The Texas Method

The Texas Method is a 3 day full body strength building routine that consists of free weight compound exercises like the Squat, Deadlift and Bench Press. The exercises may vary depending on your goals, but the Texas Method is always split into one heavy, one recovery and one PR day - like this:

• Monday:  5×5 Squats, 5x5 Bench, 1x5 Deadlifts
• Wednesday: 2x5 light Squats, 3x5 Press, 3x12 Pull-ups
• Friday: 1x5 Squats, 1x5 Bench, 5x3 Power Cleans

Unlike StrongLifts 5x5, you're not adding weight every workout with the Texas Method. Your goal is to add 5lb every week and break your past PR on Friday. Wednesday's workout is light because it's meant to speed up recovery.

The Texas Method is a program for intermediate lifters - guys who can at least Squat 225lb and Deadlift 285lb. It's not a very popular training program inside the StrongLifts Community though, most SL Members switch to Madcow, not the Texas Method, after StrongLifts 5x5 for reasons I'll explain in a moment.

Origins of The Texas Method. According to Olympic Coach Glenn Pendlay, the Texas Method originated in Mark Rippetoe's gym in Wichita Falls, Texas. Pendlay who has a master in Exercise Physiology with a concentration in endocrinology was coaching his competitive weightlifters using programs similar to StrongLifts 5x5 with multiple Squats sets of 5 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The problem was that while this approached worked well for beginners, the workouts became too challenging and hard to complete once Pendlay's lifters reached certain strength levels. So since they were trying to get out of the training, Glenn Pendlay came up with the following deal, paraphrasing:

If you hit a 1x5 personal record on Friday, you don't need to do 5 sets total, you can just stick to 1 set on Friday and go home.

Pendlay's lifters liked the idea and took this even a step further - to ensure that they would hit a PR on Friday, they began tweaking Wednesday's workout: they started doing less work to improve recovery and show up fresh on Friday.

This was the start of the Texas Method alsa known as the WFW method (because it was used by the WFW Olympic weightlifting team). In fact, the first lifter to use the Texas Method was Pan-American medalist Donny Shankle.

The Texas Method vs. Madcow. The similarities between the Texas Method and Madcow are obvious. Yet like I said above, the Texas Method isn't very popular inside the StrongLifts Community, most StrongLifts Members choose Madcow. The reason is that with Madcow you just fill in the numbers in the spreadsheet. There's less freedom to change things, and thus less room to mess things up.

Madcow is also easier than the Texas Method because it splits the heavy 5x5 day over 2 days - instead of Squatting 5x5 on Monday you'll only Squat 1x5 with Madcow and then Squat 1x3 followed by a 1x8 backoff set on Friday.

Not saying the Texas Method doesn't work - SL Member Harisson ("Maslow", 25y, USA) used the Texas Method after StrongLifts 5x5 to increase his Squat to 375lb and his Deadlift to 405lb. SL Member Simon G. (31y, UK) also used the Texas Method to boost his Squat from 402lb to 501lb post StrongLifts 5x5. Etc.

But pay attention to the age of these StrongLifts Members: they're under 40y old. I strongly believe that for guys in their 40s, like SL Member James G. (42y, USA) who Deadlifts 520lb and who did Madcow for several months post SL5x5, will experience recovery issues from the 5x5 sets across of Texas Method.

For all these reasons I recommend Madcow over the Texas Method. Even if you don't want to do Madcow, I'd still recommend 5/3/1 over the Texas Method.

If You Do The Texas Method Anyway. The first big mistake that everyone is always making with the Texas Method is starting too heavy. Better to start too light than too heavy, whatever the program, remember that.

The 2nd mistake you have to avoid is going all-out on Friday. Take it from one of my ex-private clients, StrongLifts Member Vlad (39y, Denmark), who Deadlifts 550lb. Here's what he had to say about the Texas Method:

I think there's some misunderstanding about how to set up Texas correctly, which partly stems from the fact that in many recourses on the internet people read that on Fri one should set a new 5RM, 3RM, 2RM or 1RM. So when starting the program, people do some weight for 5x5 on Mon and then try to set a true 5-to-1 RM PR in the first week on Fri, then another PR next Fri, and after a couple more weeks: you get overtrained, stall and the program becomes bad.

What you should do is to start in the first week on Mon with 80-85% of your old 5x5 PR, and on Fri - add 5% to the Mon's weight and do that weight for 1x5, and that's it - you do not set PR the first week.

