Abandoning Texas Method (for now)

Texas Method is neat but it's too limiting and regimented and my schedule is too in flux. To maintain strength and try to build some weight capacity, I will do some loose variation Black Box max-outs 2-3 times a week... and I will prob keep the once-a-week schedule on weighted dips and pull-ups, and maybe even deadlifts... But will vary my workouts a bit more.

http://board.crossfit.com/showthread.php?t=23249

http://coachrut.blogspot.com/2008/11/next-nine-weeks.html


Squarrrrrrrts:

Bephf: 5 x 225, 5 x 235, 5 x 245, 3 x 265, 3 x 275, 3 x 285

Bephf: try to set new records

Bephf: then assuming you hit 275 and fail at 285

Bephf: next week: 3 x 225, 3 x 245, 3 x 265, 1 x 285, 1 x 295, 1 x 305

so for Bench:
5 x 130, 5 x 140, 5 x 150, 3 x 165, 3 x 175, 3 x 185;
3 x 150, 3 x 160, 3 x 170, 1 x 185, 1 x 195, 1 x 205

Push Press:
5 x 105, 5 x 115, 5 x 125, 3 x 135, 3 x 145, 3 x 155;
3 x 120, 3 x 130, 3 x 140, 1 x 150, 1 x 160, 1 x 170

These are big weights -- Not expecting to hit these maxes unless feelin' strong

Monday/Tuesday RX: Texas Method Volume Day

Ugh... May not make it to gym today (Monday) with meetings at work and then baseball game right in the middle of the afternoon. If not, will have to run adjustment on Texas Method schedule like last week, with full volume on Tuesday, Row recovery on Thursday (with Press recovery okay for Wednesday OR Thursday since it's a Bench week).

Texas Method Volume

Squats: 5 x 5 x 220

Bench: 5 x 5 x 145

Rows: 5 x 5 x 145

Weighted Dips: 3 x 5 x 25

Weighted Pull-ups: 3 x 5 x 25

Friday: TX Method Intensity Day + lil bit of conditioning

Squats: 1 x 1 x 275

Push Press: 1 x 2 x 145

(careful... kind of hurt wrist here -- maintain control when bringing bar down)

Deadlift: 1 x 3 x 265

CIRCUIT:

• DB Snatches 5/side x 50lb
  
• Barbell punches 5/side x 35lb on bar (light)
• Standing twists (not quite full contact) 10 x 35 on bar
• DB thrusters 5 x 35lb DBs
  

Repeat 3x

DB Akbars: 3 x 10-15 x 100


Weigh: 176.5

NUTRITION/DIET REALITY CHECK TIME!!!!!!!!!

August 20, 2009

In the last week or just over I have had:

• 2 burritos
• pasta
• chinese (w/ fried rice)
• a few lunches with chinese-style grub, including a little lo mein, rice
  
• BINGED on bbq food at a beer tasting event, and washed it down with sweet, hoppy beer
• A good amount of milk (w/ coffee, cereal...)

The result: weighed in today at 180lb for the first time in months.

NUTRITION IS IMPORTANT!

I have to admit, I was getting pretty sick of my pseudo-paleo diet... almost 100% spinach, broccoli, chicken, steak and eggs, plus some almonds, fruit, other veggies like peppers -- with the OCCASIONAL cheats very few times a week. But it was helping me keep my weight down for sure. I noticed that pics of me from the last pool party looked AWFUL and I didn't even correct my eating this week. NO MORE.

RX:

• NO Pasta, Rice, Starch ... VERY Little Grain... (occasional sweet potato or yam is exception)
  
• NO Dairy At All
  
  • Finish your milk today, for tomorrow is a new leaf-- spill or give away whats there
  • No more milk in coffee -- back to black
  • What granola and cereal you have left, eat with kefir or probiotic yogurt, and then when that's gone, NO dairy at all
• CUT BACK On Beer
  
  • Try to avoid it as much as possible
  • ONLY drink light beer when you gotta, preferably Miller Lite -- nothing high cal
• AVOID Fried Food (not religiously, but definitely make it a rarity)
  
  
  

Thursday: Recovery (Bench) + Warrior Challenge + *maybe* Core

"Recovery Day" Bench: 3 x 3 x 145

"Recovery Day" Row: 3 x 3 x 145

Warrior Challenge V: FAST AND FURIOUS

• 10 pull ups
• 10 DB swings/arm (30lb)
  
• 10 plyo push ups
• 10 knee tucks

AMRAP in 20 min: 6

Ass-kicker, and the biggest of all was the pull-ups, as expected. If I was a pull-up champ and not a pull-up chump I could have gotten more rounds. Some of my pull-ups were ug-ly, and I switched around between regs (wider grip), neutrals, switched hands and chin-ups. Did a bunch of 'em chin-up style but this was actually more intentional than cheating (I wanted to get a wee bit of bicep work in). Every other exercise was easy enough although the plyo push-ups got difficult at the end. The goddamn pull-ups were hard almost right away.

