Thinking I am going back to a Texas Method based workout. I think I will plan on starting the 5x5 day at 180 kg (slightly lower than 80% of my max of 227.5 from Saturday). Is that enough of a drop taking into account I will also be trying to widen my stance? Should a go down to 70-75% instead? Thoughts?

the 80% is based on your 5rm

My last 5 rep workout in Smolov base cycle was 180 kg x 5 reps x 7 sets. This is why I am having trouble figuring out where to start.

Well, on smolov, you weren't doing anything else. On TM ideally you will be progressing on multiple lifts. So you don't to squat yourself to death right off the bat.

So would 160/170 be better? I have no idea what my current 5RM is. According to online calculators it should be around 200 kg.

just lift

So my friend joined my gym and our schedules are really similar, so we've been going together for 1-2 weeks now. He has been going to the gym for 3-4 years now but isn't very strong because he has the typical bad programming of bench + dumbbell curls + anything that he randomly feels needs to get swoled up that day. I'm enjoying having a workout partner especially since we can hit the bball courts afterwards, but I want to introduce him to better programming as well as have someone to train in the same lifts as me.

My lifts are okay but I keep messing up my ankle repeatedly and squats have taken a backseat. Right now I'm probably at 195,265,315 for bench/squat/dl at ~165-170 body weight and don't mind getting off a SS type program into some hybrid SS-bro program so me and my friend can do the same program without forcing him to do all new exercises and feel terribly weak and uncomfortable. He can curl more than me, and do a bunch of shoulder stuff more than me so I'm sure he'd like to keep that in there which I have no problems with. With that background in mind, and me being a novice at picking/creating programs I'm thinking of doing something like this:

Monday
Bench 3x5, 2 x 10 (135)
Squat 3x5
skullcrushers,hammercurls
bw chins til failure

Wednesday
Deadlifts 1x5, 3x10 speed DLs
variety of shoulder/back machines
variety of bicep curls

Friday
OHP 3x5
Bench 3x10 80%RM
Squat 3x5
seated rows


I know this is kind of a really wacky program and isn't very good, but I've tried to include the key lifts with heavy weights spaced out with recovery time. What other things can I keep in mind? I will be eating at maintenance and he will be eating at a very slight deficit according to him.

skeletor,

way beyond my level...but afaik Lascek recommends 4x5 or even 3x5 for volume day in his latest e-book.

@bearz http://www.jimwendler.com/2011/09/531-and-bodybuilding/

Skeletor, the first thing to do IMO is to choose intensity day, usually best to start with either 5RM's or 3RM's. I really like 3RM's and Lascek recommends it for powerlifters, but either way works. If you don't know it currently then you can estimate it - either way you'll want to strip off another 10 lbs or so in order to start easy. Volume day should then be calculated off that intensity day. 85-90% of intensity day (not your 1RM) is recommended.

I'm sure you know by now it's way better to start too light than too heavy. So if we just say a 500 lb 1RM, then we can say something like a 450 5RM, and start intensity day at like 435-440. Volume day could then start at like 395-400. You also don't need to increase the weight on volume day every single week like you do for intensity day. Also you should definitely ramp up volume day by either starting with a ladder or just a lower volume.

I personally am liking 5x5 for squats. I'm doing 3x5 for bench because I'm benching every week. After the meet though, I'll split my time evenly between bench/ohp and do 5x5 for each.

Skeletor, I would get the Texas Method Intermediate E-book. Worth it imo.

Saw,

I don't have the advanced TM e-book - is 4x5 his blanket recommendation for volume day or is it more of a "it depends" situation? Obv personal experience trumps whatever some guy tells you anyway, just curious.

Honestly, I don't remember.

What did stick in my head was that he relentlessly makes the case for adjusting volume in general, starting very low on the volume, doing the minimum volume necessary to keep intensity day moving, etc. So I don't really know what the best thing to recommend is - except starting low and adjusting, which I don't even really know how to do myself.

(I'm a little bit of a masochist and just really like extremes, so it's no surprise I have 5x5 on volume day and 1x3 on intensity day in my own programming.)

