Extended Russian Power Routine

"Extended Russian Power Routine (9 weeks)" extends the classic Russian Squat Routine's "volume ladder → intensity climb" structure from squat alone to squat, bench, and deadlift, and stretches it to 9 weeks. All three lifts advance along the same ladder: for the first four weeks, a fixed 6 sets with reps per set rising from 3 to 6 week by week at a constant 80%; for the last five weeks, sets and reps shrink together while intensity rises 5% each week, until Week 9 attacks a new max at 105%. Squat and bench are each trained twice a week, one ladder session and one maintenance session of 6×2 @80%; deadlift runs the ladder only once a week. The whole program is 3 sessions per week, executed entirely as percentages of your starting 1RM with no extra weight added along the way.

Program positioning and source

This program is adapted from the "Extended Russian Power Routine" table collected by LiftVault, with the prescription traced back to the Russian powerlifting routine page at analyzetraining.biz. It is the "three-lift extended version" of the classic Russian Squat Routine: the original targets only squat and completes the transition from volume to intensity in a shorter cycle; this version copies the same ladder logic across squat, bench, and deadlift and stretches the climb to 9 weeks, so there is still room to recover while training all three lifts at once under a higher systemic load. No specific author quotes are cited here; the public sources provide only the prescription table itself and two notes.

Who it's for

• Intermediate lifters who want to push squat, bench, and deadlift maxes at the same time in one cycle.
• People who can accept a "low-frequency, high-intensity" rhythm: each lift has only one real climbing session per week, with the rest being low-volume maintenance, which differs from high-frequency programs that train the same lift many times a week.
• Those with stable technique on all three lifts who are willing to start from a conservative 1RM, because the later weeks include prescriptions such as 2×2 @100% and 1×1 @105% that approach or exceed a max.
• Not suitable for beginners still on linear progression (who gain faster on simpler add-weight-every-session programs), nor for anyone who only wants to specialize on a single lift right now.

Weekly structure

3 sessions per week, which the source table suggests placing on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with a day of recovery between each:

Day	Content
Day 1	Squat 6×2 @80% (maintenance) + bench ladder
Day 2	Deadlift ladder
Day 3	Squat ladder + bench 6×2 @80% (maintenance)

Each lift's "ladder day" and "maintenance day" are kept separate: squat runs the ladder on Day 3 and the maintenance sets on Day 1; bench runs the ladder on Day 1 and the maintenance sets on Day 3; deadlift appears only once, on the Day 2 ladder, with no separate maintenance sets.

The ladder: a 9-week prescription shared by all three lifts

On their respective ladder days, the three lifts run exactly the same table (sets×reps @intensity):

Week	Sets×reps	Intensity	Total reps in the climbing session
Week 1	6×3	80%	18
Week 2	6×4	80%	24
Week 3	6×5	80%	30
Week 4	6×6	80%	36
Week 5	5×5	85%	25
Week 6	4×4	90%	16
Week 7	3×3	95%	9
Week 8	2×2	100%	4
Week 9	1×1	105%	1

The table clearly splits into two phases:

• Volume ladder (Weeks 1–4): sets are fixed at 6, intensity is locked at 80%, and only the reps per set rise from 3 to 6 week by week. Total reps in the climbing session pile up from 18 to 36, the volume peak of the whole program. This phase lays a base with plenty of repetitions at moderate intensity.
• Intensity climb (Weeks 5–9): from Week 5 the gears change, sets and reps shrink together, and intensity rises 5% each week. In numbers it is a very clean "N×N" ladder: 5×5 @85% → 4×4 @90% → 3×3 @95% → 2×2 @100% → 1×1 @105%, with sets and reps falling from 5 to 1 and intensity climbing from 85% to 105%. Volume drops sharply from 25 reps to 1, converting the base built over the first four weeks into maximal strength.

Week 4 (6×6 @80%) is the volume peak and Week 5 (5×5 @85%) is the start of the intensity climb, with the two phases handing off here.

