A 4-day Heavy-Light template built for the lifter past forty who still wants both. The Squat, Press, Bench, and Deadlift run on a 3-week 5/3/1 wave. Around them, a full assistance template for chest, back, arms, and traps. Strong and jacked, no contradiction.
Programmed by Andy Baker. Co-author, Practical Programming for Strength Training and The Barbell Prescription.
Twelve weeks of programming you can pin to the rack. Here is what is in the PDF, in the order you will read it.
Power-building means the main lifts go up while the assistance work fills the shirt. Three things make that possible.
Each main lift gets a heavy day and a light day every week. Heavy days build strength on the 5/3/1 wave. Light days drill bar speed at 5–20% under the heavy load. Twice the practice, half the recovery debt of a Texas Method week.
Week 1 is 3×5, Week 2 is 3×3, Week 3 is 3×1. Each rep range progresses on its own track, cycle to cycle. Stuck on 5s? Keep cycling. The 3s and 1s pull you through. Ranges sit 5–10% apart and move 2–10 lb per cycle.
Programmed assistance for triceps, biceps, chest, upper back, lats, and traps. Close-grip bench, incline and decline DB press, rows, pull-ups, curls, stiff-leg deadlifts, shrugs. Strap rules and progression triggers written in. The reason this program builds size, not just strength.
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.
Heavy Press · Light Bench
Triceps
Heavy Squat
Upper Back · Biceps
Light Press · Heavy Bench
Chest
Light Squat · Heavy Deadlift
Hamstrings · Traps
Verbatim from week 1 of the program · light-day percentages, strap rules, and deload protocol in the PDF
Coach · 2005 — Now 
Four-day power-building split built around the bench, squat, overhead press, and deadlift. Full assistance template included.
Twelve weeks of three-day Heavy-Light-Medium built around the squat, bench, and deadlift. Power clean variation included.
Two-day basic barbell strength for lifters over 60, or anyone who needs low frequency and low volume. Squat, bench, deadlift, overhead press. Rack, barbell, bench.
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.
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.
Past forty, the Texas Method volume day is often more than the body wants to recover from week after week. Heavy-Light gives you the same twice-weekly exposure to each lift, with a true light day in between. You keep practicing the lifts without burying yourself.
Yes. The PDF spells out the swap: plug the Bench Press anywhere the template calls for the Press, and run the Press as an assistance lift. Common substitution for lifters whose shoulders prefer the bench.
It is designed for long-term use. Most lifters run it for 6–8 months without serious modification, with a deload every 2–4 cycles. Each rep range (5, 3, 1) progresses independently, so a stall on one wave does not stall the whole program.
Yes. The main lifts need a rack, bar, bench, and plates. Assistance work scales to dumbbells, cables, or bands. Pull-ups and rows cover the back work. Standard garage setup is fine.
No. It is written for intermediate and advanced lifters who have already run a linear progression. If you are still adding weight to the bar every session, run that out first. The free 6-week bench program on this site is a good fit for novices.
This program is a self-contained Heavy-Light 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.