Press Singles
by Carl Raghavan, SSC | July 29, 2025
The compressed Texas Technique is certainly one of my favourite methods to maneuver
lifters into intermediate programming – particularly when their press
and bench begin needing extra frequency, however you continue to wish to preserve
the general construction as near the Beginning Power linear development.
Fast
refresher for brand new readers: a typical first week of a compressed Texas
Technique (upper-body solely) would possibly appear like this:
- Monday: 5×5 Bench
- Wednesday:
5×5 Press - Friday: 5–7×1
Press + 1×5 Bench
Why
Singles?
Heavy singles on the
press are a serious departure from the traditional SSLP strategy. The press
doesn’t transfer monumental masses like squats or deadlifts, however singles
develop a distinct talent set. They construct confidence below maximal
load, they pressure you to excellent your bar path, and so they demand
intense focus.
The excellent news? Heavy press singles aren’t that fatiguing total.
Common publicity to near-maximal weights sharpens your skill to
deal with heavy efforts exactly – one thing you possibly can’t absolutely
develop with fives alone. Briefly, they provide you extra “touches”
at actually difficult weights. Anybody who’s pressed heavy is aware of a
triple feels very totally different from a single at 95–97% of 1RM. It’s
one other universe completely.
A robust presser
can often hit a body weight single. The actually superior would possibly handle
a body weight set of 5 – a uncommon signal of technical mastery and
pressure manufacturing.
At this
stage, you don’t want many heavy singles. One to 3 is loads,
from my expertise. You may add just a few lighter singles as back-off
apply, however the true heavy work stays low. Creep as much as 5 if
wanted, however previous that, approach and restoration begin to be affected.
Weaker
lifters – these not even urgent 50% of body weight – usually want
extra singles to get something out of them. Units of 5 alone don’t
create sufficient depth to drive progress. That’s why I generally
have them do as much as 15 singles in a single session, utilizing “on-the-minute”
type. This retains the session tight, builds repeated publicity to
heavy weights, and develops talent with out turning it into an countless
slog.
Generally,
weaker lifters even profit extra from triples on quantity day slightly
than fives, just because their fives aren’t heavy sufficient to
matter.
Spoiler alert: if you happen to’re not within the “robust” group, you’re in
the weaker group. That’s it. No participation trophies. You’re
both urgent body weight otherwise you’re working to get there. Easy.
If
You Miss a Rep what do you do?
When you miss a single
as a result of your bar path appeared like a toddler scribbled it with a
crayon, maybe strive once more on the similar weight. When you’re 99.99%
sure you’ll make it, go for it. However if you happen to nonetheless can’t end
the prescription, you’ve gotten choices to salvage the session:
• 5–10% Off
Method: Drop the load 5–10%, end the singles, possibly add a
few additional as penance. Get the work executed.
• 10kg Off, Plus 1kg: From weightlifting (“the gray e book” technique). Strip 10kg,
then work again up set by set to reattempt the missed weight.
• Scattergun
Method: Bounce between your high set and as much as 12% decrease, mixing and
matching till you accumulate the deliberate singles.
• Increase the Ground and
Ceiling: Andy Baker’s technique. Final week: 80-90kg. This week:
82-92kg. Even if you happen to don’t push the highest finish, elevating each the
ground and ceiling will increase total stress. Win.
A heavy day
of fives and a heavy day of singles is a staple in my programming for
early intermediates as a result of it really works. Fives construct quantity,
consistency, and basic power. Singles educate you to deal with
heavier weights, refine your bar path, and push into true hard-effort
territory – one thing no different rep vary matches. Collectively, they
put together you to maintain progressing as soon as the novice part ends.
There’s
no common timeline for switching from SSLP to a compressed Texas
Technique press setup. You don’t change applications since you’re
bored or assume “it’s time.” You alter when progress calls for
it.
Prescription and
timing come right down to a coach’s eye. You may’t bounce applications and
anticipate linear positive aspects to proceed untouched. Generally, it takes just a few
weeks to adapt earlier than progress picks up once more.
Bear in mind:
the purpose on singles day is to do heavy singles. That’s it. Sounds
insultingly easy, and it’s. However whichever technique will get you there
with the fewest misses, the most effective bar path, and the best technical
sharpness – that’s the profitable technique.
It’s not a
neat, one-size-fits-all reply. Welcome to intermediate coaching,
the place “simply add weight” nonetheless works in concept, however in apply,
issues get messier. We’re human in any case, not robots.
