Candito 6 Week Strength Program

A six-week block-periodized powerlifting cycle by Jonnie Candito, published free as a spreadsheet and guide on Candito Training HQ. It suits intermediate lifters with a year or more of consistent barbell training who want to bring up the squat, bench press and deadlift and finish the cycle with a new max.

How the six weeks are built

Each week has its own job, and the loads are set as percentages of your current 1RM:

• Week 1 - Muscular conditioning: moderate volume, five sessions (two lower, three upper). Squat 4x6 and 4x8, deadlift 2x6 and 2x8, bench in ascending sets of 10-10-8-6, ending with a max-reps bench set at 80%.
• Week 2 - Hypertrophy: harder volume. Squat max-reps sets capped at 10 (MR10) at 80%, followed by short-rest triples. Bench works from 72.5% to 80%.
• Week 3 - Linear max overload: heavier sets of 4-6 at about 85-87.5%, four sessions, no optional work.
• Week 4 - Heavy weight acclimation: triples at about 90%, then the first singles and doubles at 95%.
• Week 5 - Intensity: one set of 1-4 reps at 97.5% on squat, bench and deadlift.
• Week 6 - 1RM test: work up to a new 1RM on each lift.

Upper days

Bench comes first, followed by three required accessories done every upper session: a horizontal pull, a shoulder press and a vertical pull. The defaults here are barbell row, military press and weighted pull-ups; dumbbell or machine rows, dumbbell presses, chin-ups or pulldowns are all fine swaps. There are no percentages for these. Pick weights you can add to gradually across the six weeks without grinding to failure.

Optional exercises

Each session has two optional slots for low-impact isolation work in the 8-12 rep range with 1-2 minutes rest. The defaults are lateral raises and incline flyes on upper days, and leg curls and calf raises on lower days. Swap them freely: triceps extensions, curls, leg extensions or glute work all fit. On lower days you can use explosive work instead (box jumps, jump squats, power cleans, med ball throws), always in sets of 4. Skip the optional slots entirely when you are short on time.

The deadlift variation slot is a stiff-legged deadlift by default. A snatch-grip, deficit or paused deadlift also works. Keep it moderate.

Small adjustments

The spreadsheet rounds several sets up or down by 5 lb (2.5 kg) from the base percentage, and some percentages fall on a half (67.5%, 87.5%, 97.5%). Titan stores whole percentages, so those sets show the half rounded down, and the exercise notes give the exact figure and any 5 lb adjustment.

Progression and rules

• Rest 3-8 minutes between main-lift sets so every set gets full effort.
• If you miss a required rep, lower that lift's 1RM by 2.5% for the rest of the cycle and carry on. Don't repeat the workout.
• Instead of testing in week 6, you can estimate a new max from the week 5 set: weight x 1.03 for 2 reps, x 1.06 for 3, x 1.09 for 4. You can also take a deload week (week 1 minus the last upper day) before starting again.
• The program is meant to be repeated. Enter your new maxes and run the six weeks again.