Titans Grip

Powerlifting Training Plan, Intermediate

16-Week Intermediate Powerlifting Plan

Sixteen weeks for lifters who have plateaued on linear progression. Four sessions per week with dedicated squat, bench, deadlift, and accessory days. The plan builds through a hypertrophy, strength, and peaking wave and ends with a tested 1 rep max.

Duration

16 weeks

Sessions / week

4

Per session

90 min

Level

Intermediate

Coach Pavel

Powerlifting coach, squat technique, bench press, deadlift

Reviewed 2026-04-18

Before You Start

  • Intermediate lifter with 1 to 2 years under the bar
  • Current squat 1.5x bodyweight, bench 1x, deadlift 1.75x as rough guidance
  • Clean technique verified on video or by coach
  • No open injuries to shoulder, hip, or back

Week by Week Structure

Weeks 1-5: Hypertrophy Block

Build muscle and connective tissue with moderate weights and higher reps. RPE 7 to 8 on main lifts, RPE 9 on last set.

Monday: Squat Day

90 min

Warm up (15 min)

  • Bike, hip mobility, empty bar

Main (40 min)

  • Back squat, 4 x 8 at RPE 7 to 8

Assistance (30 min)

  • Pause squat, 3 x 6
  • Romanian deadlift, 3 x 8
  • Leg curl, 3 x 12

Cool down (5 min)

  • Mobility

Tuesday: Bench Day

90 min

Warm up (15 min)

  • Band work, empty bar

Main (40 min)

  • Bench press, 4 x 8 at RPE 7 to 8

Assistance (30 min)

  • Close grip bench, 3 x 8
  • Pendlay row, 4 x 8
  • DB shoulder press, 3 x 10
  • Tricep extension, 3 x 12

Cool down (5 min)

  • Mobility

Thursday: Deadlift Day

90 min

Warm up (15 min)

  • Hip hinges

Main (40 min)

  • Conventional or sumo deadlift, 4 x 6 at RPE 7 to 8

Assistance (30 min)

  • Deficit deadlift, 3 x 6
  • Barbell row, 3 x 8
  • Hanging leg raise, 3 x 10

Cool down (5 min)

  • Mobility

Saturday: Accessory Day

75 min

Warm up (10 min)

  • Dynamic

Accessories (55 min)

  • Front squat, 3 x 8
  • Incline DB press, 3 x 10
  • Chest supported row, 3 x 10
  • Lateral raise, 3 x 12
  • Face pull, 3 x 15
  • Abdominal rollout, 3 x 10

Cool down (10 min)

  • Mobility

Weeks 6-10: Strength Block

Reduce reps, increase weight. RPE 7 to 9 across main lifts. Add pause work on bench and squat.

Monday: Squat Strength

90 min

Warm up (15 min)

  • Bike, empty bar

Main (40 min)

  • Back squat, 5 x 5 at RPE 8
  • Back off, 2 x 8 at 70 percent of top set

Assistance (30 min)

  • Pause squat, 3 x 4 at RPE 7
  • Romanian deadlift, 3 x 6
  • Weighted plank, 3 x 45 seconds

Cool down (5 min)

  • Mobility

Tuesday: Bench Strength

90 min

Warm up (15 min)

  • Band work

Main (40 min)

  • Bench press, 5 x 5 at RPE 8
  • Back off, 2 x 8 at 70 percent

Assistance (30 min)

  • Pause bench, 3 x 3 at RPE 7
  • Pendlay row, 4 x 6
  • Tricep extension, 3 x 12

Cool down (5 min)

  • Mobility

Thursday: Deadlift Strength

90 min

Warm up (15 min)

  • Hip hinges

Main (40 min)

  • Deadlift, 4 x 3 at RPE 8
  • Back off, 2 x 5 at 70 percent

Assistance (30 min)

  • Block pull just below knee, 3 x 5
  • Row, 3 x 8
  • Farmer carry, 3 x 40 meters

Cool down (5 min)

  • Mobility

Saturday: Accessory

75 min

Warm up (10 min)

  • Dynamic

Accessories (55 min)

  • Front squat, 4 x 5
  • Incline bench, 3 x 8
  • Weighted pull up, 4 x 5
  • DB shoulder press, 3 x 8
  • Hanging leg raise, 3 x 10

Cool down (10 min)

  • Mobility

Weeks 11-14: Peaking Block

Top sets move toward 1 to 3 reps at RPE 8 to 9. Assistance volume drops. Rehearse meet day warm ups.

Monday: Squat Peak

90 min

Warm up (20 min)

  • Bike, ramp up

Main (45 min)

  • Back squat, 4 x 3 at RPE 8 to 9
  • Back off, 1 x 5 at 70 percent

Assistance (20 min)

  • Pause squat, 3 x 2 at RPE 7
  • Leg curl, 3 x 10

Cool down (5 min)

  • Mobility

Tuesday: Bench Peak

90 min

Warm up (20 min)

  • Band work, ramp up

Main (45 min)

  • Bench press, 4 x 3 at RPE 8 to 9
  • Back off, 1 x 5 at 70 percent

Assistance (20 min)

  • Close grip bench, 3 x 5
  • Pendlay row, 3 x 6

Cool down (5 min)

  • Mobility

Thursday: Deadlift Peak

90 min

Warm up (20 min)

  • Hip hinges, ramp up

Main (45 min)

  • Deadlift, 3 x 2 at RPE 8 to 9
  • Back off, 1 x 4 at 70 percent

Assistance (20 min)

  • Block pull, 3 x 3
  • Barbell row, 3 x 6

Cool down (5 min)

  • Mobility

Saturday: Light Accessory

60 min

Accessories (50 min)

  • Front squat, 3 x 5
  • Incline DB press, 3 x 8
  • Row, 3 x 8
  • Pallof press, 3 x 10 per side

Cool down (10 min)

  • Mobility

Weeks 15-16: Taper and Test

Volume drops sharply. Week 16 is the 1 rep max test or mock meet.

