Basic Starr Model plan - opinions?

[zepled37]

Making some changes to my program as I seem to have run into a decent overtraining bout recently on Texas Method (in hindsight I think it is due to deadlifting every week and increasing the weights on deadlifts too quickly). I think Texas Method is still viable for me at some point, but I need as much a mental as a physical change to get going again.

I'm just going to try this plan for now. Not sure how long I will run it. Depends if I make progress or not...

Seems like workload will be way down from what I was on before even though I'll be doing sets of 5 even for warm-ups so that should add to it some. If I don't make progress, will modify as needed. I'm guessing if I don't make progress on this plan, I will need to add additional work as opposed to doing less.

Light days seem like they will be really light except for cleans.

Tuesday - Medium
Thursday - Light
Saturday - Heavy


Medium Days
Squat 5x5 ramped to 90% of heavy day
Bench Press / Press 5x5 ramped to 90% of heavy day
Chin-ups / Pull-ups 5x3sets across

Light Days
Squat 5x5 ramped to 80% of heavy day
Press / Bench Press 5x5 ramped to 80% of heavy day
Power Clean 3x5sets ramped

Heavy Days
Squat 5x5
Bench Press / Press 5x5
Haltings / Rack Pulls 8x1set / 5x1set


Thoughts?

Not too many exercises overall. My recovery ability is a bit on the low side and as I have just gone through some overtraining, I'd rather add work later if this doesn't work than start with too much.

Thanks.

[BCGuy]

Funny thing about this post is I am in the same boat too...crashed and burned on my Texas Method setup. I decided to go back and try a Starr type model again (did the madcow 5x5 for my novice months...too bad I didn't find out about SS and PP until much later in my progress). Starr mentions in his book that some people can thrive on higher volume work than others....after giving my setup a good 6 week run, I realise I am definitely of the lower energy group (I seem to handle the load better when it is spread out throughout the week).

I am running a very similar setup to yours as well. The first few weeks of my experiment have been good so far, although I found it a bit of an adjustment doing heavy-medium-light versus the heavy-light-medium I had done before with my beginner routine. So far so good. I don't necessarily agree with the idea of doing many high end sets...I still can get sore doing ramped sets. You could always do back-off sets, as Starr mentions, if feel you need some extra volume (which is what I plan on doing for heavy days where I fail to get 5rm for my top weight).

One other thing I am trying is front squats for the light day squat workout to see if it will bring my deadlift up. My deadlift recovery/progress is a bit questionable at the moment, so I figure why not give haltings and racks a go as well. The one week I did haltings, I came back into my gym the next week and hit a PR of +10lb on my 3rm.

[Jason B]

What do you mean your "recovery ability is a bit on the low side?"

[zepled37]

What do you mean your "recovery ability is a bit on the low side?"

It seems like I don't require much volume to force adaptation and I slip into overtraining easily if I do too much or don't get sleep or eat right, etc.

[zepled37]

Funny thing about this post is I am in the same boat too...

Thanks for the feedback. I have the Starr book and I think I'm in the low energy group as well. Curious, do you find sleep to be a much bigger factor than eating? Seems like I need tons of sleep.

Yes, I think adding back-off sets will be the way for me to go. Seems like the Starr model overall is a bit more flexible.

I don't think there would be much different for me going heavy medium light versus heavy light medium, but we'll see. This is the first full week of the programming.

Funny thing for me is that I ran the texas method pretty well for about 8 weeks and really thought I was adapting very well to the 5 sets across but then crashed a bit. Took a week off and started back but with reduced volume (only 3 sets across on volume day and speed sets for squat intensity), but only managed 4 weeks until I crashed pretty bad. I've been recouping for about 2 or 3 weeks now.

[BCGuy]

Thanks for the feedback. I have the Starr book and I think I'm in the low energy group as well. Curious, do you find sleep to be a much bigger factor than eating? Seems like I need tons of sleep.

Yes, I think adding back-off sets will be the way for me to go. Seems like the Starr model overall is a bit more flexible.

