166 reviews for Matt Vena Intermediate Powerlifting Program
Version 3.0 of program
From champion powerlifter and coach Matt Vena, this program is a generalized powerlifting routine for intermediate lifters, focusing on squats, bench presses, and deadlifts with specific variations and accessory work. Here's a concise breakdown:
Squats:
Day 1: Regular squats and tempo squats (4-second descent, 0.5-second pause).
Day 3: Paused squats (1-second pause at the bottom).
Bench Press:
Day 1: Larsen press and dumbbell incline bench for hypertrophy.
Day 2: Tempo bench single (4-count descent) and back-off sets.
Day 3: Primary bench day with long pause bench (2-second pause).
Day 4: Regular bench press and close grip bench press (2-3 finger widths narrower).
Deadlifts:
Day 2: Romanian deadlifts for hinge work and posterior chain hypertrophy.
Day 4: Paused deadlifts (1 inch off the floor, 1-second pause).
Accessory Work:
Triceps: Included on three bench days.
Back and Biceps: Back work on day 2, biceps on day 1. First set to failure, remaining sets to RPE8.
Progression Scheme:
Microcycles: 3-week cycles, adding a rep each week, then resetting reps and adding 3% weight.
Singles: Cycle through RPE 6-7-8 over the microcycles.
Taper Week: One moderate day, one light day, then max out with RPE6-8-10 jumps.
Focus on consistent form, controlled tempos, and autoregulating based on daily performance. Adjust weight and reps as needed to avoid overshooting and ensure steady progress.
Read the full guide on the website for full program details:
S C.
Man8 weeks complete
8 years of prior experience
More than expected strength gains
More than expected muscle gains
3rd time running this program , seen great results. Matt is da goat.
Ethan M.
Man, 175 weeks complete
2 years of prior experience
More than expected strength gains
More than expected muscle gains
Matt da goat
Vaskar D.
Man, 229 weeks complete
4 years of prior experience
Less than expected strength gains
As expected muscle gains
Good but it will be better if they focus on the accessories a little bit more
Geno Luebker
Man, 3312 weeks complete
8 years of prior experience
More than expected strength gains
As expected muscle gains
My bench has been plateaued for a couple years. I finally increased it from 240 - 255 lbs with this program. Gonna run it again and see if I can keep up the momentum. I was on track to PR my squat and deadlift too, but I reaggravated a lower back injury at about week 8. Specifically i think the suggested pause deadlift weights were too heavy for me. I'll probably reduce the weight on those or swap them for another variation this time around.
Timothy S.
Man, 393 weeks complete
8 years of prior experience
More than expected strength gains
More than expected muscle gains
Great program. Does well with splitting some of the volume of lifts in variations. I've added some accessories- but really enjoying the progression strategy . Steadily improving and with all the practice of the main movements and the variations - technique is feeling better and better.
John A.
Man, 553 weeks complete
5 years of prior experience
More than expected strength gains
More than expected muscle gains
The micro-cycle structure really helped me progress and kept me close to max effort while still allowing adequate recovery during the cycle.
Adam P.
Man, 185 weeks complete
3 years of prior experience
As expected strength gains
As expected muscle gains
Great so far good gains! Lifts definitely coming would recommend if you want to get into powerlifting!
Chris R.
Man, 309 weeks complete
8 years of prior experience
As expected strength gains
As expected muscle gains
Matt Vena is the goat!
Dangerous Flipper
Woman, 469 weeks complete
2 years of prior experience
As expected strength gains
As expected muscle gains
This is good program for basic powerlifting style training. I was able to make steady progress on each lift during the program. Particularly the paused lifts did wonders to my squat technique and form. I train mostly 3 times a week but still followed the program sequence and that worked well for me. That modification kept the volume in check and not piling up fatigue as there is no real deload baked into this. My goal is not to compete, but to make steady progress in a sustainable way and that I could achieve with this program. Maybe a bit more optionality for the accessories would have been nice for the fun aspect, but that is adjustable. One of the programs I will definitely run again at some point.
Jack G.
Man, 2312 weeks complete
1 year of prior experience
As expected strength gains
As expected muscle gains
Squat 185kg to 195kg +10kg Bench 107.5kg to 110kg +2.5kg Deadlift 220kg to 232.5kg +12.5kg Idk why my bench is so slow to progress. It's by far my weakest lift, but the other 2 lifts progressed well.