I. Power-Building · 4 Day Split

The Baker Barbell
4-Day Power-
Building Program.

A complete 4-day split that drives the bench, squat, press, and deadlift up while a detailed assistance template builds the chest, back, arms, and legs around them. Strong and jacked, no contradiction.

Schedule: 4 days
per week
Cycle: 3-week
waves
Level: Int — Adv
Equipment: Garage
or full gym

Programmed by Andy Baker. Co-author, Practical Programming for Strength Training and The Barbell Prescription.

II. At a glance

The spec sheet.

Twelve weeks of programming you can pin to the rack. Here is what is in the PDF, in the order you will read it.

Goal: Build strength on the four main lifts and add visible muscle. Not a powerlifting peak. Not a pure hypertrophy block. The bridge.
Split: The classic 4-day bodybuilding split, used by Dorian Yates and Ed Coan for decades. Day 1 Chest, Rear Delts, Biceps. Day 2 Quads, Hams, Calves. Day 3 Shoulders, Triceps. Day 4 Back, Traps, Hamstrings. Rest after Legs and Back.
Main lifts: Bench Press, Back Squat, Standing Overhead Press, Deadlift. Programmed on Andy's reliable 8/5/2 method: three-week waves of 3×8, 3×5, 3×2. Two decades of client data behind it.
Assistance template: Up to six exercises per day, three sets each. Chest, back, shoulders, arms, legs, calves, abs all get named work. Sets, reps, and exercise rotation rules spelled out, no guessing.
Length: Repeatable 3-week cycles. Most lifters run it for several cycles and reset when the 8/5/2 stalls. The PDF includes the full reset protocol.
Equipment: Power rack, barbell, bench, plates. A pulley or band setup helps but is not required. Modifications included for basic garage and home gyms.
Format: PDF. Printable. Readable on a phone. Delivered by email link after checkout. No app, no login, no subscription.
Price: $45 USD, one-time. Yours to keep and re-run.

III. Inside the program

Strong and jacked. No contradiction.

Power-building means the main lifts go up while the assistance work fills the shirt. Three things make that possible.

01.

The 8/5/2
method.

Bench, Squat, Overhead Press, and Deadlift run a three-week wave. 3×8, then 3×5, then 3×2. Each rep range progresses independently off itself. Twenty years of client results say this is the most reliable way to build strength and muscle on the same lifts.

02.

Assistance
that earns its room.

Up to six exercises per day, three working sets each, taken close to failure where it matters. Chest, back, shoulders, arms, calves, abs each get named slots with rep ranges and rotation rules. Hypertrophy work, programmed like programming.

03.

Built-in
resets.

Every 8/5/2 wave eventually stalls. The PDF spells out exactly how to reset: drop loads 5 to 10 percent, run an easy cycle, then ramp back up with optional AMRAPs on the third set. The program is designed to be cycled, not finished.

IV. Fit check

Who this is for.

Built for

Intermediate-to-advanced lifters who want their main lifts up and their shirts tighter at the same time.
Lifters who came up on heavy-only programming and are tired of always pushing maximums.
Trainees with a rack, a bar, a bench, and four sessions a week. Garage gym is fine.
Anyone who would rather follow a written plan than design one on the fly every Sunday night.

Not built for

Day-one beginners. Run a linear progression first. The free bench program is a good place to land.
Lifters peaking for a meet inside the next 6 weeks. Use a meet-prep program.
Bodybuilders who do not want to squat, bench, deadlift, or press.
People shopping for a 5-minute-a-day app routine. This is a real training program.

V. A look inside

Week one of the cycle.

The 8s week, taken straight from the program. Week two drops to 3×5 on the main lifts, week three to 3×2. Loads, rotation rules, and the full reset protocol live in the PDF.

