12-Week Powerlifting Performance Cycle
General Training Phase 1 (3 Weeks) Week 1 Monday ! #ercher $%&at
Work &' to 3M
!
*e+cit *eadlift
Work &' to 3M
C!
,loor Press
*!
Chest-$&''orted arell ow . / 0-1
Work &' to 3M
T&esday ! #ercher $%&at !
*e+cit *eadlift
C!
,loor Press
. / 3 0 of 3M . / 3 0 of 3M
. / 3 0 of 3M
*! P&ll-4's5 Pronated Gri' 'ossile)
. / 0-1 (&se and hel' if needed5 or added weight if
Th&rsday ! #ercher $%&at
. / 3 6 of 3M
!
*e+cit *eadlift
. / 3 6 of 3M
C!
,loor Press
*!
$eated Cale ow . / 0-1
. / 3 6 of 3M
,riday ! #ercher $%&at
. / 3 7 of 3M
!
*e+cit *eadlift
. / 3 7 of 3M
C!
,loor Press
*!
P&ll-4's5 $&'inated Gri'
. / 3 7 of 3M . / 0-1
$at&rday (Com'etition $tyle) ! $%&at
Work &' to 3M
!
*eadlift
Work &' to 3M
C!
ench Press
Work &' to 3M
Week 2 ll e/ercises are the same! 8*8 remains the same! 9ere are the di:erences for the 5 and C e/ercises;
Monday
Work &' to a 2M
T&esday
. / 2 0 of 2M
Th&rsday ,riday
. / 2 6 of 2M
. / 2 7 of 2M
$at&rday (Com'etition $tyle) Work &' to 2M
Week 3 gain5 all e/ercises are the same and 8*8 remains the same! 5 5 and C di:erences;
Monday
Work &' to a 1M
T&esday
. / 1 0 of 1M
Th&rsday ,riday
. / 1 6 of 1M
. / 1 7 of 1M
$at&rday (Com'etition $tyle) Work &' to 1M
General Training Phase 2 (3 Weeks) Week . Monday ! ,ront $%&at
Work &' to 3M
!
Pin-P&ll elow
Work &' to 3M
C!
=ncline ench Press
*!
Chest-$&''orted arell ow . / 0-1
Work &' to 3M
T&esday ! ,ront $%&at
. / 3 0 of 3M
!
Pin-P&ll elow
C!
=ncline ench Press
. / 3 0 of 3M . / 3 0 of 3M
*! P&ll-4's5 Pronated Gri' 'ossile)
. / 0-1 (&se and hel' if needed5 or added weight if
Th&rsday ! ,ront $%&at
. / 3 6 of 3M
!
Pin-P&ll elow
. / 3 6 of 3M
C!
=ncline ench Press
*!
$eated Cale ow . / 0-1
. / 3 6 of 3M
,riday ! ,ront $%&at
. / 3 7 of 3M
!
Pin-P&ll elow
C!
=ncline ench Press
. / 3 7 of 3M . / 3 7 of 3M
*! P&ll-4's5 $&'inated Gri' 'ossile)
. / 0-1 (&se and hel' if needed5 or added weight if
$at&rday (Com'etition $tyle) ! $%&at
Work &' to 3M
!
*eadlift
Work &' to 3M
C!
ench Press
Work &' to 3M
Week > ll e/ercises are the same! 8*8 remains the same! 9ere are the di:erences for the 5 and C e/ercises;
Monday
Work &' to 2M
T&esday
. / 2 0 of 2M
Th&rsday ,riday
. / 2 6 of 2M
. / 2 7 of 2M
$at&rday (Com'etition $tyle) Work &' to 2M
Week ? ll e/ercises are the same and 8*8 remains the same! 5 5 and C di:erences;
Monday
Work &' to 1M
T&esday
. / 1 0 of 1M
Th&rsday ,riday
. / 1 6 of 1M
. / 1 7 of 1M
$at&rday (Com'etition $tyle) Work &' to 1M
$'eci+c Training Phase 1 (3 Weeks) Week 7 Monday !
o/ $%&at (@egal *e'th)
Work &' to 3M
!
$&mo *eadlift
C!
Close-Gri' ench Press
*!
Chest-$&''orted arell ow . / 0-1
Work &' to 3M Work &' to 3M
T&esday !
o/ $%&at (@egal *e'th)
. / 3 0 of 3M
!
$&mo *eadlift
C!
Close-Gri' ench Press . / 3 0 of 3M
. / 3 0 of 3M
*! P&ll-4's5 Pronated Gri' 'ossile)
. / 0-1 (&se and hel' if needed5 or added weight if
Th&rsday !
o/ $%&at (@egal *e'th)
. / 3 6 of 3M
!
$&mo *eadlift
C!
Close-Gri' ench Press . / 3 6 of 3M
*!
$eated Cale ow . / 0-1
. / 3 6 of 3M
,riday !
o/ $%&at (@egal *e'th)
. / 3 7 of 3M
!
$&mo *eadlift
C!
Close-Gri' ench Press . / 3 7 of 3M
*!
P&ll-4's5 $&'inated Gri'
. / 3 7 of 3M
. / 0-1
$at&rday (Com'etition $tyle) ! $%&at
Work &' to 3M
!
