The Cube Method

A 10-week powerlifting peaking program by Brandon Lilly that rotates heavy, explosive, and repetition work across Squat, Bench Press, and Deadlift in three 3-week waves plus a meet week. Each week has one heavy lift, one explosive lift, and one rep lift — you never grind two heavy sessions in the same week. A fourth day targets bodybuilding weak points.

Origin & Philosophy

The Cube Method was created by Brandon Lilly, a competitive powerlifter who totaled over 2,000 lbs in both equipped and raw competition (best raw total of 2,237 lbs in wraps). Published as an e-book in 2013, it was Lilly's answer to 5/3/1 and the Juggernaut Method — two programs that dominated the powerlifting e-book space around 2010.

Lilly's core philosophy: keep it simple. He rejected the heavy reliance on bands, chains, and box squats that defined Westside Conjugate in favor of straight weight on competition lifts. The program borrows from conjugate training's idea of rotating training stimuli, but applies it to intensity types rather than exercise variations. Each lift cycles through heavy, explosive, and repetition work across a 3-week wave. This concurrent approach develops maximal strength, power, and muscular endurance simultaneously while preventing any single quality from being overtrained.

As Lilly put it: "I never lift heavy on two lifts in a week. If I dead heavy, my bench is dynamic, and my squat is for reps."

Who It's For

• Experience level: Intermediate to advanced (1-3+ years of serious barbell training)
• Prerequisites: Must know your 1RM for Squat, Bench Press, and Deadlift. Should have consistent technique on all three lifts and experience training above 90%.
• Primary goal: Maximal strength in the powerlifting competition lifts
• Best suited for: Meet preparation or testing cycles. Can also be run by general strength athletes wanting a structured peaking block. Works well during a bulk or at maintenance — not ideal for a cut due to the heavy intensities in wave 3.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Never more than one heavy session per week across all three lifts — fatigue management is built into the structure
• The rotating wave prevents staleness: you're never doing the same type of work on the same lift two weeks in a row
• Explosive days build bar speed without the complexity of accommodating resistance (bands/chains)
• The 10-week structure maps directly to powerlifting meet prep with a natural peak at weeks 7-9
• Simple percentage-based programming — no RPE guesswork, no autoregulation decisions mid-session

Cons

• Each lift is only trained once per week — low frequency that doesn't work well for everyone, especially bench press
• The original book is vague about assistance work — you need to program your own based on weak points
• Rep day volume on the main lifts is modest (2-3 working sets), relying on assistance for hypertrophy
• No built-in deload week — the program assumes you recover between waves
• No auto-progression within a cycle — percentages are fixed, so there's no mechanism to adapt if weights feel too easy or too hard mid-cycle

Program Structure

• Split type: Each day is dedicated to one competition lift, plus a bodybuilding day
• Periodization: Concurrent wave periodization — heavy, explosive, and rep work all occur each week, on different lifts
• Schedule: Fixed weekly rotation

Each day has a dedicated lift:

• Day 1: Deadlift + posterior chain assistance
• Day 2: Bench Press + pressing assistance
• Day 3: Squat + leg assistance
• Day 4: Bodybuilding (weak point work)

The training type rotates across the three lifts in a 3-week pattern:

Week	Deadlift	Bench Press	Squat
1	Heavy	Explosive	Rep
2	Explosive	Rep	Heavy
3	Rep	Heavy	Explosive

This pattern repeats for each wave with increasing percentages, followed by a meet/test week.

Exercise Selection & Rationale

The three competition lifts — Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift — are the program's foundation. Each gets its own day, ensuring focused work and adequate recovery.

After the main lift, 3-4 assistance exercises target muscles that support it:

• Deadlift day: Bent Over Row builds the upper back strength needed to maintain position off the floor. Good Morning strengthens the posterior chain through a similar hip-hinge pattern. Hanging Leg Raise provides core stability for bracing under heavy loads.
• Bench day: Incline Bench Press, Dumbbell develops the upper chest and addresses single-arm stability imbalances. Triceps Pushdown isolates the lockout muscles. Face Pull balances pressing volume with rear delt and rotator cuff work.
• Squat day: Leg Press adds quad volume without spinal loading. Lying Leg Curl strengthens hamstrings for hip drive out of the hole. Standing Calf Raise builds the base of support.
• Bodybuilding day: Overhead Press, Dumbbell adds shoulder pressing volume. Lateral Raise builds medial delts for shoulder stability. Seated Row adds back thickness. Bicep Curl provides direct arm work.

Assistance exercises should be swapped freely based on individual weak points — that's the intent of the program.

Set & Rep Scheme

The program uses three distinct training types that rotate across lifts:

Heavy days build maximal strength with low reps at high intensity:

• Wave 1: 5 sets of 2 at 80%
• Wave 2: 3 sets of 2 at 85%
• Wave 3: 1x2 at 90%, 1x1 at 92.5%, 1x1 at 95%, plus a backoff AMRAP at 80%

Explosive days develop bar speed and power. Move the weight as fast as possible:

• Wave 1: 8 sets of 3 at 60%
• Wave 2: 6 sets of 2 at 65%
• Wave 3: 5 sets of 2 at 70%

Rep days build work capacity, with the last set pushed as an AMRAP:

• Wave 1: 3 sets of 8 at 70%
• Wave 2: 3 sets of 6 at 80%
• Wave 3: 3 sets of 3 at 85%

Percentages increase by 5% per wave on heavy and explosive days. Rep days jump 10% from wave 1 to wave 2 (70% to 80%), then 5% to wave 3. The AMRAP sets on rep days provide autoregulation — push for a rep PR when feeling strong, just hit the minimum when you're not.

