Great Powerlifter's Routines

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerlifting & Strength Sports
1

I have been trying to learn more about programming recently, and I was looking at a bunch of programs. I thought it would be nice to see how they work or overlap so that some day I can use that information in my own training.

I thought that maybe some of you could aid me in this, as well as put together a short list of good programs for anyone who is looking for something new, or beginners who are a bit lost.

I know that muscle mags have beaten this type of stuff to death, but I figured that at the minimum, maybe we would get some good stuff about guys like Kaz, Capt. Kirk, Ed Coan (Yea I know this is beat), Don Reinhoudt, etc…

Maybe we can even get some stuff in here from guys like Paul Carter, Dan Green, etc…

My only request is that you avoid putting out stuff that you did not find for free on the internet somewhere. None of this represents my own work. Simply research.

Bill Kazmaier Routine.

Monday
Bench (heavy) warm up, then 4 sets x 10 reps
Wide Grip Bench 3 sets x 10 reps
Narrow Grip Bench 3 sets x 10 reps
Front Delt Raise 4 sets x 8 reps
Dumbell Seated Press 4 sets x 10 reps
Side Delt Raise 4 sets x 10 reps
Lying Tricep Push (after 2 warm up sets) 6 sets x 10 reps
Tricep Push Down 4 sets x 10 reps

Tuesday
Squat (heavy) warm up, then 4 sets x 10 reps
Deadlift (light) warm up, then 3 sets x 10 reps
Shrugs 2 sets x 15-40 reps, 1 set x 10-20 reps
Seated Hammer Curls 4 sets x 12 reps
Standing Curl 4 sets x 10 reps
Close Grip Chin Ups 3 sets x max on each set
Seated Row 4 sets x 10 reps
Leg Extensions 3 sets x 10 reps
Leg Curl 3 sets x 10 reps
Calf Raise 3 sets x 15-25 reps

Thursday
Bench (light) warm up, then 3 sets x 10 reps
Wide Grip Bench 3 sets x 10 reps
Narrow Grip Bench 3 sets x 10 reps
Dumbell Seated Press (heavy) warm up, then 4 sets x 8 reps
Front Delt Raise 4 sets x 10 reps
Tennis Backhand Cable Extensions 4 sets x 10 reps
Prone Tricep Extension 4 sets x 10 reps

Saturday
Deadlift (heavy) warm up, then 4 sets x 8 reps
Squat (light) warm up, then 4 sets x10 reps
Shrugs (heavy) 4 sets x 10-15 reps
Seated Hammer Curl 4 sets x 8 reps
Concentration Curl 4 sets x 12 reps
One Arm Row â?? 3 positions 3 sets x 10 reps
Wide Grip Pull (down to chest) 4 sets x 10 reps
Leg Extensions 3 sets x 10 reps
Leg Curl 3 sets x 10 reps
Calf Raise 3 sets x 15-25 reps

(Ab Work When Possible)

I haven’t found one with percentages or progressions though.

2

Bill Kazmaier 10 Week Bench Press Routine. Bill used this routine to set a world bench press record.

Week 1:
Light Day: Regular bench presses, 225/10, 315/10, 410/3/15. Narrow and wide bench presses, 350/3/10. Dumbbell presses, 100/3/10. Front raises, 75/3/10. Lateral raises, 75/3/10. Modified triceps presses, 300/4/15. Decline triceps presses, 335/3/15.
Heavy Day: Regular bench presses, 225/10, 315/10, 405/10, 435/3/15 (wow). Narrow and wide bench presses, 375/3/10. Assistance work same as my light day.

Week 2:
Light Day: Regular bench presses, 225/10, 315/10, 420/3/15. Narrow and wide bench presses, 360/3/10. Deltoid work same as week one. Modified triceps presses, 310/4/15. Decline triceps presses, 345/3/15.
Heavy Day: Regular bench presses, 225/10, 315/10, 405/10, 455/3/10. Narrow and wide bench presses, 385/3/10. Assistance work same as my light day.

