Powerbuilding: big and strong on a 12-day cycle

Powerbuilding is a simple idea: train like you want to get stronger, but eat and do your volume like you want to build muscle. It isn’t about chasing stage-ready leanness or a single personal record. It’s about building a body that looks strong and actually is strong.

The idea comes from the world of powerbuilding. In Estonian it can comfortably be called “jõukulturism”: a practical blend of bodybuilding and powerlifting.

Why does powerbuilding make sense at all?

When someone starts out in the gym, the same question often comes up: should you do powerlifting or bodybuilding? The honest answer is that many people don’t want either as a competition. They simply want to get bigger, stronger and more confident.

Powerbuilding fits exactly there. The focus is on basic exercises, heavier weights and consistent progression. The squat, deadlift and bench press give the plan its backbone. Around them, enough volume is added for the muscle to get a growth signal.

That doesn’t mean every workout has to be the hardest of your life. Quite the opposite. The system works when you can keep the same rhythm for weeks and months: an extra rep here, a little more weight there, better technique. That’s how progress happens.

Powerbuilding and its core rules

1. Leanness and low body fat. The goal of a powerbuilder isn’t to be very lean all year round. The main aim is large muscle mass and strength. Some rise in body fat percentage may come with that.
2. Singles. Although the goal is strength, you don’t normally go all the way down to singles in your sets. The rep count in the main lifts also doesn’t go much above 8 reps. With some exercises you can go up to ten reps, but in the basic exercises it’s worth staying in the range of 3 (4) – 8 reps.
3. Isolation. Isolation exercises are used sparingly. The chest “Butterfly”, long cable sets and the like are not the center of this approach. The emphasis is on basic exercises and relatively heavy weight.
4. Squats. Powerbuilding centers on squatting. You squat every fourth day. Frequent squatting gives the body a strong growth signal. The squat is the king of mass building here.
5. The big three. The plan builds your squat, deadlift and bench press numbers. These exercises make up the Big Three.
6. Nutrition. If powerbuilding is your goal, you don’t need to turn nutrition into rocket science. The menu has to support your training, but that doesn’t mean every plate revolves around nothing but chicken breast and rice.
7. Workouts. Workouts usually last 45 – 50 minutes and include 10 – 12 working sets in total. You lift heavy, push hard, progress, eat and rest.

How does powerbuilding work in training?

The training itself is simple. Heavy basic exercises come first, because all the rest of the work is built on them. When they go up, overall strength and muscle mass usually go up too.

1. Heavy basic exercises. These are the centerpiece of this system. Squats, deadlifts, presses, pulls and their strong variations do the main work.
2. Progression. In each workout you should aim to do a little more than in the previous one. If you bench pressed 3 x 6 with 100 kg, then it already counts as progress when next time you get 7, 6 and 6 reps with 100 kg. When you reach the top of the rep range, add weight.
3. 1 hour. Keep your workouts within 60 minutes. A longer workout isn’t automatically better. Once quality drops, the extra minutes don’t help much.
4. No need to train to failure. If progress comes consistently, you don’t have to grind out every set to the end. Stop the set 1 – 2 reps before your real limit.
5. Rep range. The general rep range is 6 – 10. In the main basic exercises, rather stay in the range of 4 – 8 reps. Lifts that aren’t part of the big three can fall in the 6 – 10 range. On average, a good target is about 6 reps.

Nutrition for powerbuilding

Your nutrition should be healthy, but not neurotically strict. The goal is to build muscle and get strong. Not every meal has to contain broccoli and chicken. A simple truth: if you don’t recover and don’t eat enough, even the best plan stays half-finished.

1. Meals. Try to eat at least 5 times a day. The gap between meals could be 2.5 – 3 hours. The body needs its main nutrients regularly.
2. Protein. Each meal should give you around 25 grams of protein, at the very least. Very high amounts, such as 300 grams and more, are not needed by most people. For building muscle, a normal and consistent protein intake is enough.
3. Milk. Try to drink at least three glasses of milk every day. If gaining weight is hard, the target can be 2 liters a day. It doesn’t necessarily have to be low-fat milk, because the body needs fat too.
4. Eggs. Eggs are a good source of nutrients and provide protein too. If possible, eat at least four whole eggs every day.
5. Junk food. Potato chips, candy, white bread and the like shouldn’t be the foundation of your menu. A couple of times a week there can be slip-ups, but don’t let them turn into a daily habit.
6. Root vegetables. Eat root vegetables. They help keep your menu balanced and give your body what it needs.
7. Fruit. Fruit works well. Some people like to eat a couple of bananas before training and add a protein shake. In the evening, an apple can help tame hunger.

The 12-day cycle in powerbuilding

The following split is best suited to someone with at least 6 months of squatting and deadlifting experience. It is not quite a beginner’s plan. The intensity can push you into a pre-overtraining state, but this is something you monitor deliberately.

If your motivation drops, your body feels stiff, your joints ache and the fatigue won’t go away, it’s time to reduce the training load. Take a lighter period of 1 – 2 weeks. There are two simple ways to do it.

