The Empire Barbell Block Periodization Program is a 14-week powerlifting program from Alex Bromley that trains 4 days a week. It’s split into a 4-week intensification block, a 6-week volume block and a second 4-week intensification block. You squat twice and bench twice every week, and each session is built around one or two main lifts followed by three to five accessories.
Bromley wrote the blocks for his gym, Empire Barbell in Redlands, California, and posted them on the Empire Barbell site between October 2018 and January 2019. The intensification blocks cut volume and add weight every week to chase PRs, and the volume block in the middle keeps squat and bench at 75% or less while the number of sets climbs. His Bullmastiff program uses the same idea of a volume phase followed by a heavier strength phase.
It’s a good fit for an intermediate lifter who’s comfortable pushing an AMRAP set and wants a structured 14 weeks between meets. Be warned: the competition deadlift doesn’t show up until week 11, so if your deadlift is the priority you’ll want something else. The program also ends with max singles in the gym, with no taper, so for meet prep you’d be better off with one of these powerlifting peaking programs.
Table of Contents
- 1 Empire Barbell Block Periodization Spreadsheet
- 2 Program Overview
- 3 Empire Barbell Block Periodization FAQs
- 3.1 How long is the Empire Barbell block periodization program?
- 3.2 How many days a week is it?
- 3.3 What does “last set to failure” mean?
- 3.4 Why is there no deadlift in the first two blocks?
- 3.5 Can I repeat the blocks?
- 3.6 Is this a meet peaking program?
- 3.7 What other Alex Bromley programs are on Lift Vault?
Empire Barbell Block Periodization Spreadsheet
Program written by Alex Bromley of Empire Barbell. Lift Vault built the spreadsheet from the three training blocks as they were posted on the Empire Barbell site (archived). All 14 weeks are laid out one tab per week, and the Read Me tab includes Bromley’s original notes on each block.
Enter your squat, bench and deadlift 1RMs on the Setup tab and every main lift load fills in. You can add new maxes before the volume block and before the second intensification block, or leave them blank to keep your starting numbers. Front squat percentages use your front squat 1RM (if you leave it blank, the sheet estimates it at 85% of your squat), and the variation lifts like board presses and Spoto presses are based on your bench or squat 1RM.
Bromley posts free training videos on YouTube and Instagram. His current free programs and PDFs are on his Empire Barbell programs page.
Program Overview
- Length: 14 weeks (4-week intensification, 6-week volume, 4-week intensification)
- Days per week: 4
- Squat: 2x per week
- Bench press: 2x per week
- Deadlift: 1x per week in the last 4 weeks only (Romanian deadlifts and good mornings before that)
- Main lifts: loaded as a percentage of your 1RM
- Accessories: 3 to 5 per session, sets and reps only
Intensification Block #1 (4 Weeks)
Day 1 is bench, Day 2 is squat, Day 3 is bench and Day 4 is squat. The first session of each lift is sets across with the last set taken to failure. The second is a single heavy set to failure, which turns into a max single in week 4.
| Week | Days 1 and 2 (bench, squat) | Days 3 and 4 (bench, squat) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3×5 @ 70%, last set to failure | 1 set to failure @ 85% |
| 2 | 5×5 @ 75%, last set to failure | 1 set to failure @ 93% |
| 3 | 4×4 @ 80%, last set to failure | 1 set to failure @ 88% |
| 4 | 3×3 @ 85%, last set to failure | Max single |
Week 1 is an intro week and should feel like a 6-7 out of 10. Week 2 jumps to 5 sets on everything except the heavy single, then sets and reps drop each week. The accessories follow the same pattern, so Bromley expects you to add weight to them as the reps come down.
If you run this block more than once in a row, week 1 doubles as a deload. Bromley doesn’t recommend running it more than twice before you switch blocks or swap out the main lifts, because the percentage jumps are aggressive and the returns drop off.