Week 01 · 8s From the PDF

Day 01

Chest · Rear Delts
Biceps

01 Bench Press 3 × 8
02 DB or Machine Incline Press 3 × 8–12
03 Flys (DB, cable, or machine) 3 × 8–12
04 Rear Delt Fly or Face Pull 3 × 10–15
05 Bicep Curl (BB, DB, or cable) 3 × 8–12
06 Forearm-biased Curl 3 × 8–12

Day 02

Quads · Hams
Calves · Abs

01 Back Squat 3 × 8
02 Leg Press or Hack Squat 3 × 10–12
03 Leg Extension 3 × 8–12
04 Leg Curl (lying or seated) 3 × 8–12
05 Standing or Seated Calf Raise 3 × 8–12
06 Abs of Choice 3 × 10–20

Day 03

Shoulders
Triceps

01 Standing Overhead Press 3 × 8
02 DB or Machine Shoulder Press 3 × 10–12
03 Side Delt Raise 3 × 8–12
04 Close-Grip Bench or Dip 3 × 8–12
05 Lying or Overhead Tricep Ext. 3 × 8–12
06 Cable Tricep Pressdown 3 × 10–20

Day 04

Back · Traps
Hamstrings

01 Pull-up or Chin-up 3 × 8–12
02 Deadlift + RDL back-off 1 × 8, 1–2 × 8–10
03 Barbell, T-Bar, or DB Row 3 × 10–12
04 Chest-Supported Machine Row 3 × 8–12
05 Pulldown (opposing grip) 3 × 8–12
06 Shrug (BB, DB, or machine) 3 × 8–12

Verbatim from week 1 of the program · loads, rotation rules, and reset protocol in the PDF

VI. About the coach

Programmed by Andy Baker.

Andy Baker, coach and author, on the gym floor at Baker Personal Training, Kingwood, Texas.

Twenty years of coaching intermediate-to-advanced lifters, IPF-level clients, and garage lifters who don't miss training days.

Andy has been coaching since 2005 and running Baker Personal Training in Kingwood, TX since 2007. His clients range from Masters powerlifters at the IPF World level to lifters in their 60s training out of one-car garages. The programs on this site are the same ones he writes for paying clients.

No gimmicks. No hype. Just programs that work.

Co-author Practical Programming for Strength Training With Mark Rippetoe

Co-author The Barbell Prescription With Dr. Jonathon Sullivan

VII. If this resonates

All power-building →

IX. Before you buy

Common questions.

How is it delivered?

You will get an email with a download link to the PDF after checkout. Save it to your phone, your laptop, or print it. There is no login, no app, and no expiring access.

Will this work in a garage gym?

Yes. The program is built around a rack, a barbell, a bench, and plates. Modifications for basic garage and home gyms are written into the PDF, including swaps for any pulley-based assistance work.

Can I run it on three days a week?

Yes. The PDF includes a 3-day rollover that runs the four sessions across a week and a half (Mon, Wed, Fri, Mon, then start the next week Wednesday). The 4-day cadence is the default and produces faster progress; the 3-day option is there when life gets in the way.

Is this a beginner program?

No. It is written for intermediate-to-advanced lifters with a base of barbell training already in place. If you are still adding weight to the bar every session on a linear progression, run that out first. The free 6-week bench program on this site is a good fit for novices working their press.

How long is the program?

The program runs in repeating 3-week waves (8s, 5s, 2s). Most lifters cycle it for several rounds, hit a stall on one of the main lifts, run the built-in reset protocol, and keep going. The PDF is yours to keep and re-run for as long as it's still producing results.

What is your refund policy?

Because programs are delivered as digital PDFs, sales are final. If you have a question about whether this is the right program for you, email Andy before you buy. The buyer's guide on the programs page is the fastest way to triangulate.

How does this compare to the Club?

This program is a self-contained cycle that you own. The Baker Barbell Club is ongoing programming, written fresh every week, delivered Sunday. Many members run a PDF cycle while subscribed and use the Club for what to do next.

The Baker Barbell 4-Day Power- Building Program.

The spec sheet.

Strong and jacked. No contradiction.

The 8/5/2method.

Assistancethat earns its room.

Built-inresets.