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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.

Greg Nuckols 28 Programs Spreadsheet

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Greg Nuckols released 28 program variations through his site, Stronger by Science.

In addition to these programs, I strongly recommend you check out The Art & Science of Lifting and the free lifting guides he authored. He also co-authors the best monthly round-up of cutting edge research on strength, hypertrophy, and related subjects. It’s called MASS and it’s absolutely worth a look. He even has a free issue available as a preview.

See also: Greg Nuckols High Frequency Program (free spreadsheet) [Read more…]

Cowboy Method Spreadsheets – Original and Modified

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While the Texas Method has long been a popular intermediate program for graduates of Rippetoe’s Starting Strength or other novice programs like Strong Lifts, a popular Texas Method variation to emerge has been the Cowboy Method.

Included here are the Original Cowboy Method and a Modified Cowboy Method. [Read more…]

nSuns 5/3/1 Complete Program Collection (4 Day, 5 Day, Cap3, and More)

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nSuns 5/3/1 is a linear progression powerlifting program that was inspired by Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 strength program. It progresses on a weekly basis, making it well suited for late stage novice and early intermediate lifters. It is known for its challenging amount of volume. Those who stick with it tend to find great results from the additional work capacity.

Redditor /u/nsuns assembled a 5/3/1/ LP spreadsheet complete with 4, 5, and 6 day variants in addition to deadlift and squat specific workloads to help everyone get stronger.

Use the table of contents to jump to your desired spreadsheet or read on below to learn about which nSuns program you should run.

[Read more…]

KIZEN 6 Week Bench Peaking Program Spreadsheet

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Hot off the presses (ha!), this is the free 6 Week Bench Press Peaking Program spreadsheet by KIZEN Training. I highly recommend signing up for the free course at KIZEN that accompanies this program and guides you every step of the way.

[Read more…]

GZCL Method Spreadsheets: General Gainz, UHF, Jacked and Tan 2.0, The Rippler & More [Complete]

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Updates:

  • May 18, 2020
  • I removed the spreadsheet previews for most of the spreadsheets because of negative impact to page load speed, especially for mobile users. All of the spreadsheets are still there, you will just need to click on the Google Sheets link with the green icon.
  • In depth post on GZCLP programs added to new post

Bred from the popular Reddit user /u/gzcl (also check out his blog and personal subreddit), these easy to use spreadsheets and calculators are based on the general “GZCL Method” for powerlifting.

[Read more…]

Metallicadpa 6 Day PPL v3.04 (Reddit PPL) Program Spreadsheet

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Update: A new spreadsheet for this program is now available. It tracks 12 weeks at a time, progresses weight per workout automatically, and is easier to customize. It is linked below.

Push, Pull, Legs (PPL) routines offer a great template for achieving strength and physique goals while remaining flexible enough for the lifter’s preferences.

This flexibility can be a hindrance to less experienced lifters, who like the sound of a templated PPL routine but don’t know how to make one for themselves.

This issue has been resolved. Enter: /u/metallicadpa’s 6 day PPL program aka the Reddit PPL.

[Read more…]

PHAT Workout Routine + Program Spreadsheet

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The PHAT (Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training) workout routine is a 5 day powerbuilding program for athletes seeking strength and hypertrophy development.

Developed by Dr. Layne Norton, the PHAT workout routine blends power and hypertrophy work, making it ideal for bodybuilders looking to gain size and lifters that want to look aesthetic without being weak.

[Read more…]

PHUL Workout Routine Tips + Program Spreadsheet (Updated 2023)

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Short for Power Hypertrophy Upper Lower, PHUL blends power and size building principles for the athlete looking to get stronger and bigger. The PHUL program follows many of the principles of powerbuilding programming, but could also be considered a bodybuilding program.

[Read more…]

Strong Curves Spreadsheets + PDF: Beginner and Advanced Workouts

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Written by Bret Contreras, Strong Curves workout is a great program for novice and intermediate lifters looking to get stronger and, yes, have a better butt. The program’s greatest strength lies in its simplicity, making it a simple workout to follow and make progress quickly.

It has quickly become a staple within the strength training community and is available in paperback and Kindle on Amazon.

