Alexander Bromley's signature Base Strength program for strength and physique: a 9-week high-volume base phase (three waves of 10/8/5) + a 9-week peaking phase (three waves of 3/2/1 up to a daily RM), with the big four on separate days, each with two variations and three accessories.
Copy it to your plans in the free app. TopSet works out each set’s target weight from your training max or 1RM.
Download on the App Store70's Powerlifter comes from Alexander Bromley's (Empire Barbell) Base Strength; it recreates the high-volume approach of the 70s golden age of powerlifting in the language of modern periodization. The whole program runs 18 weeks at 4 sessions per week, split into two 9-week phases: first the Base Phase piles up a huge amount of work as a foundation, then the Peak Phase converts that accumulated fitness into new maxes on the big three. Its core is not any fancy exercise but a plain logic: "first learn to absorb an unusual amount of work, then gradually trade volume for intensity."
Bromley believes many lifters get stuck at the intermediate level not because their program isn't clever enough, but because their long-term training volume is too low and the body is never truly forced to adapt. 70's Powerlifter borrows the "heavy weights, lots of sets, high frequency" tradition of 70s powerlifters and spreads the four main lifts (bench press, squat, overhead press, deadlift) over four training days. Each day, on top of the main lift, it stacks two variations and three bodybuilding-style accessories, using substantial total volume to stimulate muscle and connective tissue.
The author gave a clear warning about volume: this is an "abnormal workload." In the Base Phase, if any set leaves you fewer than 3 reps from failure, the weight is too high. This phase is about volume, not pushing every set to the limit. The program keeps intensity low (main lifts sit only in the 60%–70% range in the Base Phase) precisely so you can pile on sets while still recovering. In the Peak Phase, volume narrows and intensity rises week by week, releasing the ability built in the Base Phase into the max single of the day.
This two-stage arrangement of "build volume first, raise intensity later" essentially splits one big cycle into two blocks, "accumulation" and "conversion." The Base Phase uses low intensity and high set counts to accumulate work and thicken the load tolerance of muscle and connective tissue. The Peak Phase narrows volume all the way down, so the body adapts to heavier and heavier weights on less and less work, and finally cashes in the peak as a 3RM, 2RM, and 1RM in the last week of each wave. For an intermediate lifter who has long done only three to five sets with erratic intensity, this systematically raised workload is often exactly the key to breaking a plateau. For the same reason, the demands on time, diet, and sleep are not low; manage recovery as part of the program.
All prescription numbers in this guide follow the actual weekly data in the app; wherever they differ from the prose description in circulating versions, the app data wins, and this is noted honestly in the text.
Not suitable for: lifters new to the barbell, whose technique is still unstable, or whose recovery is currently limited (poor sleep, long-term calorie deficit).
The 18 weeks are cut into 6 "waves" of 3 weeks each, with 3 waves in each of the two phases:
Every week has a fixed 4 sessions, one main lift per day:
| Day | Main lift of the day | Two Base Phase variations | Two Peak Phase variations | Three Base Phase accessories | Three Peak Phase accessories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 · Bench day | Barbell Bench Press | Barbell Bench Press (second block), Barbell Incline Bench Press | Barbell Bench Press (paused), Barbell Floor Press | Cable Lat Pulldown, Barbell T-Bar Row, Barbell Curl | Cable Close-Grip Lat Pulldown, Dumbbell Single-Arm Row, Dumbbell Hammer Curl |
| Day 2 · Squat day | Barbell High-Bar Squat | Barbell High-Bar Squat (second block), Barbell Front Squat | Barbell High-Bar Squat (paused), Barbell Box Squat | Seated Leg Extension, Barbell Lunge, Sit-Up | Machine Leg Press, Barbell Side Bend, Barbell Ab Rollout |
| Day 3 · Press day | Barbell Overhead Press | Barbell Overhead Press (two blocks) | Barbell Push Press, Pin Press | Dumbbell Lateral Raise, EZ Bar Skullcrusher, Cable Triceps Pushdown | Barbell Upright Row, Barbell JM Press, EZ Bar Skullcrusher |
| Day 4 · Deadlift day | Barbell Conventional Deadlift | Barbell Romanian Deadlift, Barbell Good Morning | Barbell Block Pull, Barbell Sumo Deadlift | Barbell Bent-Over Row, Lying Leg Curl, Lying Leg Raise | Barbell Pendlay Row, Dumbbell Single-Arm Row, Barbell Ab Rollout |
Note: On press day the Base Phase has no separate variation exercises; both variation columns in this program land on Barbell Overhead Press (the source program's two columns were originally the wide-grip press and the behind-the-neck press, which were merged into Overhead Press in the exercise library and are recorded as such). The first "variation" on bench day and squat day is actually a second block of the main lift itself, controlled by RPE rather than percentages.