In the second week on Mon, you increase the weight by 2.5% and do 5x5. Again, on Fri you add 5% to the Mon's weight and do 1x5. In the following weeks, you just repeat the above procedure.

With this method you will be setting new 1x5 PR after 4 to 6 weeks, not in the first workout. When you stall with 5RM, you simply switch to 3RM, then 2RM and finally 1RM. Then you start alternating between 5RM, 3RM, 2RM and 1RM, and one should be able to progress for at least 6 months like that (Rip says 1 year at least).

-StrongLifts Member Vlad, 39y, Denmark, 550lb Deadlift.

So don't think of it as breaking new territory on the Friday workout, but rather focus on doing better than last Friday. I strongly recommend you to get used to being happy with a PR of only 2,5lb. If you repeat that for 4 weeks, that's 10lb gain on your Squat in 1 month or 60lb gain in 6 months. Always think long-term.

More Information About The Texas Method. Chapter 7 of Mark Rippetoe's book "Practical Programming for Strength Training" will show you everything you need to know about the Texas Method. Coach Glenn Pendlay himself wrote the programming chapters so you'll be reading it from the original source.

Click here to grab your copy of Practical Programming for Strength Training

(I'm an affiliate for Mark Rippetoe so I'll earn a commission for every sale).

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The Pendlay 5x5 program is aimed at those who are new or relatively new to weight training and want to put on basic size and strength. The concept dates back to Bill Starr, and has been used over the past 4 decades.

I still use a modified version (some different exercises) with my Olympic lifters, as well as a variety of athletes from track and field to cycling to football. One athlete used this programming while preparing for the NFL combine and draft this year, put about 50lbs on his Squat in the months leading up to the combine, went much higher in the draft than expected (early 2nd round) and is now not only a starter but a standout in the defensive backfield!

The most useful features of this Pendlay 5x5 program are that it requires little or no thought on your part, a useful feature if you have no idea what to do. This is a program that gives you a complete plan, no guesswork involved.

Pendlay 5x5 also involves a fairly limited amount of heavy sets per week, and only 3 training days, making it useful not only for beginners but also for athletes in sports that require considerable training outside the weight room. The relatively limited inroad into recovery made by this program compared to others definitely allows you to have a life outside the gym and still make gains.

Pendlay 5x5 uses ramped sets and a single top set for each exercise. You go from a set of 5 with a light weight as your first warmup set, take consistent jumps in weight over the next 4 sets, doing 5 reps each set, and you end with your heaviest set. So, you are doing 4 submaximal sets, and one maximal set.

An example of the weights used in a Squat workout would be 95lbs, 115lbs, 135lbs, 155lbs, and 175lbs, all for sets of 5. As the top set moves up, move the warmup sets up to keep the jumps between sets as even as possible.

The exercises are as follows:

• Monday. Squat, Bench Press, Row
• Wednesday. Squat, Military Press, Power Clean
• Friday. Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift

It is preferable to do the program as written, but there are some areas that are negotiable in certain circumstances.

On Wednesday, you can replace the Squats with Front Squats if desired. If you cannot do powercleans for whatever reason, you can replace them with chinups. One of the bench press workouts can be replaced with either dips, close grip bench presses, or incline presses.

The key to Pendlay 5×5 is to START LIGHT! Start below your capacity, and make sure that you can make comfortable jumps in weight the first 2-3 weeks at least. If you're new to weight training, you almost can’t start too light. If you have a training history but are new to this method, start about 15% below the maximum that you can do for a set of 5 will work.

Every time you do an upper body exercise, you add 5lbs to the top set and adjust the lighter sets so as to keep the weight jumps as near to even as possible. Add 10lbs to the lower body exercises each time you do them.

This is a proven program that works, and works well. However, like any other program, it doesnt work forever. You will get bigger and you will get stronger, but eventually you will stall on one or more exercises, and how you handle it when the inevitable happens will determine just how much bigger and stronger you will get on this program.

We will talk about how to handle a stall in the next article...

Author Info: Glenn Pendlay is a world famous Olympic Coach of 97 national champions and the “hidden genius” behind StrongLifts 5×5. Glenn has so far produced more than 20 medalists in international competitions and his athletes have broken over 13 American records. For more info check www.pendlay.com.

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Mehdi, Reg Park, Bill Starr and others all have 5X5 versions named after them, and each of these has been tweaked, modified, and sometimes bastardized by numerous others till people are using programs they are calling "5X5" that are as far from the original as a triceps kickback is from a heavy deadlift.

