TSA 9 Week Intermediate Approach

by The Strength Athlete

4,494 athletes joined

Designed for intermediate lifters to peak into competition or be re-run multiple times in offseason.

4.29

(163 ratings)

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The TSA 9-Week Approach is a popular intermediatel-level powerlifting program designed by Bryce Lewis and the coaching team at The Strength Athlete (TSA). It's a periodized plan focusing on strength gains in three core lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift.

The program comprises 4 training days per week, each targeting specific muscle groups and lifts. The intensity and volume gradually increase over 9 weeks, preparing the athlete for a peak in performance. The final week, Week 9, is designed as a deload week to prepare for a competition or 1RM testing.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Level
Intermediate
Goal
Powerlifting
Equipment
Garage Gym
Program Length
9 weeks
Days Per Week
4 days
Recommended Days
Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri
Time Per Workout
90 minutes

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WEEK 1

WEEK 2

WEEK 3

WEEK 4

WEEK 5

WEEK 6

WEEK 7

WEEK 8

WEEK 9

Day 1

Squat (Barbell)

3 reps

8 reps

80%

69%

Bench Press (Barbell)

8 reps

69%

Bench Press (Close Grip)

6 reps

RPE 7

Chest Supported Row (Dumbbell)

10-12 reps

RPE 7

Band Pull-Aparts

30 reps

Day 1

Squat (Barbell)

3 reps

8 reps

82%

71%

Bench Press (Barbell)

8 reps

71%

Bench Press (Close Grip)

6 reps

RPE 7.5

Chest Supported Row (Dumbbell)

10-12 reps

RPE 7

Band Pull-Aparts

30 reps

Day 1

Squat (Barbell)

3 reps

7 reps

84%

73%

Bench Press (Barbell)

7 reps

73%

Bench Press (Close Grip)

6 reps

RPE 8

Chest Supported Row (Dumbbell)

10-12 reps

RPE 7

Band Pull-Aparts

30 reps

Day 1

Squat (Barbell)

3 reps

7 reps

86%

75%

Bench Press (Barbell)

7 reps

75%

Bench Press (Close Grip)

6 reps

RPE 8.5

Chest Supported Row (Dumbbell)

10-12 reps

RPE 7

Band Pull-Aparts

30 reps

Day 1

Squat (Barbell)

5 reps

73%

Bench Press (Barbell)

6 reps

73%

Bench Press (Close Grip)

5 reps

RPE 7

Chest Supported Row (Dumbbell)

8-10 reps

RPE 7

Band Pull-Aparts

30 reps

Day 1

Squat (Barbell)

1 reps

3 reps

RPE 6.5

85%

Bench Press (Barbell)

6 reps

75%

Bench Press (Close Grip)

5 reps

RPE 7

Chest Supported Row (Dumbbell)

8-10 reps

RPE 7

Band Pull-Aparts

30 reps

Day 1

Squat (Barbell)

1 reps

3 reps

RPE 7.5

87%

Bench Press (Barbell)

6 reps

77%

Bench Press (Close Grip)

5 reps

RPE 7

Chest Supported Row (Dumbbell)

8-10 reps

RPE 7

Band Pull-Aparts

30 reps

Day 1

Squat (Barbell)

1 reps

2 reps

RPE 8.5

89%

Bench Press (Barbell)

5 reps

79%

Bench Press (Close Grip)

5 reps

RPE 7

Chest Supported Row (Dumbbell)

8-10 reps

RPE 7

Band Pull-Aparts

30 reps

Day 1

Squat (Barbell)

2 reps

80%

Bench Press (Barbell)

4 reps

81%

Bench Press (Close Grip)

5 reps

RPE 7

Deadlift (Barbell)

1 reps

75%

Band Pull-Aparts

30 reps

Day 2

Deadlift (Barbell)

5 reps

74%

Bench Press (Barbell)

4 reps

72%

Pendlay Row

5-7 reps

RPE 7.5

Back Extension

10-12 reps

RPE 7.5

Pull-Up (Weighted)

30 reps

RPE 8.5

Day 2

Deadlift (Barbell)

5 reps

77%

Bench Press (Barbell)

4 reps

74%

Pendlay Row

5-7 reps

RPE 7.5

Back Extension

10-12 reps

RPE 7.5

Pull-Up (Weighted)

30 reps

RPE 8.5

Day 2

Deadlift (Barbell)

4 reps

79%

Bench Press (Barbell)

4 reps

76%

Pendlay Row

5-7 reps

RPE 7.5

Back Extension

10-12 reps

RPE 7.5

Pull-Up (Weighted)

35 reps

RPE 8.5

Day 2

Deadlift (Barbell)

