Free Programs and Spreadsheets
These are squat programs that call for the athlete to squat 3 days per week.
To search through all programs based on lots of different criteria, check out the Lift Vault Program Library.
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Advanced, Intermediate
Weeks: 12
Periodization: Block Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: Peaking, Powerlifting
Uses RPE: Yes
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): No
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 12 week powerlifting peaking program based on rate of perceived exertion (RPE). It uses 4 training days per week and divides the 12 week program into four different training blocks ending with a taper. It was created by Matt Mignone at Mignone Strength [Read more…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Beginner, Intermediate
Weeks: Indefinite
Periodization: Linear Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: Hypertrophy
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): No
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
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s workout routine known as “Golden Six” is a 3 day beginner bodybuilding routine that can be run indefinitely. It was used in the early days of Schwarzenegger’s training before he started higher volume training programs.
[Read more…] By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Intermediate
Weeks: 12, 6
Periodization: Linear Periodization
Meet prep program: No
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 collection of templates for the Tactical Barbell program. Included are the operator, zulu, fighter, gladiator, mass, and grey man programs – all in the same spreadsheet.
[Read more…] By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Beginner
Weeks: 6
Periodization: Undulating Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: High Volume, Powerlifting
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 6 week long powerlifting volume block for novice lifters from the smart folks at Squats & Science. [Read more…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Intermediate
Weeks: 7
Periodization: Block Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: Hypertrophy, Powerlifting
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 spreadsheet derived from Brendan Tietz’s YouTube video on intermediate powerlifting and bodybuilding programming. If you’re a beginner lifter, please see Brendan Tietz Beginner Powerlifting Program. As this blends a significant amount of hypertrophy work with strength development, this could also be considered a powerbuilding program. This program utilizes a blend of percentage programming and RPE. If you’re unfamiliar with RPE, you can learn more about it here: RPE Calculator. [Read more…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Beginner
Weeks: 4
Periodization: Block Periodization, Linear Periodization
Program goal: Powerlifting, Strength
Uses RPE: Yes
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): No
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
August 6, 2019 Update: The spreadsheet is now available for copying and sharing. Apologies for the mix up.
A beginner powerlifting program released by Brendan Tietz. A video overview and full program details are below. [Read more…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Intermediate
Weeks: 7
Periodization: Undulating Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: Olympic Weightlifting, Peaking, Powerlifting
Uses RPE: No
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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 Tim Swords 7 Week Front Squat Program is a free percentage-based peaking cycle from Tim Swords, an Olympic weightlifting coach with Team Houston Weightlifting / FuBarbell. The program runs 7 weeks with 3 squat sessions per week. Front squats are the primary movement, trained twice a week, and back squats are trained once per week. The cycle builds to a max front squat attempt in week 6 and a max back squat attempt in week 7.
The training philosophy comes straight from Olympic weightlifting coaching: high-frequency submaximal front squat volume in the early weeks, gradually tightening intensity until you’re doing heavy singles and a true max attempt. You’ll work off both your front squat and back squat 1RMs throughout. Weeks 1-3 stay in the 60-80% range, weeks 4-5 climb to 85-95%, and week 6 peaks with singles at 100% and a max attempt. Week 7 is a taper that ends with a max back squat. It’s built to peak, not to build general fitness.
This program is right for intermediate-plus lifters who can handle squatting 3 days per week and want a bigger front squat. It’s popular with weightlifters who compete and need to peak both lifts on a set timeline. If you’re newer to squatting or haven’t run a peaking block before, you’d be better served by a longer general strength cycle first, like the Hatch Squat Program. For other Olympic weightlifting-focused programs, check out the LSUS 10-5-3 Olympic Weightlifting Program.
[Read more…] By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Intermediate
Weeks: 12
Periodization: Block Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: Off Season, Powerlifting, Strength
Uses RPE: Yes
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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
A daily undulating periodization program from Brendan Tietz for powerlifters. As this is a submaximal powerlifting program, this is best suited for off season work, not peaking for a meet. [Read more…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Beginner
Weeks: 5
Periodization: Linear Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: Hypertrophy, Strength
Uses RPE: No
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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 All Pro Simple Beginner Routine (ASBR) is a classic strength and hypertrophy workout routine for novices. It supposedly originated on BodyBuilding.com and this particular version was modified a bit by tr3pid.
