much and I prefer to spread it out.

So it becomes:

Mon
Squat (intensity)
Press / Bench press (light)
Pull (intensity)

Wed
Bench press / Press (intensity)

Thu
Squat (volume)
Pull (volume)

Sat
Squat (light)
Bench press Press (volume)
Pull (light)

Then you can whack your assistance exercises on top, and it isn't taking forever. Still follows the volume-rest-light-intensity-rest-rest order on all exercises...

yeah ive actually just started a 4 day split program mate. i also did a small reset on my squat to accomodate for rips suggestion. i trained 2 days ago and i tell you what the pain in my inner thighs is quite interesting.... thankyou rip.