Overhead Press 1 Day per Week - Powerlifting & Strength Programs

The Juggernaut Method is a 16-week strength program created by Chad Wesley Smith of Juggernaut Training Systems. It trains the squat, bench press, deadlift, and overhead press four days per week, with each session built around one primary lift followed by supplemental and accessory work. The program runs four waves (10s, 8s, 5s, and 3s), each lasting four weeks. Every wave runs through the same four-phase sequence: Accumulation, Intensification, Realization (an AMAP set), and Deload.

The core idea behind Juggernaut is submaximal volume that builds toward a test. You work from a Training Max set at 90% of your 1RM, run progressively heavier sets each week, then hit an AMAP (as many reps as possible) in week three of every wave. That rep count drives the progression into the next wave. It’s closer in spirit to 5/3/1 than to a linear progression. Both use a training max and a monthly AMRAP test, but Juggernaut uses more total volume across each wave and a longer 16-week structure before cycling back.

I’d recommend Juggernaut for intermediate lifters who’ve stalled on simple linear progression and want a program with more structure and volume. You need to handle four days per week and enough recovery to run meaningful AMAP sets each month. It’s not a good starting point if you’re still making week-to-week gains on a beginner program. You’ll get more out of something like GZCLP first. The Inverted Juggernaut Method is a variation worth looking at once you’ve run the base version.