9-Week Squat–Deadlift Specialization → Peak → Test

Road to 1200

4-day upper/lower · all loads in lbs · built off S 405 / B 365 / D 405.
Start Mon Jun 15 → mock meet Sat Aug 15. Starting later? Shift everything together — don't compress.

Squat405→415–420+12.5–15

Bench365→365–370holds

Deadlift405→422.5–427.5+17.5–20

Total1175→1200–1212the club

How to read: "3 @ 345" = one top set of 3. Back-offs listed under it. RPE caps are law — they override the bar.
CNS heavy neural day — caffeine yes, pump supps no. Pump the only glycerol day. Volume accumulation work, cap RPE 8.
Rest: 4–5 min top sets · 3 min back-offs & volume mains · 90s–2 min accessories.

Phase 1 — Accumulation · Weeks 1–3

Build the engine. Your squat and pull are frequency-starved, not weak — three weeks of 2× volume at moderate loads is the stimulus that creates the 25 lbs the peak will harvest. Nothing above RPE 8. Boring on purpose.

Week 1Volume intro · calibration week SQ 4×6 @ 285 · BP 4×6 @ 265 · DL 4×5 @ 285

Mon · Lower A

Volume

Comp Squatcap RPE 7–8 · rest 3:00 · if this is harder than 8, see Rule 02

4×6 @ 285

Romanian DeadliftRPE 7 · rest 2:30

3×8 @ 225

Lying Leg Curl

3×12

Ab Wheel

3×10

Tue · Upper A

Volume

Comp Benchcap RPE 8 · rest 3:00

4×6 @ 265

Chest-Supported Row

4×8

Seated DB Press

3×10

Face Pull

3×15

Thu · Lower B

Volume

Comp Deadliftcap RPE 8 · rest 3:00 · pulled first, fresh

4×5 @ 285

Paused Squat (2-ct)rest 3:00 · stay tight in the hole

3×4 @ 255

45° Back Raise

3×12

Hanging Leg Raise

3×10

Fri · Upper B

Pump

Comp Benchcap RPE 8 · rest 2:30 · glycerol day if you must

4×8 @ 235

Incline DB Press

3×10

Lat Pulldown

3×12

Lateral Raise

3×15

Curl + Pushdown superset

3×12

Week 2Volume builds SQ 5×5 @ 295 · BP 5×5 @ 275 · DL 4×4 @ 305

Mon · Lower A

Volume

Comp Squatcap RPE 8 · rest 3:00

5×5 @ 295

Romanian DeadliftRPE 7–8 · rest 2:30

3×8 @ 245

Lying Leg Curl

3×12

Ab Wheel

3×10

Tue · Upper A

Volume

Comp Benchcap RPE 8 · rest 3:00

5×5 @ 275

Chest-Supported Rowadd load from W1

4×8

Seated DB Press

3×10

Face Pull

3×15

Thu · Lower B

Volume

Comp Deadliftcap RPE 8 · rest 3:00

4×4 @ 305

Paused Squat (2-ct)rest 3:00

3×4 @ 265

45° Back Raise

3×12

Hanging Leg Raise

3×10

Fri · Upper B

Pump

Comp Benchcap RPE 8 · rest 2:30

4×8 @ 245

Incline DB Press

3×10

Lat Pulldown

3×12

Lateral Raise

3×15

Curl + Pushdown superset

3×12

Week 3Heaviest volume · last accumulation SQ 5×5 @ 305 · BP 5×4 @ 285 · DL 5×3 @ 315

Mon · Lower A

Volume

Comp Squatcap RPE 8.5 · rest 3:00

5×5 @ 305

Romanian DeadliftRPE 8 · rest 2:30

3×8 @ 255

Lying Leg Curl

2×12

Ab Wheel

3×10

Tue · Upper A

Volume

Comp Benchcap RPE 8 · rest 3:00

5×4 @ 285

Chest-Supported Row

4×8

Seated DB Press

2×10

Face Pull

3×15

Thu · Lower B

Volume

Comp Deadliftcap RPE 8 · rest 3:00 · crisp triples, no grinders

5×3 @ 315

Paused Squat (2-ct)rest 3:00

4×3 @ 275

45° Back Raise

2×12

Hanging Leg Raise

3×10

Fri · Upper B

Pump

Comp Benchcap RPE 8 · rest 2:30

4×8 @ 255

Incline DB Press

3×10

Lat Pulldown

3×12

Lateral Raise

3×15

Curl + Pushdown superset

3×12

Phase 2 — Peak · Weeks 4–9

Convert. Intensity climbs, volume falls, accessories disappear. Top sets move to a single heavy set + back-offs. RPE caps are non-negotiable — the meet is Saturday of Week 9, not a random Tuesday in Week 6.

