WELCOME!

PROGRAM EXPLANATION & FAQ

BEGIN

1 Enter your current 1RMs on the Coach tab in the yellow boxes. You may also enter a low-rep, high-RPE set. Do
not enter theoretical maxes or desired training
withoutcomes. It is notWe
needed to running
enter a 90% or 95% of your
2 Look over the
maxes...simply
modification
Read throughthe
training plan,
your maxes
thefirst
FAQtime
familiarize
through
yourself what is to come. suggest the plan without
will do. before attempting changes. Refer to our guide on RPE included for the best
3 results. below, and if you have further questions, don't hesitate to email us by clicking here.

4 If you enjoyed the program, donate here and buy us a coffee!

DONATE HERE CONTACT US

THE PROGRAM

This is a 9-week training approach for beginner athletes designed to overcome many shortcomings of common programs
that beginner powerlifters run. It’s the starting program we wish we had before powerlifting, designed to bridge into
either repeats of the same approach as long as you keep making progress, or into more advanced training approaches as
For squat, we’ve included two training days of squatting so that athletes have enough frequency to practice the
seamlessly as possible. Toward the end, athletes handle heavier and heavier loads as they work toward new 3-rep maxes
movement and build training volume to progress, but not so much that this program classifies as an intermediate or
before rinsing and repeating. Most athletes should find this is a balanced amount of training volume, training stress, and
advanced approach. We’ve included light to moderate single repetitions from the very start to give athletes exposure to
For bench
loading press,
to see we progress.
great include three movements
We think per week
you’ll really because bench press especially can tolerate (and often need)
like it.
walking out and executing single reps. In later weeks, there may be some post-activation potentiation (PAP) from
more training volume and practice. To this end, we give new athletes a chance to practice pausing the bench on Day 4,
performing heavier single repetitions as well. We utilize multiple rep ranges to ensure maximum strength and
practice with heavier loading as the program progresses, and plenty of training volume per week. In addition, we include
For deadlift, we
hypertrophy. work
We’ve onincluded
also technique with
plenty ofthe inclusion
lower of paused
body training work
volume for much
to allow of the
for leg sizetraining approach.
increases, Training
as well as strength.
lots of upper body training volume to grow.
volume is lower here than squat or bench press by design, and the approach balances fatigue while allowing athletes to
crush progress and set new PRs.
Over the whole approach, we use autoregulation to make sure athletes can change loads where needed to keep the
program at the appropriate difficulty level. Beginner athletes especially progress at different rates, and we decided give
both percentage and RPE for athletes to choose from. We’ve made this program with a four-week addition that you can
WHO & this
use to run WHYprogram directly into a competition! The peak is also designed for first competitions, and we can’t wait
to see what you accomplish.
Q: Who is this program designed for?

A: We’ve defined a sample athlete for this program as a male or female with some experience in resistance training,
but less than six months of experience in powerlifting. This sample athlete is healthy, has no current injuries
or movement limitations, and hasn’t competed in a powerlifting competition. Ideally, this athlete is eating in a
Q: What if this program is too easy?
small to moderate caloric surplus, sleeping 7-10 hours per night, and stressing as little (or as predictably) as
A: This program is purposefully designed for newer lifters in key areas. If you think you’re a more advanced lifter,
possible.
check out our free TSA Intermediate Approach, or consider working one on one with a TSA coach to make sure
training is continually tailored to you and your goals. You can also modify this program with more frequency, more
Q: What do I need to do before this program?
training volume, or higher loads.
A: You need to have done a heavy set of 1-3 reps at RPE 8.5-10 on squat, bench press, and deadlift in the last 3
months. This is so you can populate the loads you'll be using on the plan.

Q: What are the requirements to run this program?

A: Have access to any equipment necessary to effectively train, understand RPE and how to rate RPE. Have four
available training days in your work/school/life schedule.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Q: Why the super light squat and bench press singles on day one?

A: We’ve included these to give new lifters exposure to low reps. Too many beginner approaches either don’t
introduce low reps at all, or introduce heavy singles on a near weekly basis. We give athletes chances to develop
neural adaptations to low repetitions on a weekly basis while at the same time giving lifters plenty of training
Q: Should I do the 9-week or the 13-week program?
volume for muscular growth, balancing these two extremes.
A: The approach is primarily built as a 9 week program—an intro week, three weeks of progression, a deload, three
weeks of progression, and a training test. We added a 4-week build into a competition, if you wanted to train
into your first competition. Most of the time, use this approach as a 9-week program and you’ll keep making
Q: Which exercises should I choose?
progress. If you want to build into 1RMs instead of 3RMs, occasionally use the 4-week addition.
A: Besides the main lifts, you can select from a drop down menu of exercises. We’ve pre-selected one option for
you, but you are free to choose an alternate. Choose the exercise you have equipment for and feel particularly
excited about.
Q: What is the difference from selecting ‘male’ to selecting ‘female’?