| Wave (weeks) | Main lift | Variation | Accessories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wave 1 · 10-rep wave (Weeks 1–3) | 10 reps @ 60%, 3→4→5 sets | 10 reps @ RPE 7 / 7 / 8, 2→3→4 sets | 15 reps, 3→4→5 sets |
| Wave 2 · 8-rep wave (Weeks 4–6) | 8 reps @ 65%, 3→4→5 sets | 8 reps @ RPE 7 / 7 / 8, 2→3→4 sets | 12 reps, 3→4→5 sets |
| Wave 3 · 5-rep wave (Weeks 7–9) | 5 reps @ 70%, 3→4→5 sets | 6 reps @ RPE 7 / 7 / 8, 3→4→5 sets | 10 reps, 3→4→5 sets |
How to read the table: the three weeks in each wave correspond to the increase of "3 sets / 4 sets / 5 sets." Main-lift loading is very low throughout the Base Phase (only 60% in the 10-rep wave, 65% in the 8-rep wave, 70% in the 5-rep wave) because the goal here is to pile up sets. The variation uses reps close to or slightly above the main lift and controls intensity by RPE (RPE 7 in the first two weeks of each wave, RPE 8 in the last week); the three bodybuilding accessories use high reps (15 / 12 / 10).
About the main-lift percentages: in the data, every set is recorded at a single percentage, taken from the lower end of that wave's intensity range. In the original book, Bromley treats this percentage as the floor of a range, and when you feel good you can add weight set by set within the same session. But the prescription written into the plan is that floor number, so use it as your starting point.
| Wave (weeks) | Main lift (top sets) | Variation | Accessories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wave 4 · 3-rep wave (Weeks 10–12) | Week 10: 5 sets × 3 reps @ 80%; Week 11: 2 sets × 3 reps @ 85% + 1 AMRAP set; Week 12: 1 set × 3 reps @ RPE 10 (i.e. a 3RM) | 5 reps at 70% / 75% / 80%, 5→4→3 sets | 9 reps, 5 / 4 / 2 sets |
| Wave 5 · 2-rep wave (Weeks 13–15) | Week 13: 4 sets × 2 reps @ 85% + 1 AMRAP set; Week 14: 2 sets × 2 reps @ 90% + 1 AMRAP set; Week 15: 1 set × 2 reps @ RPE 10 (i.e. a 2RM) | 4 reps at 75% / 80% / 85%, 5→4→3 sets | 7 reps, 5 / 4 / 2 sets |
| Wave 6 · 1-rep wave (Weeks 16–18) | Week 16: 5 sets × 1 rep @ 90%; Week 17: 3 sets × 1 rep @ 95%; Week 18: 1 set × 1 rep @ RPE 10 (i.e. a 1RM) | 3 reps at 80% / 85% / 90%, 5→4→3 sets | 5 reps, 5 / 4 / 2 sets |
The Peak Phase splits each wave into three steps: "multiple sets, then fewer sets plus an AMRAP set, then a single set to test the RM." In Week 1 you use more sets for volume at moderate-to-high intensity. In Week 2 you cut sets and add one AMRAP set (written 3+ / 2+ in the source table) after the prescribed sets. In Week 3 you keep only one set of the main lift and go for the rep maximum of the day at RPE 10 (3RM in the 3-rep wave, 2RM in the 2-rep wave, 1RM in the 1-rep wave). Throughout the Peak Phase the reps per set of the main lift are fixed at that wave's target, and intensity rises week by week.
In the Peak Phase the variations switch to more competition-specific exercises, loaded by percentage (the source program anchors to the 1RM of the day's main lift) and rising each week with the wave. Among them, the first variation on bench day and squat day is a paused version of the main lift itself, done with a 0-1-0 tempo (about a 1-second pause at the bottom), so it still shows in the exercise list as Barbell Bench Press / Barbell High-Bar Squat; only the second variation switches to Floor Press / Box Squat. Press day and deadlift day simply use two different variations: Push Press + Pin Press, and Block Pull + Sumo Deadlift. The three accessories switch to low-to-moderate reps (9 / 7 / 5), with sets cut gradually down to 2 by the end of the wave.
The program has no separate "light deload week": in the Base Phase the drop-back comes from pulling the reps back up from the previous wave's low at the start of each wave, and in the Peak Phase the volume-cut RM test week in Week 3 cashes in the peak and recovery. If you clearly regress for two or three sessions in a row, or have joint discomfort, insert a deload yourself.
The plan's prescription does not fix a rest time between sets. As general advice: rest 3 minutes or more between heavy main-lift sets, 2–3 minutes for variations, and 60–90 seconds for bodybuilding accessories. This is only a general guideline, not a hard rule of the program, and can be adjusted to your recovery. In the Peak Phase, perform the paused sets on bench day and squat day with a strict pause of about 1 second at the bottom; that is exactly their training purpose.