4 reps

81%

Bench Press (Barbell)

4 reps

78%

Pendlay Row

5-7 reps

RPE 7.5

Back Extension

10-12 reps

RPE 7.5

Pull-Up (Weighted)

35 reps

RPE 8.5

Day 2

Deadlift (Barbell)

3 reps

79%

Bench Press (Barbell)

4 reps

78%

Pendlay Row

4-6 reps

RPE 7.5

Back Extension

6-9 reps

RPE 7.5

Pull-Up (Weighted)

30 reps

RPE 8.5

Day 2

Deadlift (Barbell)

2 reps

3 reps

RPE 7

82%

Bench Press (Barbell)

4 reps

80%

Pendlay Row

4-6 reps

RPE 7.5

Back Extension

6-9 reps

RPE 7.5

Pull-Up (Weighted)

35 reps

RPE 8.5

Day 2

Deadlift (Barbell)

1 reps

2 reps

RPE 8

84%

Bench Press (Barbell)

4 reps

82%

Pendlay Row

4-6 reps

RPE 7.5

Back Extension

6-9 reps

RPE 7.5

Pull-Up (Weighted)

35 reps

RPE 8.5

Day 2

Deadlift (Barbell)

1 reps

2 reps

RPE 8.5

86%

Bench Press (Barbell)

3 reps

84%

Pendlay Row

4-6 reps

RPE 7.5

Back Extension

6-9 reps

RPE 7.5

Pull-Up (Weighted)

35 reps

RPE 8.5

Day 2

Bench Press (Barbell)

1 reps

3 reps

86%

78%

Day 3

Squat (Barbell)

4 reps

73%

Incline Bench Press (Dumbbell)

8-10 reps

RPE 7

Leg Press

8-10 reps

RPE 7.5

Chest Supported Row (Dumbbell)

10-12 reps

RPE 8

Day 3

Squat (Barbell)

4 reps

75%

Incline Bench Press (Dumbbell)

8-10 reps

RPE 7

Leg Press

8-10 reps

RPE 7.5

Chest Supported Row (Dumbbell)

10-12 reps

RPE 8

Day 3

Squat (Barbell)

4 reps

77%

Incline Bench Press (Dumbbell)

8-10 reps

RPE 8

Leg Press

8-10 reps

RPE 7.5

Chest Supported Row (Dumbbell)

10-12 reps

RPE 8

Day 3

Squat (Barbell)

4 reps

79%

Incline Bench Press (Dumbbell)

8-10 reps

RPE 8

Leg Press

8-10 reps

RPE 7.5

Chest Supported Row (Dumbbell)

10-12 reps

RPE 8

Day 3

Squat (Barbell)

4 reps

75%

Incline Bench Press (Dumbbell)

6-8 reps

RPE 7

Leg Press

6-8 reps

RPE 7.5

Chest Supported Row (Dumbbell)

8-10 reps

RPE 8

Day 3

Squat (Barbell)

4 reps

76%

Incline Bench Press (Dumbbell)

6-8 reps

RPE 7

Leg Press

6-8 reps

RPE 7.5

Chest Supported Row (Dumbbell)

8-10 reps

RPE 8

Day 3

Squat (Barbell)

3 reps

78%

Incline Bench Press (Dumbbell)

4-6 reps

RPE 7

Leg Press

6-8 reps

RPE 7.5

Chest Supported Row (Dumbbell)

8-10 reps

RPE 8

Day 3

Squat (Barbell)

3 reps

80%

Incline Bench Press (Dumbbell)

4-6 reps

RPE 7

Leg Press

6-8 reps

RPE 7.5

Chest Supported Row (Dumbbell)

8-10 reps

RPE 8

Day 3

Rest

1 mins

Day 4

Bench Press (Barbell)

1 reps

5 reps

RPE 7

77%

Feet-up Bench Press

6 reps

RPE 7

Deadlift (Paused)

4 reps

67%*

Bent Over Row (Barbell)

6-8 reps

RPE 8

Lat Pulldown

10-12 reps

RPE 8.5

* 1RM of Deadlift (Barbell)

Day 4

Bench Press (Barbell)

1 reps

5 reps

RPE 7.5

79%

Feet-up Bench Press

6 reps

RPE 7.5

Deadlift (Paused)

4 reps

69%*

Bent Over Row (Barbell)

6-8 reps

RPE 8

Lat Pulldown

10-12 reps

RPE 8.5

* 1RM of Deadlift (Barbell)

Day 4

Bench Press (Barbell)

1 reps

5 reps

RPE 8

81%

Feet-up Bench Press

6 reps

RPE 8

Deadlift (Paused)

