Hi Ripp and everyone here,

I’ve read a lot on the forum about strength training vs hypertrophy training.
Personally I think that you can’t really separate the two, I mean if you become really stronger your measurements can’t be the same. And if you train with the purpose of hypertrophy, you can’t do that with pussy weights anyway. So, to me, moving big weights and working them in a progressive manner is the best way to have the biggest results in terms of size too. I’ve tried 10x10 for example, a long ago, when I believed in Poliquin philosophy, and I lost a lot of strength and weight , I felt like shit. One can say I had to repeat that program to better tailor it, but, as I came back to 5x5 I soon re-gained everything and felt much better.
Anyway just to chat, I think for those like me who’ve already had their best gain days passed, should be fun alternate two different Texas schemes, giving to both the time they need to work out best, such as:

Mon. 5x5
Wed. 3x3 or 2x5 80% of Mon.
Fri. ramping to 1x5rm (3rm – 2rm – 1rm)





Mon. 5x5 + 1-2 backoff sets
Wed. 3x3 or 2x5 80% of Mon.
Fri. 3x15 (4x10-4x8...)

So maybe I could, for example, start the new year with the regular Texas and switching to the second one as I move on, just to give a little emphasis on hypertrophy. What do you think?
Another question: eating big surely has helped me out, but, at my age now I seem to put on fat faster then before (what a surprise) ,not much really, but I fear that if I push too much on my diet as I’ve done lately I surely will have too much fat gain. So, in order to minimize this, should I maybe be careful with my caloric intake during my off training days or for a better result I’m supposed to eat the whole world during the week?

Just to clarify, I’ 5’7, I started SS in Sept and moving from 158 lb. to 174lb. Age 43.


Thank you very much.