Candito 6 Week Strength Program

Overview

The Candito 6 Week Strength Program is one of the most widely used free intermediate-to-advanced programs in powerlifting. It splits the 6 weeks into progressive training blocks: Week 1 muscle adaptation, Week 2 adaptation/hypertrophy (introducing the MR10 AMRAP set and high-density volume sets), Week 3 linear strength (4-6-rep big sets), Week 4 heavy adaptation (90%+ sets of three), and Week 5 high-intensity peaking (97.5% test sets of 1-4 reps). Week 6 is optional (see below).

Who it's for

• Intermediate and upper-intermediate lifters with at least 1 year of consistent barbell training whose linear progress has stalled.
• Squat and deadlift gains are generally the most reliable; the bench block is relatively weaker, so consider combining it with "Candito 6 Week Bench Press Specialization" (the original Hybrid approach).

Weekly structure

3-5 sessions per week (Weeks 1-2: 5 sessions, lower/upper/upper/lower/upper; Weeks 3-4: 4 sessions; Week 5: 3 sessions). The horizontal pull / shoulder press / vertical pull accessory slots in the upper-body sessions are entered with the default options (barbell row/press/weighted pull-up) and can be swapped in the plan editor for the original sheet's alternatives such as dumbbell row, seated dumbbell press, or lat pulldown; you can add 1-2 accessories of your choice (8-12 reps) to each session, which this library doesn't include as placeholders. The deadlift variation means your choice of stiff-leg, wide-stance, deficit, or paused deadlift.

Week 6 (no fixed prescription in the source sheet; three options)

1. Skip Week 6: start the next round directly with the new max projected from the Week 5 sets of 1-4 reps;
2. Use the projected new max, but take a deload week first (repeat Week 1, dropping the last upper-body session);
3. Use a new 1RM measured in Week 6, then deload or start a new cycle. Projection rule: for the Week 5 97.5% set, 2 reps ×1.03, 3 reps ×1.06, 4 reps ×1.09.

Progression rules

One 6-week round is one cycle, with no weight increases within the cycle (the sheet already includes ±2.5 kg micro-adjustments; see the set notes). At the end of the cycle, update your 1RM using the rules above and rerun. If you fail any required reps, lower your 1RM by 2.5% and continue.

Notes

• MR = AMRAP set; MR10 = an AMRAP set of up to 10 reps, with the deciding rule in the set notes.
• The extra volume/back-off sets in Week 2 use 60 seconds of rest between sets (already entered); the number of back-off sets varies with MR10 performance (10/8/5 sets), and this library enters the middle option of 8 sets, with the rule in the set notes.
• The original sheet is in lb (±5 lb micro-adjustments); this library converts everything to ±2.5 kg.

Setting Your Starting Weights & Tackling Week 2

The first two weeks build muscular endurance and leg drive before Weeks 3–5 strip away volume and push bar weights toward 95–97.5% of your 1RM:

• Input an honest 1RM, not a 90% TM: Candito's percentage sheet already accounts for accumulated fatigue across Weeks 1–4. Setting your starting max too low leaves Week 1–3 too easy; setting it higher than what you can lift today often causes missed reps in Week 4.
• How the two Week 2 Squat MR10 sessions differ (strict 60-second rest between triples):
  • Session 1 (Day 1): push MR10 at 80% up to 10 reps, then complete 5 extra-volume triples at MR10 weight + 2.5 kg. If you score fewer than 8 reps here, still complete the extra-volume sets and lower your 1RM by 2.5% for later sessions.
  • Session 2 (Day 3): push MR10 at 80% + 2.5 kg (up to 10 reps), then perform back-off triples at MR10 weight − 5 kg according to your reps:
    • Hit 10 reps cleanly → 10 back-off sets (entered as 8 in the default library template; adjust with Add a set if needed)
    • Hit 8–9 reps → 8 back-off sets
    • Hit 7 reps → 5 back-off sets
    • Fewer than 7 reps → skip the back-off sets and lower your 1RM by at least 2.5%

FAQ

Should I enter my true 1RM or a 90% Training Max?

Enter an honest, current 1RM you have actually hit recently (no straps/hitching, competition depth). Unlike 5/3/1, Candito 6-Week scales percentages directly from 1RM rather than a 90% Training Max.

What if I miss reps on Week 2's MR10 squat sets?

In Session 1, hitting fewer than 8 reps means still finishing the 5 extra-volume sets at MR10 + 2.5 kg and dropping your 1RM by 2.5% afterward. In Session 2, exactly 7 reps trims the MR10 − 5 kg back-off work to 5 sets; hitting fewer than 7 reps skips those back-off sets altogether and lowers your squat 1RM by at least 2.5%.

Why does upper-body pressing progress slower than squats in Candito 6-Week?

The program allocates very high lower-body frequency in Weeks 1–2 and relatively moderate bench volume. Many lifters pair Weeks 1–5 with Jonnie Candito's optional extra pressing day or switch to a 4-day bench block once lower-body goals are met.

What are my three choices for Week 6?

After completing Week 5's 97.5% × 1–4 test sets, you can: (1) skip Week 6 and start a new round immediately from your projected 1RM (2 reps × 1.03, 3 reps × 1.06, 4 reps × 1.09); (2) repeat Week 1 minus the final upper day as a deload; or (3) take a light taper and test true 1RM singles.

Can I repeat Candito 6-Week back-to-back?

Yes, though repeating high-peaking cycles all year eventually catches up on joints and recovery. Running two rounds followed by a higher-rep hypertrophy block works well for most lifters.