Stechkin wrote:Ideally you would do both, and it is the reason both are included in typical programs (SS, 5/3/1, etc). One really isn't an alternative to the other, and you will need to balance them for even development and shoulder health.
Operator is very effective, but it requires sacrifices. You hit 3 full body lifts 3 times a week and that will develop a lot of what you need, but it isn't complete. You will either need to swap some exercises every other block, do assistance work through conditioning, or switch to Zulu for more exercises. It all depends on what you want out of it. Personally I am thinking of switching to Zulu for a little more balance.
Are you sure about that? Are these programs complete:
Korte 3x3 (produced multiple world IPF champs in PL'ng, consists of only SQ-BP-DL)
Faleev 80/20 (SQ-BP-DL)
Or for another angle:
Russian Bear
Power to the People
Simple and Sinister (2 exercises only! No legs?)
Now you did say "it depends on what you want out of it", so obviously you get that it depends on your goals. So purely for (an interesting) discussion's sake, I'd like to get a little more in-depth into what "complete" means in terms of programming.
My point is that specific programs have specific goals. A marathon runner reading Joel Jamieson's Ultimate MMA Conditioning book would no doubt claim it's base building/running component was incomplete because it lacks the depth and specificity a marathon runner's base building might contain. Yet it's used by his UFC fighters, who are some of the most well-conditioned athletes in the octagon (Mighty Mouse for example). So there's obviously more than enough cardio in his program for the job.
Likewise someone coming from a world of strength books authored by powerlifters might think the strength training contained in Ross Enamait's books are inadequate because they're judging it from a strength-only point of view. They would probably fall ill reading Simple and Sinister. Yet how many competitive boxers and serious combat athletes follow an in-depth strength training program like Texas Method? Can they do a specialist strength program and still remain competitive?
TB isn't in the same category as 5/3/1 or SS, it's more like a very advanced Crossfit that actually does what Crossfit was supposed to do (make you good at everything) for occupational fitness. Whereas Crossfit uses a random nonsensical approach and fails at maximum-strength and aerobic-endurance, TB has that covered to a much greater degree. TB will get you to that "500 deadlift with the ability to pick up and run a half-marathon" as commonly touted. Good luck getting there with Crossfit (I tried). Starting Strength + Texas Method
might get you to a 700-800lb deadlift etc. but not much else.
Posters comparing TB or other programs with programs that are about strength-ONLY are coming in with an inaccurate paradigm. TB isn't for the Starting Strength/Texas Method crowd, marathon runners or gymnasts. It's for tactical professionals that have to be good at everything, a unique category in it's own right. "Tactical professional" is a large category though. You're talking anything from Navy SEAL to traffic cop. TB allows for great variation along that wide spectrum. A Navy SEAL can't train like a traffic cop, and a traffic cop doesn't need to train like a SEAL. Both can use the variations in TB programming to come up with the appropriate personal protocol.
Apologies for the super long post, this is an area of discussion I enjoy, and I've seen it come up a few times. Mostly from posters trying to mentally shelve TB alongside Starting Strength,531, or PL programs, rather than where it belongs.