Fighter2621

First off, let me say that I am a long time lurker, first time poster. I've been toying with Novice Linear Progressionn (NLP) for the better part of 3 years. Unsuccessfully, due to my lack of consistency. Since January, I have stuck with the program and made the following gains:

• 33 year old, 6'3" Male
• 215lbs->225
• Squat 115>305 (failed the first time)
• Seated Press 75>132 (My ceilings are too low)
• Bench 140>205 (failed 210 twice and am currently working back up from 195)
• DL 175>355
• Clean 65>130 (haven’t failed yet, but I am doing 3lb increases instead of 5)

I don't have a goal other than to have a "respectable" level of strength relative to my bodyweight. I am enjoying the gains that I have made but I have a few questions: 

1. Is this normal progression for a person of my size?
2. I failed the squat for the first time last week,
3. 215 Bench press hurts my shoulder after the first two reps. I have an old AC separation in my left shoulder. 195 doesn't hurt at all. Should I just increase reps at 195/200 (YNDTP), make smaller increases in weight, or add assistance exercises for my shoulder?
4. Hip flexor hurts during warm up and first set of squats then tends to go away. Is this normal?

Fighter2621

What I meant was: After a bunch of false starts, I finally worked up the mental fortitude to stick with a single plan consistently. I have been training 3 times a week since January 27th. I have kept a log on the Starting Strength app. Minus a week layoff due to a work related trip, and 2 weeks where I only did 2 workouts instead of 3, I have been consistently training. I read SS3 a year ago, and just finished my first read through of PPST3 last week. The intermediate programs seemed great, but I want to make sure I am not being lazy and cheating myself before I switch (as I have been known to do in the past).

MAD9692

Understood. My bad. Looks like you are on point. Reset where you are stuck. Micro-load. Longer rests / more food. Move onto advanced novice programming as outlined in PPT3. You can usually stretch out a couple of more months on the NLP this way....effectively resulting in faster gains. Intermediate programming means slower gains. So don't rush the switch. After you exhausted all the advanced novice programming options Andy lays out, you move onto Intermediate Programming. Keep your head in the game. You are progressing this time around. Whatever you do, don't fall for the snake oil RPE bullshit. Hold the line. You'll be squatting 405 by the end of the year.

Mdillon

Do you think acclimation is a better way to describe what happens when we train? I've always understood adaptation as being a more permanent change in a species due to natural selection whereas acclimation is a temporary change that persists so long as a certain stress is present.

TommyGun

The problem is that Rip references the important work done by Hans Selye, who refers to it as Adaptation. The Stress-Adaptation-Recovery (S-R-A) cycle put forth by Selye is the basis for what Rip refers to, the "adaptation" term is widely used and generally accepted.

Not using Selye's terms and what is found in biology may have unintended consequences, it could prevent some newcomers to the program to not realize the connection to Selye's work despite it clearly being spelled out in PP 3rd Ed. Forgive me for wanting to be precise in out vocabulary, but being consistent has benefits.

Mark Rippetoe

Probably because it's descriptive of the equipment, not the movement. But it doesn't matter as long as we all understand what the term describes, and we all agree to use the term. Language works like this, as I know you know.