Are you wanting a program that prioritizes strength in the Big Three and hypertrophy at the same time? Are you sick of the cookie cutter programs that aren’t periodized and customizable to you? Enter our Powerbuilding Programs.
Powerbuilding III is the next iteration combining powerlifting and bodybuilding into a single program. It has a number of unique features distinguishing it from our Powerbuilding I and II programs:
- Powerbuilding III has a completely customizable exercise selection designed to give the user total control of what lifts they’re doing.
- The program’s volume and intensity are adaptable to match the user’s current fitness levels and is targeted for trained individuals.
- Powerbuilding III includes a peaking phase for those wanting to test their 1-Rep Maxes at the end.
- A number of other differences regarding proximity to failure in order to better manage fatigue, isolation work programming, exercise order, etc.
Who’s it for?
Powerbuilding III is designed for individuals who meet the following criteria:
- Have significant previous training experience (greater than ~ 9 months) training with barbells. If you’re new to training that’s great! We recommend our Beginner Template for those who have not been consistently training with barbells consistently. After that, check out our Powerbuilding I and II templates. Don’t worry, this template will still be available for you when you’re ready.
- Trainees who want to improve strength in the Big Three, e.g. squat, bench press, and deadlift with an additional emphasis on muscular hypertrophy. In short, this template is a hybrid of bodybuilding and powerlifting, with a bit of compromise compared to the singular pursuit of either goal.
What do you need to use this template?
Equipment-wise, we recommend that folks have access to a barbell, rack, weights, and a bench. Additional stuff like dumbbells, machines, etc. are all nice, but not necessary for this template.
Apparel-wise, having a pair of Olympic lifting shoes, cross-training sneakers to do conditioning in, and a lifting belt would be nice. Straps, wraps, etc. can be used as needed per the lifter’s discretion, but they aren’t explicitly needed.
Scheduling
This is a 14-week strength and conditioning program that includes 4 resistance training workouts and 2 conditioning and conditioning workouts per week. Here is a sample week:

Try a 1-Week Free Sample of the program:

Product Support
- Customers receive lifetime access to support for this program via our web Forum or through E-mail
- No refunds are available for downloadable products at this time
- Program file downloads are only available via purchases made on the Barbell Medicine website. File downloads are not provided for purchases made within the Barbell Medicine App.