Strength · Powerlifting
Candito 6 Week Strength
Jonnie Candito's intermediate powerlifting peaking block. Six weeks build from muscular conditioning to hypertrophy, intensification, acclimation, peaking, and a final max-test week. All percentages are pre-set from your one-rep max — set it once at the start, and it stays fixed for the whole block.
Intermediate
5 days/week
6-week plan
~25–35 min/session
Free during beta · auto progression, rest timers & PR tracking built in
Overview
What is Candito 6 Week Strength?
Candito 6 Week Strength is Jonnie Candito's free intermediate powerlifting block — released as a spreadsheet on his site years ago and still one of the most downloaded peaking programs anywhere. Unlike a weekly-repeating routine, it is a one-way trip: six distinct weeks that transform volume into a max attempt. Week 1 is muscular conditioning — squats at 4×6 and 80%, deadlifts behind them, with a lighter 4×8 day at 70%. Week 2 shifts to hypertrophy: one all-out squat set of 8+ (then 7+) at 80% per session, backed by Romanian deadlifts. Week 3 intensifies to sets of 4–6 at 85–87.5%. Week 4 is heavy acclimation: triples from 87.5% up to 92.5%, capped by a near-max single at 95%. Week 5 peaks with one all-out single at 97.5%, and week 6 you max: single attempts at 100% on squat, bench and deadlift across three short sessions.
Upper-body days ride alongside on their own wave — benching three times a week early in the candito program, tapering in volume as intensity climbs — with rows, dumbbell pressing and pull-ups as the supporting cast.
Who it's for
Is Candito 6 Week Strength right for you?
This block is for intermediate lifters who want to convert a training cycle into visible PRs, and it slots naturally into the last six weeks before a powerlifting meet or a planned gym max-out. You should already handle 85%+ bars with stable technique. It is the wrong choice for beginners still progressing session to session, and the wrong choice as a permanent routine — it is a peak, not a lifestyle.
Progression
How progression works
There are no per-session weight decisions. Every set in all six weeks is a fixed percentage of the training max you enter once at the start, and the program's progression is the rising intensity of the blocks themselves. The scattered AMRAP sets — the 80% rep-outs in week 2, the 95% single in week 4, the 97.5% single in week 5 — are checkpoints that tell you whether the week 6 attempts are realistic. Set your maxes when you start it in Durata and every session for six weeks is already loaded; log the AMRAPs and the app's e1RM trend shows whether your planned max is conservative or brave.
Durata runs this progression for you — every session's weights are computed automatically from your training maxes and logged AMRAP sets.
The program
Candito 6 Week Strength — every set, every session
Percentages are of your training max (TM). AMRAP = as many reps as possible on the final set.
Week 15 sessions
W1 — Squat/DL Heavy
Monday~15–25 min
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|
| Squat (Barbell) | 4×6 @ 80% | 2:30 |
| Deadlift (Barbell) | 2×6 @ 80% | 2:30 |
W1 — Upper
Tuesday~35–50 min
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 1×10 @ 50% 1×10 @ 67.5% 1×8 @ 75% 1×6 @ 77.5% | 2:30 |
| Dumbbell Row | 2×10 1×8 1×6 | 2:30 |
| Overhead Press (Dumbbell) | 2×12 1×10 1×8 | 2:30 |
| Pull Up | 2×12 1×10 1×8 | 2:30 |
W1 — Upper
Thursday~35–50 min
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 1×10 @ 50% 1×10 @ 67.5% 1×8 @ 75% 1×6 @ 77.5% | 2:30 |
| Dumbbell Row | 2×10 1×8 1×6 | 2:30 |
| Overhead Press (Dumbbell) | 2×12 1×10 1×8 | 2:30 |
| Pull Up | 2×12 1×10 1×8 | 2:30 |
W1 — Squat/DL Light
Friday~20–25 min
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|
| Squat (Barbell) | 4×8 @ 70% | 2:30 |
| Deadlift (Barbell) | 4×8 @ 70% | 2:30 |
W1 — Upper
Saturday~35–50 min
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 1×10 @ 50% 1×10 @ 67.5% 1×8 @ 75% 1×6 @ 77.5% | 2:30 |
| Dumbbell Row | 2×10 1×8 1×6 | 2:30 |
| Overhead Press (Dumbbell) | 2×12 1×10 1×8 | 2:30 |
| Pull Up | 2×12 1×10 1×8 | 2:30 |
Week 25 sessions
W2 — Squat/SLDL
Monday~15–25 min
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|
| Squat (Barbell) | 1×8–10+ @ 80% AMRAP | 2:30 |
| Romanian Deadlift (Barbell) | 3×8 | 2:30 |
W2 — Upper
Tuesday~30–40 min
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 1×10 @ 72.5% 1×10 @ 77.5% 1×6–8+ @ 80% AMRAP | 2:30 |
| Dumbbell Row | 1×10 2×8 | 2:30 |
| Overhead Press (Dumbbell) | 1×10 1×8 1×6 | 2:30 |
| Pull Up | 1×10 1×8 1×6 | 2:30 |
W2 — Squat/SLDL
Thursday~15–25 min
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|
| Squat (Barbell) | 1×7–10+ @ 80% AMRAP | 2:30 |
| Romanian Deadlift (Barbell) | 3×8 | 2:30 |
W2 — Upper
Friday~30–40 min
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 1×10 @ 72.5% 1×10 @ 77.5% 1×6–8+ @ 80% AMRAP | 2:30 |
| Dumbbell Row | 1×10 2×8 | 2:30 |
