Quick Answer: The Cube Method, created by IPF world-record holder Brandon Lilly, rotates each lift's weekly focus among heavy, explosive, and rep sessions on a three-week cycle. Gladiator Lift makes managing the rotation simple—every session loads with the correct percentages and rep targets automatically, so you stay focused on the platform, not the spreadsheet.
Brandon Lilly developed the Cube Method while competing at the elite level in powerlifting. After years of high-frequency, high-volume Russian-style programming, Lilly noticed that his body recovered better when he rotated training emphasis rather than hammering the same quality of work week after week. The result was a system that has since helped thousands of powerlifters break through strength plateaus.
This guide covers everything you need to know: the rotation philosophy, full weekly templates, assistance work guidelines, meet peaking protocols, and how to set up every phase in Gladiator Lift.
What Is the Cube Method
The Cube Method is organized around a core insight: the three qualities required for competitive powerlifting—maximal strength, explosive power, and muscular endurance—cannot all be trained maximally in the same week without accumulating excessive fatigue. Instead, you rotate the primary training stimulus each week while maintaining the other qualities at lower intensities.
The three weekly focuses are:
- Heavy Week: Maximal strength. Work up to a heavy single, double, or triple at or near competition intensity.
- Explosive Week: Speed and power. Perform multiple sets of low-rep dynamic effort work at moderate percentages with controlled bar speed.
- Rep Week: Muscular hypertrophy and work capacity. Use moderate loads for higher-rep sets to build the muscle mass that supports strength long-term.
Crucially, each lift rotates independently. If Squat is Heavy this week, Bench might be Explosive and Deadlift might be Rep. This means no two lifts are trained at maximum effort on the same day, keeping fatigue manageable across the entire week.
The Three-Week Rotation
Here is the standard rotation schedule for the three main lifts over a three-week block:
| Week | Squat | Bench Press | Deadlift |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Heavy | Explosive | Rep |
| Week 2 | Explosive | Rep | Heavy |
| Week 3 | Rep | Heavy | Explosive |
This rotation ensures that each lift cycles through all three stimuli over every three-week block. Run three full cycles (nine weeks total) and then enter a one-week peak before competition or before establishing new 1RM baselines.
Cube Method Weekly Templates
Heavy Week Structure
Heavy sessions are the centerpiece of the Cube Method. Work up to a top-set single, double, or triple using the following loading progression:| Set | % of 1RM | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-up | 50% | 5 |
| Warm-up | 60% | 3 |
| Working | 70% | 2 |
| Working | 80% | 1 |
| Working | 87–90% | 1 |
| Top Set | 93–100% | 1–3 |
After the top set, perform 2–3 back-off sets at 80–85% for 2–3 reps. These back-off sets build volume without the peak CNS demand of the top set.
Explosive Week Structure
Explosive sessions use dynamic effort (DE) training popularized by Westside Barbell. The goal is maximum bar acceleration, not maximum load.| Sets × Reps | % of 1RM | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| 6–8 × 2 | 55–65% | 45–60 sec |
Keep sets short (2 reps maximum) to ensure each repetition is performed with full intent and speed. If bar speed drops noticeably, the percentage is too high or rest is too short. Bands and chains can be added to accommodate resistance and enhance explosive development; if you don't have access to them, straight weight at 60–65% works well.
Rep Week Structure
Rep sessions develop muscular hypertrophy and increase the volume tolerance that allows you to train harder in future heavy weeks.| Sets × Reps | % of 1RM |
|---|---|
| 3–4 × 5–8 | 70–80% |
The target is to complete your prescribed sets with 1–2 reps in reserve on each set. If you can do significantly more reps, the weight is too light. If you fail reps, it's too heavy. Rep weeks are not a grinder—they should leave you mildly fatigued, not destroyed.
