Calgary Barbell 8-Week Peak

An eight-week competition peak in two blocks — an intensity block of heavy clusters with back-off volume, then a peaking block where the main lifts become one top set to RPE and volume hung off it — followed by a meet-week taper. It is the second and fourth blocks of the Calgary Barbell 16-week, lifted out for lifters who do not have sixteen weeks.

Intermediate competitive powerlifters peaking for a meet they have about nine weeks out. Assumes a base is already built — this programme sharpens, it does not accumulate.

Four sessions a week: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. Bench four times a week, squat and deadlift three, always alongside their competition variations — paused, pin, feet-up, touch-and-go, high bar. Weeks 1-4 pair a heavy cluster with lighter back-off sets in the same session; weeks 5-8 replace the cluster with a single top set to RPE 8 and volume off it.

Percentage work is referenced off a training max of 95% of your 1RM. RPE-anchored sets are chosen on the day. The programme ends two days out from the platform — the meet is the test, and there is no max-out week.

Written by Bryce Krawczyk, founder of Calgary Barbell and a Canadian record holder in the deadlift and total. He distributes both Calgary Barbell peaking templates free, which is the only reason you can browse this one here — the programme is his, and VALDA just carries it. His coaching, his own app and the rest of his work are at calgarybarbell.com. Widely used by intermediate and advanced competitive powerlifters.