Original starter · 8 weeks

First Meet Prep

A simple percentage block that ends in a taper and a planned meet day with opener, second and third attempts.

8weeks

3days a week

24sessions

302working sets

Every week is written out below. Opening the builder lets you adapt the exercises, loads and progression, then share a link to your own version.

How the block progresses

Measured from the prescriptions below, week 1 against week 8.

Measure	Week 1	Week 8	Change
Working sets	44	21	−52%
Total reps	438	53	−88%
Reps per set	10.0	2.5	−75%
Average RPE	6.9	6.0	−13%

Week 1

DAY 1 - MON - Squat and Bench

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Back Squat	4 × 6	70%	3:00
Bench Press	4 × 6	70%	3:00
Barbell Row	3 × 10	RPE 7	1:30
Plank · Seconds	3 × 30	RPE 7	1:00

DAY 2 - WED - Deadlift

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Deadlift	3 × 5	70%	3:30
Paused Bench Press	3 × 5	RPE 6.5	2:30
Bulgarian Split Squat · Repetitions per side	3 × 10	RPE 7	1:30
Lat Pulldown	3 × 12	RPE 7	1:30
Hanging Leg Raise	3 × 8	RPE 7	1:00

DAY 3 - FRI - Squat and Bench Volume

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Paused Back Squat	3 × 5	RPE 6.5	2:30
Close-Grip Bench Press	3 × 8	RPE 7	2:30
Romanian Deadlift	3 × 10	RPE 7	2:00
Dumbbell Row · Repetitions per side	3 × 12	RPE 7	1:30
Face Pull	3 × 15	RPE 7	1:00

Week 2

DAY 1 - MON - Squat and Bench

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Back Squat	4 × 5	72.5%	3:00
Bench Press	4 × 5	72.5%	3:00
Barbell Row	3 × 10	RPE 7.5	1:30
Plank · Seconds	3 × 40	RPE 7	1:00

DAY 2 - WED - Deadlift

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Deadlift	3 × 5	72.5%	3:30
Paused Bench Press	3 × 5	RPE 7	2:30
Bulgarian Split Squat · Repetitions per side	3 × 10	RPE 7.5	1:30
Lat Pulldown	3 × 10	RPE 7	1:30
Hanging Leg Raise	3 × 10	RPE 7	1:00

DAY 3 - FRI - Squat and Bench Volume

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Paused Back Squat	3 × 5	RPE 7	2:30
Close-Grip Bench Press	3 × 8	RPE 7.5	2:30
Romanian Deadlift	3 × 8	RPE 7	2:00
Dumbbell Row · Repetitions per side	3 × 12	RPE 7.5	1:30
Face Pull	3 × 15	RPE 7	1:00

Week 3

DAY 1 - MON - Squat and Bench

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Back Squat	5 × 4	75%	3:00
Bench Press	5 × 4	75%	3:00
Barbell Row	3 × 8	RPE 7.5	1:30
Plank · Seconds	3 × 45	RPE 7	1:00

DAY 2 - WED - Deadlift

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Deadlift	4 × 4	75%	3:30
Paused Bench Press	3 × 4	RPE 7	2:30
Bulgarian Split Squat · Repetitions per side	3 × 8	RPE 7.5	1:30
Lat Pulldown	3 × 10	RPE 7.5	1:30
Hanging Leg Raise	3 × 10	RPE 7	1:00

DAY 3 - FRI - Squat and Bench Volume

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Paused Back Squat	3 × 4	RPE 7	2:30
Close-Grip Bench Press	4 × 6	RPE 7.5	2:30
Romanian Deadlift	3 × 8	RPE 7.5	2:00
Dumbbell Row · Repetitions per side	3 × 10	RPE 7.5	1:30
Face Pull	3 × 15	RPE 7.5	1:00

Week 4

DAY 1 - MON - Squat and Bench

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Back Squat	4 × 3	80%	3:00
Bench Press	4 × 3	80%	3:00
Barbell Row	3 × 8	RPE 8	1:30
Plank · Seconds	3 × 45	RPE 7	1:00

DAY 2 - WED - Deadlift

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Deadlift	3 × 3	80%	3:30
Paused Bench Press	3 × 4	RPE 7.5	2:30
Bulgarian Split Squat · Repetitions per side	2 × 8	RPE 7.5	1:30
Lat Pulldown	3 × 10	RPE 7.5	1:30
Hanging Leg Raise	3 × 12	RPE 7	1:00

DAY 3 - FRI - Squat and Bench Volume

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Paused Back Squat	3 × 4	RPE 7.5	2:30
Close-Grip Bench Press	3 × 6	RPE 8	2:30
Romanian Deadlift	3 × 8	RPE 7.5	2:00
Dumbbell Row · Repetitions per side	3 × 10	RPE 8	1:30
Face Pull	2 × 12	RPE 7.5	1:00

