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These are the most recently added workout program spreadsheets on Lift Vault.

Weightrainer Peaking Programs #1 and #2 Spreadsheets

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Weightrainer.net published these two peaking programs: one designed especially for the bench press (#1) and another program (#2) for squat, bench, or deadlift.

The two programs are pretty similar, but here are some key differences: [Read more…]

Dan Alexander 10 Week Powerlifting Peaking Program

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10/1/19 Edit: Fixed the rounding and added support for lbs and kgs! 🙂

Dan Alexander’s 10 week Powerlifting Peaking Program is designed to improve the 1RM of the squat, bench, and deadlift by 5%. Spread across the three lifts, this can result in a sizeable boost to a lifter’s total on the competition platform.

This program is a hybrid of Korte’s 3×3 program and Verhoshansky’s Soviet peaking routine. [Read more…]

Tom McCullough 14 Week Peaking Powerlifting Program

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Edit: Updated to support lb or kg rounding.

This 14 week peaking powerlifting program is similar to many other old school peaking programs on Lift Vault: 1x weekly session per lift, descending reps, increase intensity and a 5-10% 1 rep max increase at the end of the cycle. [Read more…]

Classic 9 and 12 Week Powerlifting Peaking Program Spreadsheets

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As old as time itself, these peaking programs can be run for squat, bench, and deadlift when preparing for a powerlifting meet. Both seek to improve your 1 rep max by 5% after the end of the cycle.

The differences between the 9 week and 12 week peaking cycles can be seen below: [Read more…]

Scott Warman 10 Week Bench Press Peaking Program

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Scott Warman’s 10 week bench press peaking program is a bit different than many bench peaking programs in that it focuses on improving the 2RM by 10 lbs. 1RM improvements are saved for meet day. [Read more…]

Ken Lain’s 10 Week Matrix Bench Program Spreadsheet (Original + Modified Versions)

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Ken Lain built the Matrix bench programs to peak his own bench press, and there are two versions of it. Both run 10 weeks on two bench days a week: an A workout that opens with a heavy single and follows it with backoff volume, and a lighter B workout. The rep count on the backoff sets drops by one every week while the percentages climb.

The heavy single is the unusual part. You’re pulling a near-max single every A session from week 1 and pushing past 100% of your entered max in the back half, then dropping straight into a set of 10, 9, 8 and so on. Week 10 is the test: the modified version works up through 100%, 104% and 108%, the original takes a single shot at 110%.

Both versions call for a heavy and a light bench day, but the original is much more aggressive, especially on the heavy days. It opens at a 98% single in week 1 where the modified opens at 90%, and it runs 3 backoff sets instead of 2. Most lifters should start with the modified version.

[Read more…]

Fred Hatfield (Dr. Squat) 9 Week Peaking Program Spreadsheet

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Update: KG and LB rounding now supported.

Developed by Fred Hatfield (aka Dr. Squat), this 9 week peaking program is based on two workouts per week: one heavy, one light.

It can be run for a specific lift or all three lifts.

The 1RM increase is 10%, making it an ambitious peaking program, although it does allow for a deload period half way through the program for recovery. [Read more…]

Classic 11 Week Deadlift Peaking Program Spreadsheet

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This is truly a no-frills 11 week peaking program for the deadlift. Since it does not program in any accessory work, it will be up to the individual lifter to program in accessories to compensate for their individual weaknesses.

Format:

  • Deadlift 1x weekly, 11 weeks
  • Rep range declines from 10 to 1
  • % of 1RM increases from 63% to 110%

[Read more…]

Ed Coan Program: 12 and 14 Week Peaking Program Spreadsheets

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Ed Coan’s peaking program is a straight percentage ladder that walks a lift from a 10-rep starting point up to a new single over 12 or 14 weeks. You train the lift once a week for two work sets, the reps drop as the weeks go by, and the percentage climbs every week without exception. There is no autoregulation and nothing to decide week to week.

The percentages run past 100% on purpose. Week 11 of the 12 week version calls for two doubles at 103.7%, and the last week is a single at 111.1%. That means the number you enter is your current max, and the program is built to walk you up to a number about 11% above it. Both versions finish at that same 111.1% single.

It’s a peaking block, so it suits a lifter with an established max and a meet or a max attempt on the calendar. You can run it for one lift or all three. If you’re still adding weight to the bar every week, a linear progression will get you more than this will, and if you specifically want a deadlift peak, Coan’s Coan Phillipi Deadlift Routine is the better known option.

[Read more…]

Gene Bell Jr.’s 12 Week Squat Peaking Program

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Used by Gene Bell Jr. to prepare for a powerlifting meet, this program consists of one weekly squat workout over the course of 12 weeks to increase the 1 rep max by over 6%.