1. Train with the same number of sets, but use 30 – 40% less weight.
2. Train with the same weight, but cut the total rep count by 40%.

Since the split runs for 12 days, the lighter period should also last at least 12 days. The split stays the same, but you reduce either the volume or the weight.

Day 1. Squat/deadlift day

• Deadlift. 5 x 3 – 5. Don’t chase longer sets in the deadlift, because your technique breaks down easily. Stick to 3 – 5 repetitions.
• Front squat. 3 x 6 – 8.
• Abs, heavier weight. 3 sets. Switch your ab exercises every 4 days. For the rectus abdominis, keep the rep range at 10 – 20 repetitions; for the obliques, 8 – 10 repetitions.

Day 2. Shoulders/biceps

• Seated press with dumbbells or a barbell. 4 x 6 – 8 repetitions. Choose one option or alternate between them. Press with proper back support.
• Barbell upright rows. 3 x 8.
• Biceps curls with dumbbells, with a barbell or on a preacher bench. 3 x 8 – 10. Choose one exercise or vary them from workout to workout.

Day 3. Rest.

Day 4. Back/traps

• Bent-over rows with a barbell or dumbbells. 4 x 8. Choose one exercise or vary them.
• Pull-ups, T-bar rows or seated rows with different handles. 4 x 8. Choose one option or alternate between them.
• Shrugs with a barbell or dumbbells. 2 x 6 – 8.

Day 5. Squat/deadlift day

• Squat. 4 x 6 – 8.
• Romanian deadlift. 3 x 6 – 8.
• Abs, heavier weight. 3 sets. Change the exercise every 4 days. Rectus abdominis: 10 – 20 repetitions. Obliques: 8 – 10 repetitions.

Day 6. Chest/triceps

• Bench press. 4 x 6.
• Dumbbell bench press or barbell press on a slight incline. 3 x 8. Choose one or vary between the three options.
• Parallel bar dips, seated overhead forearm extension with a barbell or dumbbell, “Skull Crusher” or close-grip bench press. 3 x 8. Choose one exercise or alternate between them.

Day 7. Rest.

Day 8. Shoulders/biceps

• Seated press with dumbbells or a barbell. 4 x 6 – 8 repetitions. Choose one option or alternate. Keep your back supported.
• Barbell upright rows. 3 x 8.
• Biceps curls with dumbbells, with a barbell or on a preacher bench. 3 x 8 – 10. Choose one or vary them.

Day 9. Squat/deadlift day

• Box squat. 4 x 6 – 8.
• Good Mornings. 3 x 6 – 8.
• Abs, heavier weight. 3 sets. Change exercises every 4 days. Rectus abdominis: 10 – 20 repetitions. Obliques: 8 – 10 repetitions.

Day 10. Back/traps

• Bent-over rows with a barbell or dumbbells. 4 x 8. Pick one exercise or vary them.
• Pull-ups, T-bar rows or seated rows with different handles. 4 x 8. Pick one option or alternate between them.
• Barbell or dumbbell shrugs. 2 x 6 – 8.

Day 11. Rest.

Day 12. Chest/triceps

• Bench press. 4 x 6.
• Dumbbell bench press or barbell press on a slight incline. 3 x 8. Pick one or rotate between the three options.
• Dips, seated overhead triceps extensions with a barbell or dumbbell, skullcrushers or close-grip bench press. 3 x 8. Pick one exercise or alternate between them.

Practical notes and adding volume

Once you’ve been through the 12-week cycle a few times, your body has adapted to the plan. Only then is it worth thinking about adding volume. But the limit stays the same: a workout shouldn’t run longer than one hour.

A maximum of 12 working sets per workout is perfectly sufficient. If, after some practice, you want to add sets on some days, add them either as an extra compound exercise or to a compound exercise that’s already in the plan. For example, don’t add sets to shrugs on back day, because the trapezius already takes plenty of training load from the other exercises.

Arnold presses can suit the shoulders. On squat day, you can add a couple of sets of Romanian deadlifts. If you have the option, you can also bring glute-ham raises into the plan and do a couple of extra sets of that exercise.

FAQ: powerbuilding

Is powerbuilding suitable for a beginner?

Not for a complete beginner, at least not at this volume. First it’s worth learning the squat, deadlift and press properly. This plan assumes at least 6 months of experience with the squat and deadlift.

Does powerbuilding require a strict diet?

No. Your food needs to support recovery and muscle growth, but it doesn’t have to be a competition bodybuilding diet. What matters is eating enough, getting enough protein and not living on junk food.

What should you do if progress stalls?

First look at your sleep, eating and training load. If your body shows signs of fatigue, do a lighter period: use 30 – 40% less weight or cut the total rep count by 40%.

The article originally appeared here: http://muscleandbrawn.com/powerbuilding-the-muscle-and-brawn-way/

Translated by: Janar Rückenberg

Come and train! ArtGym