• I took a few trips to the water fountain between rounds...
• I killed 4 rounds inside the first 10 min, so the slow down was apparent
  

Core (+ little bit o legs)

• 10 Full contact twists (25lb on bar)
  
• 10 v-ups
• 10 russian twists (10lb plate, had to balance on reg bench)
  
• 10 back extensions
• 10 side extensions/side

Only did 2x because was slow going -- people were in my way and where I needed to be. Frustrating. Finished with one more 10 repper on the standing twists but sans legs -- much better exercise in my opinion.

Note on the full contacts: This exercise blows goats. The more you incorporate your legs, the less weight you can do and the clumsier the exercise gets. It's not *hard* per se, it's clumsy. And even though you need to drop weight (I was doing the "legless" version with twice the weight on Saturday), it's no more strenuous on the core. The standing version with the 25lb -- fast and explosive -- was much more murder on my core than the full contact, straight arm, lungy thing.

Felts some general aches and pains during core set -- during the V-ups in particular, in my back... I hope I am okay for intensity day tomorrow.

Weigh in: 180!!!!

Wed... WHY did I not bring Gymboss??? NEED intervals, GPP, timed circuits...

Tomorrow will be intervals and maybe a nice GPP + core. Today: bench 'recovery' and some other stuff to get the heart pounding...

(Friday: "Intensity" plus shoulders and weight exercise conditioning -- arms, TRAPZZZ...)

Terrible Tuesday Texas Method FAILURES and Adjustments

Had to go all out of order b/c some dude was all up in my cage! That could have been contributing factor to squat failures -- now I see why you do the big ones first!

Weighted pull ups: 3 x 5 x 20

Weighted dips: 3 x 5 x 20

Barbell Rows: 5 x 5 x 145 FAIL (came close to failure on 4th set and def failed on 5th)

Squats: 5 x 5 x 215 FAIL (did one set after warming up to it and it felt way too heavy so just called it a day on the squats... I didn't have it in me)

Push Press: 5 x 5 x 110

Elliptical Intervals: 2 min fast, 1 min slow for 10 min (with last min at slower pace). "Fast" was around 11.5-12 mph or a little over, which was tough to maintain with the hills/resistance, and "slow"was around 6 (5.5-6.5)...

Weigh in: 178 (ick)

Here's how we're gonna fix Texas Method this week and get back on track:

Week 3

Tuesday: Squat fail (skip program for rest of week); Row fail (repeat weight), Push Press on track

Wednesday: Bench Press recovery on track

Thursday: Barbell Row repeat weight "recovery"

Friday: MEBB Squat for 1x1 max 275 (on track w/TM); Push Press on track; Deadlift on track

Saturday: Texas Method Strength Intensity

Squats: 1 x 2 x 255

Bench: 1 x 1 x 195 (lil help from spotter I think... he said it was kosher, but not sure about this)

Deadlift: 1 x 2 x 275

Core circuit:

• 10 standing barbell twists (50lb on bar) -- greatest exercise ever
• 10/side weighted side bends (45lb)
• 10 knees-to-elbows
• 15 weighted sit ups (45lb)

Repeat 3x

Finisher -- DB Swings: 2 x 15 x 60

Wednesday: TX Method Recovery plus some building/conditioning work

Was kind of sore I guess... see the gripes below

Warm up with burpees, light thrusters

------Texas Method: Recovery------------

Front Squat: 3 x 3 x 185 -- FAIL. Felt too heavy for me to do reps after I did one. So just did regular back squats, which if you ask me, is more in tune with a 'recovery' scheme anyway. Honestly, this felt really heavy on my back too -- not so much during the squats, just at rest, on my back. Uncomfortably heavy... ugh

Push Press: 3 x 3 x 105

Barbell Row: 3 x 3 x 140 (Top of left thigh was hurting for these -- weird)

-------rest of workout--------------------------

Blasted the arms -- no need to detail too thoroughly, but basically an assortment of DB curls, preacher curling at max 85 (after, so kept under max), french pressing at max 75 which was too light bc that's still a high-volume reps weight and I can do much much more, cable pressing at 150 which is also too light to max since I rep 10 -- I can do the full load on these so should always work up to that weight... Did exercises in pairs/supersets with 1 bi/1 tri each.