Deadlift week over week

Bench Press week over week

Squat week over week

Assistance exercises use 8-15 reps with double progression.

Progressive Overload

The main lifts don't auto-progress session to session. Overload is built into the wave structure:

• Within a cycle: Percentages increase every 3 weeks. Wave 1 tops out at 80%, wave 2 at 85%, wave 3 at 95%.
• Between cycles: After the 10-week cycle, test new 1RMs (or compete). Enter your new maxes and run the program again.

There is no built-in stall protocol. If you miss reps, your 1RM inputs were too high. Reduce by 5-10% and continue.

Assistance exercises progress via double progression: hit the top of your rep range across all sets, then increase weight and drop back to the bottom of the range.

How Long to Run It / What Next

Run one full 10-week cycle, then compete or test. You can run consecutive cycles by updating 1RMs and starting over.

Signs it's time to move on: Your 1RMs stop improving between cycles, you need higher bench frequency, or you want more autoregulation.

Transition options: Westside Conjugate Method to stay in the concurrent periodization family with more exercise variation. 5/3/1: Boring But Big for a simpler year-round approach with more built-in volume.

Equipment Needed

• Barbell, squat rack, and bench
• Leg press machine — substitute Bulgarian Split Squat if unavailable
• Lying leg curl machine — substitute Romanian Deadlift, Barbell or Stiff Leg Deadlift
• Cable station (for triceps pushdown, face pull, seated row) — substitute Skullcrusher for pushdowns, Reverse Fly for face pulls, Bent Over Row, Dumbbell for seated rows
• Dumbbells (for incline dumbbell bench, overhead press, lateral raises, curls)

Rest Times

• Heavy days: 3 minutes between main lift sets
• Explosive days: 60 seconds — keep rest short to maintain speed intent
• Rep days: 2 minutes between main lift sets
• Assistance work: 90 seconds
• Bodybuilding day: 60-90 seconds

How to Pick Starting Weights

Enter your current 1RM for Squat, Bench Press, and Deadlift. All main lift weights are calculated as percentages. If you don't know your 1RM, use a calculator: take a recent heavy set (e.g., 5 reps at 225lb) and estimate.

Common mistake: Using old competition PRs. Use recent, realistic numbers. If in doubt, round down — hitting all reps with good bar speed matters more than grinding through sets.

For assistance exercises, start with the default weights and adjust up or down after your first session. The double progression handles the rest.

Common Modifications

• Adding bench volume: The most common tweak. Add 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps at moderate weight on squat or deadlift day as extra pressing work.
• Swapping assistance exercises: Encouraged. Match to your weak points. Weak off the chest? Add Chest Fly or Bench Press, Dumbbell. Weak lockout? Add Bench Press Close Grip.
• Adding a 5th day: Some lifters add a second bodybuilding day or conditioning. Keep it light.
• Running without a meet: Use week 10 to test 1RMs in the gym instead of competing.

FAQ

Is the Cube Method good for beginners?

No. The Cube Method is designed for intermediate to advanced lifters with at least 1-2 years of consistent barbell training. Beginners make faster progress on a linear program where weight increases every session. You need known 1RMs and solid technique on all three competition lifts before starting.

How many days a week is the Cube Method?

The Cube Method is a 4-day program. Three days are dedicated to the competition lifts (squat, bench press, deadlift) and one day is a bodybuilding day targeting weak points.

How long is one Cube Method cycle?

One cycle is 10 weeks: three 3-week waves of increasing intensity, followed by a meet or test week. After week 10, you update your 1RMs and can start another cycle.

Can I run the Cube Method without competing?

Yes. Many lifters use the Cube Method as a general strength program. Skip the meet and test your 1RMs in the gym during week 10 instead. Enter your new maxes and start a new cycle.

Why is my bench press not improving on the Cube Method?

Low bench frequency is the most common complaint. The bench is only trained once per week, and it seems most sensitive to this. Add 3-4 sets of moderate bench work (65-75% for 6-8 reps) on another training day, or increase your pressing assistance volume with close-grip bench or dumbbell bench.

What assistance exercises should I do on the Cube Method?

Pick 3-4 exercises that support the day's main lift. For squat day: leg press, leg curls, calf raises. For bench day: dumbbell pressing, triceps work, rear delts. For deadlift day: rows, good mornings, core work. The bodybuilding day targets your weakest muscle groups with 4-6 exercises at moderate weight for 8-12 reps.

How does the Cube Method compare to 5/3/1?

Both use percentages of 1RM and are designed for intermediate lifters, but they differ in structure. 5/3/1 progresses each lift independently on a monthly cycle and is designed for year-round use. The Cube Method rotates heavy, explosive, and rep work across all three lifts weekly and peaks at week 10 for competition. The Cube is more meet-focused; 5/3/1 is more general-purpose.

What do I do if I miss reps on the Cube Method?

Missing reps usually means your 1RM inputs are too high. Reduce your training max by 5-10% and continue the program. Don't try to make up missed work — the program builds momentum across the full 10 weeks.