Why it works
Monday’s volume is the stress, Wednesday lets you recover from it, and Friday shows what it built. Loads go up week to week rather than session to session, which is the step after novice training.
// FREE PROGRAM //
Texas Method
The Texas Method is a weekly strength program for lifters who can no longer add weight every session: 5 heavy sets of 5 on Monday, a light day on Wednesday, and a new 5-rep max on Friday. Enter your numbers to get it as a file you can import into IronLedger.
Volume, light, intensityFor post-novice lifterskg or lbFree import file
Imports into IronLedger as “Texas Method”: 8 weeks, 24 sessions, 80 exercises, with 16 warnings.
Checked with the app’s own import rules. Keep the file name: the app names the program after it, and importing a file with the same name later offers to update the program in place.
// WEEK 1 //
| Day | Exercise | Sets × reps | Load (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Squat | 5 × 5 | 125 |
| Day 1 | Bench Press | 5 × 5 | 90 |
| Day 1 | Deadlift | 1 × 5 | 170 |
| Day 2 | Squat | 2 × 5 | 100 |
| Day 2 | Overhead Press | 3 × 5 | 50 |
| Day 2 | Chin Up | 3 × AMRAP | Bodyweight |
| Day 2 | Back Extension | 5 × 10 | Bodyweight |
| Day 3 | Squat | 1 × 5 | 140 |
| Day 3 | Bench Press | 1 × 5 | 100 |
| Day 3 | Power Clean | 5 × 3 | 80 |
The whole file, to paste into an AI
Week,Day,Exercise,Sets,Reps,Load,Notes 1,Day 1,Squat,5,5,125,Volume day: about 90% of Friday’s target 1,Day 1,Bench Press,5,5,90,Volume day: about 90% of Friday’s target 1,Day 1,Deadlift,1,5,170,"One heavy set of 5, a little heavier each week" 1,Day 2,Squat,2,5,100,Light day: 80% of Monday 1,Day 2,Overhead Press,3,5,50,"A little lighter than its last 5x5; Rippetoe gives no exact figure, so this uses 90%" 1,Day 2,Chin Up,3,AMRAP,,To failure 1,Day 2,Back Extension,5,10,,Optional 1,Day 3,Squat,1,5,140,"Intensity day: a new 5RM, or within 2% of it" 1,Day 3,Bench Press,1,5,100,"Intensity day: a new 5RM, or within 2% of it" 1,Day 3,Power Clean,5,3,80,The file holds this steady; add weight when every set is fast 2,Day 1,Squat,5,5,127.5,Volume day: about 90% of Friday’s target 2,Day 1,Overhead Press,5,5,57.5,Volume day: about 90% of Friday’s target 2,Day 1,Deadlift,1,5,172.5,"One heavy set of 5, a little heavier each week" 2,Day 2,Squat,2,5,102.5,Light day: 80% of Monday 2,Day 2,Bench Press,3,5,80,"A little lighter than its last 5x5; Rippetoe gives no exact figure, so this uses 90%" 2,Day 2,Chin Up,3,AMRAP,,To failure 2,Day 2,Back Extension,5,10,,Optional 2,Day 3,Squat,1,5,142.5,"Intensity day: a new 5RM, or within 2% of it" 2,Day 3,Overhead Press,1,5,62.5,"Intensity day: a new 5RM, or within 2% of it" 2,Day 3,Power Clean,5,3,80,The file holds this steady; add weight when every set is fast 3,Day 1,Squat,5,5,130,Volume day: about 90% of Friday’s target 3,Day 1,Bench Press,5,5,92.5,Volume day: about 90% of Friday’s target 3,Day 1,Deadlift,1,5,175,"One heavy set of 5, a little heavier each week" 3,Day 2,Squat,2,5,105,Light day: 80% of Monday 3,Day 2,Overhead Press,3,5,50,"A little lighter than its last 5x5; Rippetoe gives no exact figure, so this uses 90%" 3,Day 2,Chin Up,3,AMRAP,,To failure 3,Day 2,Back Extension,5,10,,Optional 3,Day 3,Squat,1,5,145,"Intensity day: a new 5RM, or within 2% of it" 3,Day 3,Bench Press,1,5,102.5,"Intensity day: a new 5RM, or within 2% of it" 3,Day 3,Power Clean,5,3,80,The file holds this steady; add weight when every set is fast 4,Day 