
5 Day Powerlifting Split Workout - 16 Week Peak
This is a 16-week strength building and peaking cycle that I plan on testing out leading into my next powerlifting meet. I've been using a similar structure for a year, only with a four day split.
The percentages are additions to my current programming. I have a tendency to train too hard and heavy each week, especially on squats and deadlifts. By using percentages, I hope to keep my lower back in better shape while peaking and adding pounds to each lift.
Related:
- Day 1 - Heavy Squats, Deadlifts and Hamstrings
- Day 2 - Bench and Triceps
- Day 3 - Off
- Day 4 - Quads and Abs
- Day 5 - Back and Traps
- Day 6 - Shoulders and Biceps
- Day 7 - Off
I normally don't do five splits, but in this case I wanted to dedicate a single day to squats and deadlifts. There is a second squat session mixed in with quad work, but that's far less intense.
Heavy Squats and Deadlifts
This is a two week rotation. During Week A you will perform heavy deadlifts and moderate squats. During Week B you will perform heavy squats and moderate deadlifts.
Here are your deadlift workouts for the next 16 weeks. It is recommended that you make these pulls from a 4" block or rack height. If you prefer to pull from the floor, drop percentages by about 2.5%, and up to 5% if your lower back fatigues easily from floor pulling (like mine does).
- Week 1 - 77.5% x 2 sets x 5 reps, 65% 2 sets x 10 reps (HEAVY)
- Week 2 - 72.5% x 2 sets x 4 reps, 60% 2 sets x 9 reps (BACK-OFF)
- Week 3 - 80% x 2 sets x 4 reps, 67.5% 2 sets x 9 reps (HEAVY)
- Week 4 - 75% x 2 sets x 3 reps, 62.5% 2 sets x 8 reps (BACK-OFF)
- Week 5 - 82.5% x 2 sets x 4 reps, 70% 2 sets x 8 reps (HEAVY)
- Week 6 - 77.5% x 2 sets x 3 reps, 65% 2 sets x 7 reps (BACK-OFF)
- Week 7 - 85% x 2 sets x 3 reps, 72.5% 2 sets x 7 reps (HEAVY)
- Week 8 - 80% x 2 sets x 2 reps, 67.5% 2 sets x 6 reps (BACK-OFF)
- Week 9 - 87.5% x 2 sets x 3 reps, 75% 2 sets x 7 reps (HEAVY)
- Week 10 - 82.5% x 2 sets x 2 reps, 70% 2 sets x 6 reps (BACK-OFF)
- Week 11 - 90% x 1 sets x 3 reps, 77.5% 2 sets x 6 reps (HEAVY)
- Week 12 - 85% x 1 sets x 2 reps, 72.5% 2 sets x 5 reps (BACK-OFF)
- Week 13 - 92.5% x 1 sets x 2 reps, 80% 1 sets x 6 reps (HEAVY)
- Week 14 - 87.5% x 1 sets x 1 reps, 75% 1 sets x 5 reps (BACK-OFF)
- Week 15 - 95% x 1 sets x 2 reps, 82.5% 1 sets x 5 reps (HEAVY)
- Week 16 - 90% x 1 sets x 1 reps, 77.5% 1 sets x 4 reps (BACK-OFF)
Here are your squat workouts for the next 16 weeks.
- Week 1 - 72.5% x 2 sets x 4 reps, 65% 2 sets x 6 reps (BACK-OFF)
- Week 2 - 80% x 2 sets x 4 reps, 72.5% 2 sets x 6 reps (HEAVY)
- Week 3 - 75% x 2 sets x 3 reps, 67.5% x 2 sets x 5 reps (BACK-OFF)
- Week 4 - 82.5% x 2 sets x 3 reps, 75% 2 sets x 5 reps (HEAVY)
- Week 5 - 77.5% x 2 sets x 3 reps, 70% x 2 sets x 4 reps (BACK-OFF)
- Week 6 - 85% x 2 sets x 3 reps, 77.5% x 2 sets x 4 reps (HEAVY)
- Week 7 - 80% x 2 sets x 2 reps, 72.5% x 2 sets x 3 reps (BACK-OFF)
- Week 8 - 87.5% x 2 sets x 2 reps, 80% x 2 sets x 3 reps (HEAVY)
- Week 9 - 82.5% x 2 sets x 2 reps, 75% x 2 sets x 3 reps (BACK-OFF)
- Week 10 - 90% x 2 sets x 2 reps, 82.5% x 2 sets x 3 reps (HEAVY)
- Week 11 - 85% x 1 set x 1 rep, 77.5% x 2 sets x 2 reps (BACK-OFF)
- Week 12 - 92.5% x 1 set x 1 rep, 85% x 2 sets x 2 reps (HEAVY)
- Week 13 - 87.5% x 1 set x 1 rep, 80% x 1 sets x 2 reps (BACK-OFF)
- Week 14 - 95% x 1 set x 1 rep, 87.5% x 1 sets x 2 reps (HEAVY)
- Week 15 - 90% x 1 set x 1 rep, 82.5% x 1 set x 2 reps (BACK-OFF)
- Week 16 - 97.5% x 1 set x 1 rep, 90% x 1 set x 2 reps (HEAVY)
Heavy Bench Press
No back-off weeks here. The focus will be on volume and ramping intensity. Sets will be pushed for as many reps as possible. Stop each set under only 2 conditions:
- You feel like you might fail on the next rep.
