June 2023 - Texas 5x5 method - realization phase

Summer is here and Turf Wars officially on the schedule on July 1st, and to start off your 6-week Consistency challenge, we're shifting gears with our strength training. We're shifting into a realization block focused on absolute strength and power. We're simplifying the programming for strength and drilling the fundamentals utilizing the Texas Method. We're keeping it simple. This training block will allow us to perform optimally during Q2 KPI week at the end of the month too.

You'll learn to appreciate how proper strength training can have different effects on your body depending how you adjust your set and rep ranges.

HISTORY OF THE TEXAS METHOD.

Strength coaches, Mark Rippetoe and Glenn Pendlay are to credit for this strength training routine. Initially developed by the Wichita Falls Athletic Club Olympic Weightlifting Team, the Texas Method was born from a desire to avoid work. It is said that this routine came originally from Glenn Pendlay's athletes becoming bored with the standard 5x5 three times weekly. As a response, Pendlay said to his athlete, "if you hit a 1x5 personal record on Friday, you don't need to do five sets total; you can just stick to one set on Friday and go home," Over time, it was observed that the lifters that were performing 5RMs each week were making more progress than those that weren't. Thus, the Texas Method was born.
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THE TEXAS METHOD EXPLAINED:

At its core, the Texas Method is a weekly linear progression model with a volume day, a light day, and an intensity day. The most famous version of this framework is known for its volume day: Monday's 5 sets of 5 reps of squats and an upper body lift followed by a deadlift variation. Wednesday's light / active recovery day is usually 80% of Monday's weight and intended to facilitate recovery, avoid detraining, while adding total work sets for the week to the squat, the alternate upper body lift, and additional light pulling volume. The training week finishes with Friday's intensity day that features a new 5RM on your squat and bench/overhead press.
The program is brutally simplistic and famous for the perceived difficulty as the weight increases each week and quickly challenges you on both volume and intensity day. Strict adherence to the basic template won't effectively drive progress for long. The Texas Method - one volume day, one light day, and one intensity day; however, it is very flexible and, used intelligently, can drive progress for long periods of time.

Compared to last year's training block, there have been some notable changes, intended to help elevate your performance for KPI's, improve your progress dramatically, and get you ready for Turf Wars.

​PROGRAM BREAKDOWN:

The Texas Method balances the stress of increased weight and varied volume. As you can see from the program outline below, this is certainly the case:


Monday: Volume Day
A. Squat 5 x 5 @ 78% of 5RM
B. Bench Press or Overhead Press 5 x 5 @ 78% 5RM
C. Deadlift 1 x 5 @ 78% 5RM
D. Accessories 

Wednesday: Recovery Day
A. Squat 2 x 5 @ 63% of Monday’s work weight
B. Overhead Press (if you bench pressed Monday) 3 x 5* or Bench Press (if OHP on Monday) 3 x 5 @ 63% 
C1. Single Leg Hip Thrusts 2 x 10-20
C2. Inverted Rows 2 x 10-20

Friday: Intensity Day
A. Squat: warm-up, 2 x 5 @ 82%-92.5%
B. Bench Press, (if you bench pressed Monday) or Overhead Press (if OHP on Monday): 2 x 5 @ 82%-92.5%
C. Double Kettlebell Clean 4 x 6
​D. Accessories
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​THE TEXAS METHOD IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO BUST THROUGH STRENGTH PLATEAUS.

The Texas Method is renowned for its ability to provide intermediate to advanced lifters with increased variety and physical adaptation. It's recommended a way to break strength plateaus due to something called the "novice effect."

The novice effect refers to the ability of beginner athletes to make substantial strength gains when they first start following a program hat follows a linear progression. Linear progression programs follow a set rep scheme and increase the load each workout. They typically average three training days a week, and even though these programs may be relatively straightforward, they still illicit an adaptive stress in the body to become stronger. Novice lifters aren't used to these kind of stressors, which is why you'll often see people make huge jumps in their first few months of lifting properly. 

However, with time and experience, a lifter starts to experience smaller and smaller gains as their body adapts to certain programs. It's now far tougher for a lifter to adapt on a daily (by workout) basis, and must now shift into weekly adaptation. This is the foundational core of KING Strength's programming model.

The Texas Method balances the stress of increased weight and varied volume with adequate recovery time so no matter what level lifter you are, you will see progress for an extended period of time.
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A WORD OF CAUTION: We HIGHLY recommend having a trainer/coach to help you through the application of the Texas Method. This is not a good program to follow as a basic template. Get a coach so that you have effective guidance from someone that can provide support and customize the details to you with logic and nuance so you're as safe as possible.