Okay, so I’ve been lifting for a while, mostly just winging it, you know? Seeing some gains, but nothing crazy. I kept hearing about these structured programs, and “Gameday Barbell Powerlifting Program” popped up a few times. Figured, why not? Let’s give it a shot.
First thing I did was find the program details. Honestly, it was a little confusing at first with all the percentages and rep schemes. It’s not like those cookie-cutter workout plans you find everywhere. This one’s got some meat to it.
Digging into the Details
Basically, it’s a four-day-a-week thing. Each day focuses on one main lift: Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift, and then another Bench day. The other days, you work on variations of those lifts and some accessory exercises to build up the supporting muscles. Sounded brutal, and it was, but a good kind of brutal.
- Monday: Squat day. Heavy, man.
- Tuesday: Bench Press. My favorite.
- Thursday: Deadlift. Always a killer.
- Friday: Bench again, but lighter, focusing on speed.
So, the program uses percentages of your one-rep max (1RM). First couple of weeks, I had to spend a serious session testing my maxes on all three lifts. Let me tell you, finding your true 1RM is a whole different beast than just throwing some weight on the bar.
The program cycles through different phases. Each phase, you increase the weight based on those percentages. It’s not just “add 5 pounds every week.” Some weeks you go up, some you might stay the same, and others you actually drop the weight a bit to focus on speed and technique. That’s the part that really threw me at first, but it makes sense.
I started tracking everything. Every set, every rep, every weight. Used a simple notebook and pen, nothing fancy. Seeing the numbers go up, even just a little bit, week after week, was super motivating. And when the weight felt heavy, I could look back and see how far I’d come.
The first few weeks were rough, not gonna lie. My body was screaming at me. Had to really focus on my form, make sure I was eating enough, and get enough sleep. Powerlifting ain’t a joke, folks.
But I stuck with it. After about 8 weeks, things started to click. I was feeling stronger, more explosive. Lifts that felt impossible a couple of months ago were moving smoothly.
The biggest thing I learned? Consistency is key. You can’t just show up when you feel like it and expect to make progress. You gotta put in the work, even when you’re tired, even when you’re sore, even when you’d rather just sit on the couch.
The program itself is great, but it taught more than just lifting, it taught me how to be disciplined.
It’s also worth noting, my numbers went up. I had to make a serious commitment to make it work, but the results are undeniable.