Week 4Peak opens · second calibration SQ 3 @ 345 · BP 3 @ 310 · DL 3 @ 345

Mon · Lower

CNS

Comp Squattarget RPE 7–8 — this is your calibration set (Rule 02) · rest 4–5:00 / 3:00

3 @ 345+ 3×3 @ 325

Speed Pullsdead-stop · cap RPE 6 · rest 90s · bar speed is the product

5×2 @ 265

Lying Leg Curl

2×10

Ab Wheel

3×8

Tue · Upper

CNS

Comp Benchtarget RPE 7–8 · rest 4–5:00 / 3:00

3 @ 310+ 3×3 @ 290

Chest-Supported Row

3×8

Face Pull

2×15

Thu · Lower

CNS

Comp Deadlifttarget RPE 7–8 · pulled first, fresh · rest 4–5:00 / 3:00

3 @ 345+ 3×2 @ 325

Comp Squat — volumerest 3:00 · leave 2 in the tank on the last set

4×5 @ 290

Fri · Upper

Pump

Comp Bench — volumecap RPE 8 · rest 2:30

4×8 @ 255

Incline DB Press

3×10

Lat Pulldown

3×12

Curl + Pushdown superset

2–3×12

Week 5Intensity climbs SQ 3 @ 355 · BP 2 @ 330 · DL 3 @ 355

Mon · Lower

CNS

Comp Squatcap RPE 8 · rest 4–5:00 / 3:00

3 @ 355+ 3×3 @ 335

Speed Pullscap RPE 6 · rest 90s

5×2 @ 275

Lying Leg Curl

2×10

Ab Wheel

3×8

Tue · Upper

CNS

Comp Benchcap RPE 8 · rest 4–5:00 / 3:00

2 @ 330+ 3×2 @ 300

Chest-Supported Row

3×8

Face Pull

2×15

Thu · Lower

CNS

Comp Deadliftcap RPE 8 · rest 4–5:00 / 3:00

3 @ 355+ 3×2 @ 335

Comp Squat — volumerest 3:00

4×5 @ 300

Fri · Upper

Pump

Comp Bench — volumecap RPE 8 · rest 2:30

4×8 @ 260

Incline DB Press

3×10

Lat Pulldown

3×12

Curl + Pushdown superset

2–3×12

Week 6Heavy doubles — attempt-selection data SQ 2 @ 375 · BP 2 @ 340 · DL 2 @ 375

Mon · Lower

CNS

Comp Squatcap RPE 8.5 · rest 5:00 / 3:00 · film it — bar speed picks your third attempt

2 @ 375+ 2×2 @ 345

Speed Pullscap RPE 6 · rest 90s

4×2 @ 285

Lying Leg Curllast week of leg accessories

2×10

Ab Wheel

3×8

Tue · Upper

CNS

Comp Benchcap RPE 8.5 · rest 5:00 / 3:00

2 @ 340+ 2×2 @ 310

Chest-Supported Row

3×8

Face Pull

2×15

Thu · Lower

CNS

Comp Deadliftcap RPE 8.5 · rest 5:00 / 3:00 · film it

2 @ 375+ 2×2 @ 345

Comp Squat — volumerest 3:00

3×4 @ 310

Fri · Upper

Pump

Comp Bench — volumecap RPE 8 · rest 2:30

4×6 @ 270

Incline DB Press

3×10

Lat Pulldown

3×12

Curl + Pushdown superset

2×12

Week 7Heaviest week of the cycle SQ 1 @ 390–395 · BP 1 @ 350–355 · DL 1 @ 390–395

