Why is Texas Method harder than HLM?

[aWalkingShadow]

As the title says, why is the Texas Method (TM) considered more difficult than Heavy Light Medium (HLM; the Starr Model)? Based on what people say about the programs, it seems that TM can only be used under good recovery conditions (young male, lots of sleep, lots of food, no other sports etc), while HLM is more forgiving and can be done in a calorie deficit, for example.
Because to me, it looks as if HLM is actually more demanding than TM.
In both programs, the squat and deadlift is increased every week. In fact, for the bench press and overhead press, both lifts are increased every week in HLM, while TM only increases them every other week, alternating. So, in terms of progression, HLM is actually more aggressive than TM.
In terms of volume, HLM has slightly higher volume, since Friday is 3x5 instead of only 1x5 on TM.

So, I have two questions:
1) What aspect of the programs am I misunderstanding?
2) If HLM is indeed less demanding than TM, why would anyone want to do TM over HLM, if HLM makes the same amount of progress, if not more (at least on paper)?


Perhaps I am misunderstanding the structure of the programs themselves. Here’s what I believe the programs to be (percentages are for illustrative purposes only, as stated in PPST).
TM:
Mon (Volume): 5x5 @90% of 5RM
Wed (Recovery): 2x5 @ 70% of 5RM
Fri (Intensity): 1x5 @ 5RM

HLM:
Mon (Heavy): 5x5 @ 80%
Wed (Light): 3x5 @ 20% offset from Mon
Fri (Medium): 3x5 @ 10% offset from Mon

[salvilla]

The best way to look at the programs are HLM is Heavy-Light-Medium. The Texas Method is Heavy-Light- Heavy. Furthermore, volume on its own does not make a session hard. 1x5 @ 5rm in TM is harder than 3x5 @ 10% offset from Monday which is already an 80% offset used in HLM.

[Tygerqb12]

Also, remember, HLM is a set of principles where Texas Method is more of a cookie cutter program. The HLM program you posted is one possible example of the many permutations of HLM. In TSSS, Starr lays out the ramping 5x5 HLM. It's still HLM, but looks different from the program you laid out. HLM may call for more tonnage than TM, or it may not.

Also, it seems to me (I've used HLM programs twice now) that splitting up the volume over three sessions more evenly is a touch easier on recovery than TM, where all the volume is concentrated on one session, and the intensity in another. I could be wrong about that though, just my $.02.

[Eric Larousse]

The two programs are just different ways to approach intermediate programming. One is not necessarily better than the other it is just the way you want to set up your programming. HLM is generally more intensity on the heavy day and slightly more volume on the heavy day while Medium day is where you want to have a load heavy enough to where detraining doesnt creep in. Volume day would be a heavy day on Texas method as well but you are also trying to create enough stress on that day to cause an adaptation on the other heavy day(INT day).

[DannyP]

Whether "easier" or "harder" I like HLM for the reason mentioned above: there are lots of ways to program it. For example, I've never had a day with 5x5; the most volume I'll do is 3x5 and I've just started (as in today) doing some triples on heavy day. Will see if it works...

I first got turned on to it in Andy's forum for another reason hinted at above: I really don't want to gain weight. I just don't see being able to maintain the TM schedule on volume days without doing so and my caloric intake is right around maintenance.

Its flexibility also means I can play around with some different lifts for the pulling throughout the week so long as deadlifts happen on L day (so feels like there's more tolerance for what otherwise might be fuckarounditis, at least when making adjustments).