programming for powerlifting (including real lifter results) made simple.
The simplest way to write your own customized powerlifting training program.
Ever feel overwhelmed when it comes to writing your own powerlifting program?
You’re certainly not alone.
Here’s a step-by-step process to make designing and adjusting your own program a less daunting task.
There are many ways to train, but if you’re confused by the number of options out there, block periodization as described in this resource will be a good place to start before worrying about concurrent (multiple goals within the same program) programming approaches like conjugate.
If you’re looking for a real-life example of how conjugate can be used to troubleshoot the drawbacks of block programming, see the 639lb Deadlift Blueprint – a case study showing how Taylor Broke a 2 year plateau at 495 on his deadlift (program and strategy guide).
Here are the 5 basic steps to designing your own powerlifting program.
Step 1: Select Your Training Phase
Your primary focuses for the training block should be determined by how close you are to a competition.
Are you focused on on adding mass in between powerlifting meets?
Now’s a great time to include more variations and add size (if appropriate) if you’re trying to fill out your weight class.
Below is a general guideline for how to time each phase of training:
- 16+ weeks out: hypertrophy or strength
- > 8 weeks out: strength
- < 8 weeks out: weeks out: peaking
Step 2: Don’t Guess, Review
Look back at old training logs to pull data and see how well you do with certain overload frequencies, workout splits, lift variations, etc.
Step 3: Sets, Reps, Intensity, Overload Frequency, Variations
The next phase is generally the most involved in programming. You need to determine a few key variables. Below, I’ve created a chart showing you some general guidelines that will work for MOST powerlifters.
A key consideration for heavier phases (especially as you get stronger) is looking at how to balance out fatigue from heavier sessions against other lifts. For example, it’s quite common for a heavy deadlift session to leave you fatigued. If done too soon after heavy deadlifts, your next overloading squat session could be compromised. Determining overload frequency (and how those overloading sessions are spaced out) is of utmost importance to make sure you can sufficiently recover in time for the next PR.
Hypertrophy Blocks (for powerlifting)
In this type of block, the majority of work will be in the 60-75% of 1RM range, 6-10 reps, more exercise variation, with a weekly heavy (but submaximal) set of 1-5 reps to preserve strength.
This can be as simple as taking a top set of 1-5 reps @8-9 RPE then doing the bulk of your work for 60-75% for 6-10 reps. I use a similar structure with Emily Wiggins – the current national record holder in bench press. She responds incredibly well to an average intensity of 70-75% of her 1 rep max but needs regular singles in her training to keep the groove as she’s a very technique-focused bencher.
Her most recent national record was 259lbs. After running the most recent block of training, she took 270 for a paused single @ 8RPE – a staggering response at the elite level. Bench has been going so well that she’s literally taking national record numbers @ 8RPE in her living room mid-training block.
Strength Blocks
General guidelines here are 75-90% 1RM, 3-6 reps per set, less exercise variation (but still some to prevent staleness), overload sessions ranging from 2/week to once per 2 weeks.
Similar to hypertrophy blocks, if you need singles to preserve your “skill” with heavier lifts or are prone to your second rep being your best rep”, 1-2 submaximal singles @ 7 to 8 RPE are useful in this regard. This is typically around 82-92% of 1 rep max, depending on the lifter.
Peaking Blocks
Framework here is to concentrate the bulk of the work in to the range of 85-100+% of 1RM, 1-3 reps, very specific exercise selection, overload ranging from 1/week to once per month, light (instead of medium) sessions between heavy work.
If you’re very volume sensitive, training through to the meet instead of running a traditional taper might be a better approach to avoid feeling detrained and stale on competition day.
See This Guide for more information on taper and meet prep strategies.
Time to Peak
For most lifters, programming phases of training in 3-8 week long blocks will be sufficient. Establishing your time to peak is a crucial and individual detail.
Effectively, you need to know how long you can keep improving before you need to deload due to a performance drop off. Your goal with competing should be to time your competition to be at the highest point in your training cycle.
Most lifters will tend to progress linearly and get stronger through a block, but other lifters see a “mid block dip”.
One example of this “dip” is Chad Nabe. I’ve been coaching him for 12 years at the time of writing and unlike his squat and deadlift which improve linearly over the course of his 5 week training block, his bench will actually regress when his training block starts but as long as we don’t chicken out early, he experiences a nearly 7% gain in performance by week 5 (that’s ~ 20 lbs if you bench 300 lbs!).
Step 4: Review
After you’ve programmed and gone through an initial block of training (ranging from 3-12 weeks), you should review your notes. Pay special attention to:
- projected max
- which sessions felt the best and worst
- time to peak
- any periods where you noticed you felt stronger/weaker than projected
- if your maxes increased (1RM or projected 1RM, based on how you handled submaximal %s for reps
- Any exercises that felt like they contributed positively to your strength on the competition movements.
Step 5: Adjust
Too often, I see people get starry eyed and over ambitious with training because they are trying to somehow make their training “perfect” on the first iteration ignoring the fact that it doesn’t need to be perfect to work.
You’ve probably felt like you need to solve world peace on training block #1.
In fact, lifters will commonly make their program overly complex and ignore what actually works in search of some sort of silver bullet.
Changes should be small and progressive. Over several training blocks, you can adjust exercise selection based on what lifts correlate to an increase in 1RM on your Big 3.
(Ex. adding 10 lbs to your Close Grip Bench 5-Rep Max translates to a 15 lb increase on your 1RM bench press).
Bonus: Free Program
If you’re feeling like you just want a turnkey solution to this, then snag a free copy of my Intermediate 2-Phase Powerbuilding Program.
It’s designed for lifters who are at a 900-1150 lb total and are looking to both add strength and size. 4 days per week and no special equipment.