Kevin Gray

Most people have no business trying the Texas Method because its very, very hard, he says.

Thats not exactly a ringing endorsement for the training program he created. But the man behind <a href="https://startingstrength.com/" id="d134d490-c901-3494-ac98-80e8835a6477"> Starting Strength </a> also mentions that-if youre up for the challenge-you can gain some serious size and strength by following the protocol.

<h1> What Exactly Is the Texas Method? </h1>

The Texas Method is a three-days-per-week training regimen that emphasizes volume on Mondays, active recovery on Wednesdays, and intensity on Fridays. Rippetoe was inspired by an old bench press workout from Canadian strongman Doug Hepburn, in which Hepburn would do 5 heavy 1-rep sets followed by 5 heavy 5-rep sets.

Rippetoe provides this framework as an example of the OG method: If 365 pounds is your 1-rep max, then those sets of singles would clock in around 335. The 5 sets of 5 would then be somewhere in the 285 to 290 pound range.

I tried this and found I couldn't do the singles and then get all 5 sets of 5 with that much weight, says Rippetoe. Thirty heavy reps were just too much." So, he tweaked the workout, placing the bulk of the volume on Monday and moving the 5 singles to Friday. Thats how the Texas Method was born-dubbed as such because Ripptoe lives in Texas, the program is a method, and he doesnt have any time for nonsense.

The Texas Method focuses on big barbell lifts-squats, bench presses, overhead presses, and deadlifts-plus power cleans and some bodyweight recovery work.

Full length of young man lifting barbell in gym

<ul><li> A. Squat: 5 sets of 5 reps </li><li> B. Bench Press/Overhead Press: 5 sets of 5 reps </li><li> C. Deadlift: 1 set of 5 reps </li></ul>

Each lift on Monday should be 90 percent of your 5-rep max. Alternate between bench press one Monday, and overhead press the next. Note that deadlifts dont get the 5 x 5 treatment. Deadlifts are too much, says Rippetoe. Youll never recover if youre doing 25 reps.

Between sets, rest as much as you need. That could be five minutes or 15, depending on your training level. The point is to recover fully between sets so that you can knock out the final rep each time.

<ul><li> A. Squat: 2 sets 5 reps </li><li> B. Bench Press/Overhead Press: 3 sets of 5 reps </li><li> C. Chin-up: 3 sets till failure </li><li> D. Back Extension or Glute-Ham Raise: 5 sets of 10 reps </li></ul>

Youre still doing work on Wednesday, but you'll go lighter than Monday-and some bodyweight exercises are thrown in for good measure.

Start by squatting at 80 percent of Mondays load. Here, youll see some overhead presses or bench presses (do whichever one you didnt perform on Monday) at 90 percent of the prior weeks 5 x 5 load. Then bang out chinups to failure and 5 sets of either back extensions or glute-ham raises-dealers choice.

<ul><li> A. Squat: 1 set of 5 reps </li><li> B. Bench Press/Overhead Press: 1 set of 5 reps </li><li> C. Power Clean/Power Snatch: 5 sets of 3 reps / 6 sets of 2 reps </li></ul>

Friday is all about pushing toward a new five-rep max. Warm up as much as needed before you begin. Pick a heavier weight than Monday, but not so heavy that you cant complete the fifth rep.

For section B, do whichever lift you performed on Monday. Youll notice that todays workout skips deadlifts-you wont see those again until next Monday. Instead, youll choose either power cleans or power snatches, two Olympic lifts that increase your explosiveness under the bar. Pick a challenging weight, but make sure that you'll still be able to lift through the final rep.

The Texas Method isnt a workout that allows for much else. In fact, Ripptoe suggests doing as little as possible the other four days of the week. That might come difficult to some, especially gym rats who consider cardio to be an off-day activity.

On your days off, you should be trying like hell to recover, says Ripptoe. This is your training. You'll be breathing pretty damn hard, so you dont need to do cardio.

He notes that he typically advises people follow the Texas Method for six to nine months, which leaves plenty of time for cardio and other exercise before and after the program.

<h1> Should You Try the Texas Method? </h1>

Muscular guy on cross training - weightlifting and squats

"This is not a beginners workout, stresses Rippetoe. If youre new to lifting, he suggests a different approach that follows a classic four-day routine split between upper and lower body. You should already be strong. Its once the regular stuff stops working that you do the Texas Method. For the right guy, it works really well.

All that work requires fuel to feed your furnace. Many people following the Texas Method need to take in around 5,000 calories per day, according to Rippetoe. Between all the training and eating, its a commitment.

Your suitability for the method also depends on your goals. If you're aiming for the prototypical beach body, you might want to find a different split.

"If a guy is primarily worried about his abs, don't do the Texas Method, Rippetoe says. If you are primarily worried about keeping your weight down and will only eat 2,500 calories a day, don't do the Texas Method. But if you're trying to get as big and strong as you can, and you're willing to eat enough, rest enough, and can stay in the gym for two and a half hours each Monday, then the Texas method might just be for you."