SM --

I don't remember a blanket 4x5 recommendation from Lascek, but I can check. IIRC saw got the broad strokes right; we're both benching 2x/week, so 5x5 for bench volume day would probably be too much (as Lascek says). I also agree that doing a 5x5 volume day squat has been working out pretty well for me, especially when moving from 3x/wk squatting to 2x/wk.

Seems more or less exactly what I'm looking for, thanks.

If I wanted to add in another squat day, which day would be best? I assume Monday/Tuesday?

I am interested in some feedback on the LRB Intermediate Program from Strength-Life-Legacy:


Week 1 -

Day 1 - Press – Heavy
Bench Press (5-4-3-2-1-1-1)
Heavy Overhead Barbell Press (OHP, push press, behind neck press; 3 sets of five)
Shoulder/Trap Assistance (upright rows, clean pulls; 5 sets of 8-10)
Tricep Asssistance (pushdowns, overhead extensions, dips; 5 sets of 15-20, amrap for dips)

Day 2 - Legs - Heavy
Squats (5-3-4-2-1-1-1)
Hacks/Machine Squats/Box/SSB (4x 6-10 to a top set)
Leg Press (optional) (4 x 10+ to a top set)
1-Legged Movement (1-legged legpress, lunge, 1 legged squat; 4 x 10-20)

Day 3 - Back - Light
Speed Deads/Cleans/Romanians/Shrugs (3 x 5)
Supportive Rows/Pulldowns/Machine Rows/DB rows (5 sets of 12-20)
Hypers/Leg Curls/Glute Ham Raises (4x15-20)
Curls (3 x 10-15 to a top set)


Week 2 -

Day 1- Pressing - Light
Db/Machine Press (3 x 12-20)
Incline/Hammer Strength/Machine Press (2-3 x 12-20)
Shoulder Work (side or bent lateral raises; 5-6 sets of 12-20)
Tricep Work (pullovers or pushdowns; 5-6 sets of 12-20)

Day 2 - Legs - Light
Front Squats/Pause Squats (5-4-3-2-1-1-1 or 5-4-3-3-3 to a top triple)
Leg Ext (4-5 sets of 20)
Abduction/Adductor/Leg Curls (4-5 sets of 15-20)
1-Legged Movement (4 sets of 20)

Day 3 - Back - Heavy
Deadlift/Block Deads/Elevated Deads (5-4-3-2-1-1-1)
T-bar/Barbell/Db Rows/Weighted Chins (5x6-8 to a top set)
Good Mornings (3-4 sets of five) OR Leg Curls (4 sets of 20+)
Bicep Curls (4-5 sets of 10-20)

The red exercises concern me - any other alternatives?

Thoughts on any additions?

Obvious goal is to add some volume to get a bit more swole/aesthetic, whilst still keeping up on big lifts. Will toss in some conditioning when appropriate (swangs or prowler).

I'm gonna keep it simple and say

Shrugs, face pulls, any type of row

Squats, front squats, box squats (though I don't really see problem with hack squat/machine squats to get SWOLE)

Seems reasonable, thanks!

power shrugs for dat yoke.

not sure what he is going for with the leg work. Hack squats are about as upright as you can get, whereas box squats are leaning forward like a hunchback. do high-bar squats?

I would just do more regular squats personally.

If you wanna just go nuts you could do LBBS + FS + RDL...?

thanks for the input, chaps. might start out with 5x10 squat or fs a la BBB and see how that goes

HEY lets bump this thread

I'm looking for a new program to start after I finish Clutz in a couple weeks. Some things

1)Want to do 4 sessions per week
2)Between and hour and and hour and a half is ideal
3)I want to continue to do the basic barbell lifts
4)I want it to have a bodybuilding focus
5)I want lots of volume
6)I'm cutting at the moment

Any ideas? Should I just steal whatever Saw is doing?

My intensity layout or a weekly undulating layout like 5/3/1 or juggernaut sounds like it'd be good.

I'm not a fan of 5/3/1 but I'll have a look at juggernaut

Not feeling juggernaut thumbs down