The Texas Method (TM ) is a strength training regimen renowned for its capacity to offer intermediate to advanced lifters (those with 18 to 24 months of continuous training), improved diversity, and physical adaptation. The Texas Method should only be used by intermediate and advanced lifters because of something known as the "novice effect." The novice effect is the capacity of novice athletes to produce significant strength increases when they first begin adhering to a program that follows a linear development. Programs that use linear progression raise the weight with each workout while adhering to a set rep pattern. Even though these programs may be rather simple, they nonetheless cause an adaptation stress in the body to grow stronger. They normally average three training days each week (with one day of rest in between). You probably can remember the days when you were thrilled to see your numbers rocket in this manner; novice athletes aren't used to these types of pressures, which is why you'll often see people make enormous jumps (15lbs+) in their first few months of lifting properly.

However, when an athlete acquires knowledge and experience, their gains get smaller and smaller as their body gets used to the regimen. Athletes now have a much harder time adapting on a daily (per workout) basis and must switch to a weekly adaptation schedule. The athlete can next consider the Texas Method at this point. The Texas Method strikes a balance between the strain of adding weight and varying the volume with enough recovery time so that intermediate lifters will continue to advance for a long time.

Texas Method Origins

Glenn Pendlay, an Olympic weightlifting coach, and Rippetoe collaborated to create the TM. According to the legend, Rippetoe's Wichita Falls Athletic Club was the place where Pendlay and his lifters did their workouts. On a Friday afternoon, the athletes were completing five sets of five squats. One of his lifters began grumbling about the amount of work he had to do that day, so Pendlay made him a challenge: if he could achieve a personal record for a set of five, he would only have to perform one complete set that day. Naturally, the athlete agreed and went on to set a 5-rep PR while concurrently creating the TM's foundations. A PR set of 5 squats had to be achieved on Friday in place of the program's requirement that athletes execute 55 squats on Mondays and Fridays. Later, Rippetoe would publish the TM in his book Practical Programming for Strength Training, which attracted a lot of interest because many athletes were eager to advance from Rippetoe's beginner program (Starting Strength), which they had found to be quite successful.

The Workout:

Monday: Volume Day

1. Squat 5 x 5 at 90% of 5 Rep Max

2. Bench Press or Overhead Press 5 x 5 at 90% 5 Rep Max

3. Deadlift 1 x 5 at 90% 5 Rep Max

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 don’t get the 5 x 5 treatment. 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.

Wednesday: Recovery Day

1. Squat 2 x 5 at 80% of Monday’s work weight

2. Overhead Press 3 x 5 or Bench Press  3 x 5 at 90% previous 5 x 5 weight

3. Chin-up 3 x Bodyweight

4. Back Extension or Glute-Ham Raise 5 x 10

* at slightly lighter load than previous OHP weight

You’re 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 Monday’s load. Here, you’ll see some overhead presses or bench presses (do whichever one you didn’t perform on Monday) at 90 percent of the prior week’s 5 x 5 load. Then bang out chinups to failure and 5 sets of either back extensions or glute-ham raises—dealer’s choice.

Friday: Intensity Day

1. Squat: warm-up, then work up to one single, new 5RM

2. Bench Press, (if you bench pressed Monday) or Overhead Press (if OHP on Monday): work up to one single, new 5RM

3. Power Clean or Power Snatch: 5 x 3 / 6 x 2

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 can’t complete the fifth rep

That's it! Although this program is quite basic, it's important to note that the TM is more of a template than a truly generic application. You'll see that each day's work has a consistent design. To give the athlete some recuperation time so they are ready to establish a new PR on Friday, Monday calls for high volume and Wednesday uses reduced loads.

Because it reduces the idea of "block periodization" to one week, the TM is effective. That is to say, the TM completes the entire process in a week, unlike other programs that spend weeks focusing on volume, a few more weeks focusing on recovery, and then eventually spend a week trying to reach new PRs. This program is appropriate for intermediate athletes due to the variety of volume within a week.

You can adhere to the TM for as long as you desire because it doesn't have a specific end date. Given that, give the TM a shot for a few weeks to see how it goes for you. It's a really well-liked program for intermediate athletes.