The Brogains powerbuilding program is a strength and hypertrophy program written by Brogan Pratt. It runs four days a week on an upper/lower split, with each half of the body getting one heavy day and one dynamic day.
It comes in two lengths from the same sheet. Run it as 10 weeks for a general training block, or as 12 weeks if you are peaking for a meet, in which case the last two weeks are the peak.
Progression runs off AMRAP sets rather than a fixed weekly jump. You record how many reps you hit and the sheet decides whether your training max moves, which means a bad week does not push you into weights you are not ready for.
Table of Contents
Brogains Powerbuilding Program Overview
- 4 workouts per week
- Workouts are split as upper/lower, heavy/dynamic (similar to PHUL)
- The spreadsheet lets you choose accessories to develop weak points
- Split into three phases: volume, building (strength realization), and intensity
- AMRAP sets are used to test and adjust your 1RM when moving to a new phase
- Can be run as a 10 week program, or 12 weeks if peaking for a meet
The three phase structure is what separates this from a straight linear program. Volume comes first, then the building phase converts that work into strength, then the intensity phase expresses it. If you are new to the style, our post on what powerbuilding is covers the idea in general.
Brogains Powerbuilding Program Spreadsheet
Originally shared by Brogan Pratt. The spreadsheet supports lb and kg rounding, and the training 1RM calculations handle both.
How to Calculate Your Training One Rep Max (1RM)
At the end of each week there is a dropdown for selecting the rep range you achieved on each lift’s AMRAP set. The number of reps you hit determines the training max used for the next week.
Here is an example for the bench press. The process is the same for the squat and deadlift.
In Week 1, Day 1 there is an AMRAP set at 75% of your starting 1RM for the bench press.
Say you get 9 reps. You enter that via the dropdown at the end of Week 1.
Your training max for the bench press has now moved from 100 units to 105 units. Kg or lb does not matter for the sake of this example.
Now say you had only hit 5 reps on that AMRAP set instead.
The training max stays at 100, where it started in Week 1. It has not moved, because the rep count suggests you are not ready for a heavier training max yet.
Repeat this at the end of every week for each lift to keep your training max current.
Brogains Powerbuilding FAQs
Should I run the 10 week or 12 week version?
Run 12 only if you have a meet to peak for, since the extra two weeks are the peak itself. Without a competition at the end, peaking leaves you sharp with nowhere to point it, and the 10 week version is the better training block.
What if I miss my AMRAP target?
Nothing breaks. Enter the reps you actually got and the training max holds where it is instead of climbing. That is the mechanism working as intended, not a failed week.
How do I pick accessories?
The sheet leaves those slots open on purpose. Choose movements that address a weak point you can actually name, and keep them consistent long enough to tell whether they helped.
Updates
- Converted the remaining classic editor content to blocks, so the whole post is now in one format.
- The source link to broganpratt.com now 404s, so it points at an archived copy of the original page. Added alt text to two screenshots that had none.