Format:

  • Squat 1x weekly
  • 12 weeks in length
  • Most work is done in 60-80% range, with final 4 weeks starting at 92.5% and working up

[Read more…]

6 Week Soviet Peaking Powerlifting Program

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Update: Spreadsheet now rounds weights to the nearest 5 (lb) or 2.5 (kg).

This 6 week program is designed to help peak the bench press, squat, or deadlift. It is based on training twice each week: once heavy, once light. After 6 weeks, it aims to increase your 1 rep max by 5%.

It was designed by Soviet coach Yuri Verkhoshansky and described to John Abdo, who brought it back to the USA. It has been described as “intense.” [Read more…]

12 Week Bench Press Peaking Program Spreadsheet

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This is another old school bench press peaking program spreadsheet. It attempts to add 20 pounds onto the lifter’s 1 rep max by the end of the cycle, which is pretty ambitious. [Read more…]

6 Week Power Bench Press Program Spreadsheet

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Written by John Robbins and published by Dennis B. Beis in an early 1990’s issue of Natural Bodybuilding, the 6 week power bench press program is a peaking program designed to end the 6 week cycle with a new 1 rep max.  [Read more…]

The 5 Best Beginner Powerlifting Programs in 2023

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There are so many powerlifting programs available that it can be confusing for a novice lifter to determine which program is right for them.

Here are some of the most popular powerlifting programs for beginners. The following programs are chosen for their intelligent exercise choice, flexibility for the novice athlete to incorporate accessory exercises they enjoy, and perfecting the basics for later powerlifting programs.

[Read more…]

Cube Predator 6 Week Bench Program Spreadsheet

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Brandon Lilly’s Cube Predator program is a successor to the Cube Method, which is a 4x weekly powerlifting program with a “back to basics” approach to training.

Instead, Cube Predator focuses primarily on the bench press and bench accessories, allowing it to be “plugged in” to other programs. It focuses on additional volume and frequency for more advanced lifters. It is a 6 week program.
[Read more…]

Brad Gillingham 16 Week Squat + Deadlift Program

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Similar to his 12 week bench program, the 16 week squat and deadlift program has the athlete using a no-frills approach.

Each lift is trained 1x weekly, leaving plenty of room for complementary assistance exercises based upon the individual weaknesses of the lifter. [Read more…]

Brad Gillingham 12 Week Bench Press Program

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Brad Gillingham’s 12 week raw bench program is a no frills, bench-only program that runs on two bench sessions a week, a heavy day and a lighter volume day. On the heavy day you work up to a top single, then drop down for back-off sets of 3 to 5 reps. The light day is higher-volume work in the 60 to 77.5% range.

The whole plan is built around one number, your current raw bench max. Working weights climb from 90% of your 1RM up to 102.5% over the 12 weeks, so you’re pressing supramaximal singles by the back end of the program. It’s simple and repeatable, and it packs plenty of quality bench work into two sessions a week.

It’s aimed at intermediate and advanced lifters who want to bring up their raw bench. Since it only trains the bench press, you’ll need to slot in your own squat and deadlift work around it. If you’re newer to lifting, you’ll get more out of a full linear program first. For other options, see our 12 week bench press programs.

[Read more…]

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).

[Read more…]

Brandon Lilly’s Cube Method Program Spreadsheet

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The Cube Method is a 10-week powerlifting program from Brandon Lilly, built around the squat, bench, and deadlift. You train four days a week: one day each for the big three, plus a fourth bodybuilding day for your weak points. Each main lift gets worked once a week, and week to week it rotates through a heavy day, an explosive day, and a rep day so you’re never grinding the same style twice in a row.

The cycle runs as three 3-week waves and finishes with a meet week where you test new maxes. Every load is figured as a percentage of your 1RM, and the loads climb wave over wave while the reps drop.

Lilly wrote the program, in his words, “out of my absolute frustration with my training, myself, and the sport of powerlifting.” It’s a back-to-basics answer to overcomplicated programming. Instead of chasing one quality at a time, the Cube develops heavy strength, bar speed, and rep volume together and rotates them so each lift sees all three. If you’ve run Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 or the Juggernaut Method, the wave idea will feel familiar. The Cube just spreads the three styles across your lifts each week instead of moving every lift through the same block together.

It’s built for intermediate and advanced lifters who already have a solid 1RM and a meet or a test day on the calendar. The percentages run high, so you need real numbers to work from. If you’re newer and still adding weight to the bar most weeks, you’ll get more out of a linear program like GZCLP first, then come back to the Cube once that stalls.

[Read more…]

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…]