Free Powerbuilding Program

with tracking spreadsheet

This is a free powerbuilding program designed for use by people with busy schedules (think things like new kid, very stressful job, or frequent travel) or those who tend to recover slowly (older lifters or those who struggle with appetite and sleep).

If you have a more lifting-friendly situation, you can still use this program. Instead of following the weeks as laid out below, train four times per week on a rolling schedule. You’ll complete all of the scheduled sessions in 5 weeks instead of 7.

Click here to download the tracking spreadsheet. Cells shaded in yellow are for you to fill in with your training data. Cells shaded in orange are calculated cells (do not change them).

Program Overview

You will train on an alternating split. Weeks 1, 3, 5, and 7 follow a push/pull/legs split. Weeks 2, 4, and 6 follow a full body split. You can also train every other day or four times per week if you prefer. I suggest modifying your training frequency based on your recovery ability, but you should probably not train more than four times per week.

You will need access to the following equipment:

• Barbell

• Dumbbells

• Power Rack

• Chin/Dipping Station

• Leg Press (you can sub a hack or pendulum squat if you prefer)

• Lat Pulldown

• Hamstring Curl

There is no ab training included in this program. If you would like to add some, go for it. I have an ab-specific training program available here. You can always contact me to set up a consult as well.

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Week 1

Day 1: Legs

1. Squat: You’re doing 2 sets of 5 reps.  Start with 70% 1RM for a set of 5.  If that’s easy, go up to 75% 1RM for a set of 5.  Don’t exceed 75% 1RM.

2. High Bar Squat: Take a weight you can do for about 10 reps without taking any breaks to catch your breath.  This will probably be 50-60% 1RM for your regular squat.  You’re going to do 20 reps with it.  You will obviously need to stop and catch your breath after 10 reps or so, but stick with it – you can take as long as you need, but don’t rerack the bar.  Have a spotter or do this set in a power rack with safeties.

3. Leg Press: Work up to a 10 rep max.

4. Seated Hamstring Curl: Perform 3 ascending sets of 15.  Start out with a weight that you can use while keeping constant tension on the muscle and a slow, controlled eccentric, without going to failure.   For your second set, increase the weight so that you can still use the same cadence and constant tension, but go to failure.  On your third set, increase the weight even more so that you need to take a breath or two between reps towards the second half of the set (i.e., you can no longer perform the set while keeping constant tension on the muscle, but you’re still controlling the eccentric).

5. Calf Raise: Perform 2 sets of 12-15 reps using a 5/5/x tempo (five second eccentric, five second hold in the stretch position).  Try to increase the weight a bit each week.

Day 2: Push

1. Bench Press: You’re working up to a top set of 5.  Start with 65% 1RM for a set of 5.  Rest 2-3 minutes, add 10 pounds and do another set of 5.  Continue until you reach RPE 9 and record only your top set weight.

2. Close Grip Bench Press: Take the weight from your first set of bench presses (about 65% 1RM) and do 3 sets of 8 reps with it.

3. Lateral Raise: Warm up performing lateral raises in this style.  Continue until you reach a weight that is challenging, but not maximal, for a set of 12.  Stay at that weight and perform a total of 3 sets of 12 with it.  On the last set, after you complete 12 reps, then (without putting the dumbbells down), rep out with regular lateral raises.

4. Weighted Dip: Work up to a 10 rep max.  Then drop the weight 20% and do a second set of 10 with it.

Day 3: Pull

1. Deadlift: Perform 10 dead-stop reps using 70% of your 1RM.  Then rest 2-3 minutes and do a touch-and-go AMRAP with the same weight.

2. Chin or Pullup: Work up to a weighted 5 RM.  Then do two sets of max reps with bodyweight.

3. Dumbbell Rowing: Work up to a top set of 12 reps using this technique.  This set should be challenging, but not to failure.  Repeat that weight for another 2 sets of 12.

4. Strict Curl: Work up to a 10 rep max.  Then drop 20% in weight and do a second set of 10.

Week 2

Day 1: Full Body

1. Pin Squat: Work up to a top set of 5 reps.  Start with your top weight from week 1 for 5 reps.  Add 10-20 pounds and do another set of 5 reps.  Continue until you can’t get 5.  Record your top set weight.

2. Pin Press: Take 85% of your 1RM for 1 rep.  Then take 80% of your 1RM for 3 reps.  Then take 70% 1RM for an AMRAP.

3. Dumbbell Shoulder Press: Use the Arnold press style and perform 3 ascending sets of 8-12 reps.  The first set should be a heavy warmup.  The second set should be challenging, but not to failure.  The third set should be to failure.

4. Seated Curl: Take your 10RM strict curl from week 1 and do 3 AMRAP sets with it. 

Day 2: Full Body

1. Rack Pull: Perform 5 sets of 5 reps using 80% 1RM (base your 1RM on your deadlift from the floor, not your rack pull).

