Powerbuilding Workout Plan
Powerbuilding is a resistance training program that combines strength and hypertrophy. The goal is to get stronger and bigger at the same time.
Powerbuilding workouts combine powerlifting and bodybuilding. They are like the equivalent of a body recomposition diet, where you try to achieve two goals simultaneously, which could be efficient or counterproductive.
Powerbuilding workouts can be counterproductive because each goal requires a different strategy regarding weight, rep range, rest periods, and lifting technique. Therefore, trying to do both simultaneously might yield worse results than focusing on one or the other.
However, my recent progressive volume training experience showed me that trying to maximize hypertrophy for every muscle group in the body could also result in less-than-ideal outcomes. As a result, I decided it would be best to focus on a few muscle groups at a time.
This means the other muscle groups will be sub-optimized for growth due to the fewer weekly sets. Instead of just maintaining their size, I decided using progressive overload to build strength with fewer sets would be better.
Therefore, my new training protocol is a max hypertrophy phase for half of my body and a moderate strength-building phase for the other half.
Here are the muscle groups I’ve prioritized for either strength or size.
Powerbuilding by Muscle Group
| Muscle Group | Training Goal |
|---|---|
| Arms | Growth |
| Legs | Strength |
| Chest | Strength |
| Back | Strength |
| Shoulders | Growth |
| Calves | Growth |
| Abs | Strength |
I’ve chosen to focus on growing my arms, shoulders, and calves because those are the areas I consider lagging in my physique.
On the other hand, my legs and chest are big enough and respond well to any training, so I will focus on strength during this period. And I will focus on building core strength as well. My back could use some work, but I’ll save that for another phase.
The methodology behind the muscle growth workouts will be systematically increasing the number of sets each week while maintaining a hypertrophy load and rep range. Strength workouts will gradually increase the load while maintaining or reducing sets.
Here is what my weekly workout split will look like for the next 6 to 8 weeks.
Powerbuilding Workout Split
| Day | Workout |
|---|---|
| Monday | Chest and Triceps |
| Tuesday | Back and Biceps |
| Wednesday | Legs |
| Thursday | Shoulders |
| Friday | Arms |
| Saturday | Calves and Abs |
| Sunday | Rest |
This 6-day split is essentially “push, pull, legs, shoulders, arms, miscellaneous.” It’s like a hybrid between “push, pull, legs” and a typical “bro split” to allow the necessary volume and recovery time.
Some days will include both hypertrophy and strength-based training. At the same time, others are exclusively strength or hypertrophy.
The initial number of sets weekly will be 12 for most muscle groups, representing a relatively low volume and go up from there. Arms will get about double the number of sets because they are stubborn, and I want to see if I can add size.
Based on my previous experiment, I know my biceps and triceps can handle 32 weekly sets and still recover. So, I will build on that and see if I can get up to 50 sets or more, which is a very high volume.
I’m excited to see if I’ve discovered a new approach to balancing size and strength gains through strategic workout planning. Stay tuned in the coming days and weeks to see how my powerbuilding plan goes!
