Lift Vault

Free Programs and Spreadsheets

Home » Programs » Strength Training Program » Page 3

The 10 Best Strength Training Programs

  1. 3 Day Maximal Strength by Sheiko
  2. GreySkull LP (novice)
  3. nSuns (novice/intermediate)
  4. Madcow 5x5  (intermediate/advanced)
  5. Building the Monolith (intermediate/advanced)
  6. GZCL (intermediate)
  7. Wendler 5/3/1  (intermediate)
  8. GZCLP (novice/intermediate)
  9. Ivysaur 4-4-8 (novice)
  10. Strong Lifts 5x5 (novice)

Want a Custom Strength Program?

Lift Vault Market is now offering custom strength programs designed to help you crush your goals.

Recommended Reading: Practical Programming for Strength Training by Mark Rippetoe (Amazon)

Strength training programs are designed to increase the maximal force of the athlete's musculature. While the routines emphasize growing the strength of the athlete, they generally will also induce hypertrophy and trigger muscle growth. This is part of what helps the athlete get stronger. If hypertrophy is the primary goal, a powerbuilding or bodybuilding program is a better fit.

Strength routines differ from powerlifting programs in that they are not specifically designed to maximize the single rep max of the competition power lifts. However, many strength programs can be reasonably used as off season work for powerlifters as long as the program is followed by a powerlifting peaking program before a meet.

Want more? Search the Lift Vault Program Library!

Search the Lift Vault Program Library to find the exact program you're looking for based on many criteria (e.g. experience level, days per week, and much more).

The latest strength training programs are available below.

Popular Programs via App


Boostcamp App


Boostcamp App


Free

Many of the most popular programs on Lift Vault are now available on a free app!

Boostcamp lets you track progress, calculate weight/sets/reps, and discover new programs - all for free!


Visit Boostcamp App

Thinner Leaner Stronger Workout Program Spreadsheets

By
Last updated

Experience level:
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal: ,

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Thinner Leaner Stronger is Michael Matthews’ strength and physique program for women, and the female counterpart to Bigger Leaner Stronger. It runs on 3-day or 4-day splits built around heavy compound work in the 4-6 rep range, with accessories in the 8-12 rep range. The training is organized into 8-week phases followed by a deload week, and the cycle repeats indefinitely as you progress.

The program’s core idea is that women build strength and shape the same way men do: progressive overload on the big lifts. Matthews pushes back on the “light weights for toning” myth. Each session starts with a primary compound lift (squat, deadlift, bench, overhead press, or hip thrust depending on the day), then moves into 3-4 accessory exercises. The 3-day version runs a push/pull/legs structure; the 4-day version splits into chest and triceps, back and biceps and glutes, shoulders, and legs.

TLS is a good fit for beginner to early intermediate women who want to get stronger and change their body composition. You do need access to a barbell and a rack. If you’re looking for a program that doesn’t require a full gym setup, Strong Curves is worth a look since it works well with dumbbells and a hip thrust setup. The full TLS book and bonus materials (including official Excel and Google Sheets versions) are available at legionathletics.com via Michael Matthews and Legion Athletics.

[Read more…]

Sheikburn Program Spreadsheet (Sheiko x Hepburn Method)

By
Last updated

Experience level:
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal: ,

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Sheikburn combines Hepburn Method style sets and rep structure (progressively adding more reps to the same weight OR adding more sets to the same rep range) Sheiko style periodization (alternating heavy days and light days).

Fans of “frankenprograms” like Megazord or GZCL / MagOrt / Deathbench will probably find this program interesting. [Read more…]

Drop Bear Junior, Intermediate, and Senior Program Spreadsheets

By
Last updated


As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Here are three different versions of the Drop Bear program: junior (beginner), intermediate, and senior (advanced). The beginner version is a 12 week powerlifting program, the intermediate version is a 13 week powerlifting program, and the advanced version is a 19 week powerlifting program. The intermediate program could be used to peak for a powerlifting competition. [Read more…]

Inverted Juggernaut Method Spreadsheet (3 Versions, + 5/3/1)

By
Last updated

Recommended by Lift Vault:
Experience level:
Weeks:
Periodization: ,
Meet prep program:
Program goal: ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Background on the Juggernaut Method

The Inverted Juggernaut Method (aka Inverse Juggernaut Method) is a popular variation of the well known Juggernaut Method.

As a refresher, here is the basic breakdown of the 4 weekly phases of the Juggernaut Method: [Read more…]

Coolcicada 6 Day PPL Spreadsheet

By
Last updated

Experience level: ,
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal: ,

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

The CoolCicada PPL is a free 6-day Push/Pull/Legs program that started as a post on the BodyBuilding.com forums. You train each movement pattern twice a week: push days hit chest, shoulders, and triceps; pull days hit back and biceps (with an optional deadlift); leg days cover quads, hamstrings, and calves. Main compound lifts run at 3-5 sets of 5 reps, and accessory work fills in at 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps. There are two spreadsheet versions below: one with deadlifts on pull day, and one without.