What the maintenance sets are for

Besides one ladder session, squat and bench each get one 6×2 @80% maintenance session per week, and this dose stays constant for nine weeks. Even when the main ladder has been pushed to 100% and 105% in Weeks 8 and 9, the maintenance sets on the other day are still just 6 sets of 2 reps @80%. Their purpose is to give that movement pattern one more appearance per week with almost no added recovery cost, a bit more technique practice and blood-flow stimulus. Because the volume is small (only 2 reps per set), the intensity moderate (80%), and far from failure, it won't compete for recovery with that week's real climbing day.

Deadlift has no maintenance sets and appears only once a week, on the Day 2 ladder. This gives weekly training volume across the three lifts a gradient of "squat ≈ bench > deadlift", in line with the common sense that deadlift has the highest recovery cost per session.

Counting the maintenance sets, squat and bench weekly total reps peak in Week 4: 36 from the ladder plus 12 from maintenance, 48 in all; after that they fall quickly as intensity climbs, leaving only 16 in Week 8 (4 ladder + 12 maintenance) and 13 in Week 9. Deadlift has no maintenance sets, so its weekly total equals that week's ladder itself: 36 in Week 4, down to just 1 by Week 9. You can see that the crest of volume is all packed into the first four weeks, and after Week 5 the volume of all three lifts gives way to intensity.

Progressive overload and setting your 1RM

The program does not progress by "adding a few kg to the bar each week" but by a fixed percentage ladder: load is always written as a percentage of your starting 1RM, and progress comes from the ladder itself, piling up reps for the first four weeks (3→6 per set) and raising the percentage for the last five (80%→105%). So the 1RM you set for squat, bench, and deadlift before you start directly determines the weight of every set throughout, and picking it accurately is the key to the program's success.

Pay special attention to two numbers late in the program: 2×2 @100% in Week 8 and 1×1 @105% in Week 9. "Two reps at 100%" only works if the 1RM you entered is a training max with room to spare, one you could double (and not a true limit you barely complete once). So set your starting point conservatively, for example about 90% of your true max, or use a weight you are confident you can cleanly complete for 2 reps as your 100% baseline. That way the Week 8 doubles are a completable heavy load, and the 105% in Week 9 is a reasonable attempt to break your max. The last set of every lift in Week 9 is flagged "new max attempt: after completing it, update the new 1RM to that exercise"; once you finish, remember to enter the new results for all three lifts as the baseline for the next run.

Rest between sets

The prescription data in the snapshot has no fixed rest between sets written in for any set (and no RPE or tempo requirements either). So rest is up to you according to the day's intensity: for the multi-set repetitions at 80% in the volume ladder, 2–3 minutes between sets is usually enough; for the heavy sets at 90–105% from Week 6 on, extend rest to 3–5 minutes to protect the quality of each set. These are only general suggestions, not hard prescriptions of the program.

Notes and common adjustments

• Accessories optional: the source table lists accessory training as "optional", and the program itself prescribes no accessory work. If you still have energy after the three main lifts, you can add a little back, shoulder, arm, or core work on your own, provided it doesn't affect your next climbing day. Training all three lifts together is already a sizeable load, so keep accessories to a minimum.
• Sumo deadlifters: the source table notes that people used to sumo can use conventional deadlift to build volume in the 4-week volume ladder phase and switch back to sumo from the start of the Week 5 intensity climb. Both stances follow the same ladder table, with only a different way of driving the lift.
• Don't compress the weeks yourself: compared with the Russian routine that trains only one lift, peaking all three lifts at once puts more stress on the system, which is exactly why this version stretches the climb to 9 weeks and gives squat and bench each a low-volume maintenance session. Don't take it on yourself to delete weeks or add sessions.

Run length and what comes next

Run the full 9 weeks and test a new max on each of the three lifts in Week 9. It is a "one-off peak" cycle, and running a second round back to back with no break is not recommended. After testing new maxes and updating your three 1RMs, you can rerun the program with the new 1RMs as the baseline, or move to a balanced program with more variations and accessories to consolidate your gains. If you later only want a high-volume peak for squat alone, "Smolov Squat (13 weeks)" is a single-lift option in the same "Russian high-volume" vein.

