Adarq.org

I have some amazon credit from selling back books and want to buy something for my home gym.  I can get a good trap-bar and am strongly considering it.  I have read before that the trap bar is good for people who have lower back issues.  I don't have lower back issues, but I also don't care about competing in the lifts, so if it is a safer alternative I would be all for it.  Anyway, just wondering what you guys think about it and its uses.

Nice work on the texas-method man.  I love the choice to switch; I think the texas-method is awesome.

Neck = ~16/ Height = 67

0%   27.47
1%   27.78
2%   28.10   Essential Fat
3%   28.43
4%   28.77
5%   29.12
6%   29.47   Athletes
7%   29.84
8%   30.21
9%   30.60
10%   30.99
11%   31.40
12%   31.82
13%   32.25
14%   32.69   Fitness
15%   33.14

Current Waist = ~ 32.5 => 13-14%...seems pretty accurate, thats what I would have estimated

Happy birthday man

I just finished the base mesocycle of smolov on Monday.  As I rest this week, I am wondering what a good way to transition back into the texas-method style training I was doing before would be, so that I can retain most of the gains from the mesocycle.  I came up with these 2 options:

1) Just go back to the texas-method type training and on the squat volume workout just use the same weight from the 7 x 5 as I was during smolov and work from there.  On the intensity day I would work with a weight close to my 3-5 rep max (not sure what it is now post-smolov).

2) Or I was thinking that for 2 weeks I could have some workouts with higher intensity and lower volume then I was doing.  On  both Monday and Friday I could work up to a max single (90-95% of my true max) and then drop the weight by 10% and do 2-3 sets of 2-3 reps.  Reason I though about this was that I want to kind of solidify whatever my new max is.  After these 2 weeks I could go back to the texas-method style training.

Which option, if any, do you think would be better for keeping whatever gains I make from this base mesocycle?  Or do you think I'm over-thinking it, and should just do whatever I feel?

Really like the routines adarq & raptor made for you.  I'm going to watch your journal closely; when I feel like my squat strength has come along enough, I definitely will try something more explosive like this.  I hope they work out for you.  Good luck.