Texas Method: volume, recovery and intensity across the week
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Structure of the week
| Day | Squat | Push | Pull |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, volume | 5×5 at about 90% of 5RM | Bench and overhead press, alternating weeks: 5×5 at about 90% of 5RM | Deadlift: one heavy set of 5, after squats and push |
| Wednesday, recovery | 2×5 at 80% of Monday's weight | Bench 3 lighter sets, or light overhead press (alternating) | Chin-ups (3 sets to failure) and back extensions |
| Friday, intensity | New 5RM or within 2% | Bench or overhead press at a higher load than Monday | Power clean 5×3 or power snatch 6×2 |
The source explains that 5×5 at constant load is, for the author, the best combination of volume and intensity, and that the weight should be completable with rests of up to 8–10 minutes. Deadlifts have no volume day because, he writes, you cannot recover from more than one heavy set.1
Illustrative example
Squat, starting from a 5RM of 140 kg. Made-up numbers to show the mechanism, not a prescription.
| Day | Squat |
|---|---|
| Monday | 5×5 at about 125 kg (90% of 140 kg, rounded to plates) |
| Wednesday | 2×5 at about 100 kg (80% of 125 kg) |
| Friday | one set of 5 at the new maximum: 140 kg or within 2% (about 137.5 kg), after ramping warm-up sets |
The source's own example, in pounds: with a 5RM of 345 lb, Monday would be 315 lb × 5 × 5.1
Why this shape
According to the source, at some point you can no longer add weight every session. The volume work creates the stimulus, the light session helps recovery and the intensity session turns the work into a new 5-rep maximum. This is the author's explanation, not an experimental result.1
Limits
- It is designed for lifters who are past the beginner phase. The source describes it as a hard program: it warns that Monday will wreck the week if recovery, sleep and food are not enough. That makes it a poor fit on its own for people adding a lot of running or cycling: compatibility not assessed.
- It is not a universal plan: the text does not say what to do if a week goes badly. Many variants share the name.
- The power clean needs technique. If you replace it, the routine is “inspired by”.
- The source consulted is not a controlled study of this program. For the general evidence on loading see Strength, size and power.
Sources
- Mark Rippetoe, The Texas Method, Starting Strength, 1 May 2013. startingstrength.com. Article read; author source, not a study.
Source re-read on 29 October 2026.