2. Close Grip Pin Press: Perform 5 sets of 5 reps using 75% 1RM (base your 1RM on your regular bench press).

3. Lat Pulldown: Take 100-120% of your bodyweight and do 3 sets of max reps with it.  For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, you’d use 200-240 pounds for 3 sets of max reps.  You should fall in the 8-12 rep range on all sets.

4. Lying Hamstring Curl: Perform a set of 6-8 “nightmare” reps: raise the weight halfway up, lower it back down, raise it all the way up, lower it halfway down, raise it all the way back up, and then lower it all the way back down.  That’s one rep.  Rest 3-4 minutes, then do a second set of max reps using the same weight in the normal style of lying hamstring curls.

5. Calf Raise: Perform 1 set of 12-15 reps using a standard tempo.   Then add some weight and do a second set of 8-12 reps.  Try to increase the weight a bit each week on both sets.

Week 3

Day 1: Legs

1. Squat: Perform 3 sets of 3 reps with 80% 1RM.

2. High Bar Squat: Take your weight from week 1, add 5 pounds and do 20 reps with it.

3. Leg Press: Take your 10RM from week 1 and perform two AMRAP sets with it.

4. Seated Hamstring Curl: Take your top weight from week 1 and do 3 sets of 15 with it.  If you can’t get 15 on sets 2 or 3, have a partner help you through a few forced reps.

5. Calf Raise: Perform 2 sets of 12-15 reps using a 5/5/x tempo (five second eccentric, five second hold in the stretch position).  Try to increase the weight a bit each week.

Day 2: Push

1. Bench Press: Take your top weight from week 1 and perform 5 reps with it.  Rest 2-3 minutes and repeat that weight for another set of 5.  Continue until you cannot do 5 reps with that weight and record your total number of sets.

2. Close Grip Bench Press: Take the weight from week 1, add 5 pounds and do 4 sets of 8 reps with it.

3. Lateral Raise: Take your top weight from week 1 and perform 3 sets of 12 with it.  On every set, after you complete 12 reps, rep out with regular lateral raises.

4. Weighted Dip: Take your 10RM from week 1 and perform two AMRAP sets with it.

Day 3: Pull

1. Deadlift: Perform 12 dead-stop reps using 75% of your 1RM.

2. Chin or Pullup: Take your 5RM from week 1 and do a set of 5 with it.  Rest 2-3 minutes and do another set of 5 with the same weight.  Continue until you can’t get 5.  Record your total number of sets of 5.

3. Dumbbell Rowing: Take your top weight from week 1 and do a set to failure with it in the same style as in week 1.  Then, using the same weight, do a set to failure in the normal 1-arm dumbbell row style.  Then, still using the same weight, do a third set to failure using both dumbbells at the same time.

4. Strict Curl: Take your 10RM from week 1 and do 6 sets of 6 with it, resting just 20 seconds between sets.  You probably will not be able to get all 36 reps; that’s okay.  Record your total number of reps.

Week 4

Day 1: Full Body

1. Pin Squat: Work up to a top set of 3 reps.  Start with 70% 1RM.  Add 10-20 pounds and do another set of 3 reps.  Continue until you can’t get 3.  Record your top set weight.

2. Pin Press: Take 80% of your 1RM for 3 reps.  Then take 75% of your 1RM for 5 reps.  Then take 70% 1RM for an AMRAP.

3. Dumbbell Shoulder Press: Use your top weight from week 2 for an AMRAP using the Arnold press style.  Then rest 2-3 minutes and perform a second AMRAP with the same weight, but using the normal shoulder dumbbell press technique.

4. Seated Curl: Work up to a new 10RM in the seated curl style.  Add 10 pounds and do a second set of max reps at that weight.  Add 10 more pounds and do a third set of max reps at that weight.

Day 2: Full Body

1. Rack Pull: Perform 5 sets of 3 reps using 85% 1RM

2. Close Grip Pin Press: Perform 5 sets of 3 reps using 80% 1RM.

3. Lat Pulldown: Do 3 sets of max reps using the same weight as you did in week 2.  Try to beat your total number of reps.

4. Lying Hamstring Curl: Use your weight from week 1 for two myo-rep sets in the normal style of lying hamstring curls.

5. Calf Raise: Perform 1 set of 12-15 reps using a standard tempo.   Then add some weight and do a second set of 8-12 reps.  Try to increase the weight a bit each week on both sets.

Week 5

Day 1: Legs

1. Squat: Take 75% 1RM for a set of 5, 80% 1RM for a set of 3, and 85% 1RM for a set of 1.

2. High Bar Squat: Take your weight from week 3, add 5 pounds and do 20 reps with it.

3. Leg Press: Work up to a new 10 rep max.

4. Seated Hamstring Curl: Take your top weight from week 1 and perform 2 myo-rep sets with it as explained here. 

5. Calf Raise: Perform 2 sets of 12-15 reps using a 5/5/x tempo (five second eccentric, five second hold in the stretch position).  Try to increase the weight a bit each week.

