Q&A – 1

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theturgid asks

Justin, how do you deal with persistent stalling/failing on TM? (All lifts, but mostly squat) The ebook mentions manipulating VD but that isn’t working for me. The options I see are:

1) Reset ID back 10% like in SS
2) Take a deload or week off?
3) Just deal with the slowed progress and accept a failure every 2nd or 3rd week?
4) Something I haven’t thought of?

After I asked what his Volume Day and Intensity Day numbers were:
my squat VD is 264# and ID is at 341 – I only got 3 reps last week, was going for 5, hopefully will get the 5 this friday

Dear theturgid,

Typically I see numbers higher than yours in a TM set up, but it doesn’t mean it’s impossible. You are 6’2″ and weigh about 210 lbs (he said this in another comment), which isn’t that large for the height. You also said you don’t think your diet is the issue or what your goals are, but I have to assume you aren’t eating enough properly. Are you eating a MINIMUM of 250g of high quality protein? I like the 77 pound discrepancy between the VD and ID (although your VD rep scheme wasn’t specified), but you may require an increase in volume, especially since 264 is not a significant amount of stress for a 210 lb guy.

Under the assumption that you are doing everything in training, life, and recovery correctly (which is highly unlikely for most readers of this site), there are some more advanced techniques that will be out very soon in Part II of the Texas Method E-book. Sorry for the cliff hanger, but reevaluate the ancillary stuff and increase your volume slightly and see what happens.

Hungry Hungry Hippos asks

What does Chris study? For some reason I’m feeling biology or physics, perhaps math. Definitely something science, math, or engineering related.

Dear Hungry Hungry Hippos,

Chris is getting his Master’s in Exercise Science/Kinesiology.

Jake asks

Di Pasquale is pretty interesting. I’m curious to hear what you think about his “metabolic/anabolic” diet. Isn’t it basically just keto for 5-6 days and CARBO-load for 1-2 on the weekend?

Dear beloved Jake,

I’m not very well read on the metabolic diet. Dr. Di Pasquale does discuss it in the textbook I talked about on Thursday’s post, and I will read up on it. However, I do not like diets that have significant changes in eating strategy throughout the week. Diet is already something that is difficult enough to deal with, and I’d rather people adhere to a diet that would be something to adhere to for a lifetime (with changes in quantity when needed). Obviously I’m not a diet groupie, but I do agree with the principles of the Paleo diet and eating quality whole meals. However, this doesn’t mean I will shy away from a double bacon cheese burger (assuming the restaurant includes the cheese — what kind of place just sells a bacon burger with no cheese?).

Paul S. e-mails

Hi Justin,

I was wondering what your thoughts would be for someone who can only train twice a week? My wife is 8 months pregnant, and we have a 20 month old son, so at this point I am needed at home as much as possible. Since she is awesome she has not asked me to reduce or stop my training, but also because she is awesome I am taking it upon myself to reduce my training. My current plan is to run a modified 5/3/1 template like this:

Wednesday:
Bench – 5/3/1
Squat – 5/3/1
Power Clean – 5 sets of 3
A bunch of pullups throughout the session

Saturday:
Press – 5/3/1
DL – 5/3/1
Squat – 50% for 3 sets of 10
A bunch of chins throughout the session

Aw, isn’t Paul a sweetheart? Good to hear from you again, though. This is an admirable set up, and I think it will work fine. Personally, I’m not a fan of pull-ups prior to benching or power cleaning OR chin-ups prior to pressing or deadlifting, but you may have to get some in the early part of the workout just to get them. Consider using a pyramid style set up on a clock at the end of the workout. Hit 1, then 2, and all the way up. A couple months ago I did this in a basement and got up to 8 or 9 in a couple minutes of time and caught a contagious pump that would have made Brent Fucking Kim proud.

Also, when relegated to a two-day-a-week program, adjust the carbohydrates or calories so you that you aren’t consuming as many as higher frequency program. Always maintain the protein, but I would tweak the carbs higher on training days and maybe even the day before training depending on what time you train. You’ll become a pro at this, so let us know how it works for you.

Ryan e-mails

(RE: food log post)
I don’t know your daily/weekly schedule, but what would your meals look like if you worked M-F from 8-5 and worked out right after work?
Would your random meal be lunch? Would it still just be whey and a carb?

If it were me, I’d have my smoothie upon waking (with plenty of some kind of fat), I’d kill myself because I couldn’t cook eggs at work, and then I wouldn’t be alive.

Let’s try this again. In the morning I’d try and get myself to adapt to six eggs and bacon in the morning (may have to use five eggs at first, but with Chipotle Tabasco, anything is possible). I’d probably eat a sweet potato with it. I might pre-make a shake to take to work for mid-morning (with some kind of fat). Then I’d eat some kind of meat meal at lunch (something I bring from home, not lunch meat), and maybe have some more sweet potato or the other half from breakfast. Then I’d have whey and a fast digesting carb an hour or so before I train. Then I’d eat a pound of beef when I get home. By the way, putting salsa and greek yogurt on ground beef (that has been seasoned with, say, rosemary and red pepper) is fucking money.

