A Novice's Ambitious (Too Ambitious/Not Ambitious Enough?) Plans

[TheChubbyViking]

Rip,

Thank you. SS:BBT was strongly recommended to me by a mentor, and I am immensely grateful for having found it. I have read and re-read the book and am doing my best to follow it to a T.

Time doing the program: 3 weeks
Age: 22
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 193lb (up from 185lb)
Squat: 185lb (up from 115lb)
Deadlift: 230lb (up from 135lb)
Press: 83lb (up from 65lb)
Bench: 156lb (up from 140lb)

As of now, my programming has been/will continue to be to train consistently, eat around 6,000 calories per day (decrease to 4,000/day in 2-3 months), and sleep 7-9 hours/night. I have already said a tearful goodbye to my once-mildly-impressive abs and am learning to embrace a bit of a tummy, which I expect to continue to nurture. I hope to focus on mass gaining until I can Deadlift 500, Squat 400, Bench 300, and Press 200, and then trim some of my fat down until I have regained a decently toned physique.

Any opening pieces of advice/encouragement/critique/good-natured personal attacks (or poorly-natured, if you must, ha!)?

[Mark Rippetoe]

You'll have those numbers in 7 months if you continue to gain weight -- 235 at 6'2" will have you close. But at 6'2" and 275 you can do 700/650/425/300. Think in those terms, not in physique. Outgrow that childish nonsense.

[TheChubbyViking]

That is absolutely insane (with a positive connotation). I look forward to the journey!