The Texas Method is an intermediate barbell program from Mark Rippetoe for lifters who can no longer add weight every session. You train three days a week: a hard volume day of five sets of five, a light recovery day, and an intensity day where you try to set a new five rep max. Progress comes once a week instead of every workout.
This is general training information, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, talk to a qualified professional before starting a new program.
What is the Texas Method and who created it?
The Texas Method comes from Mark Rippetoe, the coach behind Starting Strength, and it is usually run after that program stops working. In his article The Texas Method on StartingStrength.com, Rippetoe says it grew out of a classic Doug Hepburn bench press routine that Bill Starr described to him. His gym found the original too hard to recover from, so they split the volume and the heavy work onto different days.
That article is the main source for this review. We describe the program in our own words, so read the original for Rippetoe's full reasoning.
What does a week on the Texas Method look like?
Three training days with rest days between them, often Monday, Wednesday and Friday:
- Monday, volume day: squat for five sets of five with the same weight on every set, then bench press or press for five sets of five (the two alternate each week), then one hard set of five deadlifts. Rippetoe puts the five by five weight at about 90% of your five rep max.
- Wednesday, light day: squat for two sets of five at about 80% of Monday's weight, a few lighter sets of whichever press you did not train for volume on Monday, then chin ups and back extensions.
- Friday, intensity day: work up to one heavy set of five on the squat and on the press or bench, aiming for a new five rep max or close to it. Then power cleans for sets of three or power snatches for sets of two instead of deadlifts.
Monday is meant to be tiring. Wednesday helps you recover, and Friday is where the new records happen.
How does progression work on the Texas Method?
You add a small amount to the Friday top set each week. The Monday volume weight moves up as Friday's numbers rise, since it is based on your five rep max. When the Friday set of five starts to fail, one option is to switch Friday to a heavy triple, double or single so you can keep setting weekly records a little longer. That is a change you make yourself, not part of the basic program.
If you would rather judge Friday by effort than a fixed number, RPE and RIR give you a simple way to rate how close each top set was to failure.
Who is the Texas Method good for?
- Lifters coming off Starting Strength or another novice program. The lifts and the three day week are the same, so it is an easy switch.
- People who like a clear weekly target. Every Friday has one job: beat last week.
- Lifters who want to keep the press. It trains both the bench and the press every week.
- Anyone with access to a proper barbell gym. The program uses only a handful of barbell lifts.
What are the downsides of the Texas Method?
- Monday is brutal. Five sets of five near your limit plus a heavy deadlift set is a long, hard session. Rippetoe himself warns that poor sleep and eating will stall the whole week.
- Very little deadlift volume. One set of five a week is the only deadlifting. Some lifters want more.
- Power cleans need coaching. If you cannot clean well, the Friday pull work is hard to do safely.
- Weekly records run out. Once you cannot beat Friday's number most weeks, you need a program with slower, planned progress.
- No deload is built in. You have to plan your own recovery weeks.
What would we change or add?
- Swap cleans if you cannot learn them. Rippetoe mentions fast, explosive deadlifts as a way to train speed on Friday. Keep them well below Monday's weight.
- Plan a deload. When Monday drags on for two weeks in a row, take a lighter week. Our guide to how to deload covers simple ways to do it.
- Add a little upper back work. Rows or extra chin ups after Wednesday help balance all the pressing.
- Know your next step. Weekly progress has a limit. When it stalls, look at a monthly plan like 5/3/1 Boring But Big or compare options in our best powerlifting programs guide.
- Compare with Madcow. Madcow 5x5 uses the same weekly rhythm with ramped sets and rows, which some lifters recover from more easily.
Where do chalk and grip matter on the Texas Method?
Monday's single hard set of five deadlifts comes after a lot of squatting, when your hands are already sweaty and tired. That set and Friday's power cleans are where a slipping grip costs you the most. Chalk keeps your hands dry so the bar stays put, and it helps the bar sit still on your back during heavy squats.
Check which gyms allow chalk before you start, and see the best way to chalk up for deadlifts for technique.
What gym do you need for the Texas Method?
A power rack or squat rack with safety arms, a bench, a press friendly space, plates in small jumps, and somewhere you can drop or lower power cleans safely. Bumper plates and a deadlift platform make the Friday cleans much easier. Find powerlifting gyms near you on Proof of Chalk, or filter the gym map for platforms and chalk.
Common questions
Is the Texas Method good for beginners?
No. It is built for lifters who have already used up a novice program. A beginner usually progresses faster by adding weight every session on a program like Starting Strength.
How many days a week is the Texas Method?
Three: a volume day, a light day and an intensity day, usually Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
What is the difference between the Texas Method and Madcow 5x5?
Both progress weekly over three days. The Texas Method uses five sets of five at the same weight on Monday and tests a new five rep max on Friday. Madcow uses sets that get heavier each set and includes barbell rows.
Do you have to do power cleans on the Texas Method?
Rippetoe's version uses power cleans or power snatches on Friday. If you cannot do them safely, light explosive deadlifts are an option Rippetoe mentions, though cleans are his preference.
How long can you run the Texas Method?
As long as you keep setting Friday records most weeks. When that stops, even after a deload, it is time for a program that progresses over a month or longer.