Programming Advanced Novice

[Amaan Chohan]

Hi Jordan,
Starting bodyweight: 175lbs
Current bodyweight: 210lbs
Height: 6ft 4
Eating a minimum of 3000kcal, can be up to 3500kcal depending on exertion.
I'm trying to maintain my weight right now as my waist is now up to 37".

Minimum protein intake at 180g sometimes up to 200g

I posted a thread in the Starting strength coach forum perhaps a month or two ago, Michael Wolf advised me to move onto advanced novice programming after stagnating at around 230lbs on the squat.

Numbers 02-08-2018:
Squat 107.5kg, bench 78.5kg (3x5), press 55kg(3x5), deadlift 132.5kg(1x5)

Numbers 02-10-2018:
Squat 122.5kg, bench 80kg (3x5), press 59kg (3x5), deadlift 142.5kg(1x5)

Progress has obviously been suboptimal, much of this due to my shoulders being destroyed by a bad bench spotter. This inhibited progress for the past month on the pressing movements.
My current program is:
Monday:
Squat 3x5
Pressing movement 3x5
Chins 3xAMRAP

Wednesday
Squat @80% 2x5
Pressing movement 2x5
Deadlift 1x5

Friday
Squat 3x5
Pressing movement 3x5
Pendlay row 3x5

My issue is every Monday I try to hit the 3x5 for squats, it usually ends up being around 3x2, or 3x3. I usually try to push myself until I fail (the point of failure usually being torso rigidity failure).

Is there anything I can change in my program to make progress more consistent? I feel there must be something I'm doing wrong for progress to be so slow?

Cheers

[Brent Carter]

Apparently I'm the new Jordan....?



Bottom line is you need to get your volume in. So if you are going to do triples then you need to do 5 sets. That OR you need to switch to intermediate programming. 3x2 is not enough stress to continue to drive adaptation so something's gotta give.

Also, My name is Brent. Not Jordan.

Cheers

[Amaan Chohan]

Apparently I'm the new Jordan....?



Bottom line is you need to get your volume in. So if you are going to do triples then you need to do 5 sets. That OR you need to switch to intermediate programming. 3x2 is not enough stress to continue to drive adaptation so something's gotta give.

Also, My name is Brent. Not Jordan.

Cheers

Yeah dude I shat myself after posting that when I realised what I wrote. I was watching Jordan on some SS Q&A videos and somehow thought to write his name. I'm feeling it's time to move over to intermediate programming there's not much more to milk linearly for me, it's sad because I'm quite a large lad (height wise not bodyweight) that I'd have thought I had more in me. Given the fact that I'm looking to recomp for a couple of months what kind of program would you recommend? My main goal is to get to around 15% body fat but not to lose much weight, I'm around 22% right now according to the US Navy method.

[Brent Carter]

HLM should give you enough flexibility to also be able to cut weight. Just don't be a knucklehead and go balls to wall calorie deficit. Slow and steady.

[Amaan Chohan]

Robert recommended me to move to a 4 day split with bench 3-4 days a week to bring that up to speed.
Something along the lines of day 1: paused bench, day 2: military press and cg bench, day 3: board bench long pause, day 4: paused press and daily chins (I hope this means every gym sesh)

I'll definitely look into incorporating this in summer, just got an exam period coming up for the next month so gonna stick to the 3 day split for a month longer.
Any further advice for improving upper body strength for the 3 day split/and or the 4 day split?

Really appreciate any help, cheers.

[Brent Carter]

Sure. That would be another option. My advice would just be to work accessories in slowly. In other words don't change everything all at once.