The program runs on simple linear progression. Add weight every session when you hit the prescribed reps. There’s no AMRAP, no RPE, no percentage-based loading. You just show up, hit your sets, and add a small plate next time. High frequency is the other piece of it: by running push, pull, and legs twice per week, you’re getting each muscle group in the gym every 3-4 days instead of once.

It’s a good fit for intermediate lifters who can get to the gym 6 days a week and want to build both size and strength at the same time. If you’re newer to lifting, I’d start with a 3-day linear program first, like Starting Strength or StrongLifts 5×5, before jumping into 6-day training. If you can only train 3-4 days, you’ll get more out of something like the PPL collection that has 3-4 day variants. For more PPL options, check out Lift Vault’s collection of PPL programs.

[Read more…]

6 Day PPL Split Workout Routines (6 PPL Programs)

By
Last updated


As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Are you just looking for great 6 day PPL workout programs to run?

If so, check out these links for spreadsheets and additional info.

What is a PPL Split?

A PPL split is a method for organizing resistance training based on the type of exercise movements. PPL stands for push, pull, legs. Common exercises include the bench press for push days, barbell rows for pull days, and squats for leg days.

About 6 Day Push Pull Legs Routines

Push Pull Legs (PPL) programs are a popular way to structure bodybuilding, strength training, or powerbuilding style programming. This workout split allows for recovery from a certain set of movements while still training other movements.

For example, by grouping push movements (e.g. overhead press, bench press, dumbbell press, etc.) together in a single training session, it allows for those muscles to recover while pull movements are trained the next day. This lets an athlete train with greater frequency while still allowing for adequate recovery.

These programs are often used to stimulate hypertrophy, though mixing heavy days with lighter days will also add real strength.

[Read more…]

Alan Thrall Program Spreadsheet – Untamed Method

By
Last updated

Experience level: ,
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal: ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

The Untamed Method is a free 12-week powerlifting program that Barbell Medicine wrote for Alan Thrall of Untamed Strength. You train four days a week, and every day pairs the competition lifts (squat, bench, and deadlift) with a variation lift, a myo-rep pump slot, and some easy conditioning work. Loads run off RPE and your estimated 1RM, with percentage back-off sets on the main lifts.

The whole point was to keep Thrall progressing on very little. Dr. Austin Baraki built it while Alan was dealing with a newborn, so it is designed around short sleep, little free time, and compromised recovery. That is why it leans so hard on autoregulation: you push when you feel good and back off when you do not, using RPE to pick the weight instead of grinding a fixed number. It is the same block-periodized, RPE-first approach you will see in The Bridge and Barbell Medicine’s peaking templates, and if you are still getting comfortable rating your sets, the RPE calculator does the reps-to-percentage math for you.

It fits intermediate lifters who already know their way around RPE and want structure without a rigid percentage grind. Beginners can run it, but you will get more out of a simple linear program first, and if you are pointing at a meet you may prefer a dedicated peak like Calgary Barbell. If you have the four days and you are comfortable auto-regulating, it is a low-stress way to keep the big three moving when life is busy.

[Read more…]

Greg Nuckols High Frequency Powerlifting Program Spreadsheet (2 Versions)

By
Last updated

Experience level: ,
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal: , ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

In October 2015, Greg Nuckols published a very popular article titled “Your Drug Free Muscle and Strength Potential: Part 2.” In it he laid out the foundations for a high frequency training method.

It’s a pretty cool article because it includes a strength potential calculator that tries to estimate what percentage of a person’s maximum potential they’ve currently achieved per lift. If an individual is below 80% of their potential, they generally respond well to high frequency training. [Read more…]

Brian Alsruhe Conjugate Program

By
Last updated

Experience level:
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal: , ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Brian Alsruhe’s conjugate program is a 16 week, 4 day per week strength program that utilizes conjugate methods (dynamic effort, max effort) to stimulate strength gains. It makes heavy use of resistance bands and chains so it is recommended that these are used when following the program.

Max effort days [Read more…]

Westside for Skinny Bastards Program Templates (WS4SB)

By
Last updated

Experience level:
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal:
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Westside for Skinny Bastards (WS4SB) is Joe DeFranco’s hybrid, Westside-style program for skinny lifters and hard-gainers who want to add size and strength at the same time. It’s built around a primary heavy lift plus supplemental and accessory work, and DeFranco published it as two different templates: the original 3-day version (Part 1) and a later 4-day revision (Part 3). Pick the one that fits your schedule and how much you want to train.

The program borrows the Westside Barbell idea of rotating a max-effort lift and a repetition (higher-rep) lift, but it trims the conjugate method down into something a high schooler, athlete, or working professional can actually run. You train the upper body twice a week and hit the lower body hard, with the max-effort method building strength and the repetition method adding muscle. It’s a loose template, not a strict percentage-of-1RM plan, so you’ll rotate exercises every few weeks and do a little interpreting as you go.

