Free Programs and Spreadsheets
These are deadlift programs that call for the athlete to deadlift 2 days per week. Some are deadlift-only programs, while others program all lifting movements.
To search through all programs based on lots of different criteria, check out the Lift Vault Program Library.
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Recommended by Lift Vault: Yes
Experience level: Advanced, Intermediate
Weeks: 11, 6
Periodization: Linear Periodization
Program goal: Deadlift, Powerlifting
Uses RPE: No
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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Matt Gary at SSPT is well-known as an advocate of mainly performing the competition deadlift only as singles.
The main reasons for this is that it gives the athlete more opportunity to practice their approach and setup of the lift and that it removes the stretch reflex from assisting with subsequent reps.
[Read more…] By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Recommended by Lift Vault: Yes
Experience level: Advanced, Intermediate
Weeks: 18
Periodization: Wave Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: Peaking, Strength
Uses RPE: Yes
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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…] By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: Olympic Weightlifting
Uses RPE: No
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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 12 week Olympic weightlifting program with 3 to 6 training days per week, depending upon your classification. It can be used by beginner, intermediate, and advanced weightlifters, as it provides programming for multiple lifter classifications.
This program can be used in preparation for a weightlifting competition.
The program has seemingly been attributed to Bob Takano, though I have no idea if he had anything to do with it or not. You can find the best of Takano’s thinking in his book: Weightlifting Programming: A Winning Coach’s Guide.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the program. You’ll find more detail in the spreadsheet and the notes below.
It is important to note that weight, sets, and reps are denoted like this: (weight/reps) x sets.
For example, (100/4)x3 means to lift 100 kg for 3 sets of 4 reps. (Or 100 lbs – the units do not matter).
[Read more…] By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Advanced, Intermediate
Weeks: 3
Periodization: Linear Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: Strength
Uses RPE: No
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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…] By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Recommended by Lift Vault: Recommended
Experience level: Advanced, Intermediate
Weeks: 6
Periodization: Block Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: Powerlifting
Uses RPE: Yes
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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
David Woolson, strong and smart dude over at Brazos Valley Strength, has boldly declared that he intends to release free powerlifting programming over the next year.
[Read more…] By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Recommended by Lift Vault: Recommended
Experience level: Intermediate
Weeks: 15
Periodization: Block Periodization
Meet prep program: No, Yes
Program goal: Strength
Uses RPE: Yes
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): No
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 15 week intermediate powerlifting program from PRs on the Platform. It utilizes block periodization and can be run repeatedly or used to peak for a powerlifting competition.
[Read more…] By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Advanced, Intermediate
Weeks: Indefinite
Periodization: Linear Periodization, Undulating Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: High Volume, Strength
Uses RPE: No
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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…] By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Intermediate
Weeks: 12
Periodization: Block Periodization, Linear Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: Powerlifting, Strength
Uses RPE: No
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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…] By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Beginner, Intermediate
Weeks: 10
Periodization: Block Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: Peaking, Powerlifting
Uses RPE: Yes
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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
Prep10 is a 10 week powerlifting peaking program designed for beginners and intermediates. It uses block periodization to take the lifter through a 5 week hypertrophy mesocycle, followed by a 1 week transition mesocycle, a 3 week intensity mesocycle, and a 1 week deload. This program could be used to peak for a meet taking place on week 11 (assuming week 10 is the deload week). [Read more…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Intermediate
Weeks: 8
Periodization: Linear Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: Powerlifting, Strength
Uses RPE: Yes
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): No
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 “Dad Bod” Bridge program is a workout routine submitted by a Lift Vault reader. It is designed for busy people (especially parents) that are looking for any easy to follow routine that will help them grow and maintain strength in a limited amount of time. As the name suggests, it was inspired by The Bridge, a late stage novice strength program created by Barbell Medicine. [Read more…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Advanced, Intermediate
Weeks: 4
Periodization: Linear Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: Powerlifting, Retraining
Uses RPE: Yes
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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
ReTrain is a 4 week powerlifting program designed to ramp up lifters that have taken a lengthy break from training. With COVID-19 shutting down gyms across the world for several months, many lifters will find themselves in the scenario of going back to the gym to start working out again. The goal of this program is to help those lifters safely and effectively ease themselves back into a regular training routine. [Read more…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Recommended by Lift Vault: Recommended
Experience level: Beginner, Intermediate
Weeks: 7
Periodization: Linear Periodization, Undulating Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: Peaking, Powerlifting
Uses RPE: No
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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
Connor Lutz is a powerlifting competitor and coach at Calgary Barbell. These are a few different powerlifting programs he shared several years back. There are three powerlifting programs in total: a beginner program, an updated intermediate program, and an old intermediate program. [Read more…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Advanced, Beginner, Intermediate
Weeks: 10
Periodization: Linear Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: Glute hypertrophy, Strength
Uses RPE: Yes
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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…] By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Advanced, Intermediate
Weeks: 12
Periodization: Block Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: Peaking, Powerlifting
Uses RPE: Yes
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): No
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 12 week powerlifting peaking program based on rate of perceived exertion (RPE). It uses 4 training days per week and divides the 12 week program into four different training blocks ending with a taper. It was created by Matt Mignone at Mignone Strength [Read more…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Advanced
Weeks: 6
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: Hypertrophy
Uses RPE: Yes
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): No
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…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Recommended by Lift Vault: Recommended
Experience level: Advanced, Beginner, Intermediate
Weeks: 36, 4
Periodization: Block Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: Peaking, Powerlifting
Uses RPE: Yes
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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 collection of nine 4 week training blocks published by Your Strongest Year. They amount to 36 weeks of powerlifting programming that include volume blocks, intensity blocks, accumulation blocks, realization blocks, and strength training blocks, though you do not need to necessarily run all of them.
I think this is one of the coolest powerlifting programs offered on Lift Vault and I’m really excited to highlight it for you all. [Read more…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Recommended by Lift Vault: Recommended
Experience level: Beginner, Intermediate
Weeks: 12
Periodization: Block Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: Peaking, SuperTotal
Uses RPE: No
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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 12 week Supertotal program by Next Step Strength (Instagram). It has 4 training days per week and uses block periodization to expose the athlete to hypertrophy, strength, and peaking phases. It could be used when preparing for a Supertotal competition. [Read more…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Intermediate
Weeks: 12, 6
Periodization: Linear Periodization
Meet prep program: No
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 collection of templates for the Tactical Barbell program. Included are the operator, zulu, fighter, gladiator, mass, and grey man programs – all in the same spreadsheet.
[Read more…] By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Advanced
Weeks: 14
Periodization: Block Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: Peaking, Powerlifting
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 14 week strength and peaking block for advanced powerlifters. It contains four training blocks and can be used to peak for a powerlifting meet. It was written by the highly accomplished folks at Squats & Science. [Read more…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Recommended by Lift Vault: Recommended
Experience level: Beginner
Weeks: 6
Periodization: Undulating Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: Peaking, Powerlifting
Uses RPE: No
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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 beginner powerlifting peaking block from Squats & Science.
This is a pretty unique program because there aren’t many peaking program designed strictly for the beginner powerlifter. I believe [Read more…]