FAQ

How is this program different from the original Russian Squat Routine?

The original mainly targets squat, usually completing the transition from volume to intensity in a shorter cycle. This version copies the same "6 sets to pile up reps → N×N to raise intensity" ladder across squat, bench, and deadlift and stretches it to 9 weeks. The cost is lower training frequency per lift: each week has only one real climbing session plus one maintenance session, trading a longer timeline for recovery room when training all three lifts together.

Can I recover from pushing all three lifts at once?

The program is designed around exactly this question. There are only 3 sessions per week, and each lift runs a high-intensity ladder only once a week; the second appearance of squat and bench is a low-volume 6×2 @80% maintenance session, and deadlift is trained just once a week. Total volume is distributed as "squat ≈ bench > deadlift", and although the later intensity is high, the reps are very few (from Week 7 on, the climbing session has no more than 9 reps). The real prerequisites are a conservatively set starting 1RM and sleep and nutrition that keep up.

What are the 6×2 @80% maintenance sets for? Do I train them to failure?

They are for "maintenance" rather than "progress": giving the squat/bench movement pattern one more appearance each week with almost no draw on recovery. The intensity is only 80% and each set is just 2 reps, far from failure, so the value is in technique proficiency and blood-flow stimulus, not in wearing you out. This dose stays constant for the nine weeks; even when the main ladder reaches 100% and 105%, the maintenance sets are still 6×2 @80%.

Why is deadlift only trained once a week, and with no maintenance sets?

Deadlift has the highest recovery cost per session of the three lifts, and training it one more time would easily eat into squat and bench recovery. So it keeps only the once-a-week ladder session (Day 2), running exactly the same 9-week prescription as the other two lifts, but with no extra maintenance sets.

Can I really do 2×2 @100% in Week 8 and 1×1 @105% in Week 9?

Whether you can depends entirely on what 1RM you entered at the start. If that is a true limit you can barely complete once, "two reps at 100%" is almost impossible. The right approach is to set the starting point to a training max with room to spare, for example about 90% of your true limit, or a weight you are confident you can cleanly complete for 2 reps. That way the Week 8 doubles are a completable heavy load, and the 105% in Week 9 is a reasonable attempt to break your max.

I just run on percentages and never add weight the whole way. Is that right?

Yes. Load is always a percentage of your starting 1RM, and progress comes from the design of the ladder itself: for the first four weeks by piling reps per set from 3 to 6, and for the last five by raising intensity from 80% to 105%. You don't need to, and shouldn't, add weight to the bar on your own mid-week. The real time to "update the numbers" is after you test your new max in Week 9.

I'm used to sumo deadlift. How should I plan it?

The source table gives a clear tip: sumo lifters can use conventional deadlift to pile up volume in the first 4 weeks of the volume ladder and switch back to sumo from the Week 5 intensity climb. Both stances follow the same ladder table, with only a different way of driving the lift.

Should I add accessory exercises?

The source table lists accessory training as "optional", and the program itself prescribes no accessory work. If you have energy left after the three main lifts, you can add a bit of back, shoulder, arm, or core work, but hold one bottom line: it must not affect your next ladder day. Training all three lifts together is already a sizeable load, so keep accessories to a minimum.

How long should I rest between sets?

The prescription data has no fixed rest (and no RPE or tempo requirements), so judge by intensity. As a rule of thumb, 2–3 minutes between sets is usually enough for the multi-set repetitions at 80% in the first four weeks; for the heavy sets at 90–105% from Week 6 on, rest 3–5 minutes. This is general advice, not a hard prescription.

What comes after finishing? Can I run another round right away?

It is a one-off peaking cycle, and running a second round back to back with no break is not recommended. After testing new maxes on all three lifts in Week 9, first enter the new 1RMs for each exercise; then you can rerun with the new baselines, or move to a balanced program with more variations and accessories to consolidate. If you later only want a high-volume peak for squat alone, consider "Smolov Squat (13 weeks)".