How to Use the Texas Method for Strength and Size

The first thing former competitive powerlifter and coach Mark Rippetoe wants you to know about the Texas Method is that its not for everyone.

Want Massive Size and Strength Gains? Try the Texas Method.

Proving that daily is <a href="https://www.instagram.com/da_rulk/" id="fc813e76-5cd4-38c9-a256-269c1d248e24"> Rulk </a> (aka Da Rulk, if you're being formal), a functional strength and conditioning specialist who trains first responders, elite military, pro athletes, and even Thanos ( <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bwx_1d1A2iY/" id="109300d0-8cd1-3efa-ad86-b5aebd734a6a"> well, Josh Brolin </a> ). Hes also a featured trainer on Chris Hemsworth's new <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a26086239/chris-hemsworth-centr-app/" id="849e7240-94d0-39fa-a130-2564564b5ba7"> fitness app, Centr </a> .

What you can expect from Rulk's brand of training might be best exemplified by the sit-thru, a move he says he does 1,000 reps of per day. The exercise is a variation of the classic wrestling sit-out. I work with a lot of wrestling and UFC fighters, explains Rulk. In a sit-out, you're on your hands and knees with someone behind you, and you kick your leg out to hook around, spin around your opponent and get them off your back. That's really where it came from.

Rulk notes that sit-outs are great for wrestling and jiujitsu drills, but when kicking out to escape a hold, you end up putting a lot of strain on your shoulder girdle. Thats why he prefers the more contained sit-thru-its safer for the shoulders.

Much of Rulks training is based on a curriculum he created called Raw Functional Training (RFT), which focuses on bodyweight movements to improve mobility and increase functional strength. Sit-thrus do exactly that. He notes that they promote shoulder stability, activate the core, mobilize the hips, work the pecs and quads and, if you do enough of them, they seriously test your conditioning.

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bubzt9mgVuC/" id="ee0b6b28-3b91-3fc9-a3bb-53f9451e09ba"> View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bubzt9mgVuC/" id="16400f12-13b5-34de-aa22-49d4b803aa9f"> Sit Thru Flow #RFT #DaMovement </a> A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/da_rulk/" id="504d8bed-ecdf-3f34-a97f-40538f273c51"> Rulk </a> (@da_rulk) on Feb 28, 2019 at 10:10am PST

Thankfully, you dont have to start out doing 1,000 sit-thrus per day. Instead, Rulk suggests aiming for 100, broken down into five sets of 20. If you can do that, then see how many you can do in a row. If you can do 30, great-next time try five sets of 30. As you progress, you'll find that your shoulders and core get stronger.

Sit-thrus are great to add to an upper body circuit, says Rulk. It's a good compound motion that will burn out your shoulders.

He also likes to bang out some sit-thrus as a warmup to loosen up the shoulders and hips while firing up the core. Theyre a great addition to add to dynamic stretching, lunges, and crawl work to get the body moving through a variety of different planes.

When first starting out, Rulk suggests keeping both hands glued to the ground and simply driving your knees forward toward your elbows. This will get you used to the movement. Once that feels good, you can begin lifting one hand up and rotating your knee through toward the opposite arm. Once you get the hang of it, it should go something like this:

Once youve mastered the basic move, you can try a couple of variations to test your mettle. One of Rulks favorite variations adds a pushup to the mix. Because your knees are under your hips for the sit-thrus, and then your legs thrust back for the pushups, it adds an element of conditioning while also working your chest. Another option is to perform traveling sit-thrus, in which you move forward as you go. Instead of landing in the starting position, you'll place your raised hand about one hand length ahead each time. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BsmOtkUgLe5/" id="04073f22-d60a-314c-a7bb-43300889a811"> View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BsmOtkUgLe5/" id="9e895a39-36cb-3ad4-a10a-5386effb3d6b"> Love my bros #RFT #DaMovement + #AustralianAnimalsEdition :) #Repost @chrishemsworth Trying to lock in on my workout spirit animal for 2019 @zocobodypro @da_rulk </a> A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/da_rulk/" id="504d8bed-ecdf-3f34-a97f-40538f273c51"> Rulk </a> (@da_rulk) on Jan 13, 2019 at 6:00pm PST Rulk notes that its especially important here to maintain the foundational crawl position rather than overextending your body. You want to stay tight and contained to maintain good form. If you do it correctly, its hard, says Rulk. But it's like swimming. Once you get the technique correct, you can go for a longer duration with more efficient movement.

Weights have their place-and often, that place is in your hands or on your back as you squat, bench, or deadlift your way to a new PR. But sometimes, your own bodyweight is all it takes to get a great workout.

This MMA-Inspired Move Will Get Your Body Even Stronger

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Kevin Gray

Articles written by the author

Want Massive Size and Strength Gains? Try the Texas Method.

This MMA-Inspired Move Will Get Your Body Even Stronger