I don't think there would be much different for me going heavy medium light versus heavy light medium, but we'll see. This is the first full week of the programming.

Funny thing for me is that I ran the texas method pretty well for about 8 weeks and really thought I was adapting very well to the 5 sets across but then crashed a bit. Took a week off and started back but with reduced volume (only 3 sets across on volume day and speed sets for squat intensity), but only managed 4 weeks until I crashed pretty bad. I've been recouping for about 2 or 3 weeks now.

I think sleep seems to have the biggest impact on my recovery. On days where I can get more than 9hrs of sleep, my recovery seems a lot better (usually I get around 7-8 on work days). I have eaten like a human trash can on weeks where I had little sleep as an experiment, but my recovery was still shitty.

I thought I was adapting to the 5 sets across too, but on the last week of my run, I was totally drained after my squats...so drained I could barely even hit my 2nd warm-up on my bench. The next two days of restless sleep sure told me a change was in order. I ended up doing some light unloading the rest of the week.

[cannibal.horse]

im about to go back to the 5x5 method after a dislike of 5/3/1 format.

I plan to run the program as is on the madcow site but with the following adjustments:
1) Deadlift volume reduced (1x5 rather than ramping)
2) NO accessory work with the exception of 3x15 weighted sit ups at the end of each session
3) Every 4th week I'm going to ramp the weights, but only go up to 70%. I may or may not deadlift in this week.

Might give you some ideas.

[famendoza]

im about to go back to the 5x5 method after a dislike of 5/3/1 format.

I plan to run the program as is on the madcow site but with the following adjustments:
1) Deadlift volume reduced (1x5 rather than ramping)
2) NO accessory work with the exception of 3x15 weighted sit ups at the end of each session
3) Every 4th week I'm going to ramp the weights, but only go up to 70%. I may or may not deadlift in this week.

Might give you some ideas.

Hey Cannibal,
I read your note on another board regarding the not-so-great loading parameters that Madcow presented, so I'm glad to hear you're adjusting them (the deadlift loading always seemed VERY aggresive, given the loading of the other lifts (like the squats!)). I'm interested to hear why 5/3/1 wasn't something you liked. I actually moved from Madcow to 5/3/1 and I understand I probably wont see my PR numbers completely until summer hits - however under Madcow I totally got spent around two weeks after I hit my PRs. What did you find was a failing in 5/3/1?

To the OP,
Sorry getting the thread side-tracked.

[cannibal.horse]

Hey Cannibal,
I read your note on another board regarding the not-so-great loading parameters that Madcow presented, so I'm glad to hear you're adjusting them (the deadlift loading always seemed VERY aggresive, given the loading of the other lifts (like the squats!)). I'm interested to hear why 5/3/1 wasn't something you liked. I actually moved from Madcow to 5/3/1 and I understand I probably wont see my PR numbers completely until summer hits - however under Madcow I totally got spent around two weeks after I hit my PRs. What did you find was a failing in 5/3/1?

To the OP,
Sorry getting the thread side-tracked.

Whilst i found some stuff was going through the roof (notably my deadlift) other stuff (my squat and bench) were decreasing.

The rest was mostly stuff due to my own situation:
- Im at uni - 4 days is a lot less flexible when you mix in study + work + girlfriend
- I was missing doing full body work every session
- I use a home gym so i was limited in terms of equipment so I was very limited in terms of the assistance work i could pick.

In hindsight i probably like texas method more than 5x5, i felt like i recovered better not working so close to my 5RM all the time. But as i dont have access to bumpers Id rather do a program based around the bent row than the clean.

5/3/1 might be something i go back to long term, but considering im not squatting over 500 yet i dont think its necessary.

[METAL VIPER]

But as i dont have access to bumpers Id rather do a program based around the bent row than the clean.

You can easily do cleans, even without bumpers. I don't have bumper plates, but use rubber mats in case I miss the weight which is extremely rare. Just learn to reverse the rack after the rep; it's not too hard.