Week 3:
Light Day: Regular bench presses, 225/10, 315/10, 430/3/12. Narrow and wide bench presses, 400/3/10. Dumbbell presses, 100/3/10. Front raises, 75/3/10. Lateral raises, 75/3/10. Modified triceps presses, 320/4/15. Decline presses, 355/4/10.
Heavy Day: Regular bench presses, 225/10, 315/10, 405/10, 480/3/8. Narrow and wide bench presses, 400/3/10. Assistance work same as my light day.

Week 4:
Light Day: Regular bench presses, 225/10, 315/10, 440/3/12. Narrow and wide bench presses, 380/3/10. Dumbbell presses, Front and Lateral raises, same as week 3. Modified triceps presses, 330/4/15. Decline triceps presses, 365/4/10.
Heavy Day: Regular bench presses, 225/10, 315/10, 405/10, 500/3/8. Narrow and wide bench presses, 410/3/10. Assistance work same as my light day.

Week 5:
Light Day: Regular bench presses, 225/10, 315/10, 405/10, 450/3/10. Narrow and wide bench presses, 390/3/10. Dumbbell presses, 110/3/10. Front and Lateral raises, 85/3/10. Modified triceps presses, 340/3/15. Decline triceps presses, 375/4/10.
Heavy Day: Regular bench presses, 225/10, 315/10, 405/10, 495/10, 525/5/5. Narrow and wide bench presses, 420/3/10. Assistance work same as my light day.

Week 6:
Light Day: Regular bench presses, 225/10, 315/10, 405/10, 460/3/10. Narrow and wide bench presses, 400/3/10. Dumbbell presses, Front and Lateral raises, same as week 5. Modified triceps presses, 350/4/15, Decline triceps presses, 350/4/10.
Heavy Day: Regular bench presses, 225/10, 315/10, 405/10, 495/8, 545/4/5. Narrow and wide bench presses, 430/3/10. Assistance work same as my light day.

Week 7:
Light Day: Regular bench presses, 225/10, 315/10, 405/10, 470/3/8. Narrow and wide bench presses, 410/3/10. Dumbbell presses, 120/3/10. Front & Lateral Raises, 85/3/10. Modified triceps presses, 370/5/10. Decline triceps presses, 395/4/10.
Heavy Day: Regular bench presses, 225/10, 315/10, 405/10, 495/8, 540/5, 570/3/5. Narrow and wide bench presses, 440/3/10. Assistance work same as my light day.

Week 8:
Light Day: Regular bench presses, 225/10, 315/10, 405/10, 480/3/8. Narrow and wide bench presses, 420/3/10. Dumbbell presses, Front and Lateral raises, same as week 7. Modified triceps presses, 380/5/10. Decline triceps presses, 405/4/10.
Heavy Day: Regular bench presses, 225/10, 315/10, 405/10, 495/8, 570/5, 590/3/3. Narrow and wide bench presses, 450/3/10. Assistance work same as my light day.

Week 9:
Light Day: Regular bench presses, 225/10, 315/10, 405/10, 490/3/6. Narrow and wide bench presses, 430/3/8. Dumbbell presses, 130/3/10, Front and Lateral raises, 95/3/10. Modified triceps presses, 390/5/10, Decline triceps presses, 415/4/8.
Heavy Day: Regular bench presses, 225/10, 315/10, 405/10, 495/8, 570/5, 610/2/3. Narrow and wide bench presses, 465/3/10. Assistance work same as my light day.

Week 10:
Light Day: Regular bench presses, 225/10, 315/10, 405/10, 500/3/6. Narrow and wide bench presses, 440/3/8. Dumbbell presses, Front and Lateral Raises, same as week 9. Modified triceps presses, 400/5/10. Decline triceps presses, 425/4/8.
Heavy Day: Regular bench presses, 225/10, 315/10, 405/10, 495/8, 550/5, 590/5, 635/3. Narrow and wide bench presses, 475/3/10. Assistance work same as my light day.

3

Good find, I need to bench more!

4

Kirk Karwoski Squat cycle. (I could not find percentages. Maybe someone else can complete this?)

