Free Programs and Spreadsheets
Here are powerlifting and strength programs that incorporate high volume training. Volume is generally measured by tonnage, defined as (number of reps)*(weight per rep).
If you didn't find the high volume program you're looking for, try using the Lift Vault Program Library. It lets you search through all Lift Vault programs using lots of different criteria, including frequency per lifting movement.
Related: powerlifting programs, powerbuilding programs, bodybuilding programs, strength training programs
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Advanced, Intermediate
Weeks: 26
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: High Volume, Mass, Strength
Uses RPE: false
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): True
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
Mythical Mass is a 6 month-long combination of various strength programs used for building mass.
The programs included are:
As you can see, the entire set of programming takes about 6 months to work through.
The goal? Get freaking huge.
[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: Advanced
Weeks: 10
Periodization: Linear Periodization, Undulating Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: Deadlift, High Volume, Off Season
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 10 week deadlift program designed for building up work capacity during the competitive off-season. It was shared by Alex Bromley (Empire Barbell) on his YouTube channel, where he shared his experience using this style of deadlift training to help prepare for a strongman competition.
[Read more…] By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Beginner, Intermediate
Weeks: 11, 12, 8
Periodization: Undulating Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: High Volume, 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
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…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Recommended by Lift Vault: Recommended
Experience level: Advanced, Intermediate
Weeks: 4
Periodization: Block Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: High Volume, 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
This is a powerlifting program designed by Empire Barbell that utilizes block periodization. Training is broken into three distinct blocks: intensification #1, volume, and intensification #2. These blocks can be run in order straight through, or can be repeated with some limitations (explained more below). Running each block once would represent 14 weeks of training in total. [Read more…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Beginner
Weeks: 6
Periodization: Undulating Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: High Volume, 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 6 week long powerlifting volume block for novice lifters from the smart folks at Squats & Science. [Read more…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Advanced, Intermediate
Weeks: 3
Periodization: Linear Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: High Volume, 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
In October 2015, Greg Nuckols published a very popular article titled “Your Drug Free Muscle and Strength Potential: Part 2.” In it he laid out the foundations for a high frequency training method.
It’s a pretty cool article because it includes a strength potential calculator that tries to estimate what percentage of a person’s maximum potential they’ve currently achieved per lift. If an individual is below 80% of their potential, they generally respond well to high frequency training. [Read more…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Recommended by Lift Vault: Recommended
Experience level: Intermediate
Weeks: 12
Periodization: Linear Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: Equipped, High Volume, Off Season, 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 the free program spreadsheet collection offered on Blaine Sumner’s site.
It contains:
All of the above programs are 12 weeks in length and are programmed off of percentages of the lifter’s training max. [Read more…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Recommended by Lift Vault: Recommended
Experience level: Intermediate
Weeks: 6
Periodization: Undulating Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: High Volume, Mass, 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
Building the Monolith was created by Jim Wendler, who wrote the 5/3/1 programs and inspired other programs like GZCL and NSuns, Building the Monolith is designed for advanced athletes looking to break through plateaus, not novice or intermediate lifters. For a bench-focused variation of this program, check out Benching the Monolith.
[Read more…] By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Recommended by Lift Vault: Recommended
Experience level: Advanced, Beginner, Intermediate
Weeks: 4
Periodization: Undulating Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: High Volume, 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
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…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Recommended by Lift Vault: Recommended
Experience level: Advanced, Intermediate
Weeks: 8
Periodization: Wave Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: High Volume, Hypertrophy
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
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…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Recommended by Lift Vault: Recommended
Experience level: Beginner, Intermediate
Weeks: Indefinite
Periodization: Linear Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: High Volume, 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
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…] By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Advanced, Intermediate
Weeks: 5, 7, Indefinite
Periodization: Autoregulated, Linear Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: High Volume, 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
Renowned for its specificity, frequency, and intensity, the Bulgarian Method has long been a curiosity in the weightlifting and powerlifting world.
It is an advanced form of training and is not recommended for beginners or early intermediates. It requires a solid understanding of knowing your capabilities and autoregulating your lift intensity.
Traditionally structured as 2 to 3 workouts per day, this particular spreadsheet is based on Greg Nuckols’ Bulgarian Manual, which thankfully only calls for no more than one workout per day.
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Advanced
Weeks: 13, 3
Periodization: Block Periodization, Undulating Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: High Volume, Peaking
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
Ah, yes. The infamous Smolov program for squats and Smolov Jr for squat and/or bench press. If you’re willing to build these lifts at any cost (e.g. a record attempt) then this might be the ticket!
[Read more…]