1,Squat,5,5,132.5,Volume day: about 90% of Friday’s target 4,Day 1,Overhead Press,5,5,57.5,Volume day: about 90% of Friday’s target 4,Day 1,Deadlift,1,5,177.5,"One heavy set of 5, a little heavier each week" 4,Day 2,Squat,2,5,105,Light day: 80% of Monday 4,Day 2,Bench Press,3,5,82.5,"A little lighter than its last 5x5; Rippetoe gives no exact figure, so this uses 90%" 4,Day 2,Chin Up,3,AMRAP,,To failure 4,Day 2,Back Extension,5,10,,Optional 4,Day 3,Squat,1,5,147.5,"Intensity day: a new 5RM, or within 2% of it" 4,Day 3,Overhead Press,1,5,65,"Intensity day: a new 5RM, or within 2% of it" 4,Day 3,Power Clean,5,3,80,The file holds this steady; add weight when every set is fast 5,Day 1,Squat,5,5,135,Volume day: about 90% of Friday’s target 5,Day 1,Bench Press,5,5,95,Volume day: about 90% of Friday’s target 5,Day 1,Deadlift,1,5,180,"One heavy set of 5, a little heavier each week" 5,Day 2,Squat,2,5,107.5,Light day: 80% of Monday 5,Day 2,Overhead Press,3,5,52.5,"A little lighter than its last 5x5; Rippetoe gives no exact figure, so this uses 90%" 5,Day 2,Chin Up,3,AMRAP,,To failure 5,Day 2,Back Extension,5,10,,Optional 5,Day 3,Squat,1,5,150,"Intensity day: a new 5RM, or within 2% of it" 5,Day 3,Bench Press,1,5,105,"Intensity day: a new 5RM, or within 2% of it" 5,Day 3,Power Clean,5,3,80,The file holds this steady; add weight when every set is fast 6,Day 1,Squat,5,5,137.5,Volume day: about 90% of Friday’s target 6,Day 1,Overhead Press,5,5,60,Volume day: about 90% of Friday’s target 6,Day 1,Deadlift,1,5,182.5,"One heavy set of 5, a little heavier each week" 6,Day 2,Squat,2,5,110,Light day: 80% of Monday 6,Day 2,Bench Press,3,5,85,"A little lighter than its last 5x5; Rippetoe gives no exact figure, so this uses 90%" 6,Day 2,Chin Up,3,AMRAP,,To failure 6,Day 2,Back Extension,5,10,,Optional 6,Day 3,Squat,1,5,152.5,"Intensity day: a new 5RM, or within 2% of it" 6,Day 3,Overhead Press,1,5,67.5,"Intensity day: a new 5RM, or within 2% of it" 6,Day 3,Power Clean,5,3,80,The file holds this steady; add weight when every set is fast 7,Day 1,Squat,5,5,140,Volume day: about 90% of Friday’s target 7,Day 1,Bench Press,5,5,97.5,Volume day: about 90% of Friday’s target 7,Day 1,Deadlift,1,5,185,"One heavy set of 5, a little heavier each week" 7,Day 2,Squat,2,5,112.5,Light day: 80% of Monday 7,Day 2,Overhead Press,3,5,55,"A little lighter than its last 5x5; Rippetoe gives no exact figure, so this uses 90%" 7,Day 2,Chin Up,3,AMRAP,,To failure 7,Day 2,Back Extension,5,10,,Optional 7,Day 3,Squat,1,5,155,"Intensity day: a new 5RM, or within 2% of it" 7,Day 3,Bench Press,1,5,107.5,"Intensity day: a new 5RM, or within 2% of it" 7,Day 3,Power Clean,5,3,80,The file holds this steady; add weight when every set is fast 8,Day 1,Squat,5,5,142.5,Volume day: about 90% of Friday’s target 8,Day 1,Overhead Press,5,5,62.5,Volume day: about 90% of Friday’s target 8,Day 1,Deadlift,1,5,187.5,"One heavy set of 5, a little heavier each week" 8,Day 2,Squat,2,5,112.5,Light day: 80% of Monday 8,Day 2,Bench Press,3,5,87.5,"A little lighter than its last 5x5; Rippetoe gives no exact figure, so this uses 90%" 8,Day 2,Chin Up,3,AMRAP,,To failure 8,Day 2,Back Extension,5,10,,Optional 8,Day 3,Squat,1,5,157.5,"Intensity day: a new 5RM, or within 2% of it" 8,Day 3,Overhead Press,1,5,70,"Intensity day: a new 5RM, or within 2% of it" 8,Day 3,Power Clean,5,3,80,The file holds this steady; add weight when every set is fast
// THE WEEK //
Volume, light, intensity.
