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Deadlift 2 Days per Week - Powerlifting Programs

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.

Ivysaur 4-4-8 Beginner Program Spreadsheet

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Ivysaur 4-4-8 is a free 3-day full-body beginner barbell program built around two weekly templates: Week A and Week B. Each session alternates between a 4×4 main-lift set and 4×8 volume work across the squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press, barbell row, and chin-ups. The program runs 30 weeks with auto-advancing loads built into the spreadsheet.

The program was posted to /r/fitness by /u/ivysaur as a direct response to the shortcomings of Starting Strength and StrongLifts 5×5. Instead of a fixed linear jump each session, progression is driven by AMRAP sets. You hit your top set for as many reps as you can, and that number determines how much weight goes on the bar next week. It’s more volume than StrongLifts and you get to squat less often, which many beginners find easier to recover from.

It’s a good fit for true beginners and for lifters coming off StrongLifts or Starting Strength who want more bench and deadlift frequency. The weekly load jumps are aggressive, so you’ll hit a wall faster than you would on a slower LP program. Have a follow-on program ready. Once you’ve run out of steam on this one, the Heavy Light Medium (HLM) program is a natural next step.

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Kizen 16 Week Powerbuilding Program (4 Week Preview + PDF)

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Hot on the heels of the immensely popular Kizen 6 Week Bench Peaking Program spreadsheet, Silent Mikke, Bart Kwan, and Omar Isuf have teamed up yet again to release the first 4 weeks of their 16 week Powerbuilding Program for free, including a PDF that explains the theory behind the program!

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nSuns 5/3/1 Program Spreadsheets (4 Day, 5 Day, CAP3, and More)

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nSuns 5/3/1 is a high volume linear progression powerlifting program inspired by Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1. It comes in 4, 5, and 6 day versions (plus squat and deadlift focused variants), and it progresses weekly instead of monthly.

Each day you’ll work the main lift for 9 sets, including an AMRAP set that drives next week’s weights, then a secondary lift for 8 more. It’s a ton of volume. Those who stick with it tend to add pounds to their total quickly, and the extra work capacity pays off in whatever program they run next. All of the spreadsheets below were assembled by Redditor /u/nsuns.

nSuns is best suited to late stage novices and early intermediates who recover well and want to push hard. If you’re brand new to lifting, you’ll progress faster on a simpler program like Starting Strength – a true novice can add weight multiple times per week and doesn’t need this much volume.

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

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The GZCL Method is Cody Lefever’s powerlifting training framework, named after his Reddit username, /u/gzcl. This page collects free spreadsheets for every major GZCL program: General Gainz, Jacked & Tan 2.0, UHF, The Rippler, VDIP, and more.

Everything GZCL is built on a tier system. T1 is the day’s main lift (heavy, low reps), T2 is a variation of it (moderate weight and reps), and T3 is higher-rep accessory work. How each tier progresses is what separates the different programs.

If you’re a newer lifter, start with GZCLP, the linear progression version – it has its own page with dedicated spreadsheets. For the theory behind all of it, read Cody’s blog and the r/gzcl subreddit.

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3 Day, 7 Week Raw Powerlifting Program

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Originally hosted by Mass-Lift, the 3 Day Raw Powerlifting Program is a no frills powerlifting program that has the athlete squatting 3 days per week, benching 3 days per week, and deadlifting 2 days per week (counting Romanian deadlifts).

After the competition lifts, a rotating set of assistance exercises are prescribed to develop strength in key movements and introduce hypertrophy. [Read more…]

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

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The Metallicadpa 6 Day PPL is the canonical free Push/Pull/Legs routine from r/Fitness, written by /u/metallicadpa. You train six days a week across two Push days, two Pull days, and two Leg days. Compound lifts use a 5/5+ AMRAP structure (five straight sets, then an all-out rep set), and loads are driven by your 1RM inputs so the spreadsheet suggests starting weights for you.

The program runs indefinitely with session-to-session linear progression. When you hit the target reps on your AMRAP set, the sheet advances your load for the next session automatically. Upper body lifts go up 2.5 kg at a time; lower body lifts go up 5 kg. The idea is to keep adding weight as long as you can before accumulating fatigue forces a reset, which is the core mechanic of linear progression borrowed from programs like GZCLP.

This program suits intermediate lifters who can recover from six training days per week and want high-frequency hypertrophy work built into a clear structure. If you’re newer to lifting or can only make it to the gym three or four days a week, you’ll get more out of starting with the PPL spreadsheet collection, which covers shorter variants of the same split.

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PHAT Workout Routine + Program Spreadsheet

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PHAT (Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training) is a 5-day powerbuilding program created by Dr. Layne Norton. It splits the week into two power days and three hypertrophy days, with each session built around a major compound movement.

The program blends heavy low-rep power work with higher-rep hypertrophy work. It’s a good fit for bodybuilders who want to add real strength to their size work, or lifters who want to look athletic and actually be strong.

PHAT is best for intermediate lifters who can commit to five days per week and recover from that kind of volume. If you’re newer to lifting, you’ll make faster progress on a simpler program like the Candito Linear Program before tackling PHAT’s demands.

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PHUL Workout Routine Tips + Program Spreadsheet (Updated 2023)

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PHUL stands for Power Hypertrophy Upper Lower. It’s a 4-day program that splits training into two upper body days and two lower body days. Two of those days are power-focused (3-5 reps, heavy compounds) and two are hypertrophy-focused (8-15 reps, higher volume with isolation work). There’s no fixed end date; you run it until progress stalls. PHUL was created by Brandon Campbell, a YouTube fitness coach who published the original program write-up at Muscle & Strength.