Full Week Example (Cycle 1, Week 1)
Monday – Squat Heavy / Bench Explosive| Exercise | Sets × Reps | % / Load |
|---|---|---|
| Squat (Heavy) | Work to top triple | 87–90% |
| Squat Back-off | 2×3 | 80% |
| Bench (Explosive) | 8×2 | 60% |
| Close-Grip Bench | 3×8 | 65% |
| Assistance | See below | — |
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | % / Load |
|---|---|---|
| Deadlift (Rep) | 4×6 | 75% |
| Romanian Deadlift | 3×8 | Moderate |
| Leg Curl | 3×15 | Light |
| Assistance | See below | — |
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | % / Load |
|---|---|---|
| Bench (Heavy) | Work to top triple | 87–90% |
| Bench Back-off | 2×3 | 80% |
| Squat (Explosive) | 8×2 | 60% |
| Front Squat | 3×5 | 60% |
| Assistance | See below | — |
Assistance Work in the Cube Method
Brandon Lilly prescribes assistance work based on weak point identification. After your main lift work, choose 2–4 assistance exercises targeting your individual limitations.
Recommended Assistance by Lift
Squat assistance: Good mornings, pause squats, box squats, leg press, leg curl, glute bridge, ab wheel rollouts. Bench assistance: Close-grip bench, dumbbell press, overhead press, tricep extensions, face pulls, band pull-aparts, dumbbell rows. Deadlift assistance: Romanian deadlifts, deficit pulls, rack pulls, good mornings, lat pulldowns, barbell rows, reverse hyperextensions.Lilly recommends keeping assistance work simple and heavy. A few hard sets of compound movements beats a lengthy isolation circuit. Total assistance volume per session should not extend the session beyond 90 minutes.
Peaking for a Meet with the Cube
The Cube Method's 10-week meet prep structure runs three three-week rotation cycles followed by a dedicated peak week.
Peak Week Protocol
Day 1 (7 days out): Squat – work to an opener single (90–92% of planned opener). Bench – work to a moderate single. Day 2 (5 days out): Bench – opener single. Deadlift – moderate single. Day 3 (3 days out): Light movement only—bodyweight squats, light band work, mobility. No loading. Competition Day: Execute your openers confidently, attack second attempts (97–100% range), and take third attempts only if second attempts move well.The key to a successful Cube peak is trusting the process. The three preceding months of rotating stimuli have built your strength; the peak week is just uncovering it by removing fatigue.
Cube Method vs Other Programs
| Feature | Cube Method | 5/3/1 | Sheiko | GZCL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Training Days/Week | 3 | 4 | 4–6 | 3–5 |
| Frequency per Lift | 1–2× | 1× | 3–4× | 1–2× |
| Best For | Intermediate–Advanced | Intermediate | Advanced | Intermediate–Advanced |
| Volume | Moderate | Moderate | Very High | High |
| Periodization | Rotational | Wave Loading | Block | Tiered |
| Learning Curve | Low | Low | High | Moderate |
The Cube Method occupies a middle ground in the powerlifting program landscape. It's less technically complex than Sheiko, more flexible than rigid linear programs, and offers a natural training variety that keeps motivation high across multi-month training blocks.
For a full comparison of top powerlifting programs, see our guide to best strength training programs for powerlifters.
Running the Cube Method in Gladiator Lift
Gladiator Lift is the perfect companion for the Cube Method because managing a three-week rotation across three independent lifts is exactly the kind of complexity that benefits from a dedicated app. Set up the rotation template: In Gladiator Lift's program builder, create three week-long blocks (Heavy, Explosive, Rep) and assign each lift its correct focus for each week. The app will populate the correct sets, reps, and percentages based on your current 1RMs. Auto-calculate working weights: Enter your squat, bench, and deadlift 1RMs in the profile. Every session's working weights update automatically. When you set a new PR at the end of a cycle, update your 1RM and the next cycle adjusts accordingly. Track back-off sets and AMRAPs: On heavy days, log your top set and back-off sets separately. Gladiator Lift tracks these distinctly so your average intensity calculations remain accurate. Monitor weekly tonnage: The volume dashboard shows your weekly tonnage per lift. This is especially useful during the Cube because you should see tonnage naturally rise during rep weeks and fall during explosive weeks—a clear sign the periodization is working as intended. Plan your peak: Use the calendar view to place your peak week 7 days before competition. Gladiator Lift lets you annotate the peak week sessions with opener targets so you can review your meet plan in the app the night before competing.The Cube Method and Gladiator Lift are a natural pairing for any powerlifter who wants variety, structured progression, and clean tracking in a single platform. Start your first rotation today and experience why thousands of powerlifters trust this system.