Deltoid raises - variety

Plyo cable pulls for rear delts (some with full arm extensions -- lighter weight)

DB shrugs (90lb... couldnt find 100's and 110/120 seemed ambitious)

Finish: Tabata Situps (17, 15, 14, 10...doesn't really matter after that - lotta struggle, lotta cheatin... all good tho)

Weigh in: 174.5

This workout doesn't look good on paper but it felt great. Had heart going and sweat pouring the whole time... went from exercise to exercise fast and squeezed a lot of work into an hour pretty much even.

week plan

Tues - intervals -- BAH! Forced rest day due to schedule

Wed - recovery day + shoulders, back and arms (and possibly core or swing finisher)

Thurs - intervals + core

Friday - Intensity plus conditioning with weights.

Monday: TX Method Volume Day

Texas Method Strength Training for Intermediate Lifters

Squats: 5 x 5 x 210

Bench: 5 x 5 x 145 (hard... cheated on a few)

Barbell Row: 5 x 5 x 140

Weighted Dips: 3 x 5 x 15

Weighted Pull-ups: 3 x 5 x 15

Note on weighted dips/pulls: the jury-rigged system with the strap & dumbbell I am using is not going to work as the weight gets heavier. Need a belt or sturdy rope to figure something else out.

Weigh in: 174

Friday: TMS Intensity Day (and calf spasm day)

For 1RM:

Squat: 1 x 2 x 265 (Did 2 because I was not satisfied with first -- not low enough. The second one was lower but probably still not *quite* low enough... was nervous of failure since it feels terrible.)

Push Press: 1 x 1 x 155 (Took 3 attempts. I KNEW I could do it, just wasn't feeling my strongest when I walked into gym and needed to pump myself up a bit -- got some Pharoah Monch in the head phones and then killed it.)

Dead Lift: 1 x 1 x 285 (Tres facile. I am starting too low here probably, but since I care the least about this lift I'm not that concerned.)

Onto rest of work out...

Standing Barbell Twists: 3 x 10 x 35 (on bar)

Man Makers: 3 x 5 x 35s (These were tough today)

Standing Barbell Twists (again): 3 x 10 x 35 (on bar)

Monkeyed around a little bit with a quick couple of circuits of 5 pull ups, 15 med ball slams, 30 rope quick rope turns... boring.

Tried to run it out (with plan of doing core after) and .2 miles in, both my calves started shouting at me like they were gonna seize so I quit. Not happy about this. I feel like I have a goddamn handicap.

Walked it off and and shot around on the court for a bit.

Weigh in: 173

Thursday AM: Conditioning

At home:

100 push ups (pretty big break midway between 50's, was checkin' e-mail and crap)

At gym:

Warm up: 2 rounds of 10 burpees, 10 air squats

With 60lb bar, in combo motion, 21 reps of:

• push up (on bar)
• power clean/dead lift to clean
• press
• behind the head tricep extension (on some reps, was a little sloppy and came out more of a behind the head press)

This took a little longer than I would have liked.

"Explosive" Circuit:

• DB Snatch x 5/side x 50
• DB Swing x 5/side x 50
• Barbell "punch" x 5/side x 50 on bar

Repeat 3x. Rested 30-60 sec between rounds. Meant to include One-arm DB Row as well but forgot.

Some shoulder tweakers -- light, just because the Texas Method presses this week are all single motion and won't help the deltoid definition that a few quick sets of isolating lifts will. Only did 2 sets of 10 for each though b/c didn't want to overdo it the day before push press intensity day -- I want a PR tomorrow! Hopefully this will actually help b/c of blood flow (missed 'recovery' this week since I started the program on Tues.).