The idea behind PHUL is that you can train for strength and size at the same time if you structure your week correctly. Power days anchor the week with low-rep compound work, then the hypertrophy days pile on volume and isolation exercises for muscle growth. It’s a powerbuilding approach, similar in concept to PHAT, but PHAT is a 5-day split and programs roughly 90% more weekly volume. PHUL keeps it at 4 days.

PHUL is best for intermediate lifters who have 6+ months of consistent training and want to develop both strength and size simultaneously. If you’re newer to lifting, you’d get more out of a simpler linear progression program like Starting Strength first. The 4-day schedule is also manageable for most people, though the hypertrophy days include supersets and a decent amount of accessory work, so expect sessions to run 60-75 minutes.

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New Rules of Lifting for Women Workout Program Spreadsheet

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New Rules of Lifting for Women is a 7-stage, full-body program from The New Rules of Lifting for Women by Lou Schuler, Cassandra Forsythe, and Alwyn Cosgrove. You train 3 days a week and alternate two workouts, an “A” workout and a “B” workout. Each session pairs compound lifts with core and single-leg work, and the whole program runs about 6 months.

Progression isn’t based on percentages of your 1RM. You pick a weight you can just finish for the sets and reps a stage calls for, and once you can complete every set at the top of the rep range, you add a little weight and start again at the bottom. The book also walks through exercise form and a nutrition plan, so it’s a full package if you’re newer to lifting or coming back to it.

It’s a good fit for beginner and intermediate women who want a structured full-body program with a diet plan built in. If you’re after a glute-focused routine, Strong Curves is worth a look, and if you want the simplest possible barbell start, StrongLifts 5×5 is a gentler on-ramp. If you’re chasing a percentage-driven powerlifting peak, you’ll want a different program.

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Ice Cream Fitness 2.0 (ICF) Spreadsheet

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Popularized by Jason Blaha, Ice Cream Fitness is a novice strength program with more accessory work than similar programs like Starting Strength and Strong Lifts, so you add size while you add strength.

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.

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Starting Strength Routine Program Spreadsheet

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Starting Strength is Mark Rippetoe’s beginner barbell program, and it’s about as proven as a novice routine gets. You train 3 days a week on non-consecutive days, alternating two full-body workouts (A and B) built around five lifts: the squat, deadlift, overhead press, bench press, and power clean. Every session is a handful of heavy sets on the big compounds. You squat every time you train, and you add weight every session you make all your reps.

The idea is dead simple: a brand-new lifter can add weight to the bar every single workout for months, so the program never wastes that window on fancy periodization. It’s a straight linear progression, the same family as GreySkull LP and StrongLifts. What sets Starting Strength apart is the coaching. Rippetoe’s book breaks down each lift in more detail than just about any other source, so you learn to move well while you get strong.

This one is for true beginners, or for anyone coming back after a long layoff who can still add weight session to session. If you’re already an intermediate lifter and the weights stopped jumping every workout a while ago, you’ll get more out of an intermediate routine like Madcow or the Texas Method. If you’re brand new and not sure where to start, this or one of the other beginner programs is a great first step.

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Jonnie Candito Linear Program Spreadsheet

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The Candito Linear Program is a free 4-day-per-week upper-lower program from Jonnie Candito. You run it with one of three emphasis variants — Control, Power, or Hypertrophy — that modify the secondary days while keeping the heavy days identical across all three. There’s also a 3-day-per-week version (Mon/Wed/Fri) built into the program. Progression is simple: add weight each week to the main lifts (squat, bench, deadlift) and run it until you stall.

The design keeps two heavy days constant every week (heavy lower on Monday, heavy upper on Tuesday — 3×6 squat/deadlift and 3×6 bench with back work). The two variation days are where you pick your emphasis. Control uses pause variations to build technique and time under tension. Power swaps the lower variation day for explosive work to develop fast-twitch fiber. Hypertrophy bumps the variation days to higher volume (5×8) for more muscle size. You pick one emphasis and run it. When you stall on a lift, drop 15 lbs and continue. After three resets, slow your progression to every two weeks.

This program is best for novice-to-early-intermediate lifters who know how to perform the main lifts safely and want a structured linear program with more variety than StrongLifts 5×5. If you’ve never touched a barbell, spend a few months learning the movements first. If you’ve already exhausted linear progression and stall fast, the Candito 6 Week Program is the natural next step.

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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.

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StrongLifts 5×5 Workout Program Spreadsheet

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StrongLifts 5×5 is a 3-day-per-week beginner strength program built around two alternating workouts. Workout A is squat, bench press, and barbell row. Workout B is squat, overhead press, and deadlift. You train each one 3 times every two weeks, always squatting, adding 5 lb to the bar each session. Mehdi at stronglifts.com based it on Bill Starr’s 5×5 from the 1970s.

The idea is pure linear progression: no percentages, no wave loading, no periodization. You just add weight every single session until you can’t anymore. That simplicity is the whole point. Every session you squat, which is what drives the strength base. It’s the easiest possible novice program to follow, by design.

StrongLifts is for true beginners or people coming back after a long layoff. If you’ve been lifting consistently for more than 6 months, you’ll probably stall faster than the program expects, and something like Starting Strength or GZCLP may serve you better. Both the lb and kg versions of the spreadsheet are below.

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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.

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