TM questions

[mrsquatboy]

Hi, I am currently running madcows and will probably switch to TM. Here are my stats: age 23, bw 88kg, 20-25% bf, squat- 160kg x5, deadlift 200 kg x5, bench 100kg x5, OHP 60kgx5.

These are my questions about TM:
1) What weights should I start on? I know PPST says how to do this if moving from SS, but how should I do it in my case?
2) What can I replace power cleans on volume day and power snatches on light day to? I ask because when I was running SS, I could only clean 80kg for working sets when my deadlift was at 180kg x 5, so I doubt they were driving up my deadlift on SS and so may not help much on TM either.
3) I'm sure this has been asked before, but if I wanted to tag some chins onto the end of a workout, where could these be placed? I was thinking 3 sets of weighted (or maybe bodyweight to failure instead) after light day workout.

Thank you

[Nate9]

1) People coming from the LP are advised to start with a small deaload, if those number are your real absolute maxes you could start with: Squat 150-155; Deadlift 190-195; bench 95; press 55. So you can have a little margin to start.
2)I wouldn't do power clean to drive your deadlift, for the reasons you noted, you can still do them if you like them, but it won't help your deadlift much. I would choose a deadlift variation you like and do that, or if you want to keep it simple just deadlift a lighter but still challenging weight for a couple sets.
3)I would suppose the volume workout already takes a long time to complete, so I would not put chins there. You could do them on your light day, that's not a bad idea, but that might interfere with the intensity workout two days later. Doing them after the intensity workout might be the best idea.

Have you looked into the 4day TM split? Let's just say that the standard 3day TM has many limitations, and adding a training day could really help you.

[Mark Rippetoe]

2)I wouldn't do power clean to drive your deadlift, for the reasons you noted, you can still do them if you like them, but it won't help your deadlift much. I would choose a deadlift variation you like and do that, or if you want to keep it simple just deadlift a lighter but still challenging weight for a couple sets.

You guys really are a bunch of pussies. The power clean is in all the intermediate programming for a reason, adequately described in the blue book, I don't consider it optional unless you're an old guy, and avoiding it indicates that you need to master your fear.