Question to YOU: We need to start inducting guys to the 70’s Big Hall of Fame. We will done one a month. Who should be a nominee?

Happy PR Friday. Post your training PR’s and updates to the comments. Have a good weekend.

105 thoughts on “Q&A – 1”

  1. I’m surprised and disappointed that nobody has mentioned Jón Páll Sigmarsson.

    He is a four time World’s Strongest Man champion (1984, 1986, 1988, 1990) who also destroyed Bill Kazmier and Geoff Capes head-to-head at Pure Strength ’87 in a competiton that was supposed to define the “strongest man of all time.” He also did powerlifting, bodybuilding, and various other sports when he was younger.

    He died while deadlifting.

    Some of his quotes are “No haul for Jon Pall” and “There is no reason to be alive if you can’t do deadlift!”

  2. Squat 143 x 5

    My gym hosted a Barbells for Boobs Amazing Grace event on Tuesday. My time for 30 clean and jerks at 93# was 3:33 and our gym raised over 8,000 for mammograms in action.

  8. Bruch has to get the nod because of two things: 1.) He has been featured on the site so many times already. 2.) He recently fought death, won and is now lifting heavy shit and fucking viking bitches in Valhalla!

  9. @ellee:

    “Maybe it seems silly to post PR’s for ancillary exercises. However, I had to bust my ASS for forever to able to do ONE lousy pull/chin/dip. And when I finally got one, I felt as if the clouds parted and a single ray of sunshine fell upon my face while a choir of angels sang”

    I wouldn’t normally post about stuff like that either, but I know exactly how you feel. Did pullups this week for the first time (5/4/4 @ bw of 245#), which is no small feat for a fatass like me who’s only been lifting for a few months. I had a flashback to my jr. high physical fitness test where I failed miserably, and gave a nice little mental “fuck you” to the gym teacher who thought it was funny (well it probably was, but still).

    Oh yeah, and shooting for a DL PR today, 405 is my goal. Pulled 395 2×3 last week, so I have high hopes.

  10. I’m going to nominate the entire Russian Men’s Senior National Team. I know all you guys have seen the videos of Klokov that have been going up but has anyone been paying attention to the other videos they have been uploading?

    Khadjimourad Akkayev (94/ 105 KG lifter) clean and jerks 235 kg and absolutely smokes the jerk
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yfIjayRpns&feature=related

    Same guy cleans 225 off blocks twice and then jerks it:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19wKtSIi4x4&feature=feedf

    Then you’ve got this fat fuck who probably doesn’t even compete for them since Lapikov is their super heavy now push pressing 235 kg like it’s nothing:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKL-8eksyXQ&feature=feedf

    Same guy with probably the easiest 240 KG clean and jerk I’ve ever seen:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHm0AwLRHtA

    I have no idea who this big guy is but he is strong as fuck and looks like a true super heavy as opposed to the traditional Russian super heavy that is 30 kg less than everyone else but somehow almost as strong. Anyone know who this guy is?

  12. damn my post didn’t even make it through moderation before I had to amend it. I nominate all of the Russian Men’s Sr. National team above 94 kg. Because check this guy out, Aleksey Yufkin, their 85 kg lifter, is easily the skinniest person I’ve ever seen clean and jerk 200

  15. Bill Star is my vote.

    Bench 185x3x5
    Not a lot but it’s a huge progress for me.
    Squat 245x3x5
    Not bad considering I’m still recovering from knee surgery

    Hit a wall on overhead press with 145. I don’t see how you guys can press so much.

  16. First time post but i’ve been lurking here for a second now.
    PRs for Friday:
    -Beltless Squat: 445×1 (10lb PR)
    -Squat: 505×1 (20lb PR)real happy about this one.
    -Bench: 315×5 (rep PR)

    As far as who should be inducted to the hall of fame, I gotta go with Kazmaier.

  18. @yukon – you are right! I had a feeling I’d somehow screwed my facts up there about Don. Thanks for setting me straight.

    @Yosh – I’m a big Jon Pall fan and only didn’t mention him because he was more 80’s. Have you seen the Icelandic doco on him on YouTube?

  20. I’m going to have to say no to Reg being on the list. I like Reg, but some douche wrote an ebook that would have been 100% derivative if he hadn’t have included a chapter about how awesome Reg Park was (because he was a totally drug free lifter just like the author). So now every time I think of Reg all I can think of is that douche. I wish I hadn’t read the ebook, I was too innocent at the time to know any better.

