Looks like I was misremembering you (or I can’t find the examples). I did find Wendler on his subforum here stating the TM is nothing more than a tool. Here are some related quotes from you that I could find, though:
Your TM has zero bearing on how much muscle or strength you gain. It’s just a number.
I hear this frequently and I wonder how people are running the programs to progress so slow. Everyone I know that has run 5/3/1 has progressed as fast as possible on the programs, and Jim Wendler reports similar stories with young athletes.
And even then, the rate that the TM progresses shouldn’t impact the rate that the TRAINEE progresses. Hell, I’ve progressed while LOWERING my TM.
Find a way to progress every workout. Do more reps, move the bar faster, take shorter rest times between sets, get your assistance work done in fewer sets, gain more bodyweight, jump higher or further on the jumps, throw further on the throws, set conditioning PRs, etc etc. The trainee just needs to give full effort.
If doing PR sets, obviously I get how going from say, 225 x 20 to 225 x 30, would be progression. But if doing 5 PROs with BBB, for example, I’m guessing the progression comes from maximizing what you do with the sets. So reducing rest times, faster bar speed, more rep control, etc. Is this right?
I suppose it could be argued I’ve used it as a tool before by choosing the TM that forces me to reach certain goals, like when I selected the one that had me get 5x10x405 for squats in 5/3/1 BBB Beefcake
This I want to do one day, though I have a feeling this idea shouldn’t be done too often, right? Then again, this seems like a good approach since it always gives me something short-term to strive towards.