Let me make one thing clear. 5 sets of 5 do not make a program, and 4 sets of 6 do not break a program. 5X5 is and always has been more about an idea and a philosophy than about blindly sticking to one set and rep scheme. It's a logical way to progress in strength and to adapt your program as you pass from rank beginner to intermediate, and some people, on to an advanced lifter.

5X5 was originally described as a simple linear progression (StrongLifts 5×5, Pendlay 5×5). Within the past 15 years, some of the proponents of “5X5” style training have publicized and popularized more advanced programs that are appropriate when linear progression stalls, and these programs (weekly variation programs such as Madcow and WFW as well as more advanced methods such as the Hormonal Fluctuation Model or SL Advanced) have come to be thought of as being under the umbrella of “5X5” training as well.

It is with the inclusion of these Intermediate and Advanced methods under the umbrella that 5X5 has truly moved from a simple program to a true training system. What Mehdi calls the “StrongLifts Ladder of Strength” and what I always called just beginner, intermediate, and advanced is really a continuous journey.

This progression from shorter to longer “periodization” is how I train a wide range of athletes including football players, sprinters, shot putters, Olympic lifters, and many others. From 1999 to 2009 I had 97 national champions, all from a team that at any given time might have had as few as 10-15 kids on it, at other times 20-30. At one time I had 7 kids start as sophomores in high school, by the time they had graduated, 5 were national champions.

The most recent (and maybe the most useful) addition to the 5X5 family is the WFW method, called that because it was first used by the WFW Olympic weightlifting team. In fact I believe the first person to use the WFW method was National champion and Pan-American medalist Donny Shankle… who snatched 172.5kg which is an American record. He also recently clean and jerked 463lbs…

Other lifters who relied heavily on this 5X5 variation were

• Junior World team member and national champion Josh Wells
• National champion and Junior Pan-Am champion Justin Brimhall
• Junior World team member and Collegiate and Junior national champion Trey Goodwin

Currently, Caleb Ward (13 American records already, and he’s only 20 years old) and Jon North (number 1 lifter in the 94kg class in the US, member of the 2010 Pan-Am team, and only 5kg away from one of the oldest American records on the books, a 165kg snatch in the 94kg bodyweight class) are relying on this 5X5 program to develop leg strength.

And this system doesn't just work for teenagers or 20 somethings. I squatted 606lbs for a set of 11, totally raw and not even wearing a belt when I was a few years past 30 following this program. I have had 40 something lifters win National Championships using this program, including one who lifted more at age 44 after 20 years of inactivity than he had when he was a 20 year old Division 1 football player! I have a world champion and masters world record holder who won her first world championship at 60 years of age, and another masters lifter, age 46, who is not doing the best lifting of her life and regularly lifting 5-7kg over the world records in her age group.

So, properly programmed, this 5X5 system will work for virtually everyone. It’s an adaptation of stuff Bill Starr has done decades ago but with a LOT more long term planning thrown in. It’s a realistic and workable way to plan the first 2-3 years of your training, and a method by which I have regularly gotten guys from complete beginner to national champion in those first 2-3 years.

This is not simply about doing 5 sets of 5, 5X5 is a complete system of training. It is a philosophy, a structure, a framework. When you are a beginner, the details are mostly filled in for you, as you advance, you fill in more and more of the details yourself. This is fitting, because your need for individualized training increases as you advance, and so does your experience and ability to judge what to do for yourself. 5X5 is a proven and time-tested program that works.

Beginning with the second article in this series, I will show you exactly how I have used this system, when and why I switch from one program to another, what tweaks I use when things aren't going perfectly, and how I keep progress moving along and your strength moving up month after month.

Author Info: Glenn Pendlay is a world famous Olympic Coach of 97 national champions and the "hidden genius" behind StrongLifts 5x5. Glenn has so far produced more than 20 medalists in international competitions and his athletes have broken over 13 American records. For more info check www.pendlay.com.

STRONGLIFTS BVBA © 2011 All Rights Reserved.

Since I started strength training I've gained 10lbs already. Now I'm 180lbs. My strength also increased. Thanks for this wonderful site, it really helps me achieved my goals. Keep up the good work, Mehdi.

Six weeks later JD decided to switch routine:

I consulted my cousin and I told him that I'm doing strength training for 2 months. He recommended me to try doing endurance training for shape and size before I switch to strength training.