Mon · Lower

CNS

Comp Squatcap RPE 9 — heavy, not maximal · rest 5:00 / 3:00

1 @ 390–395+ 2×2 @ 355

Speed Pullscap RPE 6 · rest 90s

3×2 @ 285

Ab Wheellight

2×8

Tue · Upper

CNS

Comp Benchcap RPE 9 · rest 5:00 / 3:00

1 @ 350–355+ 2×2 @ 320

Chest-Supported Row

2×8

Thu · Lower

CNS

Comp Deadliftcap RPE 9 — if it grinds, you already have your answer · rest 5:00 / 3:00

1 @ 390–395+ 2×1 @ 365

Comp Squat — volumerest 3:00

3×3 @ 315

Fri · Upper

Pump

Comp Bench — volumecap RPE 7–8 · rest 2:30

3×6 @ 275

Incline DB Press

2×10

Lat Pulldown

2×12

Week 8Taper · stay crisp, get hungry SQ 1 @ 365 · BP 1 @ 330 · DL 1 @ 365 — everything should feel insultingly light

Mon · Lower

CNS

Comp Squatshould be RPE 6–7 and fast · rest 4:00 / 3:00

1 @ 365+ 2×2 @ 325

Speed Pullsrest 90s

2×2 @ 265

Ab Wheel

2×8

Tue · Upper

CNS

Comp Benchrest 4:00 / 3:00

1 @ 330+ 2×2 @ 290

Chest-Supported Rowlight

2×10

Thu · Lower

CNS

Comp Deadliftrest 4:00 / 3:00

1 @ 365+ 2×1 @ 325

Comp Squat — volumerest 3:00

2×3 @ 285

Fri · Upper

Pump

Comp Bench — volumecap RPE 7 · rest 2:30

3×5 @ 255

Incline DB Pressthen leave

2×10

Week 9Primer · rest · mock meet Mon primer → Tue–Fri OFF → Sat: 1200

Mon · Primer

CNS

Comp Squatcrisp single, long rests, in and out in 45 min

1 @ 345

Comp Bench

1 @ 310

Comp Deadlift

1 @ 325

Tue–Fri · OFF. Walks, food, sleep. No plunges after Wednesday. The work is done — your only job now is to show up restless.

Sat · Mock Meet

Comp order · comp timing · belt and sleeves · warm up like a Monday, last warmup ≈ opener minus 40 lb

1st2nd3rd Squat385405415–420 Bench335355–360367.5* Deadlift385410= the math

Third deadlift = 1200 − (squat + bench banked). You do that arithmetic on the platform, not before. Deadlift is the one lift you're allowed to grind.
*Bench third only if the second flies. Openers are confidence builders — take them like back-offs.

Rules — these override the tables

RPE caps beat the bar. Hit the cap before the prescribed reps → cut reps, never add grind. The number on the page is a ceiling, not a dare.
Calibration checkpoints. Week 1 volume sets and Week 4 top sets are data. Harder than the cap → your maxes are stale: recalc everything off e1RM = weight × reps × 0.0333 + weight. RPE 6 or easier in Week 4 → you've been sandbagging: add 2.5% from Week 5 on.
Miss protocol. Miss a top set in training → drop to back-offs at −5%, finish, go home. Zero retries before Saturday of Week 9.
Two bad sessions in a row → take one extra rest day. Don't reshuffle the program, don't add a make-up session.
Bar speed on the Week 6 doubles picks your third attempts. Film them. Fast doubles at 375 → take the top of the attempt range. Grinders → take the bottom and bank the total.

Supplement protocol

Glycerol / mega-dose citrulline: Friday only, all 9 weeks. Erector pump + heavy axial loading don't mix — it compromises your brace and feels like an injury that isn't. There are no lower-body pump days in this cycle. That's the design, not an oversight.
CNS days: caffeine 200–300 mg ~45 min out, carbs + sodium pre-session. Your usual pre-workout minus the pump ingredients.
Creatine 5 g daily, all 9 weeks. It's not a pump supp — don't cycle it off.

Fuel & recovery — the program runs on this

Maintenance-plus calories for 9 weeks. Recomp is paused. The deficit version of this program totals ~1185 — you don't get both. Protein ~1 g/lb, pile carbs around Mon/Thu.
Sleep 7.5+ hours. Pulling 2×/week at 44 lives and dies here. You have recovery tailwinds most guys your age don't — sleep is how you cash them.
Cold plunge: mornings or off days only. Never within 4–6 hours after a session. Breathwork anytime.
Off days: walk. Nothing heroic. Heroics are scheduled for August 15.