Arms super set (alternating):

• Preacher curls -- 75 x 10, 85 x 7, 90 x 6, 90 x 3
• Tricep push downs -- 120 x 10, 130 x 10, 140 x 10 (let some other guys get the cables so didn't work up to where I had to lower reps... should have started at 130 or 140)

2 sets of cable flyes (not sure weight -- just jumped in on some other dudes' sets to try em out... my form was sloppy).

Oh, and some Admiral Fishfaces with 90's -- 3 sets of 10-15.

Core circuit -- not strict counting.

• Knees-to-Elbows x 10
• Weighted Decline Sit-Ups <15>
• Weighted Decline Russian Twists <15>

Repeat 2x. On first round I did 15 sit ups and second I did 11, on both rounds of RTs I did 13 or so I think.

Weigh in: 175 ... AM weigh in so don't put much stock in it. Gotta get the weight on decline again. If I can get to the gym again in the afternoon, TABATA INTERVALS (including heavy bag, so buy some knuckle tape -- maybe burpees, bag and chinnies -- no legs, as they will interfere with intensity squat).

Tuesday: TMS Volume Day #1

Squat: 5 x 5 x 205

OH/Push Press: 5 x 5 x 105

Barbell Row: 5 x 5 x 135

Weighted Dips: 3 x 5 x 10

Weighted Pull-ups: 3 x 5 x 10

Weighted Back Extensions: 3 x 10 x 25 (ow -- at the time, the hams get strained but i know i is gonna feel it in my back meat)

Quick core: v-ups, various crunches, leg lifts, chinnies, non-weighted russian twists, side plank holds (2x on most of these)

Weigh in: 177

Hardest thing was back extensions - mighta hurt myself a bit there and then exacerbated with twists or something b/c side/back hurts a bit. This was nostalgic from the 5x5 beanslift days. Everything was easily doable but felt a *little* strained on final set so I guess I started on good weights - not my max 5x5 weight probably but good start for building program.

Get creative and get some interval work in next two days. On Friday Intensity Day, max out on the lifts and then tackle the dumbbell bear, the 50 man maker challenge with increased weight or some sort of circuit with man makers in them (Burpees, Man Makers, knees->elbows, sit ups maybe?)

Texas Method Intermediate Strength Training

This is how I gwon squat 300: http://stronglifts.com/the-texas-method-strength-training-for-intermediate-lifters/

Have spreadsheet all cooked up... will stay strict on squats (except may do reg back squats on recovery days instead of fronts). For other lifts, may play a little loose -- main goals here:

• SQUAT 300lb! (even if it's 1RM... my spreadsheet structure puts me at 305-310 for 1RM at the end of 10 weeks)
• BENCH 200+lb for reps
• PUSH PRESS close to 180 and OVERHEAD PRESS 135+ for reps

NOT an appropriate use of my work's FTP server -- spreadsheet: http://site.pfaw.org/ben/Beans.texas.method.xls

(use this link going forward: http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AmRrnbT6m3QfdFRKTGVWSkdCQmMwTzBuZ1hBdVVLZ3c&hl=en)

Monday: MEBB Bench + Rope/Bag/Sprint Circuit + Resolution

MEBB Bench Press:

• 3 x 135
• 3 x 145
• 3 x 155
• 1 x 165
• 1 x 175
• 1 x 185
• 1 x 195* (PR as far as I remember)

* I grabbed a spotter for 185 and 195... 185 went up easy but he def helped stabilize a tiny bit on 195. He said it was good and to count it, so I am, but it gets a *.

Circuit:

• Jump rope fast -- 30 sec
• Heavy bag combos -- 30 sec
• Jumping lunges -- 30 sec
  
• Heavy bag combos -- 30 sec
• Sprint once around track (a bit under 100m)
• Rest for the duration of one more 30 sec interval on top of the sprint one.
  

Repeat 6x.

(Stupid jump rope was broken -- must procure better one with 2 handles next time. Oh, and tape up the knuckles with medica/athletic tape before working the bag, dummy. I like having skin on my knuckles.)

Weigh in: 179 - Gained a full 5 pounds since Friday, and it was from:

• Friday late night jumbo slice AND Macky D's
• All night food binge from camping - burgers, sandwiches, dogs, chicken and too many smores
• late night pint of ice cream on Sunday
• beer beer beer beer beer

Gawt know the beer ain't goin nowhere in the summa time. But eat healthy all week. Lose the new weight before the weekend. Avoid the smoking stuff that causes munchies. And get in some good fat burning workouts. It is resolved.