WS4SB is geared toward ectomorphs and athletes who want general size and strength rather than a competition powerlifting total. If you’re brand new to lifting and want something simpler to start with, a straight linear program like Starting Strength or StrongLifts 5×5 is an easier on-ramp. Inspired by Westside, this program is not affiliated with Westside Barbell or Louie Simmons, and it is not a powerlifting program.

[Read more…]

Brian Alsruhe Mass Building Powerlifting Program

By
Last updated

Experience level:
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal: , ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Another free strength program from Brian Alsruhe, this time focusing on mass building. A video overview is below.

[Read more…]

GZCLP Program Spreadsheets, Progression Tips, and Accessories

By
Last updated

Recommended by Lift Vault:
Experience level: ,
Weeks:
Periodization: ,
Meet prep program:
Program goal: ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

GZCLP is a linear progression strength program for beginners, available in 3 day and 4 day versions. Each session is built from three tiers: a T1 main lift (starting at 5 sets of 3), a T2 variation (3 sets of 10), and a T3 accessory (3 sets of 15), with the last set of each tier an AMRAP.

It’s a simpler, faster-progressing version of Cody Lefever’s GZCL method. You add weight every time a lift comes up, like Starting Strength, but the tier structure gets you a lot more volume per session.

It’s highly customizable too: you pick the lifts you want to run in each tier, and the spreadsheets below handle the progression math for you.

[Read more…]

3 Peaking Template Spreadsheets by Barbell Medicine

By
Last updated

Experience level: ,
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal: ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Following up on the popular Bridge Program, the crew at Barbell Medicine introduced a free peaking program for athletes preparing for a powerlifting or strengthlifting meet. [Read more…]

Doug Hepburn Method Powerbuilding Program Spreadsheet

By
Last updated

Experience level: ,
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal: , ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Doug Hepburn was a Canadian strongman who won the 1953 world weightlifting title and the 1954 Commonwealth Games, and he did it on training that looks almost too plain to work. Four days a week, two lifts per session, squat and bench on one day, deadlift and overhead press on the next. No percentages chart, no wave loading, no accessory list.

The method itself is one idea. You pick a weight you can handle, you keep it exactly the same, and you add a single rep each session until you hit the target. Only then does the weight go up, by five or ten pounds, and the whole climb starts again.

Everyone else in the 1950s was chasing heavier bar loads week to week. Hepburn added volume at a fixed load and let strength come from the accumulated work.

There are two programs here, A and B, and each has a power phase and a pump phase. I’d run this if you like simple, repeatable training and you’re happy to be patient. The catch is that it’s slow, it’s repetitive, and it programs almost no direct arm or back work, so if you want a varied session or you’re chasing a peak for a meet on a date, this is the wrong program.

[Read more…]

Brian Alsruhe 9 Week Powerbuilding Program (5/3/1 Variant)

By
Last updated

Experience level:
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal: ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Check out the spreadsheet for Brian Alsruhe’s 5/3/1 variant program, which is excellent for those looking for a powerbuilding training style.

Please watch Brian’s video to understand how the program works. [Read more…]

Brian Alsruhe Programs (Dark Horse + 4 Horsemen)

By
Last updated

Experience level: ,
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal: , ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Below you fill find two programs by Brian Alsruhe (check out his YouTube channel and website): Dark Horse and 4 Horsemen.

Dark Horse Program Overview

Notes directly from Brian:

  • Fill in your competition lifts and 1RMs in the spreadsheet
  • In each wave, for each of the first 4 days, set your conditioning workout
  • Pick a variation for each ME Wave
  • In each wave, for each of the first 4 days, set your antagonistic, core, and conditioning giant set exercise

[Read more…]

GZCL Jacked and Tactical (Bench + Squat Only)

By
Last updated

Experience level:
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal: ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

This is a variation of Tactical Barbell programming combined with the GZCL program framework. It only programs the bench press and squat movements. Deadlifts are not included. This is ideal for athletes that are either unable to deadlift or looking to focus primarily on improving their bench press and squat. [Read more…]

MEGAZORD Hybrid Program Spreadsheet

By
Last updated

Experience level:
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal: ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

If you’re a fan of Frankenstein-esque hybrid programs, then Megazord may be exactly what you’re looking for. Written (or maybe concocted is a better word…) by /u/BenchPauper on Reddit, this program combines the Coan/Phillipi Deadlift Program, Greg Nuckols’s 2x weekly Intermediate Bench Program for OHP from his 28 Program Collection, and Ben Gillingham’s Raw Bench Program.

The results? Well, see for yourself…. [Read more…]

PHATburn Powerbuilding Program Spreadsheet

By
Last updated

Experience level:
Weeks:
Periodization:
Meet prep program:
Program goal: ,
Uses RPE:
Uses 1RM Percentage(%):

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Established by Doug Hepburn as a powerbuilding routine that blends the heavy weight work of powerlifting training with the hypertrophy-inducing volume of bodybuilding training, PHATburn is a challenging program for advanced athletes. If you’re looking to introduce more volume into your off-season training, this may be what you’re looking for. [Read more…]