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Thread: NCuba Texas Method

  1. #1
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    Aug 2010
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    Default NCuba Texas Method

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    I just did my first TM squat workout today, so I figured I'd start this log. DLs have been once a week for a while, BP and press will continue linear for a few more weeks.

    Current bests: 5'11" 220 lbs
    Sq - 380 x5
    BP - 240 x5
    Press - 175 x5
    DL - 445 x5
    PC - 210 x3
    chins + 50 x5

    I moved to TM because squats were hitting a wall and it wasn't so important to me to keep pushing my 3x5 weight every other workout (which is what it has recently become). TM lets me push my lower rep PRs, which are more important to me as I'm already plenty big just want to get stronger. It also works out much better for me schedule-wise and hopefully will kill my bad case of squatting elbow once a week (heavy weights do me in), and even that will be over quick.

    I'm going to start doing higher rep bw chins for the next few weeks to try and get all the progress I can out of my press. I haven't done PCs for a few weeks due to elbow pain, but will try to mix them in on recovery day. I'm going to start doing x3 squats on intensity, dropping a rep when needed (i.e. doing x2s for a while) and eventually resetting back to x5s. Same thing with DLs, but there I'll stay with x5s for the time being.

    Sun: BP/P 3x5, Sq 5x5 (starting: 305), chins 3x10 bw
    Tues: P/BP 3x5, Sq 2x5 (245), low weight PC
    Thurs: BP/P 3x5, Sq 1x3 (385), DL 1x5 (455)


    Day 1
    Sunday 10/10

    BP - 240 3x5 - PR
    SQ - 305 - 5x5
    chins +50 - 3x5 - PR

    BP easy but a little pec tweak on 15th rep. Squats easy but legs felt heavy and stiff during final set. Chins tough, will not push these very hard in coming weeks.

  2. #2
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    Tuesday 10/12 Recovery

    Press - 177.5 - 3x5 - PR
    PC - 135 - 3x3
    SQ - 260 - 2x5

    Press was tough, but really only the fifth reps. Hopefully next Sunday's pressing benefits from the two days rest and absence of heavy chins before. Press will hit the wall before BP, possibly by a more than a week. I think I'll ride out the bench and start with x3s on the press days if necessary. PCs were done just to get the hang of them again.

  3. #3
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    Thursday 10/12 Push It

    SQ- 385 - 1x3 - PR
    BP - 242.5 - 3x5 - PR
    DL - 455 - 1x5 - PR

    Squat was easy, but I guess that's expected with a +5 when you drop 2 sets and 2 reps. Bench press wasn't hard, but I pulled my pecs or something on set 1, tight and a little painful throughout and after. DL was a grind, probably due to crappy sleep last few nights and really crappy eating today. Hopefully these are better next week, I'm hoping to go another month or so before having to go 4 reps on DL sets.

  4. #4
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    Sunday 10/17 Volume

    Press - 180 - 5/4/4 - fail
    SQ - 315 - 5x5
    chins - bw - 3x8
    dips - bw - 3x7

    15th rep on press genuinely failed, the 10th couldn't even be attempted after the ninth clanged the rack decently hard on its descent. I'll try for it again next weekend. It's going to be a shortened workout week due to travelling on Thurs.--to Wichita Falls no less. May or may not do something tomorrow but def plan to push things on Wednesday.

    Had some knee pain in between squat sets but not with weight. Never had that before but I can't really get bent out of shape about it when my elbow has been fine for more than a week!

  5. #5
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    Wednesday 10/20 Push It

    SQ- 390 - 1x3 - PR
    BP - 245 - 3x5 - PR
    DL - 465 - 1x5 - PR

    A great day. Bench still has a course to run even if I'm struggling with press.

  6. #6
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    Saturday 10/23 Volume

    SQ - 320 - 5x5
    Press - 180 - 5,4, fail
    Chins - bw - 3x9
    Dips - bw - 3x9

    This was in WF, got some help from a great trainer there named Josh. He said I don't have the bar low enough and don't stick my butt out enough. Oh well, I guess I'll try to work on those things at lower weights. The press failed partly due to travel and working out in a different gym, but it's pretty much done right now in the 3x5 anyway.


    Tuesday 10/26 Recovery

    SQ - 265 - 2x5
    BP - 247.5 - 3x5 PR

    The very last rep of the bench was a doozy, my left foot came off the floor and I got a hamstring cramp. I guess I was lucky the bar was fairly far up already at this point and I was able to lock out. I'm practicing breathing really quick on the BP to get less time under the bar (and less muscle fatigue) and still getting the hang of it. Maybe this threw me off. Bench is still going well, but it's beginning to show signs that sets of 5 aren't exactly where I need to be every workout.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by NCuba View Post
    Saturday 10/23 Volume

    SQ - 320 - 5x5
    Press - 180 - 5,4, fail
    Chins - bw - 3x9
    Dips - bw - 3x9

    This was in WF, got some help from a great trainer there named Josh. He said I don't have the bar low enough and don't stick my butt out enough. .
    Hey Nick, It's Ben from the Clark gym.

    Was this trainer talking about your squat?

  8. #8
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    Ben, yeah, getting the butt too low with too vertical a back and too high a bar. I haven't run into any injury problems aside from the elbow, but I'm going to try to be more textbook on the volume/recovery days to see if it helps any over the long run. How about you, has your TM straightened out yet?

  9. #9
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    Thursday 10/28 Push It

    SQ - 395 - 1x3 - PR
    Press - 182.5 - 1x4; 150 - 2x6 - PR
    DL - 405 - 1x7 - PR

    Hectic week and I didn't have belt or chalk today, so I decided to do something a little different with DL. It's weird to go out of the usual rep range; I could feel my hamstrings tighten, knees stiffen and hands hurt substantially more after the fifth rep. I needed to see a new number on press, even if it is a 4 rep PR, I also did some lighter presses to practice breathing quickly and coming forward better. Squats were a little slow, but fine.

  10. #10
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    starting strength coach development program
    Monday 11/1 Volume

    BP - 250 - 3x5 - PR
    SQ - 325 - 5x5
    Chins - bw - 3x9

    Too busy or hungover on weekend to do this. Bench went well, no indications of stalling soon. I'm working on getting a lower bar position on squats, sometimes successfully and sometimes with elbow pain.

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