- Level
- Intermediate
- Block lengths
- 6 weeks
- Training
- 5, 5, 4, 4, 3, 3 sessions by week
- Session length
- 50 to 65 min
In short
Jonnie Candito's six-week block suits intermediate lifters who have exhausted a novice linear progression. SBD Guru's version uses RPE targets in place of Candito's fixed percentages. A session takes about 50 to 65 minutes, including warm-ups and accessories.
How the weeks change
Volume falls as the weights rise, training days drop, and the final week is a deload.
A typical week
In week 1, two lower days pair squat and deadlift, three upper days carry bench, and each session adds accessories.
Mon Lower Body, Squat + Deadlift
- Competition Squat 4×8 · 71% · RPE 7
- Competition Deadlift 3×8 · 71% · RPE 7
+ 3 accessories
Tue Upper Body, Bench
- Competition Bench Press 4×8 · 71% · RPE 7
+ 3 accessories
Thu Lower Body, Volume Squat + Deadlift
- Competition Squat 4×10 · 66% · RPE 7
- Competition Deadlift 3×10 · 64% · RPE 6.5
+ 3 accessories
Fri Upper Body, Close-Grip Bench
- Close-Grip Bench Press 4×8 · 64% · RPE 7
+ 3 accessories
Sat Upper Body, Volume Bench
- Competition Bench Press 3×10 · 66% · RPE 7
+ 4 accessories
Loads are a percentage of your starting max on that lift.
What you can expect
The first two weeks are the busiest, with five sessions a week of sets of six to ten. From week 3 you train four days, and the sets drop to between three and six reps at a higher RPE. Week 5 is the hardest, with one test day per lift where you work up to a heavy double or single. Week 6 is three light sessions, so you finish the block recovered.
Best for
Intermediate lifters who have exhausted a novice linear progression and can train five days a week early on. A beginner who finds week 1 far too easy should run that linear progression first.
Questions before you start
What comes after week 6?
Six weeks is short. Run the block again with new maxes, or move to a longer plan.
Read: Is Candito 6 Week right for you?What if I can only train three or four days a week?
Look at the Texas Method or 5/3/1 instead. Both run on three days, and 5/3/1 also runs on four.
Read: Texas Method or 5/3/1What to be careful about
- Early bench volume. Weeks 1 and 2 hold the most bench sets, and every week 1 bench set is 8 to 10 reps. Expect them to leave you fatigued.
- The week 6 deload. Candito's own spreadsheet lets you skip week 6 or use it to test your max. SBD Guru keeps week 6 as a Deload after the week 5 top sets, so the block does not end on a max attempt.
- The heavy week. Week 5 has the heaviest sets of the block on only three sessions. Take longer warm-ups and stop each set at the prescribed effort.