I Frankensteined 5/3/1 and Texas Method to Create a Program

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

I have around 2 years of proper lifting experience (and 2 more years of messing around and spinning my wheels), and I have done a fair bit of research over the years, read a lot about different programs, a few books (Starting strength, everything Jim Wendler has written, a ton of different studies, articles and podcasts), and today I thought that maybe I should trust myself with coming up with a program for myself that I feel would fit my needs better than cookie-cutter programs. I’m here simply looking for feedback because I doubt myself constantly and i’m surprised I’m not out there asking for feedback on how i’ve tied my shoes. Just the way I am.

I put this together because I love the progression of 5/3/1, but also the frequency of the main lifts that programs like Texas Method and Greyskull utilize, and also the rep max testing days of Texas Method.

Basically, I wanted to combine into one easy-to-follow program the following aspects in a good balance:

  1. The smooth and steady progression of 5/3/1

  2. A frequency of lifts that I find works really well for me at the moment - Bench 3x, Squat 2x and deadlift 1x a week (OHP 1x also, because I’m not focusing on it as much. Yes, I switched around the 3x-a-week squat in favor of the bench.)

  3. Joker sets or heavy singles worked into the program. Instead of leader/anchor programming, I would simply do a hypertrophy block followed by a strengh block - which would be this program - where I simply lift a 95%1RM single on the third week of each cycle and I don’t ever mess around with jokers or heavy singles on any other day or week. I just know that if i’m left with an option to do them on any day I feel like I want to, I will go overboard, and besides, I don’t feel like I should even do them more often than every three weeks.

  4. Utilizing heavier, single sets of 3 and 5 on weeks one and two to keep up the intensity without burning myself out and covering all ranges of intensity. That’s what caught my eye in the Texas Method.

All the percentages are from 5/3/1, except I don’t calculate them from the training max, I just take them straight from the 1RM because it’s simpler, and overall, the difference from taking 65% from a 90% training max vs 55% from a true 1RM is very small (the latter is slightly lighter, but the closer the percentages get to the 1RM, the smaller the difference gets. 95% off a 90% TM on the third week is almost same as 85% off a true 1RM, the latter is perhaps a pound or two lighter depending on the weight, but that doesn’t seem like a bad thing to me. Though I might still change my mind and go back to a 90% TM to get rid of this difference. Or perhaps an 85% one, if the program proves too difficult.)

Thus…

3,3,3 set percentages: 55%, 65%, 75%
5,5,5 set percentages: 60%, 70%, 80%
5,3,1 set percentages: 65%, 75%, 85%

I use the alternate, 3/5/1 schedule because I like the easier week in between. The Texas Method rep max testing days also alternate between testing a 3 rep max one week, next week a 5 rep max, and then on the last week, working up to a solid 95%1RM single. Week four is an easier week consisting of 4-rep sets, no AMRAP sets, and on the last two days, I would just pull a casual 85%1RM single on each lift.

I would be careful with the amount of accessory work I would do, probably sticking to Wendler’s recommendations that he gave in 5/3/1 forever and beyond.

So the workouts would be as follows:

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Week 1:

Mon: Squat 3,3,3+ , Bench 3,3,3+

Wed: Bench 3,3,3+ , OHP 3,3,3+

Thu: Squat variation 3RM, Deadlift 3RM + 2x3 Deadlift variation @RPE8

Sat: Bench variation 3RM

Week 2:

Mon: Squat 5,5,5+ , bench 5,5,5+

Wed: Bench 5,5,5+ , OHP 5,5,5+

Thu: Squat var 5RM, Deadlift 5RM + 2x5 deadlift variation @RPE8

Sat: Bench var 5RM

Week 3:

Mon: Squat 5,3,1+ , bench 5,3,1+

Wed: Bench 5,3,1+ , OHP 5,3,1+

Thu: Squat heavy-ass single @95%1RM, Deadlift heavy-ass single @95%1RM

Sat: Bench heavy-ass single @95%1RM

Week 4:

Mon: Squat 4,4,4, bench 4,4,4

Wed: Bench 4,4,4, OHP 4,4,4

Thu: Squat variation single @RPE8, Deadlift single @RPE8 + deadlift var 2x4 @RPE8

Sat: Bench var single @RPE8

(Increase weight of lifts by 5 or 10 lbs.)

Should I try this out? Would appreciate any constructive feedback a lot. Thanks!

(Edited)

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Looking at it again, I’m not sure if the volume for the deadlift would be enough… And I would have to figure out a way to incorporate variations into the program as necessary…

EDIT: Perhaps I could do some additional volume for the deadlift after the 95% single on week 3… a variation, like deficit deadlifts, for 3 sets of 5 at a much lighter weight. I think I will add that there.

And I think I will just substitute two of the three bench days for bench variations, and one of the squat days for a squat variation. The OHP can stay as it is…

EDIT 2: I decided I would just do variations of the main lifts on the 3RM and 5RM days of each week. I would only do the standard lifts on the third week, and then variations again on the fourth week. I also decided to substitute percentages for RPE on the fourth week, just to change things up a little. I guess I could also take a percentage based off the estimated 1RM of each variation, but whatever. I love RPE anyway.

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One note about Joker sets: they’re supposed to be done instinctively on days where you’re just in the zone and really feeling it. Planning them in advance and trying to structure them in kind of defeats the purpose and could lead to you getting worn down sooner rather than later.

1 Like
4

I’m somewhat confused about this program, but if it makes sense to you, do it and find out if it worked

6

Just do conjugate

7

Well, yes, I agree. In this case, I would just do heavy singles, not touching joker sets.

8

It does seem clear to me, but given that I came up with this last night at 3 am, it might not make sense to others, lol. After all, I made it only for myself.

9

Maybe in the future, lol. I took a good look at conjugate and listened to a few podcasts that I was recommended - it is obviously a solid program, but a couple things about it seem like it wouldn’t work for me. But as I already said, I might give it a shot once i’m a bit more advanced.

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Anyways - I have decided that I will give it a go after my current hypertrophy block is done. I’ll run it for a couple of cycles, then make a post about the results.