- Your form starts to dramatically slip. We don't want you getting inured.
- Week 1 - 82.5% x 2 sets x max reps, 72.5% 1 sets x max reps, 62.5% 1 sets x max reps
- Week 2 - 85% x 2 sets x max reps, 75% 1 sets x max reps, 65% 1 sets x max reps
- Week 3 - 87.5% x 2 sets x max reps, 77.5% 1 sets x max reps, 67.5% 1 sets x max reps
- Week 4 - 90% x 2 sets x max reps, 80% 1 sets x max reps, 70% 1 sets x max reps
- Week 5 - 92.5% x 2 sets x max reps, 82.5% 1 sets x max reps, 72.5% 1 sets x max reps
- Week 6 - 85% x 2 sets x max reps, 75% 1 sets x max reps, 65% 1 sets x max reps
- Week 7 - 87.5% x 2 sets x max reps, 77.5% 1 sets x max reps, 67.5% 1 sets x max reps
- Week 8 - 90% x 2 sets x max reps, 80% 1 sets x max reps, 70% 1 sets x max reps
- Week 9 - 92.5% x 2 sets x max reps, 82.5% 1 sets x max reps, 72.5% 1 sets x max reps
- Week 10 - 95% x 2 sets x max reps, 85% 1 sets x max reps, 75% 1 sets x max reps
- Week 11 - 87.5% x 2 sets x max reps, 77.5% 1 sets x max reps, 67.5% 1 sets x max reps
- Week 12 - 90% x 2 sets x max reps, 80% 1 sets x max reps, 70% 1 sets x max reps
- Week 13 - 92.5% x 2 sets x max reps, 82.5% 1 sets x max reps, 72.5% 1 sets x max reps
- Week 14 - 95% x 2 sets x max reps, 85% 1 sets x max reps, 75% 1 sets x max reps
- Week 15 - 97.5% x 2 sets x max reps, 87.5% 1 sets x max reps, 77.5% 1 sets x max reps
- Week 16 - 87.5% x 2 sets x max reps, 77.5% 1 sets x max reps, 67.5% 1 sets x max reps (BACK-OFF)
For all assistance exercises, add weight when you can. Remember, the point is to gain strength - not just to randomly knock out reps. Push your sets hard.
Squats and Deadlifts |
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Powerlifting Workout |
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Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
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Heavy - Squats or Deadlifts |
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Moderate - Squats or Deadlifts |
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Romanian Deadlifts or Reverse Hack Squats |
2 |
10 |
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Leg Curls |
4 |
12 to 15 |
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Planks |
3 |
60 to 120 sec |
Romanian deadlifts. Perform Romanian deadlifts during your heavy deadlift week and reverse hack squats on your heavy squat week.
Leg curls. Can be standing or seated variations.
Bench and Triceps |
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Powerlifting Workout |
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Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
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Bench Press |
4 |
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Dumbbell Bench Press |
3 |
15 |
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Push Ups |
2 |
Max |
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Machine Chest Press |
2 |
15 |
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Close Grip Bench Press |
3 |
12 |
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Cable Triceps Extensions |
3 |
15 |
Machine Chest Press. Can be replaced with any non-compound chest exercise.
Quads and Abs |
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Powerlifting Workout |
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Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
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Squats |
2 |
10 |
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Superset: Leg Extensions |
4 |
15 |
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Superset: Box Jumps |
4 |
10 |
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Single Leg Press |
3 |
15 |
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Bodyweight Lunges |
1 |
50-100 |
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Ab Wheel Rollouts |
3 |
10-20 |
Box Jumps. If you don't feel comfortable performing high box jumps, substitute in jump squats or bodyweight lunges. If you use bodyweight lunges as a part of the superset, switch your 50 to 100 rep set to high rep leg presses.
Back and Traps |
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Powerlifting Workout |
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Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
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Dumbbell Rows |
2 |
15 |
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Seated Cable Rows |
4 |
15 |
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Lat Pull Downs |
4 |
15 |
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T-Bar Rows |
4 |
15 |
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Power Shrugs |
3 |
15 |
Lifting Straps. Use lifting straps or Versa Gripps during your back work. The point isn't to challenge your grip strength, it's to build a brutally strong back. If your grip is weak, add some grip training during the week.
Shoulders and Biceps |
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Powerlifting Workout |
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Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
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Seated Dumbbell Press |
3 |
10 |
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Superset: Bulldozer Laterals |
3 |
10 |
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Superset: Dumbbell Upright Rows |
3 |
10 |
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Machine Shoulder Press |
2 |
15 |
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Reverse Dumbbell Flyes |
2 |
15 |
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Preacher Dumbbell Curl |
3 |
15 |
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Reverse Grip Lat Pull Downs |
3 |
15 |
Biceps. You can really use any biceps exercise you prefer. Just use a mix of a straight bar and dumbbell movements, or a dumbbell/barbell exercise along with a machine movement.
Bulldozer Laterals. Watch thew video below to see the proper way to use this exercise, and how to perform this superset.