Day 2: Push

1. Bench Press: You’re working up to a top set of 3.  Start with 70% 1RM for a set of 3.  Rest 2-3 minutes, add 10 pounds and do another set of 3.  Continue until you reach RPE 9 and record only your top set weight.

2. Close Grip Bench Press: Take the weight from week 1 and do 3 sets of 10 with it.

3. Lateral Raise: Warm up with regular lateral raises.  Continue until you reach a weight that is maximal for a set of 12.  Stay at that weight and perform 3 total sets of as many reps as possible with it.  At the end of each set, have a partner help you through 3-5 forced reps.  Do not record your forced reps.

4. Weighted Dip: Work up to a new 10 rep max.

Day 3: Pull

1. Deadlift: Perform 6 dead-stop reps using 80% of your 1RM.  Then rest 2-3 minutes and do a touch-and-go AMRAP with the same weight.

2. Chin or Pullup: Take your 5RM from week 1 and do 2 sets of 5 with it.  Then rest 2-3 minutes and do a set of max reps with the same weight.

3. Dumbbell Rowing: Do two myo-rep sets using your week 1 weight and normal 1-arm dumbbell row technique.

4. Strict Curl: Repeat week 3’s instructions, but get all the reps this time.  If you got all 36 reps in week 3, add 5 pounds, but follow the same set, rep, and rest scheme.

Week 6

Day 1: Full Body

1. Pin Squat: Take 80% 1RM for 2 sets of 1 rep.  Then go down to 70% 1RM for 2 sets of 2 reps.

2. Pin Press: Take 85% of your 1RM for 2 reps.  Then take 80% of your 1RM for 4 reps.  Then take 75% 1RM for an AMRAP.

3. Dumbbell Shoulder Press: Using the regular dumbbell shoulder press style, perform 3 ascending sets of 12 just like in week 2.

4. Seated Curl: Take your top weight from week 4 and perform 3 sets of max reps with it. 

Day 2: Full Body

1. Rack Pull: Perform a set of 5 reps using 80% 1RM, a set of 3 reps using 85% 1RM, and 3 sets of 1 rep using 90% 1RM.

2. Close Grip Pin Press: Work up to a top set of 5 reps.  Start with 75% 1RM.  Add 10 pounds and do another set of 5 reps.  Continue until you can’t get 5.  Record your top set weight.

3. Lat Pulldown: Perform 3 ascending sets of 12 reps.  The first set should be challenging, but not to failure, and you should be able to perform all the reps without stopping (keep constant tension on the muscle).  The second set should be to failure without stopping.  The third set should be to failure and you should need to pause for a second or two between reps in the latter half of the set.

4. Lying Hamstring Curl: Work up to a top set of 6-8 reps in the normal style.  Then repeat that weight for two more sets of max reps.

5. Calf Raise: Perform 1 set of 12-15 reps using a standard tempo.   Then add some weight and do a second set of 8-12 reps.  Try to increase the weight a bit each week on both sets.

Week 7

Day 1: Legs

1. Squat: AMRAP 85% 1RM.

2. High Bar Squat: Take your weight from week 5, add 5 pounds and do 20 reps with it.

3. Leg Press: Skip this movement.  You should be wiped out after the squats.

4. Seated Hamstring Curl: Work up to a top set of 15 in the same manner as your third set from week 1.  Then rest 2-3 minutes and do an AMRAP with the same weight.

5.  Calf Raise: Perform 2 sets of 12-15 reps using a 5/5/x tempo (five second eccentric, five second hold in the stretch position).  Try to increase the weight a bit each week.

Day 2: Push

1. Bench Press: Take your top weight from week 5 for an AMRAP.

2. Close Grip Bench Press: Take your weight from your bench press AMRAP, subtract 20% and do an AMRAP with it.

3. Lateral Raise: Take your top weight from week 5 and perform an AMRAP with it.  Rest 2-3 minutes and hit a drop set: rep out with the original weight, then lower it by about 20% and rep out again with no rest.

4. Weighted Dip: Take your 10RM from week 5 and rep out with it.  Rest 2-3 minutes, then take your 10RM from week 1 (this should be a lower weight) and rep out with it.

Day 3: Pull

1. Deadlift: Perform 8 dead-stop reps with 85% of your 1RM.

2. Chin or Pullup: Work up to a new 5RM.  Then do two sets of max reps with bodyweight.

3. Dumbbell Rowing: Work up to a top set of 12 using normal 1-arm dumbbell row technique.  This set should be to failure.  Repeat that same weight for another AMRAP set.

4. Strict Curl: Work up to a new 10RM.  Then drop 20% in weight and rep out with it.