Lift Vault

Free Programs and Spreadsheets

Home » 2 Day Bench Press Programs

Bench Press 2 Days per Week - Powerlifting Programs

These are bench press programs that call for the athlete to bench 2 days per week.

To search through all programs based on lots of different criteria, check out the Lift Vault Program Library.

Stronger By Science (SBS) Program Bundle by Greg Nuckols

By
Last updated

Experience level: , ,
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal: ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

The Stronger By Science (SBS) Program Bundle is a collection of six autoregulated training programs from Greg Nuckols. It’s free with an email signup on the Stronger By Science website, and it comes as a Google Sheets workbook.

The bundle covers six 21-week programs across different goals and experience levels. There’s also a standalone Program Builder that lets you customize almost everything. Getting autoregulation and periodization wired together like this is rare for a free resource.

There’s a catch worth knowing before you start. The spreadsheet automates so much of the programming that there’s a real learning curve. Spend 20-30 minutes with the included PDF instructions before your first session, and don’t skip that step.

If you’re already familiar with Greg Nuckols’ work, you might know his popular 28 Programs (also available here on Lift Vault). The SBS Program Bundle is a more recent and more sophisticated set of programs. Think of the 28 Programs as individual single-lift routines you mix and match yourself. The SBS Bundle is a full training system with built-in autoregulation and multi-lift programming already wired together.

[Read more…]

LSUS 10-5-3 Olympic Weightlifting Program Spreadsheet

By
Last updated

Experience level: ,
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal:
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

The LSUS 10-5-3 is a 10-week Olympic weightlifting program created by Dr. Kyle Pierce at Louisiana State University Shreveport. It’s built on block periodization – you spend 3 weeks doing sets of 10, then 3 weeks of sets of 5, then 3 weeks of sets of 3, followed by a 1-week taper into a max-out or competition. You’ll train 5 days per week with a mix of Olympic lifts, squats, presses, pulls, pull-ups, and accessories.

The progression is textbook linear periodization. You start with high-volume, lower-intensity work to build muscle and work capacity, then steadily drop volume while cranking up intensity. It works. The program has real pedigree, too. Dr. Pierce used it to develop three-time U.S. Olympian Kendrick Farris, he’s a 3x USOC Weightlifting Coach of the Year, and it’s based on published research by Stone, Pierce, and colleagues on periodized training for weightlifters.

The caveat: this thing is a volume monster. You’re looking at roughly 75 working sets per week in the 10s phase, so if you’re not used to that kind of workload, you’ll need to ease into it or modify the volume down. I’d recommend this for intermediate to advanced Olympic weightlifters who have at least a year of consistent training under their belt and can handle 5 sessions per week.

[Read more…]

Beast Slayer 2.0 Program Spreadsheet (Bald Omni-Man)

By
Last updated

Experience level:
Weeks:
Meet prep program:
Program goal: ,

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Beast Slayer 2.0 is a 4 day per week hypertrophy program created by Coach Paris Butler, better known as Bald Omni-Man on YouTube. It uses a hybrid upper/lower + full body split to hit your upper body 3x per week and lower body 2x per week in 4 training sessions per week.

What I like about this program is how it handles progression. Instead of just one method, it gives you several tools: double progression, dynamic double progression, cluster sets, and an optional linear periodization track for your main compounds. You pick the right tool for each lift. That kind of flexibility is rare in a free program.

Note: If you’re looking for a more flexible schedule (3-5 days), check out Paris’s Golden Warrior program, which has built-in 3, 4, and 5 day variants. If you want a 6 day PPL, he also has Power Bomb PPL.

This is the 2025 update to the original Beast Slayer. The biggest changes: more pulling volume (the #1 piece of feedback from 1.0) and an updated exercise selection with dropdown menus in the spreadsheet. The lower body frequency is only 2x per week, so if legs are your priority, you might want something with more squat and deadlift volume.

[Read more…]

Bullmastiff Strength Program Spreadsheet

By
Last updated

Recommended by Lift Vault:
Experience level: ,
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal: ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Bullmastiff is a base-building strength program created by Alex Bromley at Empire Barbell. It originally appeared in Alex’s book Peak Strength. The main goal of the program is develop your base strength in the four big lifts (squat, bench press, deadlift, overhead press) and then use that wider base to achieve higher peak strength.

[Read more…]

Deathdealer Strength Program Spreadsheet

By
Last updated

Experience level: ,
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal:
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Deathdealer is a strength program influenced by 5/3/1 BBB and Simple Jack’d. Like 5/3/1, it is run in 3 week cycles, has one focus lift (i.e. T1 lift) per training session, and uses training maxes. Having a given number of goal reps for your T2 lift, to be completed in any number of sets, is borrowed from Simple Jack’d.

