Texas Method Question

I have a question about TM programming, and its kinda a newb question so I figured I would post here. I had a brain fart today, and instead of doing chin ups on volume day (today) I spaced out and did my alternative which is face pulls. Basically this means that I won’t be able to do chin ups until next week (if I want to get both a volume and intensity day in.

SO my question is this… Im basically skipping a week with a main lift that I’m using the TM for. When I go to do chin ups next week should I do anything special to adjust for this? Or should I continue with the same weights for volume day and still try for the same PR weight on intensity day?

If this doesn’t make sense let me know and I’ll clarify. Its a very bastardized version of TM as I’m training around some injuries. However its working. Thanks in advance

Chin-ups are an assistance lift in TM, not a primary lift. In any case, there’s no reason you can’t do them later this week just because you did face pulls. Especially since face-pulls should not be a primary strength lift in a program like this.

It’s hard to give specific advice because you have bastardized the program (your own words) but not explained in what way. But assuming you’re using chins as a main lift, doing 5x5 on VD and then one max set on Intensity Day, you should do your intensity day as planned this week and then proceed as normal next week.

I can give the specific program that I wrote up if that helps. It is barely TM, honestly only the bench press is using TM programming as well as chins (which I realize are not normally a main movement for TM). I probably shouldn’t have put TM in the title, but I felt it made sense in explaining my question. Also I’m not using face pulls as a main movement, just an assistance moment that I do on days I don’t do chin ups. I stated that in a misleading manner before.

Wouldn’t proceeding as if I had done volume day today for chins (even though I didn’t) not cause enough of a stimulus to reach a PR on intensity day this friday? I don’t mean to argue, just for the sake of conversation. The situation is not ideal already because of my own stupidity today.

Also, out of curiosity if I didn’t do my chin ups today and switched them to next week would that result in a regression? So instead of doing chin ups for volume and intensity every other week it would be a 3 week lay off before I did them again, then back to an every other week schedule?

I’m aware that I am being quite confusing and I sincerely apologize for that. Thanks for the help

Doing face-pulls on Monday isn’t going to hurt your ability to do intensity chins on Friday. You may not set a PR on Friday, but you can still do the intensity set, and then do whatever volume workout on Monday that you were supposed to do yesterday. You might still set a PR this week because of the added recovery (of skipping a workout).

I’m not sure if that answers your questions, though, because they are all over the place and you still haven’t explained what you’re doing. Are you doing chin-ups as a main lift, or only every other week? If the latter, why?

Yes that does answer the question. Thanks. I am doing chin ups as a main lift but alternating them with Face pulls. Face pulls are done as an assistance movement and not a main movement purely cause my options have been quite limited. As a result this makes cos some every other week (like how Bench alternates with press, chin ups alternate with Face pull, except Face pull isn’t a main movement). I’m working around some weird limitations and as a result the program us quite interesting. It’s working for me though and at this point I’ll take whatever I can get

If face-pulls aren’t a main movement, why would you alternate them with chins? (You compare it to alternating press with bench press, but those are both main movements).

I don’t know all your limitations or the exact routine you’re doing but you might want to consider doing chin-ups every week and face-pulls during the recovery workout on Wednesday. Face-pulls as a lift are meant to be done relatively light, i.e. as assistance.

You’re right. I am alternating Face pulls with chin ups but not keeping them a main movement. My reason for adding them is they make my shoulders feel better and I feel they help with my Bench press positioning. I had been doing chin ups every week as the main movement until a couple weeks ago. I stopped because I felt burned out doing them every week and wanted to make slow and steady progress. My limitations are a lower back injury but also recovering from some wound healing complications in my tail bone that have made for some pretty interesting limitations as well.

Face pulls were something I could do to get some horizontal pulling in without stressing either of these issues I n any way while I focused on testing the wound area with my main lower body movements. They are temporary however and once Finish a linear progression in a few other lifts I’ll probably drop them and move chin ups to assistance.

To be clear, chin-ups and face pulls are both great movements to include in any routine. I’m not saying you shouldn’t do either of them, just wondered about your programming. Usually they are assistance movements and could be done multiple times per week without interfering with primary lift recovery, as long as volume is moderate.

You have to understand that face pulls and pullups are 2 completely different exercises and work different muscles. Because of this they can be used without hindering performance.

Facepulls are more of a corrective exercise. Very good for shoulder health. They retract the shoulder blades work external shoulder rotators and activate rear and middle deltoids in that order . The weight is not so important, it’s more about using perfect form and using the correct muscles.

Pullups on the other hand are one of the best back exercises there is. They develop the latismus dorsi probably as goods as any other exercise in existence. They can be used for strength with weights or used for hyperthopthy with more reps and volume. Both methods should be used regularly.

There is no reason why you would have to wait a whole week to perform either though. Twice a week works well for most lifters.
Using the same grip all the time can cause a few injury concerns but alternating between pronated wide grip , neutral grip and supinated grip seems to avoid most elbow and shoulder problem lifters can have with pullups.

Thanks Angus. I’m aware of being able to do the chin ups multiple times a week Without interfering with main lifts. My specific question was what u should do if I missed my volume day for a main lift)(chin ups). I’ve been using them as a main lift for TM with good success. I know what to do when you miss a volume day entirely for TM… I just couldn’t find anything concerning missing only one of the main lifts of volume day because I’m a dumbest and forgot to finish my session with 5x5 chins instead of volume work.