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Deadlift 3 Days per Week - Powerlifting Programs

These are deadlift programs that call for the athlete to deadlift 3 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.

Super Squats Program Spreadsheet (20-Rep Squats)

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Super Squats is a 6-week, full-body program built around one savage set of 20-rep breathing squats. It comes from Randall Strossen’s classic book of the same name, and lifters have used it to add serious size for decades.

The idea is simple and a little scary. You load your 10-rep max, then squat it for 20 reps, sucking in big breaths between the hard ones near the end. You do that three days a week, add 5 lb every session, and eat like you mean it.

It works best if you can already squat with solid form and you want fast size more than a polished physique. If you want a gentler place to start, our 7 Week Hypertrophy Program is an easier on-ramp.

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SSPT Deadlift Singles Program Spreadsheet

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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.

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

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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.

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Heavy, Light, Medium (HLM) Program Spreadsheet

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Heavy, Light, Medium (HLM) is a simple way to organize your training week so each lift gets a heavy, a medium, and a light session across three days. The heavy day pushes intensity, the light day keeps you moving and sharpens technique, and the medium day sits in between. This free spreadsheet turns that idea into a 12-week template based on Andy Baker’s framework, so you enter your maxes on the Input tab and every heavy, medium, and light load fills in for you.

The HLM idea goes back to coaches like Bill Starr, Mark Rippetoe, and Andy Baker, who used it to keep intermediate lifters progressing without burning out. Rotating the intensity day to day is much like a flexible daily undulating (DUP) split, and by the final week the medium day gets pushed hard enough that the program starts to look like a Texas Method setup, with one heavy intensity day and one hard volume day.

HLM works best for intermediate lifters who want a flexible template they can shape around their own recovery, not a fully prescriptive plan that dictates every set. If you’re newer and you just want to be told exactly what to do, a linear beginner program like Starting Strength will take you further before you need this kind of structure.

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Dietmar Wolf Norwegian Powerlifting Program Spreadsheets

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Dietmar Wolf is the head coach of the Norwegian powerlifting team. Below you’ll find some programs that are either attributed to him or have been released directly from the Norwegian Powerlifting Association. One program is from a Norwegian powerlifter named Frode Haugen; this program is labeled accordingly to reduce confusion. [Read more…]

Tactical Barbell Program Spreadsheets (Operator, Zulu, Fighter, Mass & More)

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This is a collection of templates for the Tactical Barbell program. Included are the Operator, Zulu, Fighter, Gladiator, Mass, and Grey Man templates – all in the same spreadsheet, with drop down menus and 1RM inputs for easy customization.

Tactical Barbell is K. Black’s strength system for people whose job demands more than lifting: military, law enforcement, fire fighters, and other first responders. Sessions are short and submaximal – you’ll work between 70% and 90% of your 1RM in 3 week waves – so you can keep training hard on the conditioning side without digging yourself into a recovery hole.

Most templates run 2 to 4 days per week on a 6 week cycle, so there’s a version for almost any schedule. If you want a minimalist strength base that leaves room for everything else in your life, it’s hard to beat. If a bigger squat or bench is your main goal, a dedicated program like 5/3/1 will get you there faster.

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All Pro Simple Beginner Routine Program Spreadsheet

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The All Pro Simple Beginner Routine (ASBR) is a classic strength and hypertrophy workout routine for novices. It supposedly originated on BodyBuilding.com and this particular version was modified a bit by tr3pid.

There is an extensive FAQ section that is copied from the spreadsheet below. [Read more…]

Calgary Barbell 16 Week + 8 Week Program Spreadsheets

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Written by Calgary Barbell, the 16 week and 8 week programs are designed to improve the squat, bench press, and deadlift of the athlete in preparation for a powerlifting meet. You can, however, run them even if you’re not prepping for a meet.

Both programs run 4 sessions per week, hitting the squat and deadlift 3 times per week and the bench 4 times (counting competition lifts and variations). Load is programmed with a mix of 1RM percentages and RPE, and both include a taper week if you’re peaking for a meet.

The two are quite similar. The main difference is that the 16 week program has a fuller progression of each lift, whereas the 8 week program is more of a training snapshot. These suit intermediate lifters who are comfortable working with RPE. For another proven free meet prep option, check out the TSA 9 Week Intermediate Program.

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Greg Nuckols 28 Programs Spreadsheet

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Greg Nuckols released 28 free training programs through his site, Stronger by Science. The bundle covers squat, bench press, and deadlift individually, with templates for beginner, intermediate, and advanced lifters at 1, 2, or 3 training days per week for each lift. Every program runs on a 4-week cycle, and you test your 1RM at the end of each cycle. The math: 3 lifts x 3 skill levels x 3 frequencies = 27 programs, plus a 4th deadlift variation (low volume, medium volume, and high volume in addition to the standard beginner version) = 28 total.

The design comes from Nuckols’ data-driven approach to strength training. Instead of a single fixed program, the bundle gives you a modular system: pick your lift, your experience level, and how many days per week you can train that lift. You use the squat, bench, and deadlift programs together, each running at whatever frequency fits your schedule. Intermediate and advanced templates add lift variations (front squats alongside back squats, for example), while beginner programs focus on the competition lifts to build the movement pattern first.

These programs are a good fit for intermediate and advanced lifters who want a percentage-based, structured template they can customize by frequency. Beginners can run them too — the 1x per week beginner versions are the most approachable entry point. You’ll need a 1RM estimate for each lift to get started. If you’re brand new to powerlifting, you might get more mileage from a full-body novice program first. See also: Greg Nuckols High Frequency Program (free spreadsheet).

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8 Week Hypertrophy Specific Training Program Spreadsheet (HST)

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Popularized by Bryan Haycock, hypertrophy specific training (HST) is a training routine based upon the principles of mechanical load, chronic stimuli, progressive load, and strategic deconditioning.

This training style is best utilized by bodybuilders, though it can be used by powerlifters and other athletes to spark muscle growth and work capacity in the off-season. [Read more…]

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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Korte 3×3 Spreadsheet

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Developed by Stephan Korte, the 3×3 program is a two-phased powerlifting program: one high volume, one heavy weight. While only calling for three workouts per week, each session includes the squat, bench, and deadlift.

The program can be run as a 4 week or 8 week program, depending upon whether one or two phases are run.

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Russian Squat Program + Routine Spreadsheet (Original and Masters Versions)

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The Russian Squat Program (aka the Russian Squat Routine, or RSR) is a squat-focused peaking program that comes in two versions attached here. The original runs 6 weeks with 3 training sessions per week; the masters version runs 8 weeks with 2 sessions per week to bring the intensity down for older lifters. Every session is built around one main lift for lots of sets of low reps at 80% or more of your 1RM, and the loads climb toward a new max in the final week. Finish the 6-week cycle and you can typically expect a 5-10% bump on your 1RM.

It’s a classic Soviet-style squat cycle, run to peak your strength right before a meet. It comes out of the same tradition as the USSR 1974 and 1976 Yearbook Squat Routines and the Soviet 6 Week Peaking Program. You can run it for the squat, deadlift, bench, or all three at once. That combined version is the Extended Russian Power Routine.

This one is aimed at experienced lifters with a solid squat base who are peaking for a meet. The original version keeps you at or above 80% the whole way, so it’s demanding on recovery. Older lifters, or anyone who can’t recover from three heavy squat days a week, should run the masters version, which mixes in lighter 60% to 70% work to soften the average intensity. If you’re still building your base, start with a linear program first.

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