Fitness & Nutrition Resources

This is Greg Nuckols’ high frequency block: a repeating three week cycle where you train the same lift five days a week at 65% to 85% of your 1RM, always stopping well short of failure. Every session is short. Nothing in it is a grinder. The whole point is to accumulate a large number of clean, fast reps rather than a small number of hard ones.

Program Type: 3 Week Programs, Powerlifting Program, Programs, Strength Training Program
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Last Modified: September 15, 2026

This is Mark Bell’s 5 week Sling Shot bench press program, also known as “Stronger in 30 Days.” You bench once a week for five weeks: paused bench press, then Sling Shot work on top of it, then three superset clusters. Week 5 is a PR attempt.

Program Type: 5 Week Programs, Bench Press Workout Program, Peaking Program, Powerlifting Program, Programs, Strength Training Program
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Last Modified: September 15, 2026

Joe Delaney’s Ibiza Shreds programme is a 6 day upper/lower split built for hypertrophy while cutting. You train lower, upper, then isolations and abs, and then run the same three days again. Sunday is the only rest day.

Program Type: 10 Week Programs, Bodybuilding Program, Programs
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Last Modified: September 15, 2026

Jonnie Candito released this 9 week advanced squat program in 2016. Like his advanced deadlift program and advanced bench press program, it puts nearly all of its attention on one lift and holds the other two steady.

It is aimed at lifters who have plateaued on the squat specifically, or who have decided to prioritize it for a while. At 9 weeks it was the longest of his single lift programs when he released it, and the reasoning for that length is squat specific. His advanced deadlift program came later and runs longer still, at 10 or 14 weeks depending on the version you pick.

If you are still progressing on all three lifts at once, this is not the program to run. The Candito 6 Week Strength Program is the better fit in that case, since it trains all three.

Program Type: 9 Week Programs, 9 Week Squat Programs, Lift Specific Program, Peaking Program, Powerlifting Program, Programs, Squat Program
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Last Modified: September 15, 2026

Fred Hatfield, better known as Dr. Squat, built this 9 week peaking program around two sessions per week for a given lift: one heavy, one light. You can run it for a single lift or for all three. The program finishes with a single at 110% of the max you entered, which is where the 10% target comes from.

The A workout barely moves. It sits at 5 sets of 2 and creeps up by less than a percent a week, from 80% to 85% across the whole program. All the real work happens on the B workout, which climbs from 5 sets of 3 at 85% to a single at 110%.

This is a peaking block, not a training program. It assumes you already have a base and want to express it on a given date. If you are still adding weight session to session, a linear progression will serve you better than this.

Program Type: 9 Week Programs, Lift Specific Program, Peaking Program, Powerlifting Program, Programs, Squat Program
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Last Modified: September 14, 2026

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.

Program Type: 6 Week Programs, Bench Press Workout Program, Deadlift Program, Lift Specific Program, Peaking Program, Powerlifting Program, Squat Program
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Last Modified: September 13, 2026

Ed Coan wrote this 10 week deadlift program for Mark Phillipi, who reported taking his deadlift from 505 lbs to 540 lbs on it. It runs on one deadlift session per week: a heavy top set, a block of speed triples at a much lighter weight, then power shrugs in the back half.

The whole thing is driven off a desired max rather than your current one. You set a goal above what you can pull today, and every weight in the program is calculated backward from that number. The spreadsheet’s worked example goes from a 410 lb current max to a 430 lb goal, so 20 lbs is the reference point to start from. Week 10 is the goal itself, taken as a single.

It cuts against the usual advice that the way to deadlift more is to deadlift less. If you like pulling often, are rebuilding after time off, or just want a change from programs that bury the deadlift behind squat variations, this is worth a look.

Program Type: 10 Week Deadlift Programs, 10 Week Programs, Deadlift Program, Lift Specific Program, Powerlifting Program, Programs
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Last Modified: September 13, 2026

Two free strength programs from Brian Alsruhe: Dark Horse and 4 Horsemen. Both were published on his YouTube channel, and he walks through each one end to end on video rather than handing out a PDF.

Brian coaches out of Never Sate Athletics and comes at strength from a strongman and conjugate background, so both programs lean on max effort work, heavy carries and conditioning rather than a straight percentage progression. They are demanding programs, and neither is a good first template.

If you want a written breakdown before committing, watch the overview video for whichever program you are considering. I have kept the vlog series at the bottom too, because watching somebody actually run Dark Horse week to week tells you more about the workload than any summary will.