[Read more…]

6 Week Patrik Nyman Prilepin Bench Press Program

By
Last updated

Experience level: ,
Weeks:
Periodization: ,
Meet prep program:
Program goal:
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

This is a 6 week week bench press program based upon the Prilepin chart. As it only utilizes two bench press training days per week, I’d probably recommend it for more advanced bench pressers that are not able to recover from three bench press training days per week.

[Read more…]

10 Week PRS Beginner Powerlifting Program

By
Last updated

Experience level:
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal:
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

The PRS 10-Week Beginner Powerlifting Program is a free percentage-based program from Progressive Resistance Systems (PRS). It’s built to give a newer lifter a structured run at the squat, bench, and deadlift without guesswork.

Rather than locking your percentages in for the whole block, the program adjusts your training maxes every couple of weeks based on how you actually perform on AMRAP and plus sets. That keeps the weights honest as you get stronger.

It’s a good fit for beginners who know their rough 1-rep maxes and want a real powerlifting structure. If you’d prefer a rep-based linear progression instead of percentages, our GZCLP program is another solid beginner option.

PRS 10-Week Beginner Program Spreadsheet

PRS shares the program as a free, editable Google Sheet. The embedded copy below is the full program. Enter your training maxes and the sheet lays out your weights, sets, and reps for every session.

To use it yourself, open it and make your own copy (File then Make a Copy), then plug in your numbers. The accessory work is RPE-based, and your training maxes update at the built-in retest points.

Program via Progressive Resistance Systems (PRS) free programs.

PRS 10-Week Beginner Powerlifting Program Spreadsheet | LiftVault.com

About Progressive Resistance Systems

Progressive Resistance Systems is a powerlifting coaching team that puts out several free, well-built program spreadsheets alongside their paid coaching. Their free templates are popular for being clearly laid out and genuinely auto-adjusting rather than static.

How the 10-Week Beginner Program Works

The program is percentage-based and runs for 10 weeks. You start by entering your training maxes, and the sheet adjusts them every two to three weeks based on your performance, so the weights track your real progress instead of a fixed plan.

Retests happen through plus sets and AMRAPs at weeks 2, 3, 4, and 7, and the deadlift training max gets reset in week 4 based on how the set rated on RPE. Accessory work is prescribed by RPE so you can match it to how you feel that day.

Other Free PRS Programs

Once you outgrow the beginner program, PRS also publishes a free 15-week intermediate program and a 2022 15-week program with multiple versions for 3x or 4x weekly bench frequency and conventional or sumo deadlift. You’ll find all of them on the PRS free programs page linked above.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the PRS 10-Week Beginner Powerlifting Program?

It’s a free 10-week percentage-based powerlifting program from Progressive Resistance Systems. It trains the squat, bench, and deadlift off your training maxes and adjusts those maxes every few weeks based on your AMRAP and plus-set performance.

Is the PRS program free?

Yes. PRS shares it as a free, editable Google Sheet. The version embedded here is a Lift Vault copy of their sheet so the link stays stable. Make your own copy before entering your numbers.

Do I need to know my 1-rep maxes?

Yes, you’ll want at least rough 1-rep maxes to set your starting training maxes. From there the program retests you with plus sets and AMRAPs and adjusts the maxes for you, so the starting numbers don’t have to be perfect.

How does the program progress?

It’s autoregulated through your training maxes. At built-in retest points in weeks 2, 3, 4, and 7 the program reads your AMRAP performance and updates your maxes, with the deadlift max specifically reset in week 4 based on RPE.

Is it good for a complete beginner?

It suits a beginner who can already perform the three lifts and knows roughly how strong they are. If you’ve never tested a max or are brand new to the barbell, a simpler rep-based program like GZCLP may be an easier first step.

What comes after the 10-week beginner program?

PRS offers a free 15-week intermediate program and a 2022 15-week program with several bench-frequency and deadlift-stance versions. Those are the natural next steps once linear-style progress on the beginner program slows down.

Simple Jack’d v1.0 + v2.0 Strength Training Program Spreadsheet

By
Last updated

Experience level: ,
Weeks:
Periodization: ,
Meet prep program:
Program goal: ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

May 2020 Update: Added Simple Jack’d 2x spreadsheet. You should probably run v2.0, as the creator of the program considers it superior to v1.0.

Simple Jack’d is a modified blend of the Bulgarian Method and the Smolov base cycle. It’s essentially a flexible one week volume accumulation block that can be run indefinitely for powerlifting and general strength goals.

[Read more…]

Heavy, Light, Medium (HLM) Program Spreadsheet

By
Last updated

Experience level:
Weeks:
Periodization: ,
Meet prep program:
Program goal: ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Heavy, Light, Medium (HLM) programs are a simple and effective way to organize strength training. Each training session consists of either a heavy, medium, or light load for a given lift. The HLM training style is extremely flexible and can be used to accommodate many training goals.

