This 6 week program peaks a single lift on two sessions a week: one light day, one heavy day. It was designed by Soviet coach Yuri Verkhoshansky and described to John Abdo, who brought it back to the USA.
Every session opens the same way, with a fixed warmup ramp of 45%, 55% and 65%. What changes week to week is what happens after that. The light day stays in the 70% to 85% range and never gets long. The heavy day builds through a top block, then drops back down for backoff work, and in three of the six weeks finishes with a set taken to failure.
The target is a 5% increase, and week 6 tests it directly: the heavy day ramps through singles at 90%, 95%, 100% and finishes at 105% of the max you entered. Set your 1 rep max without rounding up, because that last single is the whole point of the block.
Table of Contents
Program Overview
- Length: 6 weeks
- Frequency: 2 sessions per week for the lift you are peaking
- Loading: Percentages of your current 1RM, finishing at 105%
- Target: A 5% increase
- Applies to: Bench press, squat, or deadlift, one at a time
Because it only covers one lift, this is a block you bolt onto the rest of your training rather than a full program. Keep everything else light enough that the heavy day stays the hardest session of your week.
Week by Week Structure
All percentages are of your current 1RM. Every session begins with the same ramp of 45% x 8, 55% x 6, and 65% x 5 or 6, which is not repeated in the table below.
| Week | Light day (after warmup) | Heavy day (after warmup) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 x 6 @ 70% | 1 x 5 @ 75%, 3 x 5 @ 80%, 1 x 5 @ 75%, 1 x 8 @ 65%, 1 set to failure @ 60% |
| 2 | 1 x 5 @ 70%, 2 x 5 @ 75% | 1 x 4 @ 75%, 1 x 4 @ 80%, 3 x 4 @ 85%, 1 x 5 @ 80%, 1 x 8 @ 70% |
| 3 | 1 x 4 @ 70%, 1 x 3 @ 75%, 2 x 3 @ 80% | 1 x 4 @ 75%, 1 x 3 @ 85%, 2 x 3 @ 90%, 1 x 5 @ 80%, 1 set to failure @ 60% |
| 4 | 1 x 4 @ 75%, 2 x 3 @ 85% | 1 x 4 @ 75%, 1 x 2 @ 85%, 1 x 2 @ 90%, 1 x 2 @ 95%, 1 set to failure @ 75% |
| 5 | 2 x 5 @ 75% | 1 x 3 @ 75%, 1 x 3 @ 80%, 1 x 2 @ 85% |
| 6 | 1 x 3 @ 75%, 2 x 2 @ 80% | 1 x 3 @ 75%, 1 x 2 @ 85%, then singles at 90%, 95%, 100% and 105% |
Week 5 is the deload, and it is easy to miss because nothing in the sheet labels it as one. Both days get shorter and the top weight drops to 85%, straight after week 4 had you doing a double at 95% and a set to failure. That week off the gas is what makes the week 6 singles possible.
Soviet Peaking Program FAQs
Can I run this for all three lifts at the same time?
You can, but it means six sessions a week with three sets to failure in some of them. Running one lift at a time and holding the others at maintenance is the more reliable way to use it.
What does “to failure” mean here?
Exactly that: keep going until you cannot complete another rep with good form. Those sets sit at 60% to 75%, so the loads are light and the rep counts can get high. They appear in weeks 1, 3 and 4 only.
What if I miss the 105% single?
The singles at 90%, 95% and 100% come first, so you will know before you load 105% whether the day is there. Take whatever you hit as your new max. A 5% jump in 6 weeks is realistic for an intermediate but gets harder the more trained you are.
Do I need to add accessory work?
The program does not prescribe any. Add what you normally do, keeping in mind that the heavy day already carries plenty of volume in the first four weeks.
Soviet Peaking Program Spreadsheet
Enter your current 1RM and your rounding increment at the top, and all six weeks fill in for both days. The projected new max is shown alongside it.
Related Peaking Programs
- Fred Hatfield 9 Week Peaking Program, a similar heavy and light structure over 9 weeks
- Russian Squat Routine
Updates
- Converted the post to the block editor and documented the full 6 week structure from the spreadsheet, including the week 5 deload and the sets to failure, none of which the post previously described.
- The spreadsheet rounds weights to the nearest 5 lb or 2.5 kg.