| Overhead Press (Dumbbell) | 1×10 1×8 1×6 | 2:30 |
| Pull Up | 1×10 1×8 1×6 | 2:30 |
W2 — Upper
Sunday~30–40 min
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 1×10 @ 72.5% 1×10 @ 77.5% 1×6–8+ @ 80% AMRAP | 2:30 |
| Dumbbell Row | 1×10 2×8 | 2:30 |
| Overhead Press (Dumbbell) | 1×10 1×8 1×6 | 2:30 |
| Pull Up | 1×10 1×8 1×6 | 2:30 |
Week 34 sessions
W3 — Squat/DL Heavy
Monday~15–25 min
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|
| Squat (Barbell) | 2×4–6 @ 85% 1×4–6+ @ 85% AMRAP | 2:30 |
| Deadlift (Barbell) | 2×3–6 @ 87.5% | 2:30 |
W3 — Upper
Wednesday~30–40 min
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 2×4–6 @ 85% 1×4–6+ @ 85% AMRAP | 2:30 |
| Dumbbell Row | 3×6 | 2:30 |
| Overhead Press (Dumbbell) | 3×6 | 2:30 |
| Pull Up | 3×6 | 2:30 |
W3 — Squat/SLDL
Friday~15–25 min
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|
| Squat (Barbell) | 1×4–6+ @ 85% AMRAP | 2:30 |
| Romanian Deadlift (Barbell) | 1×8 | 2:30 |
W3 — Upper
Saturday~30–40 min
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 2×4–6 @ 85% 1×4–6+ @ 85% AMRAP | 2:30 |
| Dumbbell Row | 3×6 | 2:30 |
| Overhead Press (Dumbbell) | 3×6 | 2:30 |
| Pull Up | 3×6 | 2:30 |
Week 44 sessions
W4 — Squat/SLDL
Monday~15–25 min
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|
| Squat (Barbell) | 1×3 @ 87.5% 1×3 @ 90% 1×3 @ 92.5% | 2:30 |
| Romanian Deadlift (Barbell) | 2×6 | 2:30 |
W4 — Upper
Tuesday~35–45 min
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 1×3 @ 85% 1×3 @ 87.5% 1×3 @ 90% | 2:30 |
| Dumbbell Row | 2×10 1×8 1×6 | 2:30 |
| Overhead Press (Dumbbell) | 2×12 1×10 1×8 | 2:30 |
| Pull Up | 2×12 1×10 1×8 | 2:30 |
W4 — Heavy Squat/DL
Thursday~15–25 min
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|
| Squat (Barbell) | 1×3 @ 92.5% 1×1–2+ @ 95% AMRAP | 2:30 |
| Deadlift (Barbell) | 1×3 @ 92.5% 1×1–2+ @ 95% AMRAP | 2:30 |
W4 — Upper
Friday~35–45 min
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 1×3 @ 85% 1×3 @ 87.5% 1×3 @ 90% | 2:30 |
| Dumbbell Row | 2×10 1×8 1×6 | 2:30 |
| Overhead Press (Dumbbell) | 2×12 1×10 1×8 | 2:30 |
| Pull Up | 2×12 1×10 1×8 | 2:30 |
Week 53 sessions
W5 — Squat / Light DL
Monday~15–25 min
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|
| Squat (Barbell) | 1×1–4+ @ 97.5% AMRAP | 2:30 |
| Deadlift (Barbell) | 1×4 @ 67.5% 1×4 @ 70% 1×4 @ 72.5% | 2:30 |
W5 — Bench / Upper
Wednesday~25–35 min
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 1×1–4+ @ 97.5% AMRAP | 2:30 |
| Dumbbell Row | 1×8 2×6 | 2:30 |
| Overhead Press (Dumbbell) | 1×8 2×6 | 2:30 |
| Pull Up | 1×8 2×6 | 2:30 |
W5 — Deadlift
Friday~15–25 min
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|
| Deadlift (Barbell) | 1×1–4+ @ 97.5% AMRAP | 2:30 |
Week 63 sessions
W6 — Max Squat
Monday~15–25 min
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|
| Squat (Barbell) | 1×1 @ 100% | 2:30 |
W6 — Max Bench
Wednesday~15–25 min
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 1×1 @ 100% | 2:30 |
W6 — Max Deadlift
Friday~15–25 min
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|
| Deadlift (Barbell) | 1×1 @ 100% | 2:30 |
FAQ
Candito 6 Week Strength — common questions
What max should I base the percentages on?
A genuinely recent 1RM — tested or estimated within the last couple of months — and if in doubt, round down. The week 4 single at 95% and week 5 single at 97.5% expose an inflated max quickly, and there is no room in the plan to walk it back mid-block.
Can I run Candito's 6 week program back to back?
Yes, and many do: retest in week 6, take a few easy days, then restart with the new maxes plugged in. If the second run feels ground down from the start, spend a few weeks on a volume-oriented program before cycling in again.
What if I miss the heavy single in week 4 or 5?
Treat it as data, not disaster. A miss at 95% or 97.5% means your entered max is too high — plan week 6 attempts around what the AMRAP sets earlier in the block earned you, roughly your old max or a small PR, rather than forcing the original target.
How do the six weeks line up with a meet?
Almost one to one. Start the block six weeks out and week 6's max-testing days become your meet week — most lifters do openers early in the week or take the attempts on the platform itself instead of in the gym.
How many days a week does it take?
Up to five in the early weeks — two lower days plus three upper days — thinning to three sessions by weeks 5 and 6 as the weights approach maximum. Lower days are short and violent; upper days are conventional 45–60 minute sessions.
Source: Jonnie Candito — canditostrengthcoach.com
Durata is not affiliated with or endorsed by the program's author. The program structure (sets, reps, exercise selection) is presented as published methodology.
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Training-max calculation, AMRAP tracking, automatic progression, plate calculator and rest timers — the whole program, ready to log.
