Texas Method Bench Press Program
The Texas Method calculator. Enter your 1RM and get your full multi-week schedule — Volume Day, Recovery Day, Intensity Day. No spreadsheet needed.
3×/week
Frequency
5×5
Volume Day
1×5
Intensity Day
+5 lbs/wk
Weekly Gain
The Three-Day Structure
High volume creates fatigue and training stimulus. This is the hardest session of the week. The goal is to accumulate tonnage, not max out.
Light, easy session to maintain motor patterns without adding fatigue. Do not skip — it's essential for recovery and technique practice.
Your weekly PR attempt. After adequate recovery from Volume Day, your body is primed to lift heavier. Add 5 lbs each week.
Your Texas Method Schedule
Stop printing PDFs and using Excel.
Bench Press Builder handles the weekly Texas Method progression automatically — log a set and it updates your next session weights on the spot.
Download on the App StoreWho is the Texas Method for?
The Texas Method is an intermediate program for lifters who have exhausted linear progression (like StrongLifts 5×5 or Starting Strength). If you can no longer add weight every session but can still improve weekly, the Texas Method is ideal. Bench press is typically programmed 3 days per week, with a dedicated high-volume day on Monday and a PR attempt on Friday.
Texas Method vs 5/3/1
Both are excellent intermediate programs, but they differ in philosophy. The Texas Method uses a weekly PR system — you're expected to set a new 5-rep max every Friday. Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 is more conservative, using a Training Max (90% of 1RM) and cycling through rep ranges monthly. The Texas Method typically produces faster short-term progress; 5/3/1 is more sustainable long-term. Bench Press Builder includes both.