Recently, there has been some renewed interest in my Texas Volume Training program that I wrote a little over a decade ago, based on the amount of views my original post has had of late and based on some emails I have received the last several months. With that in mind, I thought it was time that I did a new post on this form of training. What follows in this essay is an amalgam of a couple of my earlier articles on Texas Volume Training, and some insights I’ve garnered from lifters that have used it in the years since I first created it. First off, TVT is a powerlifting program. And though this might sound as if it’s hyperbole, and though I might obviously be biased since I came up with it, I think it’s one of the best programs anyone could ever use for powerlifting, but you have to be advanced enough to handle the amount of workload involved. Also it’s not a program for people who only want some hypertrophy or only train for aesthetics, although it definitely will
I may give the impression at times that I’m not a fan of split workouts. That’s not true, of course. I have a lot of split programs here on the blog—in fact, I’ve probably written considerably more split workout programs than full-body ones over the course of my writing career. But it’s also true that I do have a certain disdain, and don’t try to hide it, for “modern” workout splits. Programs where you train only one bodypart at each session, and take off a week between training sessions for individual bodyparts, pretty much drives me crazy. And, of course, yes, I’m obviously a fan of full-body workouts. Not only are they highly effective, but they’re probably the best form of training for the “average” gym-goer, allowing you to train your muscles frequently (always a plus in my book), while also minimizing the amount of time that you have to go to the gym each week. You just can’t beat workouts like the one I outlined in my last essay for the vast majority of lifters.