Disclaimer – this is an overreaching programme it is designed to push your 1 rep max over 12 weeks and will be a stressful period of training. Don’t run this programme back to back and make sure to perform a lighter 4-6 weeks of training after to allow your body to acclimatise.
I’ve been away from writing for too long I was aiming to get out at least one article a week out since I went full time self-employed and so far the only thing I have been doing full time is launching about the front room in my boxers. It’s not to say I’ve been doing fuck all, just that I’m not doing the amount of work I would like to do but instead of reminiscing over what I’ve not been doing I think the best thing to do is to crack on with some work.
What better work than the written word and what better-written word than telling you about some of the excellent programming quirks I’ve come across in the past 6 months.
Some people are great at developing systems and keeping to them, looking at data and honing down on what works. That bores the cunt off me, what I am good at is having an obscenely good memory for the results of previous programmes and how they felt, looked or went. Then using that memory to tweak and play with programming variables.
Ask any of the athletes or lifters who have worked with me I might be a dribbling fool most of the time but when it comes to remembering personal bests or pulling programmes that work out of my arse to solve a problem I’m the swollen obese rain man of powerlifting.
One of the postive changes I have made over the past 6 months is being more structured and regimented in my programme writing trying to always make sure I am progressively increasing the bottom line variables as well as doing all of the important qualitative stuff – reacting to overload and constantly trying to hone lifter’s technique.
Over the past year I have been playing with about 70 powerlifters programmes and trying out some different variations on themes and have had some tremedous success and some not so tremedous results. For the past year or so what I have been learning to be repeatedly successful
- Accumulation blocks for squat when back up with preparatory phases are fucking black magic but they only work reliably well for 4-8 weeks depending on how strong the lifter is.
- Bench hates accumulation training or general fatigue training you can get fantastic success from smolvov jnr or AMHP’s bench press template (check out sugdenbarbell.com forums to read more about AMHPower and his programming smart and very strong dude). The bench just loves boring as fuck volume being recycled.
- Deadlift hates being trained heavy and loves a bit of overload every little while and is probably one of the few lifts that actually need a deload after a solid overload set or heavy single. But pretty much anyone who is anyone in powerlifting would have told you that.
Bear in mind what I am laying out here is probably about 15-20% of my programming but it’s the programming that grabs the headlines so feel free to steal it and use it as your own. If you’re not a complete and utter cunt you might even give me a wee credit 🙂 #castironstrength #HOWDIDIGETSOFUCKINGSTRONGSOFUCKINGQUICKLY #MYBACKISFUCKED
The programme I am laying out below is designed to push all the lifts at once and you need to have good technique on squat, bench and deadlift or this programme will chew you out and spit you back out. Also if you are a super heavy weight or stronger lifter (460+ wilks) then you might want to adapt the template to be less aggressive for squat or ask yourself why the hell your grabbing templates off the internet!
Cast Iron Strength 12 Week Powerlifting Total Builder.
The programme (General Layout).
- 4 days a week
- Total body sessions
- Deload on week 7 and 13.
- This is an over reach programme for squat and deadlift so it will be tough on your body
- DO NOT RUN THIS PROGRAMME BACK TO BACK unless you want to end up injured.
Day Structure and Exercise Selection.
Day 1 – Squat + Back
1 – Squat
2 – Bench Row or Chest Supported Row
3 – Pause squat or front squat
4 – light bench assistance volume
5 – 2-3 upper back and shoulder movements
Day 2 – Deadlift + Bench Press
1 – Deficit or pause deadlift
2 – Bench Press
3 – Deadlift
4 – RDL or TNG Deadlift
5 – 2-3 upper back and shoulder movements
Day 3 – Recovery – pool session or light cardio.
Day 3 – Squat + Back
1 – Squat
2 – Bench Row or Chest Supported Row
3 – Pause squat or front squat
4 – light bench assistance volume
5 – 2-3 upper back and shoulder movements
Day 4 – Deadlift + Bench Press
1 – Deficit or pause deadlift
2 – Bench Press
3 – Deadlift
4 – RDL or TNG Deadlift
5 – 2-3 upper back and shoulder movements
Weekly aim by exercise, total volume and intensities @ those volumes.
