Bullmastiff Workout Program

Origin & Philosophy

Bullmastiff was created by Alexander Bromley of Empire Barbell and originally appeared in his book Base Strength: Program Design Blueprint, with an updated version in Peak Strength. Bromley also released a free PDF of the program.

The core philosophy comes from Doug Young's approach: use AMRAP sets to auto-regulate weekly weight jumps, build a wide base of work capacity first, then sharpen it into peak strength. The name reflects the goal — build a lifter who is big, strong, and thick like a bullmastiff.

Who It's For

• Experience level: Intermediate to advanced (1+ years of consistent barbell training)
• Prerequisites: Known or estimated 1RMs for Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift, and Overhead Press. Comfortable with RPE-based loading for secondary work.
• Primary goal: Strength with significant hypertrophy, especially during the base phase
• Best suited for: Bulking or maintenance. The base phase volume is demanding and benefits from a caloric surplus.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• AMRAP-driven auto-regulation means weight jumps match your actual performance — stronger lifters progress faster, and bad days don't derail the program
• The base phase builds serious size — multiple Reddit reviewers reported visible muscle growth and compliments within the first 9 weeks
• Wave periodization provides built-in mini-resets every 3 weeks, reducing the need for explicit deload weeks
• Each movement pattern is trained twice per week (once as main lift, once as developmental variation), balancing frequency and recovery
• Highly customizable exercise selection for developmental and accessory work

Cons

• Each main lift is only directly trained once per week — Bench Press especially may need extra volume for some lifters
• Sessions run 60-90 minutes due to the volume of developmental and accessory work on top of main lifts
• The peak phase has mixed reviews for powerlifting meet prep — it may not provide enough heavy singles exposure for competition readiness
• RPE-based loading on developmental lifts requires self-awareness that less experienced lifters may lack
• No programmed conditioning — you need to add your own cardio/GPP work

Program Structure

• Split: Upper/lower by movement pattern — each day pairs a main lift with a developmental variation for the opposite movement pattern, plus accessories
• Periodization: Wave periodization within two linear phases (base → peak). Three 3-week waves per phase, each wave increasing intensity and adjusting volume.
• Schedule: Fixed 4-day weekly split (e.g., Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri or Mon/Wed/Thu/Sat)
• Day layout: Day 1 (Squat + Deadlift developmental), Day 2 (Bench + OHP developmental), Day 3 (Deadlift + Squat developmental), Day 4 (OHP + Bench developmental)

Exercise Selection & Rationale

Main lifts — Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift, Overhead Press — are trained once per week each with the primary percentage-based progression.

Developmental lifts provide secondary exposure to each movement pattern on the opposite day. Stiff Leg Deadlift on squat day builds posterior chain for deadlift. Behind The Neck Press on bench day adds overhead pressing volume. Front Squat on deadlift day strengthens the squat pattern from a different angle. Bench Press Close Grip on OHP day adds pressing volume and tricep development.

Common developmental substitutions: Romanian Deadlift, Barbell instead of Stiff Leg Deadlift, Overhead Press, Dumbbell instead of Behind The Neck Press, Safety Squat Bar Squat instead of Front Squat.

Targeted lifts (peak phase only) address specific weak points in your main lifts — Leg Press for squat drive, Incline Bench Press for bench lockout, Deficit Deadlift for deadlift off the floor, Push Press, Barbell for overhead strength.

Accessories cover bodybuilding work: Lat Pulldown, Seated Leg Curl, Leg Extension, Lateral Raise, Face Pull, Triceps Pushdown, Bicep Curl, Barbell, Hanging Leg Raise. Swap freely based on your weak points.

Set & Rep Scheme

Base phase main lifts use moderate percentages with ascending volume across waves:

• Wave 1 (Weeks 1-3): 4 sets of 6 reps starting at 65% 1RM
• Wave 2 (Weeks 4-6): 5 sets of 5 reps starting at 70% 1RM
• Wave 3 (Weeks 7-9): 6 sets of 4 reps starting at 75% 1RM

The last set each week is AMRAP. Extra reps drive the weight jump for the following week (see Progressive Overload below).

