Cb,

It would be easier to help you if you said what you dont like about 531 or juggernaut.

What about the cube method?

My main problem with 5/3/1 and I think Juggernaut is this way too, I don't like doing just one of the big lifts per day

Cube might be what I'm looking for

Yeah cube looks cool. I don't know if we have the stuff to do block pulls or deficit deadlifts. Also I can't front squat. But the program looks cool

Where did you see the cube layout your looking at it. It doesnt have front squats set as main assistance work and you can change all that any way. But it is only Deadlift one day, squat one day, bench one day just like 531

http://blackironbeast.com/cube/calculator

If you want the book pm me your email address but that link is good

for the assistance stuff, when it says like 2x1-3 or whatever...do you just do what you can in that rep range? ambiguity is annoying to me

Ya. That program on the black iron is just what Lilly did and had some guys that he trained do. The percentage, reps, and assistance arent really set in stone. The only thing that is set in stone is to rotate rep, speed and heavy days

Cb that's a bad reason. Just balance out each day as a full Upper or lower day with assistance.

I dunno, compliance is pretty important. Mostly I just hate squat only days, so deadlifting or benching a little on leg day makes me more motivated to get the the gyme.

After looking at juggernaut more I think I might go with that. So many deadlift reps!

rts generalized intermediate program is pretty dope

Looking for some input on my strength block programming. Basically going to follow on from the volume blocks i've done, looking towards a small peak/test in mid-late november.

Volume block followed the book loosely, so I'm keen to keep to these guidelines for the strength block:



CWS used the following in his recent video on building a strength block:
4x6 70-75%
4x5 75-80%
3x4 80-85%

and then each had an accessory movement in the same rep scheme with one less set (ie Comp bench --> close grip). Run for three weeks then deload, or jump into another strength block. These numbers are very similar to my old original 6week training blocks.

The alternate is to go with something out of the GZCL method (percentage of training max in this case):
Week 1: T1 85%x5 reps x3+ sets, T2 65% x8 reps x 5 sets
Week 2: T1 87.5%x4 reps x 3+ sets, T2 70% x7 reps x 5 sets
Week 3: T1 90%x3 reps x 5+ sets, T2 75% x6 reps x 5 sets
Week 4: T1 92.5%x2 reps x 7+ sets, T2 80% x5 reps x 5 sets
Week 5: T1 87.5%x5 reps x2+ sets, T2 70% x8 reps x 3 sets
Week 6: T1 90%x4 reps x 2+ sets, T2 75% x7 reps x 3 sets
Week 7: T1 92.5%x3 reps x 3+ sets, T2 80% x6 reps x 4 sets
Week 8: T1 95%x2 reps x 5+ sets, T2 85% x5 reps x 4 sets

I want to keep a M-T-Th-F with an optional saturday session, so I'm thinking Bench-Squat-Off-Bench-Deadlift-Bench Overload/Accessory-Off. I like the split idea mostly because warming up for both upper and lower exercises is a bit of a time sink. I probably need to squat once more per week, so likely the saturday.

Monday: Comp Bench + Incline + chest
Tuesday: Comp Squat + pause squat (+ alt deadlift?)
Thursday: Comp Bench + CGBP + tris
Friday: Deadlift + ?? (+ ham accessory?) + bis
Saturday: Slingshot Bench + ?? squat

I am also semi-considering incorporating either an over-warmup or an AMRAP on the last set. Thoughts on either of those?

I dont know much about this type of training but those percentages look super high for squat and deadlift. No way i could do 3 sets for 4 with 85% for squat or deadlift. For bench that would be pretty easy though. You might want to think about doing different percentages for the different lifts.

Your schedule looks a little weird to me though. Does the book recommend a setup like that? I could go into it more if you want but if you are set on that setup id rather not type a bunch

I would not do AMRAP or over warmup for the strength phase.

The book doesn't make any recommendations above what's on that page.

I'm not totally wedded to anything, so unless I come up with something convincing as an alternative, I'll likely go back to the four day full body template, with a tweak to get in more squat/dead lift work at the expense of a bench session. If it ain't broke...

Here is what I was doing before with pretty good success:



I'd probably run it through weeks 1-3 (or 1-4?) twice before moving on to a peak/test. Hopefully hit that 500 squat/three plate bench by the end of the year.

I'd either add a T3 deadlift exercise to friday or move the secondary deadlift from monday to that slot. Change around the accessories too.

Sick bump alert:

Just a general Texas Method question. If I'm stalling a bit on my intensity day bench, is it reasonable to lift more on Monday to try and drive a better Friday performance? i.e if my 90% monday lift is 150 but I'm sticking at 165 on Fridays, should I try 5x5x155 on Monday to try for a 170 on Friday?

If not, what do to help get past the bar so to speak on stalling intensity day lifts? I'm eating in excess but don't want to eat any more since I'm slow bulking.

Add more volume, not more intensity. But you should consider a different program of you keep stalling (see my 4x a week benching template a few posts above)

Eh, it's not a matter of 'keep' stalling I suppose - I've only been at TM for a couple months and there's been a lot of travel in there as well as an injury so I'm really just now getting back to it. I think it was more that prior to TM, during SS, my Bench wall was ~170, and I did stall once during TM at 170 so I guess I was loosing faith in it. But, I've really only done like 2 or 3 actual 'bench weeks' during my time with TM so I'll just keep putting in the volume and I'm sure I'll grind up a bit

I didn't want to make a separate thread for this. I have two questions, first is an injury diagnosis and second an exercise selection question.

1) After training the close-grip bench press as my primary bench movement for high reps for about 20 weeks, I hurt my shoulder doing sets of 6 at a weight I'd never handled before. After that, it hurt to do a front dumbbell raise, but laterals or raises at 45 degrees to the sagittal plane felt just fine. The overhead press also felt fine. I deloaded then took it easy on benching for a couple of weeks, switched to a wider grip, and the pain flared up again last week. Per my log, today I did a bunch of sub-maximal sets of different bench variants and found the following:

- wider grips hurt more than closer ones
- neutral grip felt better than pronated
- reverse grip bench gave me no pain or discomfort at all

So, what do we think is hurt? And what should I be doing (and not doing) to rehab it?

2) Does anyone here have any experience with reverse grip bench? I'm considering training it as my primary bench for a while.

Why don't you have a professional look at that shoulder?

Cost is a factor. I've been in the U.S. without health insurance for the last month. I may have it looked at when I get back to Asia, but probably not unless the pain gets worse. It's very minor as is and only affects benching.