My new TM program

[Aryah]

Looking back on my post, it's quite a lot of info. If you make it through everything, then I am very grateful for your time.

Some time back I posted some questions about online coaching and Manveer helped me out a little. Mainly talking to him made me realize that there is a big difference between my old PPST and the latest one. So I bought the latest, read it and came up with a new program.

The reason for my new program is that I needed to shift from four days a week to three to free up some time. Also I needed to start periodizing my workouts more. The combination of a lot of time in the gym and stress at work was causing me to start tweaking things while working out. A recent nasty tweaking of something on the right side of my L5 or maybe even sacrum prompted all this. I haven't deadlifted in a few weeks as a result, but I'm hopeful that this Friday I'll be able to do a good work set. Thanks to Ripp's recovery methods, healing has been pretty quick.

I read an article by Matt Reynolds inspiring me to pick up weight more aggressively. I've been on this program for a week and a half now, and I thought given the financial cost of all this food and inevitable weight gain, I'd like to check in and make sure I'm on the right track so I don't waste money and get fat unnecessarily. I'm okay with putting on fat, so long as my lifts go up!

So my question is this: Given all the information provided in this post, do you think I'm on the right track? If not, what should I change?

That being said, here's the obligatory information:
1) Age / sex?
30 year old male.

2) Current Body Weight?
244lbs, maybe 15 - 16% BF, 6'2''

3) Current programming (what program are you using)
Slight adaptation of the basic TM from PPST3:

Week 1
Monday: Squat 5x5 (90% 5RM), bench press 5x5 (90% 5RM), weighted chin 5x5 (90% 5RM*)
Wednesday: Squat 5x2 (90% of Monday), press 5x3 (90% of previous Monday), power cleans 3x3 (90% of previous Monday)
Friday: Squat 5x1 (5RM), bench press 5x1 (5RM), deadlift 5x1 (5RM)

Week 2
Monday: Squat 5x5 (90% 5RM), press 5x5 (90% 5RM), power cleans 3x5 (my previous volume weight)
Wednesday: Squat 5x2 (90% of Monday), bench press 5x3 (90% of previous Monday), weighted chins (90% of previous Monday*), deficit deadlifts 5x1 (70% of deadlift 5RM)
Friday: Squat 5x1 (5RM), press 5x1 (5RM), deadlift 5x1 (5RM)

I've eliminated the power snatch from my routine. It's too dangerous to do in my gym with all the morons walking around. I've already almost killed people from power cleans and presses thanks to their own idiocy.

* Weighted chins are calculated by adding my body weight to the increased weight. So my bodyweight would be 244lbs and I add 66lbs, so the weight is effectively 310lbs.

4) How long have you been on current programming?
One and a half weeks, but only started eat a lot this week.

5) Starting body weight (what was your body weight when you started lifting? Started current program?
242lbs

6) Increment you are using on the lift in question. When did you switch to this increment? Previous Increment?
4.4lb incrememts, maybe 2.2lbs later.

7) Caloric intake (in calories-ish. The answer "sufficient caloric intake" is totally insufficient).
I never really count my calories. I just look at the scale. Suffice to say I am eating a hell of a lot, trying to push my weight up by maybe 2-4lbs per week.

8) Amount of rest between sets (work sets).
For now my 5x5s are relatively easy, so 5 - 6m rests. I foresee this rest time increasing.

9) What weight you started the program at (weight on the bar for the lift in question) and a detailed description of how long, what increments were used, and what kind of breaks / vacations / etc caused a disruption in the programming.
Since starting this program, I've reset my weight slightly on most lifts for the sake of form. I will give my previous PRs:

Squat - 415lbs 5RM, deadlift 460lbs 5RM, press 187lbs 5RM, bench press 297 5RM, weighted chins 330lbs 5RM, power cleans 228lbs triple.

All lifts were reset by about 7-8lbs on 5RM. Except for deadlifts, which will be reset more due to minor injury and I think I have some lumbar flexion too which needs to be resolved. I plan to start at 420lbs 5RM.

10) Other activity that you are engaging in (sports, hobbies, job that causes physical exertion).
None.

[Tom Campitelli]

All of that looks pretty good. My one comment is that the defecits on week 2 on Wed might interfere with your pulls on Friday. You'll need to check that out. Do you actually get your chin over the bar for sets of 5 with 66 pounds strapped to you? If so, that is legit. Nice work. I would not try to gain four pounds a week at this juncture. That is probably needlessly aggressive. Don't be overly worried about the weight on the scale since you are a tiny motherfucker. Eat enough food to recover from training. That will probably be a lot, but you don't need to gain a whole ton of weight very quickly.

[Aryah]

All of that looks pretty good. My one comment is that the defecits on week 2 on Wed might interfere with your pulls on Friday. You'll need to check that out.

I was thinking of including the deficit deadlifts in lieu of not doing power snatches for a little bit of lower back work. I'm more than happy to exclude it though!

Do you actually get your chin over the bar for sets of 5 with 66 pounds strapped to you? If so, that is legit. Nice work.

Thanks! With my chin ups I start at dead hang and if my chin doesn't go over the bar, I consider it a fail.

I would not try to gain four pounds a week at this juncture. That is probably needlessly aggressive. Don't be overly worried about the weight on the scale since you are a tiny motherfucker. Eat enough food to recover from training. That will probably be a lot, but you don't need to gain a whole ton of weight very quickly.

I gained around 2lbs last week and I think this week will be the same. I don't know how I could possibly eat enough to gain 4lbs while eating healthily, so I'm relieved at your advice to keep it less aggressive.

I added 4.4lbs to my squat and press 5RM last week, but I did reset the weight before starting so it's probably muscle memory for now. Just to clarify quickly: Do you think 4.4lbs increments are realistic at this point? Obviously after 5 weeks give or take I will switch to triples.

Thanks for the feedback, Tom!

[Tom Campitelli]

I added 4.4lbs to my squat and press 5RM last week, but I did reset the weight before starting so it's probably muscle memory for now. Just to clarify quickly: Do you think 4.4lbs increments are realistic at this point?

For squats and deadlifts, or for presses? For the former, yes. For the latter, probably not, at least not for very long.