The Squat
| Week | Training Phase | Intensity – Sets x Reps @ Intensity |
| 1 | Preparation | 4×10 @ 60%, 4×8 @ 65%, 4×6 @ 70% |
| 2 | Preparation | 4×8 @ 65%, 4×6 @ 70%, 4×4 @ 75% |
| 3 | Preparation | 4×6 @ 70%, 4×5 @ 75%, 4×4 @ 80% |
| 4 | Accumulation | 10×3 @ 85% |
| 5 | Accumulation | 10×4 @ 85% |
| 6 | Accumulation | 10×5 @ 85% |
| 7 | Deaload | 6×4 @ 80% |
| 8 | Accumulation | 10×6 @ 85% |
| 9 | Peak | 4×5 @ 90% |
| 10 | Peak | 3×4 @ 95% |
| 11 | Peak | 2×3 @ 100% |
| 12 | Peak | 1×2 @ 105% |
Bench Press
| Week | Training Phase | Intensity – Sets x Reps @ Intensity |
| 1 | Volume | 4×10 @ 62.5%, 4×8 @ 67.5%, 4×6 @ 72.5% |
| 2 | Intensity | 4×6 @ 72.5%, 4×5 @ 77.5%, 4×4 @ 82.5% |
| 3 | Volume | 4×8 @ 70%, 4×6 @75%, 4×4 @ 80% |
| 4 | Intensity | 4×4 @ 80%, 4×3 @ 85%, 4×2 @ 90% |
| 5 | Intensity | Heavy singles + Back off volume |
| 6 | Deload | 12×6 @ 60% |
| 7 | Deaload | 4×10 @ 65%, 4×8 @ 70%, 4×6 @ 75% |
| 8 | Volume | 4×6 @ 75%, 4×5 @ 80%, 4×4 @ 85% |
| 9 | Intensity | 4×8 @ 72.5%, 4×6 @77.5%, 4×4 @ 82.5% |
| 10 | Volume | 4×4 @ 82.5%, 4×3 @ 87.5%, 4×2 @ 92.5% |
| 11 | Intensity | Heavy singles + Back off volume |
| 12 | Volume | 12×6 @ 60% |
Deadlift
| Week | Training Phase | Intensity – Sets x Reps @ Intensity |
| 1 | Volume | 10×4 @ 60% (Deficit), 10×4 @ 65% (Deadlift), 4×12 @ 35% (RDL) |
| 2 | Intensity | 8×3 @ 70% (Deficit), 8×3 @ 75% (Deadlift), 4×10 @ 40% (RDL) |
| 3 | Volume | 2×2 @ 80% (Deficit), 1×2 @ 85% (Deadlift), Rep out set @ 85%, 4×10 @ 45% (RDL) |
| 4 | Intensity | 10×4 @ 62.5% (Deficit), 10×4 @ 67.5% (Deadlift), 4×12 @ 37.5% (RDL) |
| 5 | Volume | 8×3 @ 72.5% (Deficit), 8×3 @ 77.5% (Deadlift), 4×10 @ 42.5% (RDL) |
| 6 | Deload | 2×2 @ 80% (Deficit), 1×2 @ 85% (Deadlift), Rep out set @ 85%, 4×10 @ 45% (RDL) |
| 7 | Deaload | 12×4 @ 50% (sumo deadlift). Work out new Predicted max and use for next cyc.e |
| 8 | Volume | 10×4 @ 60% (Deficit), 10×4 @ 65% (Deadlift), 4×12 @ 35% (RDL) |
| 9 | Intensity | 8×3 @ 70% (Deficit), 8×3 @ 75% (Deadlift), 4×10 @ 40% (RDL) |
| 10 | Volume | 2×2 @ 80% (Deficit), 1×2 @ 85% (Deadlift), Rep out set @ 85%, 4×10 @ 45% (RDL) |
| 11 | Intensity | 10×4 @ 62.5% (Deficit), 10×4 @ 67.5% (Deadlift), 4×12 @ 37.5% (RDL) |
| 12 | Volume | 8×3 @ 72.5% (Deficit), 8×3 @ 77.5% (Deadlift), 4×10 @ 42.5% (RDL) |
Assistance Work
Assistance work will work off a 3-week linear cycle, you should look to keep the weight well within your maximum capabilities, try to take shorter rest periods and have general fatigue wear you down and get you near failure. Generally, I would advise you work the following muscle groups 2-4x per week.
- Lats (pulldown or pull up using a mixture of grips)
- Rhomboids, Traps and Lats (rowing using a mixture of machines, dumbbells and grips)
- Shoulders (presses or raises)
- Lower back (hypers and rev hypers)
- Abs (bracing using plank, weighted plank, rollouts or gymnastics progressions)
The Programme –
Or get the google version here