    DL: 305×5
    SQ: 285 3×5
    PC: 185 3×3

    I’m nearing the end of my LP and finally starting to be happy with my DL and SQ numbers. I’m having a hard time holding myself back from maxing out because I can almost taste 2xBW DL/SQ. I’m starting to push my BW up too (current 183ish at 5’9″).

    I’m definitely going to up my protein intake. is 100g/day from whey too much for someone my size? Justin, you mentioned a 200 lb guy in the post but do you think I’m close enough or should I cap it at 50-75g/day?

  22. Feel like a pansy after seeing some of the numbers today, but still.

    TM week 6ish?
    Squat: 375×3
    Press: 120×10(PR?)
    Deadlift: 455×2- getting back to some real weights again!
    Weighted Pullup- +25 lbs for three singles.

    Knowledge PR: I FOUND the Di Pasqual book at my university library. Working on the first chapter now.

  23. Holy shit! I’m on the front page. Thanks for the answer. I do get 250g of protein (no shakes, all meat) but I’m going to try having a morning and pre-bed shake now as well as I think diet/recovery is probbaly the issue. My VD is 5×5 across

    I’ve only been on TM for 2 months from SS, thats why the numbers are low, and also why i’m frustrated at this early failing. But, I will push on through!

    I eagerly await Part II of the book. FYI Justin – I’d gladly pay for private help/consultations if it were available, similar to what other guys e.g. Jonny Pain do. I understand if you wouldn’t want the extra workload, but I’m sure I’m not the only one who would pay good money to you for some sort of premium service!

  26. Life PR: Fuckin’ getting married tomorrow.
    No lift PRs recently. Gym time has been sketchy. Going to double down on the protein and get back to three days a week starting Monday. Plan on buying knee sleeves and un-fucking my squats by starting back light.

    Nominees: Kazmaier, Arnold, Reg Park, Magnus Ver Magnusson.

  29. Josh:
    Thanks. More like I’m 70’s Poor enough to not be able to afford one. Also I have class again on Monday. We decided to get married on my fall break.

  31. @Josh

    I did watch the entire documentary on Youtube. The part about where he died was really sad. I also watched all of Pure Strength ’87 on Youtube.

    Many other people before me were mentioning non-70’s lifters so I assumed what era didn’t matter.

    @ellee
    Good job. I helped several people train to get pull ups and seeing them succeed was always really cool.

  32. @ellee – Very nice work on the chins. Two of my lifters have been CrossFitting for over two years and still don’t have a single dead hang pullup or chinup. I told them enough was enough and had them start training chins at my gym this week. I still remember getting my first chinup as the coolest thing ever.

  38. @NOTaFlamingTrollCLown, oldmansquatting, TBone, Yosh, shaun

    Oh. my. GOODNESS!! *jaw DROP* You guys and gal are so lovely! Thank you for the kind words and you totally made my weekend. True story.

    And big congrats on your PR’s too! Everyone gets balloons!! :)

  39. After Justin’s protein post I attempted to get 306g of protein a day for the last couple days. I didn’t get there once, but hit at least 250g each day. Stalled at 320 last workout, crushed it this morning. Will be going for 330 next time.

    Not pr’s, but the highest I’ve had in awhile:

    Squat: 320x5x3
    Bench: 245x5x3
    DL: 255x5x3
    RC: 65x5x3

  43. @Chris

    6 eggs for 36g
    8 cups of milk(whole milk) for 72g (1/2 gomad)
    8 scoops of cyto gainer for 108g
    4 turkey sandwiches for 32g

    That is what I can accurately count. I also had various other food items such as 40 oz. chocolate hulk (delicious), and cottage cheese for protein.

    Today I got 92g of protein from PROTEIN PLUS power bars. They are 23g each and delicious to boot.

    I have a M – F sketched out on a white board for hitting 310g of protein, most of which consists of the items mentioned above.

    Anyone else care to chime in how they hit their protein #s?

  44. I also ordered Di Pasqual’s book, can’t wait to get it.

    Justin apparently you put out an ebook while I was spending some time out in the sticks, I look forward to reading it once I stall novice gains.

  47. @ellee – for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG_MXmuDr2E.

    July 30, 2009: “As I walked under the pullup bars, I said ‘one final attempt at my dead hang pullup.’ I jumped up on the bar, and I GOT MY FIRST FREAKING CHIN TO BAR DEAD HANG PULLUP! OMG, I was totally shocked. I started pulling myself up and I was almost to the bar, and my coaches were yelling, and I finally got that extra little kick to get my chin over, and IT WAS AWESOME!

    I called my mom on the way home. I was stopped at a traffic light downtown with my windows rolled down, and I had Tupac and Snoop’s ‘2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted’ blasting, and I was yelling on the phone, and all of Asheville must have thought I was a lunatic.”

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