[Read more…]

German Volume Training Routine Spreadsheet (GVT)

By
Last updated

Experience level: ,
Weeks: ,
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal: ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

German Volume Training (GVT) is a hypertrophy program designed by Charles Poliquin to shock the muscles with a significant increase in volume through 10×10 sets. It is designed to be run for a relatively short period of time, about 4 weeks, and is comprised of three different workouts run five days per week. This is all explained in more detail below. [Read more…]

14 Week Block Periodization Powerlifting Program (Empire Barbell)

By
Last updated

Recommended by Lift Vault:
Experience level: ,
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal: , ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

This is a powerlifting program designed by Empire Barbell that utilizes block periodization. Training is broken into three distinct blocks: intensification #1, volume, and intensification #2. These blocks can be run in order straight through, or can be repeated with some limitations (explained more below). Running each block once would represent 14 weeks of training in total. [Read more…]

Lyle McDonald Generic Bulking Routine Spreadsheet

By
Last updated

Experience level:
Weeks: , ,
Periodization: ,
Meet prep program:
Program goal: , ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Lyle McDonald’s generic bulking routine (GBR) is a 4 day upper/lower split that focuses on building mass. It is a bulking routine for building mass that is designed to be run while on a caloric surplus with a weight gain goal of about 0.5 to 1 pound per week. It can be run for 6 weeks to 8 weeks before a 2 week deload.

[Read more…]

12 Week Mass Building Hypertrophy Workout for Powerlifters (Mathias Method)

By
Last updated

Experience level: ,
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal: , , ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

This mass building workout focuses on stimulating muscular hypertrophy and developing raw strength. It is a 12 week powerlifting program built on 4 high volume training sessions per week and was developed by Ryan Mathias at Mathias Method. It is a peaking program that is designed to build your one rep max in the squat, bench press, and deadlift for meet day. [Read more…]

10 Week Glute Hypertrophy Workout Program Spreadsheet

By
Last updated

Experience level: , ,
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal: ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

A glute hypertrophy program is a workout routine that focuses on growing the size of the glute muscles. From Flap Jacks 2 Thick Stacks is a glute hypertrophy program designed by Brendan Tietz that is organized as a 4 day upper/lower body part split that uses heavy compound glute movements and targeted accessory movements to strengthen the full body, not just the glutes.

[Read more…]

Lee Hayward 12 Week Bodybuilding Workout Routine Spreadsheet

By
Last updated

Experience level: ,
Weeks:
Periodization: ,
Meet prep program:
Program goal: ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Lee Hayward’s 12 week bodybuilding program is broken up into four 3 week cycles, each cycle focusing on adding volume to the same set of lifts before switching to new movement variations and rep ranges for the next 3 week cycle. Each week has four training days, with the recommended set up being Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday. [Read more…]

5/3/1 for Beginners Spreadsheet & Tips

By
Last updated

Recommended by Lift Vault:
Experience level:
Weeks:
Periodization: ,
Meet prep program:
Program goal:
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

5/3/1 is one of the most popular strength training programs ever, influencing other programs like GZCL and nSuns along the way. Its popularity has stemmed from its simplicity, flexibility, and ability to be run over and over for long periods of time. It favors slow, steady, repeatable progression over the long term instead of programs that pile on the weight for a few weeks or months before progress grinds to a halt.

[Read more…]

Joe Delaney Ibiza Shreds 6 Day Upper/Lower Split Workout Routine

By
Last updated

Experience level: ,
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal:
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Joe Delaney’s Ibiza Shreds program is a 6 day upper/lower split workout routine focused on bodybuilding and hypertrophy. It runs for 3 blocks spread across 10 weeks, each week comprised of two upper body training days, two lower body training days, and two isolation exercise + abs training days. [Read more…]

Omnidroid 12 Week Strength Program (5 Day)

By
Last updated

Experience level: ,
Weeks:
Meet prep program:
Program goal: ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Omnidroid is a 5 day strength program Reddit user /u/benchpauper that runs for 12 weeks. It is structured a bit different than other programs and is definitely worth checking out if you’re a strength training enthusiast. It has a fair amount of heavy singles followed by back off volume and accessories. It looks like a lot of fun to run. [Read more…]

17 Week Block Periodization Powerlifting Peaking Program by Brad Arbic

By
Last updated

Experience level: ,
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal: ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Program Summary

This is a 17 week powerlifting peaking program broken up into 3 different training blocks: hypertrophy, strength, and peaking. It uses 4 training days per week: squat, bench press, deadlift, and another bench press training session. [Read more…]

Dorian Yates Workout Routine [1987-1992] Spreadsheet

By
Last updated

Experience level:
Weeks:
Meet prep program:
Program goal:
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Dorian Yates workout routine from 1987 to 1992 is an advanced bodybuilder routine that he followed during the middle of his competitive bodybuilding career. [Read more…]