Is it time to start The Texas Method?

[Fluff]

Hey forum, first-time poster.

So I've stuck to 3x5/5x5 routines for the guts of nearly 2 years now after stopping barbell training for 2-3 years while I waited on a medical diagnosis (got diagnosed with Femoro Acetabular Impingement, CAM and Pincer types, no more running/martial arts /football or "soccer"), and am simply wondering where I go to next in order to increase my strength levels.

I've seen routines like PHAT, MADCOW, 5/3/1, and others. I thought I would come here to ask for advice, since it's somewhere I know where I won't get fed bullshit/broscience.

Currently, my stats for body-weight and 1RM sit at the following:

BW: around 178lbs
Bench Press: 114kg
Squat: 165kg
Deadlift: 195kg
OHP: 70kg

The WIKI suggests the Texas Method as a possible stepping stone, but does the forum think I could maybe milk more out of 3x5, or is it time to shift to a new program?

Cheers!

[Karl Schudt]

It could be. What's your height? I ask, because at 178lbs, if you are of average height, you could probably get more out of linear progression if you ate more.

Also, what's your age?

If you can do it, TM is the most efficient program after LP.

[Fluff]

I'm 25, and just about touching 5 foot 7, if I remember rightly. I am definitely the short one amongst the amateur power-lifters I hang around with.

[Les Hahn]

If you can do it, TM is the most efficient program after LP.

To be fair, he did list Madcow, which is also a weekly progression program. So TM isn't more efficient than Madcow, it will really come down to how he gets his best gains (sets across vs ramped sets). The other way we could look at efficiency is total weight added to the lifts vs the amount of work put in. So if he could find an easier program that produces better results, that would be more efficient.

Fluff, if you have been doing 3x5 type routines for over 2 years, you may want to try something else just to see how your body responds. TM is a solid choice without a doubt, but it is more of the same kind of programming. Sometimes it helps to figure out what kind of training stimuli works the best for you. Karl has had great success with his style of 5/3/1 (5/1), and I found that squatting 1x per week works great for me. We both wouldn't have figured that out if we didn't push the programming boundry a little bit.

[Fluff]

I should probably note that, during these two years, there was a point where I did give 5/3/1 a go under a friend's recommendation, for about 2 months. What I found was that I got weaker overall, and this could be down to the fact that I didn't give it long enough, or that it didn't work for my body type, maybe I wasn't at a level where my body needed that kind of recovery/progression, or maybe down to a few other things, I simply don't know. What I DID remember was that a weight that I had formerly managed for 3x5 on the squat, I was now only capable of for 2 reps on the heaviest week of the program, which just forced me to abort.

[Les Hahn]

Thanks for the extra info! Yes, 5/3/1 probably wasn't enough work for you. If you look at that template, really only the top set (maybe 2) are in range of a workset. Depending on what you did afterwards, it may not have been enough. I think 5/3/1 needs a lot of assistance exercises to make it work right, especially if you are a newer lifter.

Assuming you were doing the main lifts 1x per week on that program, you might want to shoot for at least 2x per week for the main lifts (squat/bench), 1-2 times for press (could be assistance), and 1x for DL. TM and Madcow would be solid choices, but there are other types of powerlifting or general strength programs out there as well.

[Fluff]

If it also helps, the current goals are a 220kg dead-lift, 200kg squat, 125kg bench and 80kg OHP, that's an addition of 25/35/11/10kg respectively. Any suggested method or methods that will get me there, given that my body seems to respond well to 5x5/3x5, are welcomed.

[Les Hahn]

If it also helps, the current goals are a 220kg dead-lift, 200kg squat, 125kg bench and 80kg OHP, that's an addition of 25/35/11/10kg respectively. Any suggested method or methods that will get me there, given that my body seems to respond well to 5x5/3x5, are welcomed.

Now when you say those goals, are the 1RM's for 3x5 set maxes? If you want to try and hit solid 1RM's, you can taper the reps down as you go. You can even do this on TM type template. As for how to structure the work, I like splitting it up into upper/lower body workouts. This gives me more time to focus on assistance work, or if I am in a hurry I can just hit my main lift(s) and go. So theoretically you could set something up like 5/3/1 (4x per week lifting), but use the TM format. If you like full body workouts, then you could stick with that and still apply a rep taper.

[Karl Schudt]

It should be mentioned that all of Callador's programming involves cute kitten pictures. Be warned.

I find that I really like the alternating weeks, one with sets of 5, one that tapers out to a heavy single. It's just fun to go heavy. Sets of 5 all the time made me feel a bit flat.

Fluff, if you haven't already read Practical Programming, give it a read. Programming's pretty simple until you get advanced: apply stimulus, rest, repeat. You just need to find something that works with your schedule, age, and recovery ability. I couldn't handle Texas Method, but 5/3/1 was too slow. So I split the difference, and it's working pretty well.

[Fluff]

There is a coach in our gym who gave me the idea of a tapered setup for bench, and I had thought about doing it 2 days a week. It followed the pattern of 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1 for each set, so, for example, 80kg x 5, 85 x 4, 90 x 3, 95 x 2, 100 x1, 105 x 1, 110 x 1, with the aim of moving up 1-2kg each time the very top set was accomplished. I liked this kind of setup but feared trying to hit a new 1RM/PB nearly every time I was benching would eventually burn me out.

One OTHER recommendation I was given, in this case for squats, was a system like the following: 5x5, 5x4, 4x3, 5x2, 5x1, PB attempt. Each set x rep range would be performed for a total of 3 sessions before moving on to the next (4 for squat if you wish to keep things moving in set fashion). Your 5x5 would be 75% of your 1RM, and performed in this case for 3 training sessions, moving up 5% each time, and so on (exception being Deadlift, which will move at whatever incremental increase is required depending on weight being lifted/rate of recovery).

What would your opinion(s) be on the following being adapted some of the ideas behind the Texas Method? It would have the same gradual increase principle of the 5/3/1 program over a longer period of weeks, but restricted to 3 days a week, and one recovery day in the middle, as like the Texas Method. This program would also mean that roughly every 3 months, I would get a chance at a new PB.

Example template (take 1RM as meaning personal best/highest accomplished lift for that exercise):

Week 1

Monday
Squat 5x5 at 75% 1RM
Bench Press 5x5 at 75% 1RM
Power Clean 5x5 at 75% 1RM
OHP 3x5 at 80% 5RM

Wednesday
Squat 2x5 at 80% 5RM
Back Extensions 5x10 OR Assisted GHR 5x5 (my ability at GHR currently sucks)
Pullups/Chinups 3 sets to failure, (5 min breaks)
5x10 Pressup Variations

Friday
Squat 5x5 at 75% 1RM
OHP 5x5 at 75% 1RM
Deadlift 1x5 at 90% 5RM
Bench Press 3x5 at 80% 5RM

Sat-Sun OFF

Thoughts? Given that I haven't read practical programming (I'll make a point of doing that, Karl), I am dubious of creating anything myself and would always prefer to leave it to those with strength levels superior to mine, or those with the facts locked away in their head. All input once again welcomed.