Once you have a base of strongman training, you need a plan that pushes your main lifts hard while still building your events. This free 12 week intermediate strongman program comes straight from Laurence “Big Loz” Shahlaei, a 10x World’s Strongest Man competitor, published through Cerberus Strength.
You train 4 days a week across three 4-week blocks. The deadlift, strict press, safety bar squat, and push press all run on percentages that wave up to heavy singles, and the program peaks in weeks 11 and 12 with a PB attempt on deadlift and push press. Accessories, carries, and events round out each day.
We built the whole thing into an interactive spreadsheet. Enter your four main maxes once and every working weight prints out as “weight x reps” for all 12 weeks. Accessories and events have green cells you fill in as you train.
Table of Contents
12 Week Intermediate Strongman Program Spreadsheet
Spreadsheet via Cerberus Strength
On the Setup tab, set your rounding and enter your deadlift, strict press, safety bar squat, and push press maxes. The three program tabs (Weeks 1-4, 5-8, and 9-12) calculate your main-lift loads automatically. Green cells are yours to log, and the Calculators tab has a 1RM estimator and an RPE chart for picking accessory weights.
How the Program Works
The program is four days a week, split into three 4-week blocks that build from volume toward heavy singles. Main lifts climb on percentages; accessories run on RPE or simple “add weight when you hit the top reps” rules; events alternate lighter and heavier weeks.
The weekly split
- Day 1: Deadlift focus, plus rows, pulldowns, curls, and core
- Day 2: Strict press focus, plus incline pressing, delts, and triceps
- Day 3: Safety bar squat focus, plus leg press and posterior chain
- Day 4: Push press plus your events (farmers or yoke, loading medley, atlas stones or sandbag to shoulder)
How it progresses
Weeks 1-4 build volume in the 5 to 8 rep range. Weeks 5-8 shift heavier with speed work and lower reps. Weeks 9-12 work up to heavy triples, doubles, and singles, then a PB attempt on deadlift and push press if your warm-ups feel good.
On events, farmers and yoke alternate a lighter “beat your time” week with a heavier week. The loading medley and atlas stones trade off week to week.
FAQ
Who is this program for?
Lifters with some strongman experience who can train 4 days a week and have access to at least a few events. If you’re brand new, start with a beginner strongman program first and come back to this one.
What if I don’t have a safety bar?
Use a high-bar back squat or front squat and enter that max instead. The sheet calculates the same way off whichever squat you choose.
Do I need to know RPE?
It helps. Several accessories are prescribed by RPE, which is just how hard a set feels out of 10. The Calculators tab includes an RPE chart so you can turn a target RPE and rep count into a percentage of your max.
Is it really free?
Yes. Big Loz and Cerberus publish the full 12 week program for free, and our spreadsheet is free to copy with File then Make a Copy.