After the full 18 weeks, use the new single from Wave 6 of the Peak Phase (Weeks 16–18) to reset your maxes on the four main lifts as the starting point for the next training cycle. If you want to keep running long high-volume cycles, you can follow up with another 18-week high-volume powerlifting program, Bullmastiff (18 weeks); if you want to lower weekly training volume and use a shorter cycle to focus on strength performance, you can switch to The Cube Method (10 weeks). Whichever you choose, arrange a few days of easy activity or an active deload before entering the next high-intensity cycle.
No. It is aimed at intermediate lifters who already have solid technique on the four main lifts and can handle a large workload. The author himself calls the volume of this program an "abnormal workload," and just building from 3 sets to 5 sets in the Base Phase is enough to crush a beginner with insufficient recovery ability. A new lifter is better off starting with a simpler linear program and establishing movement skill and base strength first.
A fixed 4 sessions per week, one main lift per day: Day 1 bench press, Day 2 squat, Day 3 overhead press, Day 4 deadlift. Every training day is "1 main lift + 2 variations + 3 bodybuilding accessories," 6 exercises in all. How you place rest days among the four days is up to you, but make sure each main lift is trained only once a week with enough recovery in between.
Normal, and deliberate. The goal of the Base Phase is to build up total workload, not to push every set to the limit. Loads hang on a percentage of your max: 60% in the 10-rep wave, 65% in the 8-rep wave, 70% in the 5-rep wave. Combined with sets that increase week by week (3→4→5), the accumulated volume is actually considerable. The data records the lower end of that wave's intensity range for each set, and Bromley's original allows you to work upward set by set within the same session when you feel good, but start from the floor percentage in the table and don't go straight to the ceiling.
A "wave" is a 3-week cycle. The main-lift target reps of the three Base Phase waves are 10, 8, and 5, and those of the three Peak Phase waves are 3, 2, and 1. Within a wave, Weeks 1, 2, and 3 raise the main-lift sets from 3 to 4 to 5 (Base Phase), or cut from multiple sets down to a single set (Peak Phase). Reps get lower and intensity higher as you go, so the overall rhythm is "build volume first, then raise intensity."
Those are each wave's RM test weeks. The main lift is only one set, taken to the rep maximum for that wave at RPE 10: a 3RM in Week 12, a 2RM in Week 15, and a 1RM in Week 18. Variation and accessory sets that week are also cut to the minimum (accessories only 2 sets), so your energy goes into that one maximal attempt. It is both a test and the peak and volume drop for that wave.
An AMRAP is a set taken "to failure while keeping movement quality." In this program only the main lifts in Weeks 11, 13, and 14 carry such a set: after finishing the prescribed sets, do one final set and get as many reps as you can at that week's percentage (Week 11 is 3+ @ 85%, Week 13 is 2+ @ 85%, Week 14 is 2+ @ 90%). The Peak Phase single weeks (Weeks 16–18) have no AMRAP; a maximal single leaves no room for "a few more reps."
It is a variation added on bench day and squat day in the Peak Phase: the main lift itself, done with a 0-1-0 tempo, meaning a pause of about 1 second at the bottom before driving up. Because it is still Barbell Bench Press / Barbell High-Bar Squat, the exercise list still shows the main lift's name. Paused sets strengthen the start from the bottom and eliminate bounce, and the load is set by that week's variation percentage (the 70%–90% range, rising with the wave). Press day and deadlift day have no paused sets and instead use two different variations directly: Push Press / Pin Press and Block Pull / Sumo Deadlift.
Because the two variations on press day in the source program were originally the wide-grip press and the behind-the-neck press, and in this app's exercise library those two exercises were merged into the same entry, "Barbell Overhead Press," so Base Phase press day shows three segments of overhead press (the main-lift block plus two variation blocks). Their sets, reps, and intensity still have different roles: the first is the main-lift top set by percentage, and the latter two are variation work controlled by RPE. If you want to restore the original intent, you can swap one segment for a wide-grip standing press and another for a behind-the-neck press, leaving the rest of the prescription as is. In the Peak Phase, press day switches to two truly different variations, Push Press and Pin Press.
When done, use the new single from Weeks 16–18 to reset the maxes on the four main lifts as the starting point of the next cycle, with a few days of easy activity or an active deload in between. To keep going with a high-volume long cycle, follow up with Bullmastiff (18 weeks); to shorten the cycle and lower weekly volume to focus on strength performance, switch to The Cube Method (10 weeks). The hallmarks of 70's Powerlifter are large volume, a long cycle, and two clearly separated phases, which suit people who "can absorb volume and want to build muscle and strength at the same time in one long cycle"; if you care more about time efficiency or your recovery is tight, you should pick a lower-volume program.
Program by Alexander Bromley. TopSet is not affiliated with or endorsed by the program’s creator. Program names and trademarks belong to their owners. See the guide for original sources.
