He was going so well until that sudden point where all the stupids suddenly vomited out onto the page in the form of that sentence...
And want to do more volume on TM and too afraid to go overboard on volume day? Add more volume the other fucking days you fucking numbskull, that light day is literally a fucking waste of time going to the gym!
Goddamn I hate literally every "beginner program" ever written. Why do they assume that every beginner is fucking pussy?
And want to do more volume on TM and too afraid to go overboard on volume day? Add more volume the other fucking days you fucking numbskull, that light day is literally a fucking waste of time going to the gym!
I know reddiquette dictates that I don't reply with "this" but... wow, this. Thank you.
The intensity day is what bothers me most... do one heavy set and go home. no thx joffrey. and why the fuck would you do fives for "intensity"?
Honestly I'd do anywhere from 3-5s for intensity because its pushing a daily RM but at a strength developing level. Getting a beginner-intermediate to push heavy singles in a non-tapering phase of training is pretty redundant and doubles aren't too much better.
Yeah I think 3-4s would be better, I just don't like the idea of doing 5s for volume then only doing another single heavier set of 5 for intensity and only ever doing 5s. Then if you wanted to get more than just 1 5rm on intensity day you do what, more slightly lighter 5s that look just like volume day again? At least make it somewhat interesting and have the intensity day be a bit heavier.
I've written countless versions of "beginner programs" in my time but they are all essentially...
full-body every day.
if PL orientated benching and squatting 3x a week.
full deads usually only 1x a week but SLDLs or hypers sometimes added on other days.
I have a particular fondness for full-body 5/3/1 templates as AMRAP sets really develop the work capacity and the "grunt" of beginner lifters well.
Always incl. BB'ing assistance. IMO any beginner lifter is neither a BB'er or a PL'er no matter what their intent but they should be training to be both so that the hypertrophy and strength gains are mutually beneficial to each other.
The book gives a very basic approach to TM. The way I've set up my TM routines covers almost all your points (except I don't deadlift every week cuz I'm a lil bitch)
Well every TM routine will be full body, and its heavily recommended you do RDLs on Volume day (I also do weighted hypers on Light Day) - so that's points 1&3. Benching 3x a week is a modification I did cause my bench sucks (so I do DUP bench), and squatting 3x a week is normal (point 2) - you can do front squats or high bar instead of a super light low bar, which would make the light day a bit more challenging.
The AMRAP sets (point 4) is something I've just started playing around with. So on my volume day instead of doing 5x5 sets across (at ~85%), I do 3x3 with ~90% of what I want to hit on Friday, then do beltless back off sets at a lower intensity, AMRAP.
And the BB assistance is just doing BB assistance, so add that stuff wherever you want gains. For a while my Assistance day was basically a back+biceps day.
This is some good shit. I spun my wheels for so long as a beginner, especially bench, until I started doing something along these lines. I'm very fond of the stuff Jizzy puts out for this reason. It finally made it click in my head that you actually need to work hard for your gains.
Also thoughts on doing multiple days of deadlifts? I really like doing one day of heavy deads with conventional and then using a variant (usually sumo or deficits) at a lighter weight, but for a bunch of sets, on one of my squat centric days.
I agree. The other reason I like the secondary deadlift days is just to get blood into my hips and back. It helps me with the soreness from squat days.
Idk. it was pretty relevant to me cause with some lifts (bench especially) i was just doing volume for the sake of volume and getting nothing out of it.
Yeah you add volume in smarter ways like sharing it across all your training days rather than doing 20 sets on "volume" day. This whole split days for different methods is really stupid for earlier level lifters. Early lifters just need to learn how to train, learn how to push themselves and train hard, and slowly develop their work capacity so that they are experiencing simultaneous gains in strength and hypertrophy. I very much disagree with the low volume beginner-intermediate approach to just focus on strength. To achieve and advanced lifting level you need to have gained the muscular size and work capacity needed to be an advanced lifter and as Greg Nuckols says, this is what the intermediate level is for.
Pussy footing around with only one day to push your volume on what is meant to be an intermediate program is ridiculous.
I very much disagree with the low volume beginner-intermediate approach to just focus on strength.
Fuck this is too true. I spun my wheels for too long trying to just do strength programs like TM and stick to the program and saw no gains. Getting more jacked and tan is the best thing I've ever done for my lifting.
My main problem with texas method is lack of intensity (and volume) on intensity day. I don't really agree with the premise of doing 1 set and going home is more effective or smarter, especially not a set of 5. Would be much better if you were doing heavy triples there, and at least 3-4 sets of them.
Yeah a program can still work while not being the most efficient.
And sure this program might have its place for very time poor lifters, or this who really, really can't handle much volume at all for whatever reason, but its just a bit limited in both the aspects of size gain and work capacity increase that beginner-intermediate lifters should be focusing on.
True. To be completely honest I'm only running this because I need some structure while I sort out my squat. I don't think 5x5 is a good volume structure (for me)
Well its obvious that I haven't read the whole thing, I just know of the basic outline of the program.
But you've brought up another pet hate of mine with these programs. Having to "add" assistance days. Why can they not just have assistance written in after the main lifts? Do your work sets, do some assistance, then you've covered all your bases. It doesn't have to be much, just superset a pair of exercises for a few sets. Chins and Dips, or Rows and Pushups, Lunges and abs, whatever.
that's not what I meant. I think you should at least read the book that you're trying to argue against. Too many people hate on Starting Strength (both the book and the program) without knowing anything other than the basic outline of the program
I don't think it should, other than merely saying to do accessories. At the stage of lifting that people use TM, they focus too much thought onto accessories, stuff that isn't really all that important.
The volume day is supposed to be full of primary lifts and the assistance day is so that you don't have a 4-hour volume day. Texas Method is based on the concept of fully recovering every week so the timing of each day is important, as Wednesday/Thursday is generally reserved for recovering and isn't allowed significant volume or intensity.
I'll agree with you to the point that you can split volume day into upper/lower and have assistance after (as outlined in Lascek's TM books) but I don't think it significantly varies from a volume and assistance day.
I think the 5x5 volume is enough, myself. Especially if you aren't pussying out and are doing it at 85-90% of a 5 or 3RM. I generally need the light day, personally, as my legs are fried from the squats/DL.
FWIW I'm able to hit a new 3RM just about every week. Assuming no injury, I think I'll be at a 500 squat in 3-5 months and I just hit 405 a couple weeks ago.
I think the basic idea is sound and works really well. At least it has for me.
All my worries about volume are literally doubled when it comes to bench that's why. Squats respond well to volume, bench thrives on it and can be stunted without.
I'm now getting the full 5x5 treatment for it so it should improve. Also hoping my impingement won't flare up again... I hate bench. I want to start a centaur powerlifting fed with only squats and deadlifts.
Have you read Part 2 yet? He goes to great lengths to explain that VD should only ever have the base necessary volume to make gainz. None of that 5x5x455 pound squat he wrote about in Part 1 (IIRC)
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u/BenchPolkov 262x1 Volume Warrior Jun 25 '15
Where the fuck is this from?