4.5
(2 ratings)
Program Description
PB&J is a 12 week powerbuilding program built around the Big Three. It’s split into five days, with two off-days planned after day two and day five. The goal of PB&J is to consistently add weight, week in and week out, with a focus on barbell and dumbbell movements. The rep scheme is built utilizing five set pyramids, which decrease in repetitions and increase in weight throughout the weeks. Wave 1 will introduce you to a high volume scheme, which will be absolutely brutal to get used to if you haven’t done high volume training before. Wave 2 focuses on adding volume to accessory lifts in the form of additional sets, before increasing the weight for Wave 3. If during the week, you missed the goal reps of a set, I would recommend staying with the same weight for the following week. For instance, if you miss your final set of 5 and only hit 3 reps, use the same weight for ALL 5 sets the next week and try and get the last set of 5. For the full body day at the end of the week, you should add be adding weight on these sets UNLESS you missed a set during that week. If all 5 sets were completed, you can add weight. I recommend 10 pounds on the squat and dead lift, and 5 pounds on the bench and shoulder press and curl. The weight you use on this day will then be the weight for the following week. For bodybuilders, just adding weight to every workout should be enough to kickstart some growth. For powerlifters, the emphasis on volume should lead to an increase in mass. For exercise substitutions, I would recommend movements that target the same muscle groups but prioritize safety and joint comfort. This program was made with joint safety during progressions in mind. Also feel free to make substitutions for specificity, such as standing military press as opposed to seated, etc. Because the main lifts for each day go up to a heavy triple/ double, some things like lat pull down or preacher curl might need to be substituted. Based on your strength level, you may have to do weighted pull-ups, instead of lat pull downs, etc. Currently, there is less tricep work due to the higher volume of bench and shoulder press. This can be adjusted to personal preference. New versions and tweaks will be coming out! Edit 2/11 fixed typo in substitution paragraph (lap, pulldown to lat pulldown) Final edits 4/27: Changed Leg Press rep scheme, wave 3 was changed to be more sustainable after feedback from those who have completed the program.
Program Overview
- LevelIntermediate, Advanced
- GoalPowerbuilding, Bodybuilding, Powerlifting
- EquipmentFull Gym
- Program Length12 weeks
- Time Per Workout90 minutes
- CreatedJan 24, 2024 04:02
- Last EditedDec 26, 2024 03:47
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING(2 ratings)
Only ratings with written feedback are displayed here.
4.50 / 5
Alexander P.Man
8 months ago
I’m the creator of this program, and I used this program as a power building program to add strength and size during a 12 week bulk.
While I used strong foundational principles and experience for exercise selection and rep scheme, I only planned out the first 4 weeks. I used an AI programmer to help create Wave 2 and Wave 3.
I made excellent strength gains in this program, and both Wave 1 and Wave 2 are good as-is. However, I believe Wave 3 is too demanding for most trainees and I ended up making multiple changes. In hindsight, I should have made more changes to Wave 3 before posting this live lol.
I’m going to adjust the sets and make minor changes as of 4/22/24. However, running this first iteration of PB&J, I did make the following progress:
Start (Wave 1)
Weight: 245 lbs
Bench: 225x12, 300x5
Squat: 275x12, 375x5
Deadlift: 275x12, 385x5
Final (Wave 3)
Weight: 262 lbs
Bench: 305x8x 365x2
Squat: 405x8, 505x2
Deadlift: 445x8, 545x1 (did single instead of double)
I did not expect the high volume approach to add as much strength as it did. I also made pretty decent muscle gains in the shoulders and triceps despite not programming much accessory work.
After making tweaks to Wave 3, I believe this will be a great Power Building program for intermediate to advanced lifters.
Ari P.Age 25, Man
8 months ago
This program was super hard even for someone who has been lifting weights consistently for almost 10 years. Amazing strength gains and definitely got me to focus way more on making sure I take every set to a much more intense level. Definitely going to need to take a deload week after this as it is super taxing. Seriously though I’m so grateful I made it through. If you’re someone who desperately needs structure and only does pump workouts this shit is like a boot camp for you, building the right habits in the gym And taking it back to basics. I went from around 195 to 220-225 in these last 12 weeks (I’m 6’2” for reference). Obviously, that’s not all going to be muscle, but I definitely can see that I have put on significant size and my strength is finally back. For example I started out with 245x12 on squat for phase 1 and 225 for 12 on bench. 12 weeks later my starting set of 8 is 355 on squat and my starting bench is 275 for 8. These are lifts that would have been impossible at the start. Great progress just hard as fuck if you do it right. Take the rest days!!