Programme · Intermediate · 3 days a week
Korte 3×3
Korte 3×3 is a common intermediate powerlifting programme. Squat, bench and deadlift every session, three sessions a week — four weeks of volume, then four weeks of peaking. VALDA has it in its programme library: start it and VALDA sets up the sessions and starting weights, then moves you through the block week by week.
Free to start, 1 programme at a time. Already have the app? Open in VALDA takes you straight to it. In the app it's listed as “3×3 Powerlifting Cycle”.
Is Korte 3×3 for you?
Intermediate powerlifters peaking for a meet who want minimal exercise selection and are willing to train the same three lifts three times a week.
At a glance
- Level
- Intermediate
- Goal
- Powerlifting
- Time
- 3 days a week, ~90 min a session
- Length
- 8 weeks
An eight-week cycle that trains all three competition lifts in every session. Four weeks of sub-maximal volume build the base; four weeks of light technique work plus one heavy single per lift per week sharpen it.
3 sessions
| Session | Exercises |
|---|---|
| Week 1 · Session 1 — Volume (58%) |
|
| Week 1 · Session 2 — Volume (58%) |
|
| Week 1 · Session 3 — Volume (58%) |
|
Sessions from the first block (Phase I · Week 1 — Volume (58%)). Later blocks change the loading.
The block
- Phase I · Week 1 — Volume (58%)
- Phase I · Week 2 — Volume (60%)
- Phase I · Week 3 — Volume (62%)
- Phase I · Week 4 — Volume (64%)
- Phase II · Week 5 — Competition (top 80%)
- Phase II · Week 6 — Competition (top 85%)
- Phase II · Week 7 — Competition (top 90%)
- Phase II · Week 8 — Competition (top 95%)
Weeks 1-4 run the same session three times a week — squat 5×5, bench 6×6, deadlift 5×5 — at a percentage that holds all week and steps up weekly from 58% to 64%. Weeks 5-8 drop the volume: each lift gets one heavy session of singles and two technique sessions at 60%, with the heavy sessions staggered so no two lifts peak on the same day.
How the weights move
The whole cycle is planned in advance off one max. Load climbs by the percentage table — 58/60/62/64% in the volume phase, then heavy singles at 80/85/90/95% in the competition phase — rather than by adding weight session to session. Re-test at the end of the eight weeks and start the next cycle from the new max.
Korte 3×3, with the maths done
- Sessions set up from the programme, ready to log
- Starting weights worked out from the programme's own rules and your estimated maxes, with a default where VALDA has no history yet. You can change any of them
- Moves you on to the next week of the block when you finish the current one
- Log sets from your phone, Apple Watch or Wear OS watch
Korte 3×3 questions
Who is Korte 3×3 for?
Intermediate powerlifters peaking for a meet who want minimal exercise selection and are willing to train the same three lifts three times a week.
How many days a week is Korte 3×3?
As VALDA runs it: 3 days a week, ~90 min a session.
How does progression work on Korte 3×3?
The whole cycle is planned in advance off one max. Load climbs by the percentage table — 58/60/62/64% in the volume phase, then heavy singles at 80/85/90/95% in the competition phase — rather than by adding weight session to session. Re-test at the end of the eight weeks and start the next cycle from the new max.
Can I run Korte 3×3 in VALDA?
Yes. It's in VALDA's programme library: start it and VALDA sets up the sessions and starting weights, then moves you through the block week by week. You can start it on the free plan, 1 programme at a time. Automatic progression: Free: 6 sessions · Pro: unlimited.
Is VALDA affiliated with Stephan Korte?
No. VALDA is not affiliated with or endorsed by Stephan Korte. This page describes the programme as VALDA runs it.
Where Korte 3×3 comes from
VALDA is not affiliated with or endorsed by Stephan Korte. The programme belongs to its author; this page describes it as VALDA runs it.
This page describes a common training programme for information. It isn't a personal prescription.