Program Type: 12 Week Programs, Powerlifting Program, Programs, Strength Training Program
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Last Modified: September 13, 2026

This Chinese Olympic weightlifting program is a 3 day, 4 week peaking block that runs Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It was originally written for school-aged lifters who could only train 3 days per week, so it fits the snatch and clean & jerk plus all the supporting pulls, squats, and presses into three sessions. The block builds toward a peak at the end of the month.

It follows the classic Chinese high-intensity method: you train heavy often and aim to peak roughly once a month. That shows up in the loading, including the documented spots where the program calls for “100% or more” of a lift’s 1RM. Since you can’t actually grind multiple reps at a true max, the sheet keeps that prescription as written and pairs it with the practical “OR 5×3 @ 85%” approach so you have something you can actually load and hit.

It’s a good fit if you’re an intermediate or more advanced Olympic lifter who’s short on training days and wants a focused peaking block rather than a full year-round plan. If you want a longer Olympic lifting program to build base work first, check out the Torokhtiy 13 Week 3 Day Olympic Weightlifting Program, then come back to this block when you’re ready to peak.

Program Overview

• 4 week peaking mesocycle
• 3 training days per week
• Trains a variety lifts, but is designed to peak the snatch and clean & jerk
• Trained lifts include the snatch, clean & jerk, power snatch, power clean, snatch pull, clean pull, deadlift, Romanian deadlift, back squat, front squat, hang snatch, push press, and press.

Program Type: 4 Week Programs, Olympic Weightlifting Programs, Programs
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Last Modified: September 12, 2026

German Volume Training (GVT), sometimes called the “10 sets method,” is a high-volume hypertrophy program popularized by Charles Poliquin. You do 10 sets of 10 reps on a main compound lift at roughly 60% of your 1RM, run across two phases (a 10×10 phase for the first four weeks, then a heavier 10×6 phase for three more weeks). The full program runs seven weeks; stopping after Phase 1 gives you a four-week block.

The idea is straightforward: drown the muscle in volume at a submaximal load. You can’t go heavy when you’re on set seven of ten. The weight stays the same across all sets, and if you complete all 100 reps with constant rest intervals, you add about 4-5% the next week. It’s similar in spirit to Vince Gironda’s 8×8: both programs beat you up with density and volume rather than max-effort intensity.

GVT is best for intermediate lifters in a caloric surplus who have the recovery capacity for five training days a week on a rolling cycle. If you’re a beginner, the volume will outpace your ability to recover. Start with something like the Fierce 5 program first. If you’re already well-trained and looking for a shock-stimulus block, GVT works well run once or twice a year.

Program Type: 4 Week Programs, 7 Week Programs, Bodybuilding Program, Programs
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Last Modified: September 12, 2026

Sheiko programs are powerlifting programs attributed to Boris Sheiko, the renowned Russian powerlifting coach. They’re known for their high volume – lots of submaximal doubles and triples on the competition lifts, often multiple times per session.

More of a loose working template than a strict program, many different variations of Sheiko powerlifting programs have been circulating Internet forums for years. This page gathers the most useful ones in one place, all as Google Sheets (better than PDF), from beginner through advanced.

To best understand Sheiko’s training methodology, Lift Vault highly recommends you read or listen to his interview with Omar Isuf.

Program Type: 12 Week Programs, 13 Week Programs, 4 Week Programs, 8 Week Programs, Powerlifting Program, Programs
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Last Modified: September 12, 2026

The Strength Athlete (TSA) released their 9 week beginner powerlifting program (aka general beginner approach) as a follow up to their successful 9 week intermediate powerlifting program. Like the intermediate program before it, the beginner program is structured as a 4 day, 9 week program, but also includes a 4 week peak if preparing for a meet.

Program Type: 9 Week Programs, Powerlifting Program, Programs
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Last Modified: September 12, 2026

Daily Undulating Periodization (DUP) varies intensity and volume from session to session rather than block to block. Instead of spending four weeks on sets of 5 and then four weeks on sets of 3, you might hit all of those rep ranges in a single week.

The research behind it is unusually good for a training method, and the studies are linked below. The short version is that shifting rep ranges daily produced better strength gains than shifting them every four weeks.

It’s aimed at lifters who have run out of room on a linear progression. Every spreadsheet on this page is a DUP program, and they range from 3 day templates you can run indefinitely to fixed 8 week blocks.

Program Type: 13 Week Programs, 3 Week Programs, 4 Week Programs, 8 Week Programs, Peaking Program, Powerbuilding Program, Powerlifting Program, Programs
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Last Modified: September 12, 2026

5/3/1 is a strength template more than a fixed program. You set a Training Max at 90% of your true 1RM, then run 4 week cycles: three weeks of work with an AMRAP top set, then a deload, adding a little to the Training Max each time. Everything is built around steady progress on the big barbell lifts (squat, bench, deadlift, and press).