Monday: Opener Rehearsal

60 min

Main (45 min)

  • Back squat, work up to 85 percent 1RM for 2 singles
  • Bench press, work up to 85 percent 1RM for 2 singles

Cool down (15 min)

  • Mobility

Wednesday: Deadlift Opener

60 min

Main (45 min)

  • Deadlift, work up to 85 percent 1RM for 1 single

Cool down (15 min)

  • Mobility

Friday: Walk Through

30 min

Walk through (25 min)

  • Empty bar walk through of squat, bench, deadlift form

Cool down (5 min)

  • Mobility

Saturday: Meet or Test (Week 16)

180 min

Warm up (30 min)

  • Bike, band work, ramp up

Squat (45 min)

  • 3 attempts at 90, 96, 100 to 103 percent

Bench (45 min)

  • 3 attempts at 90, 96, 100 to 103 percent

Deadlift (45 min)

  • 3 attempts at 90, 96, 100 to 103 percent

Cool down (15 min)

  • Mobility, rehydrate, refuel

Key Techniques

Pause squat

A competition squat with a 1 to 2 second pause at the bottom. Strengthens the hole position and enforces bracing without using the stretch reflex.

Pause bench

Bar paused on the chest for a full second. Matches competition commands, builds chest stability, and enforces proper bar path.

Block pull

Deadlift with the bar elevated on blocks or risers, usually just below the knee. Trains the lockout and upper back. Useful for lifters who are weak off the floor but strong up top, and vice versa.

Front squat

Bar held in the front rack, torso more upright, quads and core load heavily. Accessory for posterior chain stability and bar balance.

Deficit deadlift

Deadlift standing on a 1 to 2 inch platform. Increases range of motion and strengthens the pull off the floor.

Fueling and Recovery

Intermediate powerlifters should track protein and total calories during this plan. Target 1.8 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram, 4 to 6 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram on training days, 3 to 4 grams on rest days, and fat to fill remaining energy needs. Creatine monohydrate at 3 to 5 grams daily is the highest evidence strength supplement. Caffeine at 3 to 6 milligrams per kilogram 30 to 60 minutes pre session improves 1RM performance. Avoid aggressive cuts during the plan. If weight class is a concern, lock the target in week 10 and drop 0.5 to 1 percent of body weight per week until weigh in. Hydration of 35 to 45 milliliters per kilogram per day plus 500 milliliters per hour of training. Sleep 7 to 9 hours consistently. One week of sleep below 6 hours per night reduces strength output by 2 to 5 percent across main lifts per published sleep restriction studies.

Equipment Checklist

  • Flat soled shoes or squat shoes based on lift preference
  • 10 or 13 millimeter leather belt, single prong or lever
  • Wrist wraps
  • Knee sleeves
  • Chalk, liquid or block
  • Lifting straps for accessory rows and pulls
  • Foam roller or lacrosse ball for recovery

Progress Milestones

  1. Week 5

    Training max for each lift rises 3 to 5 percent.

  2. Week 10

    Strength block ends with clean RPE 8 singles at heavier weights than baseline.

  3. Week 14

    Peak block ends with controlled RPE 9 top sets.

  4. Week 15

    Opener rehearsals confirm 90 percent feels stable.

  5. Week 16

    1RM test or mock meet produces new personal records on all three lifts.

Track this plan in Powerlifting AI

Log every session, get AI video feedback on your technique, and follow Coach Pavel as a personal coach inside the app.

Download on theApp Store

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know my training max is correct?+

Training max is roughly 90 percent of a tested 1RM. If in week 4 you miss reps at RPE 8, training max was too high. Adjust down 2.5 to 5 percent and continue. RPE accuracy improves with a training log and video review.

Should I train sumo or conventional through this plan?+

Pick one and train it as the primary for the full 16 weeks. Using the other as a variation on deadlift day is fine but confuses neural patterning if both are competition lifts. Choose based on the federation rules and personal leverages.

Do I need conjugate or block work?+

Not at this level. Block periodization with hypertrophy, strength, and peaking phases is the most reliable format for intermediate lifters. Conjugate works for advanced lifters with a clear system. Block periodization has better evidence for intermediates.

How do I pick competition attempts?+

Opener at 90 percent of training max, second attempt at 96 percent, third at 100 to 103 percent. The opener should feel like a warm up. The second should feel hard but clean. The third is the ambitious attempt.

What if I miss a session?+

Shift the session by one day and continue. Do not double up or skip entirely. Missing one session per block has almost no impact. Skipping consistently destroys the plan.

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Sources and Further Reading