Power Muscle Burn is a 5-day powerbuilding split that trains each muscle group three ways in a single session. You open with heavy power sets in the 3 to 5 range, drop to moderate muscle sets of 6 to 12, then close with a high-rep burn set taken to about 40 reps. The split runs chest and triceps, back and traps, quads and calves, shoulders and biceps, then deadlift and hamstrings.
Powerbuilding means you chase strength and size in the same block instead of picking one. That’s the whole point of the Power, Muscle, Burn method from Steve Shaw of Muscle & Strength. The heavy work keeps you strong, the moderate work adds muscle, and the burn set squeezes out the last bit of growth. You run it when you want to get bigger and stronger at once without switching programs.
It’s a good fit for intermediate lifters who want both strength and size and can commit to five training days a week. You don’t need a max or any percentages to start. Skip it if you want a pure strength or pure hypertrophy focus, or if you can’t train five days a week.
Table of Contents
Power Muscle Burn Powerbuilding Spreadsheet
Spreadsheet via Muscle & Strength
The program runs by feel, not percentages. Each exercise is marked as a Power, Muscle, or Burn lift, and you use the same weight across all sets of a given exercise. Log what you hit in the green cells.
How the Program Works
Every session hits a muscle group three ways. You open with heavy power work, move to moderate muscle work, then finish with a high-rep burn set. The same three-part structure runs through all five training days.
The Three Set Types
Power sets are 3 to 5 reps. When you can get 5 on every power set of a lift, add weight next time. Muscle sets are 6 to 12 reps, and you add weight once you hit 12 on all of them. Burn sets are rest-pause sets to about 40 total reps: start with a weight good for 15 to 20 reps, rest briefly, then keep pushing in short bursts to 40. When you can reach 25 before the first rest, move up.
The Split
Day one is chest and triceps, day two is back and traps, day three is quads and calves, day five is shoulders and biceps, and day six is deadlift and hamstrings. Days four and seven are off.
Progression
Don’t train to failure on purpose. Stop a set when you feel the next rep might fail. The goal is to beat something on every set you can, whether that’s a rep or a little more weight. Run it as a weekly template and change programs after about 12 weeks to keep progress moving.
FAQ
How many days a week is it?
Five training days across a seven-day cycle, with two rest days. A simple way to run it is to train, take a rest day where the program has one, and keep the order intact.
What is a burn set?
A rest-pause set taken to about 40 total reps. You pick a weight you can do for 15 to 20, rest just long enough to get a few more, and repeat until you reach 40. It’s the high-rep finisher for each muscle group.
Who is it for?
Intermediate lifters who want both strength and size in one program. You don’t need a max or any percentages, just the discipline to push each set without grinding to failure.
Is it free?
Yes. The program is free on Muscle & Strength, and our spreadsheet is free to copy. Open the sheet, then choose File then Make a Copy.
