Today’s guest post comes from Chris Marzarella, a New Jersey–based personal trainer and strength coach. When it comes to building both real strength and a ripped physique, some people swear by powerlifting while others lean toward bodybuilding. Why not borrow from both? Enter PowerBuilding. Check out Chris’s program below and consider giving it a try.
SUPERHERO STRONG, SUPERHERO BOD
Train like a superhero to achieve a superhero physique. This is a high‑volume plan that blends powerlifting and bodybuilding—two of my favorite things aside from New Jersey pizza, Guinness, and a Cohiba Black. Note: I’ve heard a Guinness story; the key word there is “one.” I’m offering a way to keep both methods in a single program. You’ll continue to make progress using both approaches. Don’t run this program while you’re in a caloric deficit or dieting phase; it’s demanding. I wouldn’t recommend staying on it for more than 16 weeks.
You need calories. A practical target is roughly 35% protein, 35% carbohydrates, and 30% fats. A fast way to estimate calories is body weight in pounds times 12. If you’re using fewer carbs, adjust the ratios, but don’t expect the same progress with a significantly lower‑carb approach. And please, don’t run this on keto. Higher volume demands more calories for optimal recovery, so cutting on this plan tends to undermine results. Why go through the grind if you don’t have the backing fuel to build the body you want?
CONJUGATE METHOD
The conjugate method draws from Soviet and Bulgarian training traditions and was popularized by legendary powerlifter and coach Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell. The core idea is to choose a compound lift and strive to move the weight a little further each week. The week typically looks like this:
– Maximum effort upper
– Maximum effort lower
– Dynamic effort upper
– Dynamic effort lower
In this program you stay with a lift for one to three weeks. Even a 2.5 lb gain counts as progress. Another often overlooked factor is the “feel” of a set. You can stay with the same load for several weeks and focus on making it feel easier—that’s progress too. The main takeaway is that any increase, no matter how small, is progress.
Consider picking up a cheap set of fractional plates. After one to three weeks, you’ll tweak a small component of the lift. From there, vary your lifts every few weeks. If you did a competition bench press, switch to a narrower grip or another variation. If you did a competition squat with a belt, train beltless. Change the first bench into an incline. A back squat could become a front squat. The options are endless. The key is to keep the basic movement pattern while introducing small, meaningful changes.
THE FORMAT
We’ll keep the two max‑effort days the same, and we’ll introduce a higher‑volume push–pull–legs structure for the latter part of the week, roughly on this schedule:
Day 1: Max Effort Upper
Day 2: Max Effort Lower
Day 3: Rest and Recovery
Day 4: Push
Day 5: Pull
Day 6: Legs
Day 7: Rest and Recovery
THE PROGRAM
RECOVERY DAY OPTIONS
Warm‑Up: 3 minutes on a bike, elliptical, or a 3‑minute outdoor walk.
Agile 8: Do it.
15 Minutes of HIIT: Pick one option:
– Tire flip: 15 minutes total; rest as needed.
– Elliptical sprints: 2‑minute warm‑up, 20 seconds high intensity / 40 seconds low, repeat 10 times, then 3‑minute cooldown.
– Ball slam: 15 seconds of slamming the ball, 45 seconds rest, repeat 15 times.
– Sled push: 15‑minute timer; walk with bodyweight on the sled, rest as needed.
– Battle ropes: 20 seconds high intensity / 40 seconds rest, repeat 15 times.
Early‑week workloads focus on the big lifts to build strength—squat variation, deadlift variation, and bench press variation. Your accessory work should address weak points or technique flaws in those main lifts. For example, if glutes are a weak point, choose an exercise targeting that weakness after the main lift; if shoulders limit your bench, include an overhead press variation. Treat the program as a template rather than a rigid plan.
VARIATIONS
Don’t drift so far from your primary lift pattern that you log three or more different overload methods. Don’t combine too many gadgets (Swiss ball, bands, a barbell, and a Slingshot) to alter a basic bench—think, is this Instagram‑worthy, or is it truly useful? Instead, change your grip, adjust the range of motion (like an incline bench), or vary tempo. A single small variation can keep you progressing.
If you squat with a belt, try three weeks beltless. Paused squats or slight variations also count. For deadlifts, options include pulling from blocks, using squat shoes, a Trap Bar, or deadlifting with a band around your waist anchored to a rack. Slow‑start deadlifts are another possible tweak. Any changes should suit the lift.
GETTING STALE ON ACCESSORY MOVEMENTS
If an accessory move stops producing progress, tweak it slightly. For example, swap a good morning for a stiff‑legged deadlift to shift the hip hinge slightly. Give the exercise 4–6 weeks to work before switching again.
FINAL DETAILS
When you see AMRAP sets, stop 1–2 reps short of failure to reduce injury risk. For total‑rep targets, aim to perform as many reps as you can on the first set, then work down to the total required. If you’re unsure when to move up the weight, use autoregulation: complete the required reps for the sets, and on the final set push to failure. If you reach an extra 2–3 reps, add 5 lb next time; if you exceed that by a lot, add 10 lb or more. Use judgment to avoid injury. Plan a recovery workout that includes a HIIT session, mobility work, and a proper cooldown.
Commit to this program for twelve weeks. Treat it as a flexible template, adjusting for injury history and ability. The important thing is the structure. Twelve weeks, go hard but stay smart and consistent. Boring routines often yield the best results.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Marzarella is a trainer and strength coach with a studio in Brick, New Jersey. He offers online and in‑person coaching in Ocean and Monmouth County, NJ. He runs a dry‑land strength and conditioning camp in Tinton Falls at Rock Sports Club for young swimmers with the NJ Racing Team. With more than 25 years of experience coaching clients and athletes, he is also a competitive NPC classic physique athlete. He can be reached at marzarellafitness.com.