4 reps

71%*

Bent Over Row (Barbell)

6-8 reps

RPE 8

Lat Pulldown

10-12 reps

RPE 8.5

* 1RM of Deadlift (Barbell)

Day 4

Bench Press (Barbell)

1 reps

5 reps

RPE 8.5

84%

83%

Feet-up Bench Press

6 reps

RPE 8.5

Deadlift (Paused)

4 reps

73%*

Bent Over Row (Barbell)

6-8 reps

RPE 8

Lat Pulldown

10-12 reps

RPE 8.5

* 1RM of Deadlift (Barbell)

Day 4

Bench Press (Barbell)

4 reps

78%

Feet-up Bench Press

5 reps

RPE 8.5

Deadlift (Paused)

3 reps

72%*

Bent Over Row (Barbell)

4-6 reps

RPE 8

Lat Pulldown

8-10 reps

RPE 8.5

* 1RM of Deadlift (Barbell)

Day 4

Bench Press (Barbell)

1 reps

4 reps

RPE 7

81%

Feet-up Bench Press

5 reps

RPE 7

Deadlift (Paused)

3 reps

74%*

Bent Over Row (Barbell)

4-6 reps

RPE 8

Lat Pulldown

8-10 reps

RPE 8.5

* 1RM of Deadlift (Barbell)

Day 4

Bench Press (Barbell)

1 reps

4 reps

RPE 8

84%

Feet-up Bench Press

5 reps

RPE 7.5

Deadlift (Paused)

3 reps

76%*

Bent Over Row (Barbell)

4-6 reps

RPE 8

Lat Pulldown

8-10 reps

RPE 8.5

* 1RM of Deadlift (Barbell)

Day 4

Bench Press (Barbell)

1 reps

3 reps

RPE 9

86%

Feet-up Bench Press

5 reps

RPE 8

Deadlift (Paused)

2 reps

78%*

Bent Over Row (Barbell)

4-6 reps

RPE 8

Lat Pulldown

8-10 reps

RPE 8.5

* 1RM of Deadlift (Barbell)

Day 4

Squat (Barbell)

1 reps

RPE 9.5

Bench Press (Barbell)

1 reps

RPE 9.5

Deadlift (Barbell)

1 reps

RPE 9.5

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING(163 ratings)

Only ratings with written feedback are displayed here.

4.29 / 5

That's Cool O.Age 38, Non-binary

2 days ago

3 weeks complete

8 years of prior experience

More than expected strength gains

As expected muscle gains

Marginal modifications

Former 500lb+ raw IPF squatter here. Well structured and a good balance between fatigue, effort and volume. As a diehard westside follower, it got me doing more than I'd expected but at lower intensity. I find I'm able to sustain lifting every other day without gear. Only shame is not enough emphasis on variations plus bands on the accessory lifts. Nonetheless I swapped the squat for SSB box squats and alternated the deadlift between sumo and conventional.

Boostcamp UserAge 43, Man

11 days ago

9 weeks complete

8 years of prior experience

More than expected strength gains

As expected muscle gains

Marginal modifications

Age 43 Bw 207->210lbs Squat 405->434 Bench 275(touch&go)->270 w/pause Deadlift 545->561 Ran this before my first USAPL comp. Hit the deadlift pr in the 8th week of the program, and then just barely missed 583 in comp for not fully locking out. Trained bench with significant pause and missed 280 in comp but could have got it with less of a pause at the bottom. Squats felt great and really happy with the 30lb pr. I expect I will be able to hit 585 deadlift solid in a few months.

Show All Reviews

Created by Bryce Lewis and the team at The Strength Athlete (TSA), this is a popular 9-week training approach designed for intermediate lifters to peak effectively into a mock meet or actual competition. If used for the off-season, this program can be chained together and re-run multiple times.

The first four weeks represent higher overall work and lower overall loading, designed to build training adaptions and muscle hypertrophy. We’ll deload on Week 5, shedding some fatigue and preparing for the next phase. Finally, we’ll peak with exposure to heavier loads, bringing out your best.

This program is designed for athletes with around 2 years of experience in powerlifting. If you have less than 6 month's experience, we suggest the TSA Beginner Approach. If you have 1-2 years' experience, we suggest the TSA Intermediate Approach.

Ideally, you are eating in a small to moderate caloric surplus, sleeping 7-10 hours per night, and stressing as little (or as predictably) as possible on this program.

This program is a generalized approach, meaning we aren't targeting any individual athlete strength or weaknesses or problem solving strategies. If you like the program, consider working with a TSA coach to make sure training is continually tailored to you and your goals.

Check out thestrengthathlete.com for more free programs, store, and coaching services.