A: We have added more training volume and higher intensities for female athletes, as they likely require it to
make the same level of progress. The additions in training volume exist across the main lifts and some accessories
as well.
Q: What is lsRPE? What’s RPE?

A: lsRPE stands for ‘last set RPE’, the RPE of your very final set of a specific exercise. For information on RPE, please
check the tab ‘RPE’.

ADJUSTMENTS

Q: What if I miss reps?

A: We’ve planned approaches such that most athletes shouldn’t miss reps if you check your recovery boxes (sleep,
adequate calories, adequate protein intake) and use appropriate 1 rep maxes. If you happen to miss reps for any
reason, don’t panic. Simply move forward with the program as if it never happened. If it becomes a recurring issue,
Q: What if I overshoot my RPE?
you may need to adjust loads. This is normal and part of the individualization of the training process.
A: Again, don’t panic. As you learn to use RPE, you will overshoot RPE sometimes and undershoot other times. Just
make a mental note and aim to be more accurate in the future. If it’s a regular problem, you may ask yourself why
you feel the need to overshoot RPE. Do you not trust the training approach? Are you having a hard time gauging
Q: Can I add anything?
effort? Are you just ego lifting? Getting to the root of this issue will make you a better lifter overall.
A: We think the program as-is is a good start for beginner powerlifters. If you feel the need or desire to add
something, just make sure that it makes sense in the grand scheme of things. If you’re a bodybuilder or care about
complete growth and not just your squat, bench, and deadlift 1RMs, you may consider adding direct calf work,
Q: What if I have to miss a session/get behind?
direct hamstring work, and potentially more direct shoulder work. Just more work in general. Proceed with caution
A: If you’re running this approach into a competition, you obviously need to make adjustments to make sure the peak
with a combined powerlifting/bodybuilding approach, especially as a beginner athlete.
lines up with your competition date. Consider either condensing training into more training sessions per week. In
the event that you were sick or needed to miss many sessions, simply resume where you can to stay on track. There
Q: How hard should each week be?
is no one right answer here--it’s all training stimulus. If you don’t have a competition scheduled and are just running
A: This is difficult to say because each athlete responds differently to training, and we’re creating one training
the base approach, just pick up where you left off and allow the program to be a little longer than expected.
approach for many athletes. Generally speaking, most weeks early on will be in the RPE 6-8 range, including the
main lifts. It’s usually the case that training actually gets easier after the first week or two as you adapt to a new
Q: What if I get injured?
training split and the repeated bout effect (RBE) takes effect.
A: The seriousness of the injury dictates the response to the injury. If you can work around movement restrictions or
pain with exercise substitutions, dropping the load, allowing for more rest between exposures or other
modifications, please do that! If the injury feels more severe, don’t train through pain. Limit painful movements,
work with a trained professional on your recovery so that you can come back stronger. There’s a lot of potential
advice here that is only on a case-by-case basis because each situation is unique.
PERFORMANCE

Q: How do I figure out what RPE 5/6 is?

A: RPE 5 and RPE 6 are admittedly difficult to gauge. It’s better to figure these out by comparison to something harder.
RPE 5 should still feel like a warmup. It likely takes less attention to detail and less arousal to perform. It may feel
slightly slow, but there should be no sticking point at all. RPE 6 should feel like a serious, heavier warmup, requiring
Q: How long should I rest between sets?
a little more attention than RPE 5 and a serious attitude in setup and lift execution. RPE 6 is still fast, with little to no
A: As much rest as you need. The literature is pretty clear that limiting rests to any degree dampens performance and
breakdown in lifting technique.
strength adaptation. All bodily systems relevant to strength performance are recovered in 2-5 minutes, so this is a
good window. However, take as much rest as you need, so long as you can complete your training. If you’re just
Q: When should I rest?
scrolling instagram/facebook between sets, this can easily climb to 10 minutes. Moderating this is a quick way to
A: Rest in between each set.
reduce the length of your workouts.

Q: Are the deadlifts sumo or conventional?

A: Choose your main stance for the deadlift. If you are brand new to lifting, it’s a good idea to start lifting with the
conventional stance.

Q: When should I use my belt?

A:
Use your belt on any main sets that warrant its use. You will probably be best served adding the belt at some point
in your warmups leading into your working sets. Using the belt is as much a skill as it is an aid to safety and lifting
strength. As such, we want to get better at the skill of bracing into the belt. That takes practice. As a general guide,
WHAT'S NEXT?
anything above 65-70% is fair game for using your belt. You probably don’t need to wear the belt on bench press.

Q: What should I do after this program?

A: If you’re having success with the training approach, keep using it! Input new 1RMs and continue the approach. You
can also try our intermediate training approach.
For some athletes, the training approach is too generic after the first or second time. If you need more attention
and customization, we work one-on-one with athletes providing them the coaching they need to not only make
progress, but continue enjoying powerlifting for years to come. Email us and we’ll be happy to discuss the
continuation of your training as a completely customized level.

EMAIL US