Volume Block (6 Weeks)
The volume block switches to a squat day, a bench day, a lighter squat day and a lighter bench day. There are no sets to failure on the main lifts, and squat and bench never go above 75% of 1RM. The number of sets goes up almost every week instead, finishing at 10 working sets on the Day 1 squat and Day 2 bench in week 6.
| Week | Day 1 squat and Day 2 bench | Day 3 squat | Day 4 bench |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3×10 @ 60% | 3×10 @ 50% | 3×10 @ 55% |
| 2 | 5 sets of 10 @ 60, 65, 70, 60, 60% | 4×10 @ 50% | 4×10 @ 55% |
| 3 | 6 sets of 10 @ 60, 65, 70, 70, 60, 60% | 5×10 @ 50% | 5×10 @ 55% |
| 4 | 10 @ 65%, 8 @ 70%, 6, 6 @ 75%, 10 @ 65% | 3×8 @ 55% | 3×8 @ 60% |
| 5 | 8, 8 @ 70%, 6, 6, 6 @ 75%, 8, 8 @ 70% | 3×8 @ 60% | 3×8 @ 65% |
| 6 | 8, 8 @ 70%, 6, 6, 6, 6 @ 75%, 8, 8 @ 70%, 10, 10 @ 65% | 5×8 @ 60% | 5×8 @ 65% |
The accessory work is heavy too. The bench days have close grip board presses (65% up to 80% of your bench 1RM) and dips to failure, and there are four different triceps exercises across the two days. The squat days have front squats, Romanian deadlifts, rows and hamstring curls.
Bromley says it’s better to go too light than too heavy in this block. He treats all of those reps as practice for the perfect rep, and says lifters usually find the main lifts feel cleaner and faster by the end of it. Take weight off the bar if your form starts to slip.
Intensification Block #2 (4 Weeks)
The second intensification block uses the same percentages as the first, but the accessories change and the competition deadlift comes back. Day 1 is squat and deadlift, Day 2 is bench, Day 3 is squat and Day 4 is bench.
| Week | Day 1 squat and Day 2 bench | Day 1 deadlift | Days 3 and 4 (squat, bench) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3×5 @ 70%, last set to failure | 3×6 @ 70% | 1 set to failure @ 85% |
| 2 | 5×5 @ 75%, last set to failure | 5×5 @ 75% | 1 set to failure @ 93% |
| 3 | 4×4 @ 80%, last set to failure | 3×4 @ 80% | 1 set to failure @ 88% |
| 4 | 3×3 @ 85%, last set to failure | 3×3 @ 85% | 1 rep max |
Days 2, 3 and 4 each have a variation that follows the 70, 75, 80 and 85% progression. It’s close grip bench with chains on Day 2, safety squat bar pause squats on Day 3 and Spoto presses on Day 4. The block finishes with a 1 rep max test on squat and bench in week 4.
Bromley wrote this block to follow the volume block. If you took the volume work seriously, he says you should be ready for four weeks of steady PRs.
Empire Barbell Block Periodization FAQs
How long is the Empire Barbell block periodization program?
14 weeks if you run each block once. That’s 4 weeks of intensification, 6 weeks of volume and another 4 weeks of intensification. Bromley posted the blocks one after another on his gym’s site, starting in October 2018 and ending in January 2019.
How many days a week is it?
4 days a week in every block. You squat twice and bench twice each week, and the last block adds a deadlift to the first squat day.
What does “last set to failure” mean?
Do your listed sets, then take the last one for as many reps as you can with good form. The single sets at 85%, 93% and 88% work the same way. Write the reps down, because the goal in the intensification blocks is to beat your previous rep maxes.
Why is there no deadlift in the first two blocks?
The first 10 weeks train the hips and hamstrings with high good mornings to pins, Romanian deadlifts, back extensions and hamstring curls. The competition deadlift only shows up in the last block, once a week, working up to 3×3 @ 85%. If you’d rather pull from the floor earlier, you can make it a main lift in the first two blocks.
Can I repeat the blocks?
Yes. Bromley designed the first intensification block so you can run it twice in a row, with week 1 acting as a deload the second time through. He recommends switching blocks or changing the main lifts after two runs.
Is this a meet peaking program?
It’s a general strength cycle that ends with a max single on squat and bench in the gym. There’s no taper week, and week 4 still has 3×3 @ 85% on the first two days. For meet prep, take a look at the powerlifting peaking programs or the other 14 week programs on Lift Vault.
What other Alex Bromley programs are on Lift Vault?
Besides Bullmastiff, Lift Vault has his 70s Powerlifter program, KONG for hypertrophy, the 100 lbs in 10 weeks squat program, the Empire Barbell high frequency bench press program and his SIMPLEST beginner program.