Week 5

DAY 1 - MON - Squat and Bench

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Back Squat	4 × 3	82.5%	3:00
Bench Press	4 × 3	82.5%	3:00
Barbell Row	3 × 8	RPE 8	1:30
Plank · Seconds	3 × 45	RPE 7	1:00

DAY 2 - WED - Deadlift

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Deadlift	3 × 3	82.5%	3:30
Paused Bench Press	3 × 3	RPE 7.5	2:30
Bulgarian Split Squat · Repetitions per side	2 × 8	RPE 8	1:30
Lat Pulldown	3 × 8	RPE 8	1:30
Hanging Leg Raise	3 × 12	RPE 7	1:00

DAY 3 - FRI - Squat and Bench Volume

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Paused Back Squat	3 × 3	RPE 7.5	2:30
Close-Grip Bench Press	3 × 5	RPE 8	2:30
Romanian Deadlift	2 × 6	RPE 8	2:00
Dumbbell Row · Repetitions per side	3 × 10	RPE 8	1:30
Face Pull	2 × 12	RPE 8	1:00

Week 6

DAY 1 - MON - Squat and Bench

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Back Squat	3 × 2	87.5%	3:00
Bench Press	3 × 2	87.5%	3:00
Barbell Row	3 × 6	RPE 8	1:30
Plank · Seconds	2 × 40	RPE 7	1:00

DAY 2 - WED - Deadlift

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Deadlift	2 × 2	87.5%	3:30
Paused Bench Press	3 × 3	RPE 8	2:30
Bulgarian Split Squat · Repetitions per side	2 × 6	RPE 7.5	1:30
Lat Pulldown	3 × 8	RPE 8	1:30
Hanging Leg Raise	2 × 10	RPE 7	1:00

DAY 3 - FRI - Squat and Bench Volume

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Paused Back Squat	3 × 3	RPE 8	2:30
Close-Grip Bench Press	3 × 5	RPE 8	2:30
Romanian Deadlift	2 × 6	RPE 7.5	2:00
Dumbbell Row · Repetitions per side	2 × 10	RPE 8	1:30
Face Pull	2 × 12	RPE 7.5	1:00

Week 7

DAY 1 - MON - Squat and Bench

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Back Squat	1 × 1	92.5%	3:00
Back Squat · Backoff	3 × 3	80%	3:00
Bench Press	1 × 1	92.5%	3:00
Bench Press · Backoff	3 × 3	80%	2:30
Barbell Row	2 × 6	RPE 7	1:30
Plank · Seconds	2 × 30	RPE 7	1:00

DAY 2 - WED - Deadlift

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Deadlift	1 × 1	92.5%	3:30
Paused Bench Press	2 × 3	RPE 7	2:30
Lat Pulldown	2 × 8	RPE 7	1:30
Hanging Leg Raise	2 × 8	RPE 7	1:00

DAY 3 - FRI - Squat and Bench Volume

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Paused Back Squat	2 × 2	RPE 7	2:30
Close-Grip Bench Press	2 × 5	RPE 7	2:30
Dumbbell Row · Repetitions per side	2 × 8	RPE 7	1:30
Face Pull	2 × 12	RPE 7	1:00

Week 8

DAY 1 - MON - Squat and Bench

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Back Squat	2 × 2	75%	3:00
Bench Press	2 × 2	75%	3:00
Barbell Row	2 × 6	RPE 6	1:30

DAY 2 - WED - Deadlift

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Deadlift	2 × 2	70%	3:30
Paused Bench Press	2 × 2	RPE 6	2:30
Lat Pulldown	2 × 8	RPE 6	1:30

DAY 3 - SAT - Meet Day

Exercise	Sets × reps	Effort / load	Rest
Back Squat · Opener	1 × 1	90%	10:00
Back Squat · Second attempt	1 × 1	95%	10:00
Back Squat · Third attempt	1 × 1	100%	10:00
Bench Press · Opener	1 × 1	90%	10:00
Bench Press · Second attempt	1 × 1	95%	10:00
Bench Press · Third attempt	1 × 1	100%	10:00
Deadlift · Opener	1 × 1	90%	10:00
Deadlift · Second attempt	1 × 1	95%	10:00
Deadlift · Third attempt	1 × 1	100%	10:00

What the research says

"Thus, from a practical standpoint, greater training frequencies can be used for additional RT volume, which is then likely to result in greater muscular strength gains."

Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Davies TB, Lazinica B, Krieger JW, Pedisic Z. Effect of Resistance Training Frequency on Gains in Muscular Strength. Sports Med, 2018. PubMed

From the guide How Often to Squat, Bench and Deadlift Each Week