4 day split for strength and size

[Weakadvanced]

Hi, I would like to ask you to check my 4 day week program based on Practical programming for strength training - the 4 day split.

My current numbers are:
BW: 205 pounds
Height: 5"11
Age: 30
14% body fat
Benchpres: 240 pounds
Squat: 290 pounds
DL: 400 pounds
Press: 145 pounds

I have a background of weight training and calisthenics, gymnastic rings, handstands, kettlebells and several non competitive sports including downhill bikes and climbing since my 15 years.
I train with weights for last six months consistently following no specific programming until recently (two weeks)

My current program is following:

Monday:
Squat 5x5
Press 5x5
Some triceps and or shoulder assist. 4x8-12
Tuesday:
Clean 5x3
Barbel rows 4x8
Chins 4x6
Biceps curls 3x15
Thursday :
Squat 5x5
Benchpress 5x5
Assistance pressing such as dips w/ BW 4x12
Friday
Deadlift 5x5
Ring rows 4x10 or other pulling assistance
Biceps curls 3x15 or similar isolated exercise

I try to add weight every or every other training. In first two weeks I added around 10 percent to my big lifts for 5 reps and I expect the progress to slow down. For DL I added only 5 %.

I currrently do hanging 7 mins every day to address shoulders, scapulas and forearm since I was struggling with tennis elbow past 7 months and it is helping so far. Tennis elbow is a reason I do chins and pull ups rarely currrently, planning getting back to them asap.

My diet and recovery is currrently optimal.
My goals are strength, health and also aesthetics and I would like to stay in the 15% BF zone.
I plan to deload once in 5 weeks by reducing intensity significantly and adding volume. Does that make sense?

Do you see this as a viable plan? Isn't there too much volume, or too much or little something else? Am I missing something from the book?

Thank you very much for your feedback and I apologize for my english, it is not my first language, bet you can tell!

[Mark Rippetoe]

You are missing everything from the book. Read it. Practical Programming for Strength Training, 3rd edition – The Aasgaard Company

[Weakadvanced]

That is quite funny, thanks for your reply. Honestly it can be a bit confusing to me. Would you be so kind and gave me a hint on what is it to focus on that is wrong with what I laid out? I build it around my (obviously poor) understanding of what you suggested in the book Practical Programming for Strength Training as a 4 day split for a shot putter (below).
Except for I am obviously not a shot putter as some might point out.

Thank you for your time and effort. Appreciate it.

Monday
Squats and pressing exercises
Wednesday
Pulling exercises such as cleans and snatches, and other back work
Thursday
Squats and presses
Saturday
Pulling exercises

[Mark Rippetoe]

Haha. Your numbers are not consistent with anything but novice training, and this is not a novice program. Even at 14% bodyfat, this is not a recognizable SS program consistent with your other numbers.

[Weakadvanced]

Are they? That is unfortunate for me and for the 95% of people in my gym who are even weaker than me But fair point, bitter to swallow kind of. Below I write my original numbers from 6 months ago and my current in kg compared. It is very hard for me to imagine that I can still get the novice gains since my starting numbers would be significantly lower if it wasn't for the previous years of different training. Believe me I wish to have the novice potential for gains.
DL 140-185 that is plus 30%
BP 75-110 that is plus 45%
Squat 80-130 that is plus 60%

I understood from the book that the 4 day split divides the workload to more manageable segments. Which felt right for my purposes. Another important reason for my to aim for at least 4 day routine is that I am very much fond of lifting and I prefer to do this lovely hobby as often as possible
What choices does a novice enthusiast have apart from 3 days a week LP? I struggle to find that in the book.
Again thank you for you time and effort.

[francesco.decaro]

That is quite funny, thanks for your reply. Honestly it can be a bit confusing to me. Would you be so kind and gave me a hint on what is it to focus on that is wrong with what I laid out? I build it around my (obviously poor) understanding of what you suggested in the book Practical Programming for Strength Training as a 4 day split for a shot putter (below).
Except for I am obviously not a shot putter as some might point out.

Thank you for your time and effort. Appreciate it.

Monday
Squats and pressing exercises
Wednesday
Pulling exercises such as cleans and snatches, and other back work
Thursday
Squats and presses
Saturday
Pulling exercises

The thing is, the books are not written for you to build your own interpretation of them. If you didn't understand it the first time, read it again, don't make stuff up. I know it's easier, and that's why it doesn't work.

[alexmunropga@gmail.com]

Why are you jumping into intermediate training? Why not run the NLP, get your squat up 150lbs, deadlift up at least another 100lbs and 50lbs or so to your bench and press and gain 40lbs of body weight?

This is going to have far more of an impact on your “aesthetics” than worrying about staying at 14% body fat.

I can speak from experience, the sooner you stop worrying about the number on the scales and start focussing on the numbers on the bar, life becomes much better!

[Weakadvanced]

I started intermediate training because I thought I am intermediate since I already carry around 35 pounds of mass more than I would weigh without training, could do 2BW DL which I thought was considered generally intermediate and also as I wrote above, I really prefer having 4 training a week. I am going to read the book again, the novice part mainly Do I get it right that in the starting strength world there is no way for me to train 4 days a week on SS principles with my numbers?
About worrying about the scales - the weight on the bar is my primar focus, I just don't want to get too fat to lift heavy. And don't get me wrong, I eat more than 4000 calories and 200 - 220g protein a day.
Thanks for your reply.

[francesco.decaro]

Why are you jumping into intermediate training? Why not run the NLP, get your squat up 150lbs, deadlift up at least another 100lbs and 50lbs or so to your bench and press and gain 40lbs of body weight?

This is going to have far more of an impact on your “aesthetics” than worrying about staying at 14% body fat.

I can speak from experience, the sooner you stop worrying about the number on the scales and start focussing on the numbers on the bar, life becomes much better!

Anybody that has a background in sports, especially things like calisthenics, will have a hard time letting go of their "aesthetics", since that's their biggest concern.

[Jason Donaldson]

I understood from the book that the 4 day split divides the workload to more manageable segments. Which felt right for my purposes. Another important reason for my to aim for at least 4 day routine is that I am very much fond of lifting and I prefer to do this lovely hobby as often as possible
What choices does a novice enthusiast have apart from 3 days a week LP? I struggle to find that in the book.

I can tell you from experience that following feelings does not get you strong, beyond general novice effect gains. Focusing on fondness for lifting is understandable...but it is prioritizing how you feel today, not on results over time. In other words, to use the technical terms as SS defines them, you are exercising, not training. If that's what you want, then all well and good. However, that's not training, and it's not getting you as strong as you could be.

The 4 day split as presented in the books is there to divide the workload once you have exhausted the novice linear progression. In other words, when you're at a point that recovery (within the workout and outside of it) is driving the change. Until you get there, you are better served by submitting to the program. You've made progress - that's great. But you can certainly make more, by leaning into the NLP.

Intermediate and advanced programming is for when they're thrust upon you. They aren't goals. See Who Wants to be a Novice? You Do | Mark Rippetoe .

If the NLP isn't scratching your workout itch, the question becomes, what is your purpose in the gym? Do you want to exercise? Cool - do that. But your questions and statements ("My goals are strength, health and also aesthetics", "Do you see this as a viable plan? Isn't there too much volume, or too much or little something else? Am I missing something from the book?") entail training for strength. The answers you're getting here center on the purpose of this community, which is to train for strength. To do that requires focus on the goal, which is the point of the NLP, and ultimately of the modifications to the NLP that come naturally when they have to.

Does that help?