*eadlift
Work &' to 3M
C!
ench Press
Work &' to 3M
Week 0 ll e/ercises are the same! 8*8 remains the same! The di:erences for the 5 and C;
Monday
Work &' to 2M
T&esday
. / 2 0 of 2M
Th&rsday ,riday
. / 2 6 of 2M
. / 2 7 of 2M
$at&rday (Com'etition $tyle) Work &' to 2M
Week 6 ll e/ercises are the same and 8*8 remains the same! 5 5 and C di:erences;
Monday
Work &' to 1M
T&esday
. / 1 0 of 1M
Th&rsday ,riday
. / 1 6 of 1M
. / 1 7 of 1M
$at&rday (Com'etition $tyle) Work &' to 1M
$'eci+c Training Phase 2 (3 Weeks) Week 1 Monday ! $%&at
Work &' to 3M
!
*eadlift
Work &' to 3M
C!
ench Press
*!
Chest-$&''orted arell ow . / 0-1
Work &' to 3M
T&esday ! $%&at
. / 3 0 of 3M
!
*eadlift
. / 3 0 of 3M
C!
ench Press
. / 3 0 of 3M
*! P&ll-4's5 Pronated Gri' 'ossile)
. / 0-1 (&se and hel' if needed5 or added weight if
Th&rsday ! $%&at
. / 3 6 of 3M
!
*eadlift
. / 3 6 of 3M
C!
ench Press
*!
$eated Cale ow . / 0-1
. / 3 6 of 3M
,riday ! $%&at
. / 3 7 of 3M
!
*eadlift
. / 3 7 of 3M
C!
ench Press
*!
P&ll-4's5 $&'inated Gri'
. / 3 7 of 3M . / 0-1
$at&rday (Com'etition $tyle) ! $%&at
Work &' to 3M
!
*eadlift
Work &' to 3M
C!
ench Press
Work &' to 3M
Week 11 ll e/ercises are the same! 8*8 remains the same! 5 and C di:erences;
Monday
Work &' to 2M
T&esday
. / 2 0 of 2M
Th&rsday ,riday
. / 2 6 of 2M
. / 2 7 of 2M
$at&rday (Com'etition $tyle) Work &' to 2M
Week 12 gain5 all e/ercises are the same and 8*8 remains the same! 5 and C di:erences;
Monday
Work &' to 1M
T&esday
. / 1 0 of 1M
Th&rsday ,riday
. / 1 6 of 1M
. / 1 7 of 1M
$at&rday (Com'etition $tyle) Work &' to 1M
Ao& wo&ld then deload for a week and test yo&r ma/es in a com'etition!
9ow to ,i/ Ao&r $'eci+c Weaknesses This cycle is general! These e/ercises +t most 'eo'le5 &t ideally yo& sho&ld 'ick Bariations of the lifts that work on yo&r indiBid&al weaknesses! 9ere are alternate e/ercises yo& co&ld &se ased on where yo&r sticking 'oints are;
$%&at =f the sticking 'oint is elow 'arallel; Phase 1;
Wide $tance $%&at
Phase 2;
Pa&sed $%&at
Phase 3;
@ow o/ $%&at
Phase .;
$%&at (com'etitiBe style)
=f the sticking 'oint is aoBe 'arallel; Phase 1;
#ercher $%&at
Phase 2;
,ront $%&at
Phase 3;
o/ $%&at (legal de'th)
Phase .;
$%&at (com'etitiBe style)
*eadlift =f the sticking 'oint is reaking from the oor; Phase 1;
*e+cit *eadlift
Phase 2; ,loating *eadlift (de+cit deadlift witho&t ringing the arell ack on the oor) Phase 3;
$&mo *eadlift
Phase .;
*eadlift (com'etitiBe style)
=f the sticking 'oint is aro&nd the knees; Phase 1;
#ercher *eadlift
Phase 2;
omanian *eadlift
Phase 3; Pin-P&ll elow
*eadlift (com'etitiBe style)
=f the sticking 'oint is aoBe the knees; Phase 1;
arell 9i' Thr&st
Phase 2;
Pin-P&ll aoBe knees
Phase 3;
$&mo *eadlift
Phase .;
*eadlift (com'etitiBe style)
ench Press =f the sticking 'oint is o: the chest; Phase 1;
,loor Press
Phase 2; Camered-ar ench Press or ,&ll-ange *&mell Press Phase 3;
$'otto Press
Phase .;
ench Press (com'etition style)
=f the sticking 'oint is aro&nd mid-range; Phase 1;
=ncline ench Press
Phase 2;
3- oard Press
Phase 3;
2- oard Press
Phase .;
ench Press (com'etition style)
=f the sticking 'oint is at locko&t; Phase 1;
Close-Gri' ,loor Press
Phase 2;
Close-Gri' =ncline ench Press
Phase 3;
Close-Gri' ench Press
Phase .;
ench Press (com'etition style)
dding ody&ilding Work &lgarian-style 'rogram is minimalist y nat&re! eca&se of the em'hasis on the ig lifts5 yo& might +nd that some m&scles are neglected! =f so5 yo& can add isolation work to hy'ertro'hy the neglected m&scles! *o this y adding 15-20 minutes’ worth of isolation work at the end of the regular workouts! dd that e/tra work on Tuesdays and Fridays5 which are the lower intensity days!
On Fridays only adding work for muscles that do not play a signicant role in the main lifts because you'll be maxing out the next day. On Tuesdays you should work the muscle(s) you feel are holding you back in your main moements.
,or e/am'le;
T&esday; ody&ilding work for triceps, delts, and pectorals ,riday; ody&ilding work for lats and biceps 4se isolation e/ercises for sets of -12 reps for that e/tra work! P&m'-enhancing techni%&es like 'artials5 slow re's5 restE'a&se5 do&le contraction and the like can also e &sed!