Weeks 1-2 work up to 1x8
Weeks 3-8 work up to 1x5
Weeks 9-10 work up to 1x3
Weeks 11-12 work up to 1x2

5

From a post that Dan Green made on another weightlifting website:

"Thanks man, currently I’m training with no belt or wraps on leg days, just trying to hit reps on the squat and deads, which I’m training conventional currently. For bench, I’m doing my standard day with a bar with paused reps and then touch and go reps, but I’ve also added a second chest day that is for mass which is just low incline DB presses followed by flyes. The thing that’s helped me most with the squatting has to be front squats.

My basic split is:

M: squat no belt, paused squats (closer stance/high bar), stiff leg deads
T: DB bench, DB flyes, DB rows
W: front squats
TH: rest
F: conv. deads, deficit deads, stiff leg deads
SA: rest
SU: Paused bench, touch and go bench, DB laterals"

6

Ed Coan’s programming.

This is probably the best written resource on the web for it. I have yet to find one that is more clear, comprehensive, and complete.

7

good thread idea. youll find they all trained roughly in the same way. which now apparently doesnt work, according to alot of idiots.

8

I’ll post Don Reinhoudt’s squat and deadlift programs sometime later today. I have to sit down and do the percentages, and I am getting busy.

9

Coan always gets asked about his training and has answered a million times.

Look hard enough and you can find plenty of videos/audio and text interviews with these dudes. There’s a really short but good one on eliteFTS with goggins, coan, and Kirk.

Btw I think you’ll get a lot more out of it to if you try to see their approach to training in addition to the sets and reps.

10

[quote]Paul33 wrote:
good thread idea. youll find they all trained roughly in the same way. which now apparently doesnt work, according to alot of idiots. [/quote]

Well said.

11

[quote]trivium wrote:
From a post that Dan Green made on another weightlifting website:

"Thanks man, currently I’m training with no belt or wraps on leg days, just trying to hit reps on the squat and deads, which I’m training conventional currently. For bench, I’m doing my standard day with a bar with paused reps and then touch and go reps, but I’ve also added a second chest day that is for mass which is just low incline DB presses followed by flyes. The thing that’s helped me most with the squatting has to be front squats.

My basic split is:

M: squat no belt, paused squats (closer stance/high bar), stiff leg deads
T: DB bench, DB flyes, DB rows
W: front squats
TH: rest
F: conv. deads, deficit deads, stiff leg deads
SA: rest
SU: Paused bench, touch and go bench, DB laterals"[/quote]

I love Dans training style. Literally bare minimum movements and just fucking attack them with all out intensity.

12

Ooooh Dan Green’s style. Interesting that he only does such little direct back work

13

Most of the routines these guys ran worked for them. Following a few principles and adapting those to how your body reacts to certain intensities and frequencies.

I did a lot of other guys programs for a couple years and while they worked, they were not optimal for me. Going thru them tho gave me good insight into what worked and didn’t work for me.

Find your path. The best program is the one that works for you.

Personally I am a huge fan of the principles applied by Faleev, Volkov and Malanchiev. They only train the main lifts using 1-5 rep range. They don’t do anything extra that would take away from faster recovery. They lift heavy.

Faleev is a 5x5 guy but I like his idea of “squat, stretch and leave”.

Volkov and Malanchiev start at a certain weight and make 10kg (20lb jumps for us) between sets but keep a set rep number. If the day is triples, they do triples making 20lb jumps.

The best programming is to keep simple principles and work hard. Most do WAY TOO MUCH and think it’s a good thing. In powerlifting, the only thing that matters is the 1 rep in competition.

14

[quote]osu122975 wrote:
Most of the routines these guys ran worked for them. Following a few principles and adapting those to how your body reacts to certain intensities and frequencies.

I did a lot of other guys programs for a couple years and while they worked, they were not optimal for me. Going thru them tho gave me good insight into what worked and didn’t work for me.

Find your path. The best program is the one that works for you.

Personally I am a huge fan of the principles applied by Faleev, Volkov and Malanchiev. They only train the main lifts using 1-5 rep range. They don’t do anything extra that would take away from faster recovery. They lift heavy.