He gave me a 2 month endurance program. I'll give it a try. I really want to be muscular (not that muscular as body builders have) but at the same time I want to be strong. By February 2008, I'll switch again to strength training.

Few days later JD posted his cousin's endurance program:

My cousin gave me these exercises:

Monday - Chest and Triceps: Incline Bench Press, DB Flies, Flat Bench Press, Decline Bench Press, Dips, Triceps Pulldown, Tricep Extension, Tricep Kickback

Wednesday - Back and Biceps: Pull-ups, Lat pulldown, close grip pulldown, Barbell Rows, one are DB rows, Deadlift, Bicep curl, alternate DB Curl, Preacher Curl, concentration curl

Friday- Shoulder and Legs: Overhead Press, DB press, front raise, side lateral raise, Upright row, shrugs, Squat, Leg Press, Leg Extension, Calf raise

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday: Cardio

*All exercise will be 3 sets of 10 reps with moderate weights.

My Goal: To get big and strong.

What do you think of this exercises? Is it really for endurance? Any suggestions and comments?

Why This Routine is Bad. StrongLifts 5x5 improves your cardiovascular fitness. If you need more endurance work, do Ross Enamait's routines. The routine of JD's cousin won't build endurance, neither will it make you big & strong.

• 1 Squat Session/Week. StrongLifts 5x5, Bill Starr & Rippetoe 3x5 give fast muscle & strength gains because of the 3 Squat sessions/week.
• Isolation Exercises. Too many exercises that focus on a single joint. Dips are better than kickbacks, Overhead Presses better than front raises, Squats better than leg extensions, etc.
• More Arm Than Leg Work. 8 exercises for your arms. 4 exercises for your legs. You're training one of your largest bodyparts with half the volume than your arms.
• High Reps. You don't get strong using high reps. You can use more weight doing reps of 5 than reps of 10.
• No Rest Days. 3x weight lifting & 4x cardio. No physical, nor mental rest.

JD decided to do StrongLifts 5x5 instead of his cousin's routine. If someone ever gives you a similar routine: give them StrongLifts 5x5 eBook.

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"I'm 5' 7" and weight 175lbs. My goals are to drop down to 150lbs, to lose fat around my waist & to build muscle.

My diet:

• 08:00:1 scoop EAS Protein from Costco, 1% milk and a banana.
• 10:30: High Fiber Cereal (no milk) and a banana.
• 12:30: Vegetables and Legumes. Chicken occasionally.
• 15:30: Apple & raisins or fruit bar.
• 20:00: Dinner
• 22:00: 1 scoop EAS Protein from Costco and 1% milk.

My training program on Monday/Wednesday/Friday:

• 10 min warm-up on elliptical machine
  
• 30 Push-ups
• 30 Forward crunches
• 30 Reverse crunches
• 2 sets of 10 reps Lat pull-down, Bench Press, Triceps, Biceps, shoulders.

Tuesday:

• 3 miles running
• 30 Forward crunches
• 30 Reverse crunches

Thursday:

• 45 mins swimming
• 30 Forward crunches
• 30 Reverse crunches

Sat or Sun:

• 6 miles running
• 30 Forward crunches
• 30 Reverse crunches

Rest one day a week.

I started 3 weeks ago. I feel fitter, but barely lost 2-3 lbs. Is there a change that I need to make to attain my goals?"

Protein. This is a rough estimation of your daily protein consumption:

• 2 scoops whey: 48g protein
• 200g chicken: 50g protein
• 200g meat at dinner: 50g protein

Your body needs protein to build muscles. 150g protein a day isn't enough. Aim for 2g protein per bodyweight in lbs. In your case, that's 350g protein daily.

Whey. EAS Protein from Costco contains soy. Soy decreases your testosterone levels. Consider another brand.

Squats. You're not training your legs. This is probably the biggest error a beginner can make. Running doesn't count. Running is nowhere comparable to the muscle development strength training exercises like the Squat will induce. Not only in your legs, but in your whole body. Start squatting and take a look at the beginner strength training program.

Daily Crunches. Your abs are like any other muscle: they need rest to grow. You're training your abs 6 times a week. They have no time to rest. Train your abs on Monday/Wednesday/Friday & add weight systematically.

Running is great for endurance & losing fat/weight. But it will also burn muscles. You need to choose what's more important to you. If you want to look like a marathon runner, run. If you want to be muscular, strength training is your tool.

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