Powerbuilding Program for Beginners: Get Big AND Strong + PDF

A Simple Way to Get Big and Strong Is:

Use a 12 Week Powerbuilding Program.

This is why:

People lift weights for lots of different reasons.

Some do it because they want to build muscle – bodybuilders, for example.

Others do it to increase strength, such as powerlifters.

But what if you want both of these things?

That’s where powerbuilding training comes in.

With this style of training, which is a combination of powerlifting and bodybuilding, you build strength and hypertrophy at the same time, with hypertrophy being another word for increasing muscle size.

This article lifts the lid on the powerbuilding workout and shares the best powerbuilding program split for beginners.

What is Powerbuilding?

Powerbuilding combines powerlifting with hypertrophy training.

This training approach is designed specifically to increase muscle strength and size at the same time.

A lot of exercisers want to do more than lose weight.

Instead, they want to look AND feel strong, and that’s what powerbuilding routines are designed to deliver.

Powerbuilding workout routines are usually built around the ‘big three” exercises that are typically found in the best powerlifting programs.

That is the squat, bench press, and deadlift.

These exercises usually involve lifting heavy weights.

But, like a bodybuilding program, powerbuilding also includes exercises designed to increase muscle mass.

That means things like leg extensions, biceps curls, and lat pulldowns.

These exercises are usually done with lighter weights and for higher rep ranges.

The result is a training session that combines the best of bodybuilding training, with key elements from powerlifting.

Powerbuilding 101 – How to Build Muscle and Strength at the Same Time

Is the Powerbuilding Training Style New?

Powerbuilding might sound like a new way to train, but it’s actually been around for many years.

In the past, a lot of champion bodybuilders split their training between bulking and cutting.

During a bulk phase, they focused on heavier weights, low reps, and eating lots of nutritious food.

This was when they gained most of their muscle mass.

Then, as summer or the competitive season approached, they made the switch to cutting workout programs and focused more on getting lean, using more cardio, lighter weights, and higher reps to shed the fat that was hiding their newly-built muscle mass.

Powerbuilding and bulking workout programs are very similar as they both involve lots of heavy weights, low reps, and compound exercises.

One of the most famous and widely used set and rep schemes from the golden age of bodybuilding is also a favorite of powerbuilders all around the world: five sets of five reps.

People have been using the 5 x 5 system to get strong and build muscle for almost as long as we’ve been lifting weights.

So, is powerbuilding training new?

Absolutely not!

Powerbuilding Program Benefits

A Powerbuilding program has some great benefits.

In fact, for the average exerciser, it’s one of the best strength training program methods around.

The 5 main benefits of a powerbuilding program are:

#1. Workout Efficiency

Every powerbuilding workout you complete will build muscle and strength at the same time.

That will save you a whole lot of gym time.

#2. Get as Strong as You Look

Bodybuilders have big muscles, but they aren’t always that strong, because they don’t do a whole lot of heavy strength training.

In contrast, powerlifters do almost nothing but heavy strength training but don’t usually look as muscular.

With powerbuilding, you won’t just look strong, you’ll be strong too.

You will have a powerbuilder body and physique.

#3. Varied, Interesting Workouts

Powerbuilding workouts involve two styles of training, and that makes your strength training program much more exciting and varied.

If you usually get bored following a straight bodybuilding or strength training program, you’ll love the variety in powerbuilding workouts.

#4. Challenging

Because parts of a powerbuilding workout involve lifting heavy weights for low reps, this is a very challenging style of training.

You’ll have to get psyched up to train, lifting weights that you may have once thought were impossible.

If you thrive on challenging workouts, powerbuilding should appeal to you.

5. Upper Body and Lower Body Training

A powerbuilding program puts an equal emphasis on upper body and lower body training.

A lot of bodybuilders only train their legs once a week, but a typical powerbuilding split involves two-leg training sessions per week.

Such an approach should produce better muscle building results and may also increase your performance for sports.

Warming Up for a Powerbuilding Workout

All good workouts start with a thorough warm-up.

Warming up prepares your body and mind for what you are about to do, increasing workout performance and decreasing your risk of injury at the same time.

Given that powerbuilding involves lifting heavy weights, you mustn’t neglect your warm-up.

If you don’t have time to warm up, you don’t have time to workout!

To get ready for a powerbuilding workout, spend 5-10 minutes doing some light cardio to raise your core temperature and get your heart pumping.

Then, when you feel warm and loose, spend another few minutes dynamically stretching the muscles you are about to train.

Finally, do a few light sets of the first two exercises of each program.

Increase the weight gradually so that your first working set is not a big jump up from your warm-up.

For example, if you are going to bench press 150 lbs, your warm-up might look like this:

10 reps 45 lbs. (empty bar)
8 reps 60 lbs.
5 reps 80 lbs.
3 reps 110 lbs.
1 rep 135 lbs.
5 reps 150 lbs. (1^st work set)

You should now be ready to hit your powerbuilding workout!

Russwole Powerbuilding Split to Maximize Muscle Growth

12-Week Powerbuilding Program for Beginners

If you are interested in trying a powerbuilding program for yourself, you could follow any of the powerbuilding pdf for beginners programs you can find on the internet.

Alternatively, give this Fit Apprentice 12-Week Powerbuilding Program a try.

It’s got everything a beginner powerbuilder needs to get started with this style of training.

For this powerbuilding plan, you are going to train four times per week, alternating between lower body and upper body training sessions.

