Your total stalled. So you added a fourth day. Then a fifth.
More accessories. More sets. More time in the gym.
Your total is still stalled.
Or maybe three days is all you’ve got, and you’re wondering if that’s enough to get stronger.
More days won’t fix a stalled total. Better training will.
You’re willing to work. But what good is the work if it’s not taking you somewhere?
THREE DAY DETAIL
10 Weeks of Off-Season Powerlifting
Three days a week. Every session has a job.
DAY 1: THE BIG THREE
Squat, bench, and deadlift in one session. The loading shifts from wave to wave, so you build strength without grinding the same heavy singles all off-season.
DAY 2: UPPER BODY SIZE AND PRESSING STRENGTH
Put muscle on your frame and bring up the muscles that move the bar.
DAY 3: LOWER BODY MUSCLE AND WORK CAPACITY
Pack on muscle and push your work capacity with demanding lower body training and Yard Work Strongman Finishers. Hit a number. Come back and beat it.
No skipping the barbell. No running the same program with more reps.
Practice the competition lifts once a week. Spend the other two sessions strengthening weak points and developing the base your next meet cycle needs.
Been away from the platform? Three Day Detail gives you a structured way back into powerlifting. Get sharp on the lifts, rebuild your base, and lay the groundwork for your next meet prep.
Three training days leave four days to recover. Attack each session, then give yourself time to come back ready.
Three building waves. A Week 10 reload backs off the workload so you recover before the next cycle.
25 years in the trenches, from Metroflex to coaching multiple world record holders and lifters juggling families and full-time careers. Training that delivers in the gym and fits your life outside it.
Three days. Ten weeks. Show up and do the work.
Get Three Day Detail. Put your off-season to work.
A
Squat
3 x 1
B
Bench Press
2 x 9
C
Deadlift
3 x 3
A1
DB Incline Bench Press
15, 12, 10
A2
Incline Chest Supported DB Row
12, 10, 8
B1
One Arm Kneeling Landmine Press
3 x 7
B2
Neutral Grip Pull Ups
3 x 6
C1
JM Press
10, 8, 6
C2
Incline Dumbbell Curls
3 x 7
Conditioning
D
Finisher 10 Minute BW Ladder
Round 1: 10 push ups, 10 inverted rows, 15 band pull aparts Each round: push ups and inverted rows go up by 1 (11, 12, 13...). Band pull aparts stay at 15 every round as the breather. Reset rule: if a set of push ups or rows breaks (you have to stop mid set), finish the set, then drop back to 10 next round and climb again. Score: total push ups plus inverted rows in 10 minutes. Log it. Beat it next week.
A
Leg Press
15, 12, 10
B
Leg Curls
4 x 8
C
Walking Lunges
2 x 10
D
45 Degree Back Extension
2 x 6
E
Seated Row Cluster Set
3 x 15
Conditioning
F
YARD WORK 12 MIN EMOM
Farm Walk / Sled Drag Odd minutes: backward sled drag, 40 feet. Even minutes: farmer’s walk, 40 feet. Start with a sled load you could drag backward continuously for 25–30 seconds and farmer’s weights you could carry about 150 feet all out. After completing every minute, add 5–10 lb to the sled and 5 lb per hand to the farmers next session. Progress each separately; if you miss a minute, repeat that implement’s load.
Josh Bryant
Josh Bryant is a world-renowned strength coach, author, and competitive strength athlete with decades of experience helping lifters get stronger. He has held world records in powerlifting and won the Strongest Man in America title in 2005. Known as the “trainer of superstars,” Josh is known for straightforward, no-frills programming built on hard work and proven strength principles.
Ten weeks. Three focused days a week. Every lift, set, and rep has a purpose. Build your squat, bench, and deadlift. Add muscle. Improve your work capacity. And build the foundation for a stronger total when it’s time to step back on the platform. Stop ad
Get THREE DAY DETAIL