Peak phase main lifts flip the structure — sets decrease within each wave as intensity climbs:

• Wave 1 (Weeks 10-12): 5→3→1 sets of 3 reps starting at 80% 1RM
• Wave 2 (Weeks 13-15): 5→3→1 sets of 2 reps starting at 85% 1RM
• Wave 3 (Weeks 16-18): 5→3→1 sets of 1 rep starting at 90% 1RM

Example of main lift sets/reps/weight week over week

Developmental lifts use RPE-based loading. In the base phase, sets increase within each wave (3→4→5 sets, "volumizing"). In the peak phase, sets decrease (4→3→2 sets) as overall volume tapers.

Example of developmental lift volume pattern week over week

Accessories follow a similar volumizing pattern in the base phase (2-5 sets of 8-15 reps) and are dropped entirely in the final wave of the peak phase.

Example of accessory lift volume pattern week over week

Targeted lifts (peak phase only, weeks 10-18) mirror the developmental tapering pattern — sets decrease within each wave as the lifter focuses on peaking the main lifts.

Example of targeted lift volume pattern week over week

Progressive Overload

The AMRAP on the last set of each main lift drives weekly progression using the Doug Young method:

Rule: Add 1% of your 1RM for every extra rep beyond the prescribed minimum on your AMRAP set.

Example: Week 1 prescribes 4x6 at 100lb (based on 155lb 1RM at 65%). You hit 6, 6, 6, 12 on the AMRAP. That's 6 extra reps × 1% × 155 = ~10lb increase. Week 2 working weight: 110lb.

If you only hit the prescribed minimum reps on the AMRAP, weight stays the same next week. Week 1 of each new wave resets to the prescribed percentage (65%/70%/75% in base, 80%/85%/90% in peak).

Developmental and accessory lifts progress by adding sets within each wave (volumizing in base) or by increasing weight when the prescribed RPE feels too easy. No formal progression scheme — use auto-regulation.

How Long to Run It / What Next

Run the full 18 weeks (base + peak), optionally followed by a test week to establish new 1RMs. Many lifters run the base phase twice back-to-back (18 weeks of base) before peaking, since the base phase is universally praised for building size and work capacity.

Signs it's time to move on: You've peaked and set new PRs, or you want more exercise variety.

Transition to: Another Bromley program like 70s Powerlifter (more volume and lift variation), or a GZCL program like The Rippler or Jacked & Tan 2.0 for a different periodization approach.

Equipment Needed

Barbell, squat rack, bench, weight plates, and a pull-up bar. Cable machine for accessories is ideal but not required.

Home gym substitutions:

• Lat Pulldown → Pull Up or Chin Up
• Leg Press → Bulgarian Split Squat or Goblet Squat
• Seated Leg Curl → Romanian Deadlift, Barbell or Good Morning
• Leg Extension → Bulgarian Split Squat or Lunge
• Triceps Pushdown → Skullcrusher or Bench Dip
• Face Pull → Reverse Fly

Rest Times

• Main lifts: 3-5 minutes between sets (heavy compound work needs full recovery)
• Developmental lifts: 2-3 minutes between sets
• Accessories: 60-90 seconds between sets

How to Pick Starting Weights

Enter your 1RM for each main lift. If you don't know your 1RM, do a set of 3-5 reps to near failure and use a rep-max calculator (or the built-in calculator in the app).

Common mistake: Using an inflated 1RM. The base phase starts at 65% — if your 1RM is accurate, this should feel moderate for sets of 6. If it feels heavy from Week 1, your 1RM is too high. Reduce by 5-10%.

For developmental lifts, start with a weight you can comfortably handle for the prescribed reps at RPE 6 (about 4 reps in reserve). Err on the side of too light — the volumizing structure adds difficulty each week.

Common Modifications

• Bench press volume: Add 2-3 extra sets of a bench accessory (e.g., Chest Fly or Incline Bench Press, Dumbbell) on OHP day if bench is lagging
• 3-day variant: Drop Overhead Press as a main lift, make it a developmental on bench day, and combine the remaining 3 days. The wave structure works regardless of frequency.
• Extended base phase: Run the base phase twice (18 weeks) before peaking. Multiple reviewers found this approach highly effective for building size.
• Meet prep modification: In the peak phase, replace week 3 AMRAPs with heavy singles/doubles working up to a max, using the previous week's AMRAP to calculate a target.
• Deload between phases: Although not programmed, adding a deload week between base and peak is recommended if you feel accumulated fatigue.