There is an extensive FAQ section that is copied from the spreadsheet below. [Read more…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Recommended by Lift Vault: Recommended
Experience level: Intermediate
Weeks: 8
Periodization: Undulating Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: Powerlifting, Strength
Uses RPE: Yes
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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
Long program description and video overview are available below. [Read more…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Intermediate
Weeks: 9
Periodization: Undulating Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: Powerlifting
Uses RPE: Yes
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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
Reactive Training Systems (RTS) train some of the strongest powerlifters on the planet, so when Mike Tuchscherer published a general outline for a training program people took notice. [Read more…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Beginner, Intermediate
Weeks: 3
Periodization: Linear Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: Peaking, Powerlifting
Uses RPE: Yes
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Intermediate
Weeks: 6
Periodization: Block Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: Hypertrophy, Strength
Uses RPE: Yes
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Recommended by Lift Vault: Recommended
Experience level: Intermediate
Weeks: 16, 8
Periodization: Undulating Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: Peaking, Powerlifting, Strength
Uses RPE: Yes
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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
Written by Calgary Barbell, the 16 week and 8 week programs are designed to improve the squat, bench press, and deadlift of the athlete in preparation for a powerlifting meet. You can, however, run them even if you’re not prepping for a meet. Both programs are quite similar, with the primary difference between the two being that the 16 week program has a more full progression of each lift, whereas the 8 week program is more a training snapshot.
[Read more…] By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Recommended by Lift Vault: Recommended
Experience level: Beginner
Weeks: 8
Periodization: Linear Periodization
Uses RPE: Yes
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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
Created by Jordan Feigenbaum and Austin Baraki at Barbell Medicine, the Bridge is a strength program designed for athletes that are finishing a novice program like Starting Strength or Strong Lifts 5×5 and are ready for a “bridge” to intermediate level programming. [Read more…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Intermediate
Weeks: 3, 6
Periodization: Undulating Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: Peaking, Powerlifting
Uses RPE: No
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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 original strains of what became the Russian Squat Routine, the 1974 and 1976 USSR “Yearbook” routines are very specific and should only be used when preparing the squat for competition. These are not general, off-season programs to be run repeatedly.
Differences:
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Recommended by Lift Vault: Recommended
Experience level: Advanced, Beginner, Intermediate
Weeks: 4
Periodization: Undulating Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: High Volume, Powerlifting, Strength
Uses RPE: No
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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
Greg Nuckols released 28 free training programs through his site, Stronger by Science. The bundle covers squat, bench press, and deadlift individually, with templates for beginner, intermediate, and advanced lifters at 1, 2, or 3 training days per week for each lift. Every program runs on a 4-week cycle, and you test your 1RM at the end of each cycle. The math: 3 lifts x 3 skill levels x 3 frequencies = 27 programs, plus a 4th deadlift variation (low volume, medium volume, and high volume in addition to the standard beginner version) = 28 total.
The design comes from Nuckols’ data-driven approach to strength training. Instead of a single fixed program, the bundle gives you a modular system: pick your lift, your experience level, and how many days per week you can train that lift. You use the squat, bench, and deadlift programs together, each running at whatever frequency fits your schedule. Intermediate and advanced templates add lift variations (front squats alongside back squats, for example), while beginner programs focus on the competition lifts to build the movement pattern first.
These programs are a good fit for intermediate and advanced lifters who want a percentage-based, structured template they can customize by frequency. Beginners can run them too — the 1x per week beginner versions are the most approachable entry point. You’ll need a 1RM estimate for each lift to get started. If you’re brand new to powerlifting, you might get more mileage from a full-body novice program first. See also: Greg Nuckols High Frequency Program (free spreadsheet).
[Read more…] By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Recommended by Lift Vault: Recommended
Experience level: Advanced, Intermediate
Weeks: 8
Periodization: Wave Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: High Volume, Hypertrophy
Uses RPE: No
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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
Popularized by Bryan Haycock, hypertrophy specific training (HST) is a training routine based upon the principles of mechanical load, chronic stimuli, progressive load, and strategic deconditioning.
This training style is best utilized by bodybuilders, though it can be used by powerlifters and other athletes to spark muscle growth and work capacity in the off-season. [Read more…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Intermediate
Weeks: 14
Periodization: Wave Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: Powerlifting
Uses RPE: No
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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
While the Texas Method has long been a popular intermediate program for graduates of Rippetoe’s Starting Strength or other novice programs like Strong Lifts, a popular Texas Method variation to emerge has been the Cowboy Method.
Included here are the Original Cowboy Method and a Modified Cowboy Method. [Read more…]
By Kyle Risley
Last updated
Experience level: Intermediate
Weeks: 4
Periodization: Undulating Periodization
Meet prep program: No
Program goal: Hypertrophy, Strength
Uses RPE: Yes
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes
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
Hot on the heels of the immensely popular Kizen 6 Week Bench Peaking Program spreadsheet, Silent Mikke, Bart Kwan, and Omar Isuf have teamed up yet again to release the first 4 weeks of their 16 week Powerbuilding Program for free, including a PDF that explains the theory behind the program!
[Read more…]