As Mark Rippetoe lays it out. Bench press and press swap places each week, so each gets a volume day and an intensity day every other week.
| Day | Lift | Sets × reps | Load |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday (volume) | Squat | 5 × 5 | About 90% of Friday’s 5RM |
| Monday (volume) | Bench or press (alternate weeks) | 5 × 5 | About 90% of its Friday 5RM |
| Monday (volume) | Deadlift | 1 × 5 | Heavy, a little more each week |
| Wednesday (light) | Squat | 2 × 5 | 80% of Monday |
| Wednesday (light) | The other press | 3 × 5 | A little lighter than its last 5 × 5 |
| Wednesday (light) | Chin-ups; back extensions optional | 3 to failure; 5 × 10 | Bodyweight |
| Friday (intensity) | Squat | 1 × 5 | A new 5RM, or within 2% of it |
| Friday (intensity) | Monday’s press | 1 × 5 | A new 5RM, or within 2% of it |
| Friday (intensity) | Power clean (or power snatch) | 5 × 3 (or 6 × 2) | Fast, clean reps |
Where it came from
Rippetoe traces it to a bench workout of Doug Hepburn’s, as Bill Starr told it. Glenn Pendlay says his weightlifters originated it and that the name came from Practical Programming, which he contributed to.
When it stalls
New Friday 5-rep maxes usually last 4 to 8 weeks. Then, Andy Baker writes, the Friday work moves to heavier singles, doubles and triples rather than the program being dropped.
// THE FILE //
What the download contains.
One row per exercise for every week you choose, with Rippetoe’s rules for each day in the notes. Chin-ups and back extensions are bodyweight, so they have no load, and the app flags those rows on import; that is expected.
Planned as if every Friday goes to plan
Each Friday is a new 5-rep max, your starting number plus the weekly increase. Monday is 90% of that and Wednesday’s squat 80% of Monday, rounded to 2.5 kg or 5 lb. A file can’t react to a missed lift; you can.
Two numbers that are ours
Rippetoe gives no percentage for the light-day press (“a little lighter”), so the file uses 90% of its last 5 × 5. Power cleans hold steady; add weight when every set is fast.
Check it yourself
The file is checked with the app’s own import rules before you download it. Paste it into the program file checker to see every row, or change it and check again.
// WITH YOUR AI //
Customise it in a sentence.
Here is my Texas Method program as an IronLedger import file. Keep the same columns and the Week and Day numbering. [Say what to change, such as swapping power cleans for power snatches, or adding accessory work on Wednesday.] Check the result with the check_program_file tool on the IronLedger MCP server and fix anything it reports, then give me the whole file to save as “Texas Method.csv”. [Paste the file here]
Connect your assistant to IronLedger first so it can check its work: setup steps for each AI app. IronLedger isn’t affiliated with Mark Rippetoe, Glenn Pendlay or Starting Strength.
// DIRECT ANSWERS //
Questions lifters ask.
What is the Texas Method?
A weekly strength program with three sessions: a volume day of 5 sets of 5, a light day to recover, and an intensity day where you try to set a new 5-rep max. The stress of Monday plus the recovery of Wednesday is meant to let a new personal record happen on Friday, week after week.
Who is the Texas Method for?
Lifters who have finished a novice linear progression, the stage where weight goes up every workout. Mark Rippetoe places it after roughly five months of novice training, when adding weight every session has stopped working.
How heavy is the Monday volume day?
About 90% of the weight you plan to lift for 5 on Friday, for 5 sets of 5. Andy Baker describes it as roughly 10% under Friday’s 5-rep max.
How long can you run the Texas Method?
Andy Baker writes that new weekly 5-rep maxes usually last 4 to 8 weeks. After that the Friday work moves to heavier sets of 1 to 3, rather than abandoning the program.
What is the difference between Rippetoe’s and Pendlay’s versions?
Rippetoe’s light day is 2 sets of 5 squats at 80% of Monday. Glenn Pendlay, whose weightlifters he says originated the program, uses front squats on the light day, usually 3 sets of 3 at about 80% of your best front squat, and sizes the weekly increase by how much you squat. The file on this page follows Rippetoe’s version.
Will IronLedger adjust the loads for me?
No. An imported program keeps the loads the file sets; live load recommendations run only on the app’s five built-in load-and-go programs. The file plans a new 5-rep max every Friday. When you miss one, edit that week, or change your numbers here and import the file again with the same name to update the program in place.
Run it in IronLedger
Download the file, then in IronLedger tap Import (on the Routine tab with no program loaded, or Library, +, then Import instead) and choose it. Every set is there to log with RPE or RIR, and records and estimated maxes update as you go. Free, with no subscription. iPhone now; Android is in closed testing.
Get IronLedger free on iOSCustomise it with your AI
Paste the file into Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini with the prompt on this page. Connected to the IronLedger MCP server, your assistant can check its changes with the program file checker before it gives the file back.
Set up your AI