4 Day Powerbuilding Split

Here is your weekly training split that keeps Sunday a rest day*:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Workout 1	Workout 2	Rest day	Workout 3	Rest day	Workout 4	Rest day

As you can see, you never train for more than two days in a row, and you never rest for longer than one day in a row.

This means you should be able to give each workout maximal effort, and that’s important because you are going to be lifting hard and heavy.

Each workout is built around 1-2 powerlifting-type exercises, and several bodybuilding exercises to balance your muscular development and trigger hypertrophy.

*Note – alternative 4-day powerbuilding splits are given after the powerbuilding routines.

Workout 1

Workout 1
	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Recovery
1	Squats	5	5	2-3 minutes
2	Romanian deadlifts	4	6	90 seconds
3	Leg extensions	3	8	90 seconds
4	Lunges	3	10 per leg	60 seconds
5	Seated calf raises	3	12	60 seconds
6	Cable crunches	3	12	60 seconds

Workout 2

Workout 2
	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Recovery
1	Bench press	5	5	2-3 minutes
2	Seated rows	3	10	60 seconds
3	Incline dumbbell press	4	8	90 seconds
4	Single-arm rows	3	10	60 seconds
5	EZ bar skull crushers	4	8	90 seconds
6	EZ bar biceps curls	4	8	90 seconds

Workout 3

Workout 3
	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Recovery
1	Deadlifts	5	5	2-3 minutes
2	Front squats	4	6	90 seconds
3	Leg curls	3	8	90 seconds
4	Bulgarian split squats	3	10 per leg	60 seconds
5	Standing calf raises	3	12	60 seconds
6	Ab wheel rollouts	3	12	60 seconds

Workout 4

Workout 4
	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Recovery
1	Barbell overhead presses	5	5 Reps	2-3 minutes
2	Pull-ups	4	8	90 seconds
3	Dumbbell side raises	3	12	60 seconds
4	Lat pulldowns	3	12	60 seconds
5	Dips	3	8	90 seconds
6	Dumbbell curls	3	8	90 seconds

12-Week Powerbuilding Program Set/Rep Scheme

While you could use the same set/rep scheme for the entire 12-weeks of this program, you’ll get better results if you follow one that changes every few weeks.

Use the following scheme for your 12-week Powerbuilding workout program.

Note: these recommendations only apply to the first exercise in each workout.

First Weeks 1-4: 5 sets, 5 reps
Middle Weeks 5-8: 6 sets, 4 reps
Last Weeks 9-12: 8 sets, 3 reps
Take a week off and start again!

Alternative Powerbuilding 4 Day Splits

If the split detailed above doesn’t fit your schedule, try one of these alternatives:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Workout 1	Workout 2	Rest day	Workout 3	Workout 4	Rest day	Rest day

Or:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Workout 1	Rest day	Rest day	Workout 2	Workout 3	Rest day	Workout 4

Ultimately, so long as you do not train three days in a row, almost any configuration will work.

The best option will always be the one that slots the most seamlessly into your lifestyle.

You may even need to change your split from one week to the next.

However you do it, so long as you balance training and rest, you’ll make the progress you deserve.

Download this post as a PDF.

And make a copy of the HashiMashi 12-Week Powerbuilding Program Spreadsheet that you can edit.

Or download the spreadsheet as a powerbuilding pdf.

Nutrition for Powerbuilding

Building muscle and strength at the same time requires plenty of healthy, nutritious food.

You’ll need a calorie surplus, and to consume adequate protein, carbs, and healthy fats.

If you don’t eat enough, you won’t make any progress.

It’s impossible to say exactly how much you should eat to get bigger and stronger but, if you aren’t getting bigger and stronger, the answer is probably more!

Most powerbuilders consume about one gram of protein per pound of body weight, half a gram of fat per pound, and as much as three grams of carbs.

Try hitting these targets and, if you aren’t getting bigger and stronger, increase your food intake until you are.

So, if you weigh 180 lbs., you should aim for:

180 grams of protein (720 calories)
90 grams of fat (810 calories)
540 grams of carbs (2160 calories)
Total = 3690 calories

Calisthenics VS Powerbuilding – Strength Wars!

See the difference between a calisthenic and powerbuilder physique and strength

Powerbuilding Program – Final Thoughts

Powerbuilding is a great way to work out if you want to build muscle and strength in equal measure.

It’s a fun but challenging way to train that makes a welcome change from standard bodybuilding powerlifting workouts.

Because it involves lifting heavy weights, especially for the “big three” exercises, it’s not a good workout for absolute beginners.

But, if you have mastered the squat, deadlift, and bench press, powerbuilding is a logical step up from whatever you’ve been training for before.

Try this free copy of this powerbuilding program in an editable spreadsheet for 12-weeks – I hope that you will love the results!

Or download the spreadsheet as a powerbuilding pdf.

What’s Next

You need to perfect your squat, deadlift, and bench press to get the most out of your powerbuilding program.

To that end, you need to work on your technique.

Begin with deadlifts because they do not require as much mobility as squats and yet still offer these 37 remarkable deadlift benefits to unleash your fitness fast.

First, know what muscles deadlifts work, and then you will understand why the deadlift can transform your life.
Second, learn how to deadlift like a boss in 5 simple steps.
Third, review the top 15 proper deadlift checklist form tips for beginners I wish I had when I started to deadlift.
Fourth, for more deadlift motivation, discover 27 sensational ways how deadlifts change your body
Last, set yourself up with the best deadlift shoes and best deadlift shin guards to avoid injury so you can keep on training!

Powerbuilding Program for Beginners: Get Big AND Strong + PDF

A Simple Way to Get Big and Strong Is: