Starting Strength, round 2

[nipperkin]

Hi all,

I did SS last summer with great success. However, I wasn't able to keep up with it for the past several months, and my lifts have suffered. I'm looking to get back into it and had a two questions:

1. My current maxes for my bench is 1x3x185 and my press is at 1x4x120. My squat and deadlift are crap, so I'm going to start very conservatively on squat/DL. What 3x5 weight should I start on for my bench and press?

2. I'm currently 6'0" 185 lbs (down from 210 from last summer...), but I'm not "skinny" by any means. What caloric intake should I be hitting? I don't mind eating in a surplus, but I want to avoid becoming a fatty. Is there a rate of weight gain I should be aiming for?

Thanks in advance.

[veryhrm]

If you did it before you know generally what to expect. Just start with something very easy (or you'll be incredibly sore) and jump in 10lbs or 20lbs jumps for a few workouts and you'll find your level pretty quickly.

what is "great success" what did you get to ? was your depth and form good? What are your goals now?

[nipperkin]

If you did it before you know generally what to expect. Just start with something very easy (or you'll be incredibly sore) and jump in 10lbs or 20lbs jumps for a few workouts and you'll find your level pretty quickly.

what is "great success" what did you get to ? was your depth and form good? What are your goals now?

Last summer over 3 months, my 3x5 progress was
Squat: 95--->245
Bench: 140--->195
Press: 95--->135
DL:225--->325
PC:95--->132.5

My depth was good on squats...a couple inches below parallel. I was also eating a crapload and went from a BW of 195 to 215 (I'm 6'0"). So I basically started off as slightly fat and became fatter. My chin-ups and pull-ups were somewhere around 3x6-8 of BW through the entire 3 months.

My goal this time around is to gain strength, first and foremost, with a steady weight gain of predominantly muscle (maybe a few pounds per month). I was thinking about applying Texas Method principles right now, even though I'm not an intermediate. I feel that the added volume in the accessory work with the Texas Method will be a better stimulus for my weight gain to be put on as muscle rather than fat. Would this be a good idea? And as a beginner, how should I progress on the Texas Method?

Thanks.

[Karl Schudt]

Run LP as far as you can. 215 for a 6' guy is not very much.

215 at that height is pretty light for a grown man. If you keep getting stronger, body recomposition will take care of itself. If it doesn't, titrate down a bit. See Jordan's To Be A Beast article.

Texas Method is not indicated here.

[nipperkin]

Run LP as far as you can. 215 for a 6' guy is not very much.

215 at that height is pretty light for a grown man. If you keep getting stronger, body recomposition will take care of itself. If it doesn't, titrate down a bit. See Jordan's To Be A Beast article.

Texas Method is not indicated here.

Thanks, I'll do that. What sort of accessory work should I do?

[Karl Schudt]

Thanks, I'll do that. What sort of accessory work should I do?

None. Do you have the book? Just do the beginner program again, and don't quit this time. Accessory work can wait.

[nipperkin]

I have the book and it says to add chin ups and pull ups on days that you don't DL or power clean. Shouldn't I be adding those and biceps curls or dips?

[nipperkin]

None. Do you have the book? Just do the beginner program again, and don't quit this time. Accessory work can wait.

I have the book and it says to add chin ups and pull ups on days that you don't DL or power clean. Shouldn't I be adding those and biceps curls or dips?

[nipperkin]

Why?

Because chin-ups probably help your main lifts. The book includes them.

[Karl Schudt]

Why bicep curls? Why dips?

You are still a novice. Go to the programming chapter, and follow it as written, and you'll be fine. Curls are a waste of time and energy at this stage. So are dips. Chins, we put in the program.