Faleev is a 5x5 guy but I like his idea of “squat, stretch and leave”.

Volkov and Malanchiev start at a certain weight and make 10kg (20lb jumps for us) between sets but keep a set rep number. If the day is triples, they do triples making 20lb jumps.

The best programming is to keep simple principles and work hard. Most do WAY TOO MUCH and think it’s a good thing. In powerlifting, the only thing that matters is the 1 rep in competition. [/quote]

thats very interesting about malanichev, is there anywhere to find out more?surely if hes working up to 950 say thats 47 sets!?or does he start at around 50% ish like som guys ive seen

15

[quote]osu122975 wrote:
Most of the routines these guys ran worked for them. Following a few principles and adapting those to how your body reacts to certain intensities and frequencies.

I did a lot of other guys programs for a couple years and while they worked, they were not optimal for me. Going thru them tho gave me good insight into what worked and didn’t work for me.

Find your path. The best program is the one that works for you.

Personally I am a huge fan of the principles applied by Faleev, Volkov and Malanchiev. They only train the main lifts using 1-5 rep range. They don’t do anything extra that would take away from faster recovery. They lift heavy.

Faleev is a 5x5 guy but I like his idea of “squat, stretch and leave”.

Volkov and Malanchiev start at a certain weight and make 10kg (20lb jumps for us) between sets but keep a set rep number. If the day is triples, they do triples making 20lb jumps.

The best programming is to keep simple principles and work hard. Most do WAY TOO MUCH and think it’s a good thing. In powerlifting, the only thing that matters is the 1 rep in competition. [/quote]

thats very interesting about malanichev, is there anywhere to find out more?surely if hes working up to 950 say thats 47 sets!?or does he start at around 50% ish like som guys ive seen

16

[quote]Reed wrote:

[quote]trivium wrote:
From a post that Dan Green made on another weightlifting website:

"Thanks man, currently I’m training with no belt or wraps on leg days, just trying to hit reps on the squat and deads, which I’m training conventional currently. For bench, I’m doing my standard day with a bar with paused reps and then touch and go reps, but I’ve also added a second chest day that is for mass which is just low incline DB presses followed by flyes. The thing that’s helped me most with the squatting has to be front squats.

My basic split is:

M: squat no belt, paused squats (closer stance/high bar), stiff leg deads
T: DB bench, DB flyes, DB rows
W: front squats
TH: rest
F: conv. deads, deficit deads, stiff leg deads
SA: rest
SU: Paused bench, touch and go bench, DB laterals"[/quote]

I love Dans training style. Literally bare minimum movements and just fucking attack them with all out intensity. [/quote]

He claims that because he executes his work with perfect form, that it doesn’t beat him up as much, and trains all of his musculature in one shot. It seems to make sense, but he says that it might not work for an intermediate as they need a lot of work in other areas, and they need to learn what proper form actually is. He says that because he doesn’t get as beat up, he is able to train with more frequency, which he breaks up by using various forms of squat, bench, and deadlift.

He sent me an email the other day with a document in it. Maybe I will post some of it here. It is a consult for when I contacted him to inquire about his next wave of taking clients for training.

17

[quote]Destamoon wrote:
Ooooh Dan Green’s style. Interesting that he only does such little direct back work[/quote]

He has said before that he literally hammers his back with endless sets of rows and chins. I believe there is a video on it on youtube.

He said it was nothing fancy, but he would literally kill back work for entire workouts.

I highly recommend that you read “west of westside” as well. It is a great article.

18

[quote]osu122975 wrote:
Most of the routines these guys ran worked for them. Following a few principles and adapting those to how your body reacts to certain intensities and frequencies.

I did a lot of other guys programs for a couple years and while they worked, they were not optimal for me. Going thru them tho gave me good insight into what worked and didn’t work for me.

Find your path. The best program is the one that works for you.

Personally I am a huge fan of the principles applied by Faleev, Volkov and Malanchiev. They only train the main lifts using 1-5 rep range. They don’t do anything extra that would take away from faster recovery. They lift heavy.

