Trying to not fuck up novice to intermediate transition

[I_iz_a_fatass]

tl;dr version: 50-year old novice trainee moving form a bastardized novice to intermediate and doesn't want to fuck it up with his piss-poor recovery.

Proposed new programming

A: Squat volume
B: Bench intensity & press volume
C: Accessories (Pendlay row, LTE, barbell curls (pick two) OR prowler pushes)
D: Press intensity & bench volume
E: Deadlift 1x5

ABCxADEx

Volume days: 5x3 @ 90% 5RM
Intensity days: 1x5 top set, 2x5 90% top set backoff sets

-----
All the usual stuff

1) Age / sex?
50

2) Current Body Weight?
205 lbs / 93kg as of 20170618

3) Current programming (what program are you using)

Old man recovery LP four or five days a week thus:

ABxCxADxCx

A = Squat, B = Bench, C = Deadlift, D = Press, x = rest day

Default protocol: 1x5 top set, 2x5 90% top set backoff sets; 10m rest top set, 7-10m backoff sets
Deadlift specific protocol: 1x5 top set

Progression: 5lb per session, fall back to 1.25, 2.5, or 3.75 as needed; repeat if all reps not gained; deload of critical form failures

4) How long have you been on current programming?

Fourteen weeks with 12 calendar days off due to illness

5) Starting body weight (what was your body weight when you started lifting? Started current program?

160 & around 200 respectively

6) Increment you are using on the lift in question. When did you switch to this increment? Previous Increment?

5lbs on squat deads and bench every session, 1.25 to 3.755 lbs on SOHP, titrating as needed

7) Caloric intake (in calories-ish. The answer "sufficient caloric intake" is totally insufficient).

~2400 a day - 1890 base plus whatever cardio adds via MyFitnessPal

8) Amount of rest between sets (work sets).

Ten minutes on top sets, seven to ten on backoff sets.

9) What weight you started the program at (weight on the bar for the lift in question) and a detailed description of how long, what increments were used, and what kind of breaks / vacations / etc caused a disruption in the programming.

Starting:
Squat: 200 lbs with 5 lbs increments semi-weekly, dropping back to 5lbs weekly
SOHP 82.5 lbs with 5 lbs increments weekly, dropped back to fractional plates between 1.25 and 3.75 weekly
Deadlift: 225 lbs with 5 lbs increments semi-weekly, dropping back to 5lbs weekly
Bench 125 lbs with 5 lbs increments weekly

Current:
Squat: 290 x 5
SOHP 106.25 x 5
Deadlift: 320 x 4
Bench 185 x 5

10) Other activity that you are engaging in (sports, hobbies, job that causes physical exertion).

Walk 2 x 2+ miles a day weekdays. Sedentary job otherwise.

Commentary

So, I've been running at this version of my linear progression and I've been very happy with the results. The additional body weight is helping drive my lifts up, but it's clear I'm reaching the end of LP as I'm starting to have intermittent misses on deads, press, and squat. Sleep is generally good, but I just recover like I'm in my seventies. The other issue I have is the length of a workout, as I have little choice weekdays but to do them in between dinner and bedtime.

Am I insane with this programming choice?

[davetooch]

I may not be the best candidate for input. Im 29 and just recently transitioned (jan) from adv novice to int programming. Here is my set up tho. Most sessions can be done fairly quick, friday ended up taking the longest (obviously)

I think the thought process is its easier to get an ID/VD UPPER in prior to your squat whereas a ID/VD squat may have the chances to fatigue you for the upper day following.

bench i added 2.5lbs a week to each ID and VD. Press was 2lb for each and then i have gone down to 1lb

Mon: Intensity bench 5x1 (one set of five)
Volume Press 5x5..once i failed i moved to 8x3 (3 sets of 8)
Dips 12x3

Tues: Heavy squat. 3x3 with a back off of 5 @90% once i failed i moved to a top set of 3 and back of of 5x3
power cleans or stiff leg deadlift.
Prowler/c2 rower

Wed: Off

Thurs: Intensity Press 5x1..once i failed i moved to 3x2 (two triples)
Volume Bench 5x5
LTE 12x3

Fri: Medium/light squat 5x3
Deadlift 5x1
Chins
Rower/prowler work

[I_iz_a_fatass]

Good point on the squat possibly stalling the upper body work. I also realized I missed putting in squat ID, so the new system is:

A: Bench intensity & press volume
B: Squat volume
C: Accessories (Pendlay row, LTE, barbell curls (pick two) OR prowler pushes)
D: Press intensity & bench volume
E: Squat intensity
F: Deadlift 1x5

ABCxDEFx(x)

Volume days: 5x3 @ 90% 5RM
Intensity days: 1x5 top set, 2x5 90% top set backoff sets

[Charlie Davies]

Why is this 9-day week system superior to an ordinary upper-lower heavy-light split?

M: bench intensity, press volume, upper assistance A (rows?)
T: light squat, light deadlift, prowler
W: off
T: press intensity, bench volume, upper assistance B (curls?)
F: heavy squat, heavy deadlift, prowler
S: off or maybe prowler instead of doing it friday
S: off

[Meshuggah]

I see too much overthinking.

[I_iz_a_fatass]

Seeing as how you're concerned about recovery...

3 or 4 day Texas Method? Why Not Both? ? Andy Baker

Or you can paypal Andy $27 for a bit more detailed programming along with feedback as needed. Regardless, either method keeps sessions around an hour and helps drive progress. Andy's selection and rep ranges are far better than the template laid out in his article, specifically for dudes over 40.

Certainly worth a shot.

Why is this 9-day week system superior to an ordinary upper-lower heavy-light split?

It's likely not; daily time to lift is my problem. By the time I get home and get dinner in, I've got about an hour to train before it gets into where it'll screw up my sleep.

I see too much overthinking.

Probably some of that, too.

[Greg Ruhl]

I would experiment with triples and also 5 reps + 2 back off sets. Figure out what your body likes in terms of recovery and what gets results. Then you can intelligently make intermediate programming decisions.

Or just hire a SSC like I did...

[I_iz_a_fatass]

Yea, what I did stretched out a pseudo-LP a little while longer, but splitting the intensity across multiple days just ground me to nothing. Ended up back on Hanley's HLM and I'll figure out the timing.

[Charlie Davies]

It's likely not; daily time to lift is my problem. By the time I get home and get dinner in, I've got about an hour to train before it gets into where it'll screw up my sleep.

I find that with HLM, I can put heavy day on Sunday when I have more time to lift.
Light and medium days are pretty quick -- I can cut the rest time between sets, and there are fewer sets.

Also, I eat a sandwich in late afternoon, lift at 7, then eat dinner afterwards. As you say, better to not lift too close to bedtime.