Four equipped powerlifting programs from Dietmar Wolf, who runs coach education for the Norwegian Powerlifting Federation. Two are 15 week peaking blocks built to put a number on the board on a given date. Two are 8 week volume blocks meant for the time between meets.
Each one comes in a 3 day and a 4 day version, and they are written for gear. The peaking programs run squat suit and bench shirt work alongside raw sets, so the sheet asks for both a geared max and a raw max. The volume programs are knee wraps only, which makes them the gentler entry point if you are new to lifting in equipment.
If you lift raw, you want the raw versions of these same programs instead. Same author, same structure, percentages written for lifting without gear.
Table of Contents
Which Program Should You Run?
| Program | Days | Length | Gear | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Day Equipped Peaking | 3 | 15 weeks | Suit, shirt, wraps | Meet prep |
| 4 Day Equipped Peaking | 4 | 15 weeks | Suit, shirt, wraps | Meet prep with a fourth session |
| 3 Day Equipped Volume | 3 | 8 weeks | Knee wraps | Off-season blocks |
| 4 Day Equipped Volume | 4 | 8 weeks | Knee wraps | Off-season with a fourth session |
The split is simple. Peaking blocks run 15 weeks and finish at a meet. Volume blocks run 8 weeks and do not peak, so do not run one into a competition date expecting to be sharp.
Every sheet works the same way. Put your goal squat, bench and deadlift into the three cells at the top and the whole program fills in, rounded to the nearest 2.5 kg. The percentages run off exercise-specific maxes rather than your competition lifts, so a paused squat is calculated from a paused squat max that the sheet works out for you.
These are Lift Vault translations of the federation’s own files. I kept Wolf’s formulas exactly as he wrote them and only changed the language, so the numbers you get are the numbers the federation publishes.
Equipped Peaking Programs (15 Weeks)
These are the blocks to run into a meet. Fifteen weeks is long, and the first two thirds look unremarkable on paper, stacking moderate work in gear to get you comfortable in it. The sharpening happens late.
3 Day Equipped Peaking Program
Three sessions a week, all three lifts trained across them, with suit and shirt work built into the main movements.
4 Day Equipped Peaking Program
The same fifteen week structure spread over four sessions. The extra day means less crammed into each one, which matters more in gear than it does raw.
Equipped Volume Programs (8 Weeks, Knee Wraps)
Eight week off-season blocks. The only equipment here is knee wraps, so these are the ones to run if you want the volume work without living in a suit for two months.
3 Day Equipped Volume Program
4 Day Equipped Volume Program
Guidance From Dietmar Wolf
Wolf published a written guide for each family of programs, covering how the exercises are meant to be performed and how to read the loading. Both are in Norwegian and both are Word documents hosted by the federation.
- Guide to the 3 and 4 day peaking programs (Norwegian)
- Guide to the 3 and 4 day volume programs (Norwegian)
Wolf’s Older Programs
Wolf wrote an earlier set of programs for the federation that are still worth a look: a beginner routine, an intermediate routine and a high volume block. They were written for single-ply lifting and then adapted, so each sheet carries a geared row next to a raw one. They live on the raw Norwegian programs page along with the raw versions of everything above.
Norwegian Equipped Program FAQs
Do I need a full suit and shirt to run these?
For the peaking programs, yes, or at least access to them. The volume programs only ask for knee wraps, so they work as a first step into equipped training.
What do I enter at the top of the sheet?
Your goal squat, bench and deadlift. The peaking sheets ask for geared and raw numbers separately because they program both, and every working weight is derived from those.
Is 15 weeks too long for a peak?
It is longer than most peaking blocks, and that is deliberate. Getting comfortable in a suit and shirt takes training time that a raw lifter does not have to spend, so the front half is as much about gear practice as it is about strength.
Can I run these raw?
Run the raw versions instead. Wolf wrote them himself and the percentages already account for lifting without gear, so there is no reason to adapt these by hand.
