Hey guys, after doing Texas Method for some time, I feel like I'm stuck in all of my lifts even after resetting.
I would like to hear some feedback from people have done Madcow, how did all of their lifts improve. It would help if you write the time frame, your starting lift numbers (Squats, Bench and Deadlifts) and your finishing lift numbers.
Thanks in advance...
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03-14-2014, 05:42 AM #1
Feedback on Madcow/Bill Starr Intermediate 5x5
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03-14-2014, 07:04 AM #2
OP - I have run Madcow three times for about 4 months each time. I made progress on it and would recommend it to anyone. I started off with Rippetoes Starting Strength and then moved over to Madcow. I think ending numbers are meaningless since everyone is different. I made solid progress and many others on this board have also. It is a good, solid program to run.....you won't go wrong if you decide to try it out.
I switched off of Madcow about seven months ago in favor of Wendlers 531. This program suits my needs better and I plan on running it for the foreseeable future. It is *very* flexible and I like lifting four times a week.
I would run Madcow for at least four months and then reevaluate your progress. At your age just about any program you run consistently will pay off. Don't over estimate your true max poundages, set up an Excel sheet for the percentages and stick with it. Eat enough real food, sleep and prosper.
Good luck.“Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.” ― Henry David Thoreau. This is why I am running the 5/3/1 program.
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03-14-2014, 07:23 AM #3
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03-14-2014, 09:00 AM #4
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03-14-2014, 09:13 AM #5
I just did the standard three days a week. The assistance I did are pullups and rows, I did them texas method style as well, and it worked very well. I can do pullups now with 110lbs added (and I weigh 185lbs) for 3 reps. I also added curls.
This template seemed to work well in all lifts, but I just can't seem to progress now even after resseting.
Even my bench press which is something I suck it, is now at a 1 rep max of 250lbs which is not that shabby considering my previous history with this lift.
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03-14-2014, 02:00 PM #6
- Join Date: Oct 2009
- Location: Texas, United States
- Age: 40
- Posts: 3,862
- Rep Power: 19249
There's a ton of stuff you could be doing wrong with the TM that's causing the stalling (VD and ID too close, too much volume on VD, etc). There's also a bunch of tweaks you can do to it to get going again (cycling rep ranges on ID, lower volume on VD, switching it to a 4 day split, etc.) Check out the new 3rd edition of Practical Programming if you haven't, it goes into serious depth as to how to run TM for a really long time.
As to Madcow, i've tried it before (admittedly on a deficit) and i think it sucks. I hate the ramping sets, you're crapped out by the top set that is supposed to be a PR. And i think it's too rigid and tough to keep progressing on (you're supposed to hit a PR triple and then do it for a set of five 3 days later?). TM is far superior."I'm just a lat guy, you know? I've got these amazing lats, and I'm just living in an ab guy's world." -Workaholics
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03-14-2014, 04:02 PM #7
Madcow > TM
Ran TM much longer tried all the different ways to spur progress. Madcow is simply effective. It works, no over thinking.trying to get strong again
training log
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=178444371&p=1605861201#post1605861201
For uneventful videos of me lifting
https://www.instagram.com/jawn.mcintyre/
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03-14-2014, 04:25 PM #8
Madcow was great. Added 88lb to my Squat, 40ish lb to my Bench and 100ish on my Deadlift. Time frame was 9 months. Could've been less but I decided to run a few weeks on a deficit so that kinda slowed me down.
I'm on TM atm, really believe that the next step after beginner programming should be Madcow THEN Texas Method. Because on MC you're still hitting PR's twice a week compared to TM where you're getting the Friday PRRoad to 1500+ Raw Total: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=148038453
7/11/2015 - 250/145/272.5 667.5 (551/320/600 1471)
12/04/2015 - 242.5/140/260 642.5 (535/308/573 1416)
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03-14-2014, 04:56 PM #9
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03-15-2014, 12:38 AM #10
I've been running madcow on and off for years. I've had a bad habit of inconsistency. The best gains I made on it I increased my 5rm squat by 100lbs, dead by 80, bench by 40, and ohp by 40 in 10 weeks. But my bodyweight also went from 185 to 205. Now I'm looking to total 1400 at 175 at my first meet, all gains made from madcow.
-THE PACK BARBELL CLUB-
-MISC BJJ CREW-
"My heart and my soul will be the fuel to carry my body when my limbs are to weary. I will never falter, I will never lose focus as long as there is hope in my mind and my heart still beats. I will never give in to the evil that is weakness and I will fight that evil with my dying breath."
Best Meet Lifts - 518/314/640= 1472 @ 165
Best Gym Lifts - 535/315/640= 1490 @ 173-175
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03-15-2014, 01:57 AM #11
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03-15-2014, 10:30 AM #12
When a lift stalls you reset so you break that new RM in week 5.
That's essentially starting over. But only do it for the struggling lift not all of them if the others continue to progress.
As for starting light you can choose to break rep maxes later than week 5 if you want to. But generally 4 weeks of building up steam is enough.the latest and greatest in training...or whatever.
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=177744461&page=3
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03-15-2014, 11:21 AM #13
- Join Date: Jul 2009
- Location: Illinois, United States
- Age: 35
- Posts: 4,674
- Rep Power: 20344
Intermediate 5x5 is great for squat, I hit a new 5 rep PR today at 530x5 in sleeves. I'm still making progress on it. I use intermediate just to slowly build up and get acclimated to the 5x5, then I use advanced to peak my squat when I need to.
Best Sanctioned Lifts (USPA/USAPL):
683w/452/507
Best Gym Lifts:
675w/477.5/495
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03-15-2014, 11:59 AM #14
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03-15-2014, 02:22 PM #15
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03-15-2014, 03:17 PM #16
- Join Date: Jul 2009
- Location: Illinois, United States
- Age: 35
- Posts: 4,674
- Rep Power: 20344
I don't think it has enough volume at higher percents for bench. I think it would work fine for a true beginner/intermediate lifter, but it progresses too quickly to maintain it for long if you start with a big bench (I probably had a ~455 squat and 405 bench when I started using it) I have used advanced on bench though and that has more volume at higher percents and was still able to make some progress.
Best Sanctioned Lifts (USPA/USAPL):
683w/452/507
Best Gym Lifts:
675w/477.5/495
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03-15-2014, 03:21 PM #17
- Join Date: Jul 2009
- Location: Illinois, United States
- Age: 35
- Posts: 4,674
- Rep Power: 20344
For advanced I usually give myself about 3 weeks of 2x a week doing heavy doubles and singles before a meet. I do ~90% percent of my training in sleeves, but I compete in wraps, so I use those last few weeks to give myself some time to get used to the heavier weight and the wraps again.
If I'm feeling up for it, I'll do a set 10% heavier than my last on some weeks throughout the cycle just to try to stay used to wraps. Right now I'm doing intermediate 5x5, but I do an extra triple in wraps after the heavy triple on Friday's squat session if I feel up for it.Best Sanctioned Lifts (USPA/USAPL):
683w/452/507
Best Gym Lifts:
675w/477.5/495
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03-16-2014, 05:10 PM #18
Texas method/bill starr took my bench from 360 to 405+ i probably can hit 440 now. Mind you i started using it in 2013. It worked very very well for my bench.
Raw
405 bench
405 squat
500 dead
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