[Read more…]

Ice Cream Fitness 2.0 (ICF) Spreadsheet

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Popularized by Jason Blaha, Ice Cream Fitness is a solid novice strength program that incorporates more accessory work than similar programs (e.g. Starting Strength, Strong Lifts) helping the user get stronger and add size.

In 2019, Blaha released Ice Cream Fitness 2.0. It reduces working sets to 3 sets of 5 instead of 5 sets of 5 and reduces some of the exercise variety. The core goal of the program, helping novices rapidly gain strength and size, remains the same.

[Read more…]

Mdisbrow Deathbench 10 Week Bench Press Program Spreadsheets (Original + Taper)

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Written and popularized by Redditor Matt Disbrow (aka /u/mdisbrow) – the Deathbench program is a disciple of the “if you want a bigger bench press, bench more” church.

[Read more…]

Starting Strength Routine Program Spreadsheet

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One of the most popular novice lifting programs, Starting Strength is a textbook (literally) strength program for beginner lifters to rapidly develop proficiency with basic compound movements and get stronger.

If you’re looking to start lifting and want something that works, this Google spreadsheet is a solid option. It is very similar to GreySkull LP and StrongLifts.

Graduates of the Starting Strength routine may be interested in Madcow or Texas Method.

[Read more…]

Texas Method Program Tips and Spreadsheet Template

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Texas Method Routine Overview

The Texas Method is a strength program that focuses on training 3 days a week and hitting a new PR each week, making it ideal for intermediate lifters that can still progress on a weekly basis. Each training week represents one cycle: Monday is volume day, Wednesday is an active recovery day, and Friday is an intensity day where a new PR is set.

[Read more…]

Madcow 5×5 Program Spreadsheet (Intermediate + Advanced)

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Another spinoff of Bill Starr’s 5×5, Madcow 5×5 incorporates bodybuilder-friendly assistance work (along with lots of rows) with the fundamental Big 3 compound movements to create a simple but effective strength program. Though originally designed with bodybuilding in mind, this can be effectively utilized for off-season (read: not peaking) powerlifting training, as the linear progression and rep range complement strength gains nicely.

The advanced periodization version is also included, which is referred to as “StrongLifts Advanced” even though it’s really Madcow advanced. It is similar to Madcow intermediate, but increases the average tonnage (sets*reps*weight) of each week and includes a deload in the middle of the program.

[Read more…]

GreySkull LP Program Spreadsheet

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Created by John Sheaffer (aka Johnny Pain), the GreySkull LP Program (GSLP) is a fantastic 3 day per week full body workout routine for novice lifters. By correcting some of the shortcoming of other popular novice programs (e.g. Starting Strength, Strong Lifts) by incorporating basic linear progression, GreySkull LP is a solid choice for beginner programs.

For more of Johnny’s thoughts on beginner vs. intermediate lifters, see his “Intermediate Syndrome” post.

[Read more…]

Jonnie Candito Linear Program Spreadsheet

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The Candito Linear Program is a great strength program with 3 different variations that will rapidly add pounds on the bar for beginner and intermediate lifters alike. Now, enjoy in an easy to edit, mobile-friendly spreadsheet!

[Read more…]

Bill Star 5×5 Workout Routine Spreadsheet

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This is a variation of Bill Starr’s famous 5×5 program that spawned the now popular Strong Lifts 5×5. Based on weekly linear weight increases, this is a great program for beginner lifters to rapidly add strength.

[Read more…]

StrongLifts 5×5 Workout Program Spreadsheet

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Strong Lifts is a cornerstone beginner strength 5×5 workout program based upon Bill Starr’s old school 5×5 program. If you’re just starting out, this is a fantastic way to build muscle, lose fat, and get stronger. Using Google Spreadsheets, the program becomes even easier to follow along. LB and KG versions are included below.

[Read more…]

Jonnie Candito 6 Week Powerlifting Program Spreadsheet

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Jonnie Candito’s 6 week program is a powerlifting peaking program. It consists of several short training blocks dedicated to muscular conditioning, hypertrophy, strength, linear weight increases, acclimation to heavy weights, intensity, and testing. It is held in especially high regard for improving the one rep max of the squat, though it programs all three lifts.

Note: Novice lifters will progress more quickly using the Candito Linear Progression Program. For a deadlift specific program, see newly the released Candito Deadlift Program.

[Read more…]