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I. Power-Building · 5 Day Split

The KSC Method
for Power-
Building.

Five training days a week. Each muscle group hit directly and indirectly. The squat, bench, press, and deadlift run on the 8-5-2 wave. Assistance work programmed with descending sets, drop sets, rest-pause, and density sets. Strong and jacked, the deeper version.

Schedule
5 days
per week
Cycle
8-5-2
3-week wave
Level
Int — Adv
Equipment
Full gym
preferred

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 mass, increase strength on the big four, and refine the physique on the same program. Power-building done at the higher frequency the work demands.
Split
5 days, run 2-on / 1-off / 3-on / 1-off. Mon Chest + Biceps. Tue Legs (posterior chain) + Calves + Abs. Wed off. Thu Shoulders + Triceps. Fri Upper Back. Sat Legs (quads) + Calves + Abs. Sun off. Engineered for the direct/indirect system: every muscle gets one hard direct hit and one indirect hit each week.
Main lifts
Bench Press, Deadlift, Standing Press, Back Squat. Programmed on the 8-5-2 three-week wave: 3×8, 3×5, 3×2 across, full 5–8 minute rests. Add 2–10 lb each cycle. Each rep range progresses independently, no training max required.
Assistance template
Five exercises per training day. Three for the big muscle groups, two for small. Descending sets of 8–12 for big assistance lifts. Density sets (rest-pause, drop sets) of 30–75 reps for isolation, calves, abs, arms.
Conjugate variants
Bench and deadlift rotate variants every 3-week cycle as needed: incline, rack, cambered bar, rack pull, deficit, stiff-leg. The 8-5-2 protocol travels with the variant. Squat and press stay put.
Length
Repeating 3-week cycles. Run 2–4 cycles, then deload one week. Designed to be cycled year-round, not finished.
Equipment
Built around a commercial gym with hack squat, leg press, leg extension, lying leg curl, machine press, cables, dumbbells. Garage gym lifters can run it with substitutions, but the deeper assistance work is the point.
Format
PDF. Printable. Readable on a phone. Delivered by email link after checkout. No app, no login, no subscription. $45 USD, one-time.
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
wave.

Bench, Squat, Press, Deadlift run a three-week rotation. 3×8, then 3×5, then 3×2, all sets across with full rests. Each rep range progresses on its own track. Miss a target, repeat the weight next cycle while the other two rep ranges keep climbing. The whole strength spectrum, year-round, on the same four lifts.

02.

Direct
and indirect.

Each muscle group is trained hard once a week and touched indirectly 72–96 hours later. Bench presses train the triceps indirectly. Deadlifts train the upper back indirectly. The split, the day order, and the rest days are spaced to make the indirect hits land where they recover, not where they pile up.

03.

Density,
drop sets, rest-pause.

After the heavy barbell lift, assistance work shifts gears. Big assistance lifts run 3×8–12 descending sets, weight stripped 10% each set. Isolation work, calves, abs, and arms run density sets of 30–75 total reps with rest-pause and drop-set techniques. High volume, short rest, the bodybuilding side of the program.

IV. Fit check

Who this is for.

Built for

  • Intermediate-to-advanced lifters who can train 5 days a week and want both numbers and shape moving.
  • Lifters who have run a 3 or 4-day power-building plan and need more frequency, more assistance volume, and more variety to keep progressing.
  • Trainees with access to a commercial gym or a well-equipped private gym.
  • Lifters who will follow a written plan, eat in a surplus, and run the program for several cycles before judging it.

Not built for

  • Day-one beginners. Run a linear progression first.
  • Lifters who can only train 3 days a week. Use a 3-day program.
  • Anyone peaking for a meet inside the next 6 weeks. Use a meet-prep program.
  • Lifters who hate machines, cables, and isolation work. Half this program is bodybuilding work, on purpose.
  • People shopping for a quick 30-minute session. Workouts run 60–90 minutes.
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
Biceps

  1. 01 Barbell Flat Bench Press 3 × 8
  2. 02 Incline Bench Press 3 × 8–12 desc.
  3. 03 Dips Density 30–50
  4. 04 Barbell Curl 3 × 8–12 desc.
  5. 05 DB Hammer Curl 3 × 8–12 desc.

Day 02

Legs · Calves
Abs

  1. 01 Deadlift 3 × 8
  2. 02 Low Bar Box Squat 3 × 8 desc.
  3. 03 Lying Leg Curl Density 50
  4. 04 Seated Calf Raise Density 50
  5. 05 Hanging Leg Raise Density 50

Day 03

Shoulders
Triceps

  1. 01 Standing Press 3 × 8
  2. 02 Seated DB Press 3 × 8–12 desc.
  3. 03 DB Lateral Raise Density 75
  4. 04 Close Grip Bench 3 × 8–12 desc.
  5. 05 Cable Pressdown 3 × 15–20 desc.

Day 04

Upper Back
Traps · Rear Delts

  1. 01 Pull Ups Density 50
  2. 02 V-Grip Pulldown 3 × 8–12 desc.
  3. 03 One Arm DB Row 3 × 8–12 desc.
  4. 04 Face Pull 3 × 15–20 desc.
  5. 05 DB Shrug Density 50

Day 05

Legs · Calves
Abs

  1. 01 Back Squat 3 × 8
  2. 02 Hack Squat 3 × 8–12 desc.
  3. 03 Leg Extension Density 50
  4. 04 Standing Calf Raise Density 50
  5. 05 Decline Sit Up Density 50

Verbatim from week 1 (3×8) 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. Coach · 2005 — Now

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 →
Power-Building · 4 Day

The Baker Barbell 4-Day Power-Building Program

Four-day power-building split built around the bench, squat, overhead press, and deadlift. Full assistance template included.

View program $45
Hypertrophy · 4 Day

Upper / Lower Hypertrophy

Four-day upper/lower hypertrophy split (3-day option included), with low, medium, and high volume tiers to match your recovery.

View program $25
Powerlifting · 4 Day

The KSC Method for RAW Powerlifting

Seven-week upper/lower powerlifting cycle for meet prep or general strength. Easier to recover from than most Texas-Method derivatives.

View program $25
The Anchor

When you finish
the cycle, what then?

The Baker Barbell Club is the recurring side of the same coaching practice. New programming every week, written by Andy, delivered Sunday. 400+ members. $27 a month. Cancel any time.

See the Club → Custom coaching
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.

How is this different from the 4-Day Power-Building Program?

Same philosophy, deeper execution. The 4-day program is the right call if four sessions is your honest weekly cap. The KSC Method is 5 days, runs the direct/indirect system, gives every muscle group its own session, and leans harder on conjugate variants and density-set assistance work. More frequency, more volume, more variety.

Can I run this in a garage gym?

You can, with substitutions. The program leans on hack squat, leg press, leg extension, lying leg curl, machine press, and cables. If you train at home with a rack, bar, bench, and dumbbells, the 4-Day Power-Building Program is a closer fit. Garage Gym Warrior is the right call if minimal equipment is the constraint.

What if I miss reps on a heavy day?

Repeat that weight next cycle, but keep moving up on the other two rep ranges. The 8-5-2 protocol is built so each rep range progresses independently. The PDF spells out exactly how to handle missed sets and how to deload every 6–12 weeks.

Is this a beginner program?

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

How long is the program?

The program runs in repeating 3-week 8-5-2 cycles. Run 2–4 cycles, then deload one week. The PDF is yours to keep and re-run as long as it's still producing results.

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. 400+ members. Many run a PDF cycle while subscribed and use the Club for what to do next.

$45
PDF · Instant
Get the program →