The point is slow, sustainable progress. You leave reps in the tank most of the time and only chase a rep PR on the last set, so you keep moving forward for months instead of stalling out in a few weeks. It’s also easy to bolt extra volume or specificity onto, which is why so many variations exist (Boring But Big for size, First Set Last, the 3/5/1 powerlifting version). It was influential enough that programs like GZCL and nSuns grew out of its ideas.

It’s best for intermediate lifters who have stalled on simpler linear progression. If you’re a true beginner still adding weight every session, you’ll progress faster on a basic linear program like GZCLP first, since 5/3/1’s monthly jumps are slower than you need. Come to it when straight linear progression stops working.

Program Type: 3 Week Programs, 4 Week Programs, Powerlifting Program, Programs, Strength Training Program
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Last Modified: September 12, 2026

Nick Bare’s 16-week hybrid plan trains you to run and lift at the same time. Most days pair a morning run with an evening lifting session, so you end up with about five lifts and four runs a week, with Sunday off.

Bare Performance Nutrition put the whole thing out for free, one week at a time. We pulled all 16 weeks into a single spreadsheet so you can see the full plan and log it in one place.

It isn’t a beginner program. You should already be able to run five to seven miles easy and handle a barbell. If that’s you, it’s one of the most complete free hybrid plans you’ll find.

Program Type: 16 Week Programs, Programs, Running, Strength Training Program
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Last Modified: September 12, 2026

The Brian DeGennaro 16-Week Olympic Weightlifting Program, also called his Team Program, is a long peaking block for the snatch and the clean and jerk. You train five days a week, Sunday through Thursday, across two phases that build strength first and then sharpen the lifts for a meet.

It’s an advanced, competitive program. It’s built for lifters who already compete or are training toward a meet, not for someone still learning the lifts.

DeGennaro shared this as a free program, but his original weightlifting-forum post is offline now, so the spreadsheet is the easiest way to run it. Enter your maxes and the loads fill in for every day across both phases.

Program Type: 16 Week Programs, Olympic Weightlifting Programs, Programs
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Last Modified: September 12, 2026

Most strongman programs assume you already compete or already own a yard full of implements. This one doesn’t. Barbell Medicine, run by Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum and Dr. Austin Baraki, put out a free six-week template that eases you into strongman training with mostly barbell work and a few simple events.

You train three days a week. Each day pairs a main barbell lift with a press, then finishes with one event: a carry, weighted pull-up holds, or stone and sandbag loading. The barbell work runs on RPE, so you push hard enough without grinding yourself into the ground.

This one’s aimed at beginners and early intermediates who want to try strongman without buying a yard of gear. You only need a barbell, plates, and one event implement, like a sandbag, a few stones, or a sled if you don’t have a yoke or farmers handles yet.

Be clear on what this is. It’s a free six-week on-ramp, not the full program. Barbell Medicine also sells a longer paid Strongman Template that runs more volume across four to five days, and this template is a good way to test the water before you commit to that.

Program Type: 6 Week Programs, Programs, Strongman Programs
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Last Modified: September 12, 2026

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.

Program Type: 12 Week Programs, Programs, Strongman Programs
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Last Modified: September 12, 2026

The 100 lbs in 10 Weeks program is a free squat specialization routine from Alex Bromley (Empire Barbell). It is built around a hard-charging squat and push focus, with a percentage-based intensity wave that ramps from higher-volume work up to a peak single, all while building the muscle that supports a bigger lift.

It runs four days a week as a five-week wave. You run that wave, take a light week to recover and re-test, then run it again with your new numbers. That second pass is where the squat really climbs, which is how a patient lifter chases the namesake 100 pounds over the full ten weeks.

This one is for late-beginner and intermediate lifters who already squat with solid technique and want a focused block. If you are newer than that, start with a linear progression like Starting Strength or GreySkull LP first.

Program Type: Programs, Strength Training Program
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Last Modified: September 12, 2026

Doggcrapp (DC) training is a high-intensity, low-volume system from Dante Trudel. You hit each body part with one brutal rest-pause set, rotate your exercises, and try to add weight to the bar every single session.

It is built around short, hard workouts and a blast-and-cruise structure, so you push all-out for a stretch and then back off to recover. Trudel shared the whole thing for free on the IntenseMuscle forums years ago, and it built a cult following for good reason.

This one is for intermediate and advanced lifters with solid technique, not beginners. The intensity only pays off if your form holds up when you are deep into a set. If you want a more measured hypertrophy approach, our HST program is a gentler option.

Program Type: Bodybuilding Program, Programs
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Last Modified: September 12, 2026