Faleev is a 5x5 guy but I like his idea of “squat, stretch and leave”.

Volkov and Malanchiev start at a certain weight and make 10kg (20lb jumps for us) between sets but keep a set rep number. If the day is triples, they do triples making 20lb jumps.

The best programming is to keep simple principles and work hard. Most do WAY TOO MUCH and think it’s a good thing. In powerlifting, the only thing that matters is the 1 rep in competition. [/quote]

This is a great post. I am always interested in what guys from the east are up to. It seems like they have a different way of looking at training than we do.

If you have any more info that you could add, that would be awesome.

I do have to say though that I am a huge devotee of 5/3/1, and I do believe that in my few exchanges with Mr. Wendler via email, that his big idea is that you need to be consistent (hence the 5/3/1 rep scheme) and “create” based on your own needs and goals. He recommended to me that I start one of the major templates, and then run it for 3 to 5 months, and then modify it slowly based on my needs. I have to say that the principles can be applied to any program too. (Start too light, progress slowly, set records, use multi-joint exercises.)

I can write forever on this, but the idea of a training max has changed my life.

Again, thanks for the post man.

19

I don’t have a lot of time to do the percentages, but here is Don Reinhoudt’s sample leg work. I am sure that you can come up with a basic pattern for his work.

Surprisingly there isn’t a ton of info on his work. This is some of the only stuff I could find for some reason.

First Week:
Squat -
245 x 5
445 x 2
645 x 2
760 x 2
805 x 3
865 x 1

Deadlift -
245 x 5
445 x 2
645 x 2
760 x 2
805 x 3

Second Week:
Squat -
245 x 5
445 x 2
645 x 2
760 x 2
810 x 3
875 x 1

Deadlift -
245 x 5
445 x 2
645 x 2
760 x 2
810 x 3

Third Week:
Squat -
245 x 5
445 x 2
645 x 2
760 x 2
815 x 3
885 x 1

Deadlift -
245 x 5
445 x 2
645 x 2
760 x 2
820 x 1

Fourth Week:
Squat -
245 x 5
445 x 2
645 x 2
760 x 2
820 x 3
900 x 1

Deadlift -
245 x 5
445 x 2
645 x 2
760 x 2
860 x 1

Fifth Week:
Squat -
245 x 5
445 x 2
645 x2
760 x 2
825 x 3
920 x 1

Deadlift -
245 x 5
445 x 2
645 x 2
760 x 2
880 x 1

20

[quote]trivium wrote:

[quote]Reed wrote:

[quote]trivium wrote:
From a post that Dan Green made on another weightlifting website:

"Thanks man, currently I’m training with no belt or wraps on leg days, just trying to hit reps on the squat and deads, which I’m training conventional currently. For bench, I’m doing my standard day with a bar with paused reps and then touch and go reps, but I’ve also added a second chest day that is for mass which is just low incline DB presses followed by flyes. The thing that’s helped me most with the squatting has to be front squats.

My basic split is:

M: squat no belt, paused squats (closer stance/high bar), stiff leg deads
T: DB bench, DB flyes, DB rows
W: front squats
TH: rest
F: conv. deads, deficit deads, stiff leg deads
SA: rest
SU: Paused bench, touch and go bench, DB laterals"[/quote]

I love Dans training style. Literally bare minimum movements and just fucking attack them with all out intensity. [/quote]

He claims that because he executes his work with perfect form, that it doesn’t beat him up as much, and trains all of his musculature in one shot. It seems to make sense, but he says that it might not work for an intermediate as they need a lot of work in other areas, and they need to learn what proper form actually is. He says that because he doesn’t get as beat up, he is able to train with more frequency, which he breaks up by using various forms of squat, bench, and deadlift.

He sent me an email the other day with a document in it. Maybe I will post some of it here. It is a consult for when I contacted him to inquire about his next wave of taking clients for training.[/quote]

All of it honestly makes perfect sense. I would love to try it but honestly I’m def still in that intermediate phase at best and I know I have alot of weak areas that need specific attention.