Powerlifting in 2025: Stop Wasting Time on Dead Spreadsheets
Momentum Coach ·
In 2025, you have zero excuses for being weak. You've got PDF programs, templates from Reddit, general fitness apps, 1-on-1 online coaches, and AI tools.
But more options usually means more noise. Most lifters spend more time analyzing their program than actually moving weight.
Let’s cut through the garbage. Here is how you should actually be training based on your goals and your budget.
The 4 Ways to Train (And why 3 of them might fail you)
1. Generic PDFs and Templates (The "Cheap" Route)
You find a 5/3/1 or a Sheiko spreadsheet. It's free. It worked for some guy in 2012. The catch: It's a dead document. It doesn't know you had a 12-hour shift or that your knees are creaking today. If you follow it blindly, you'll either under-train or snap something.
2. General Fitness Apps (The "Commercial" Route)
Apps that promise to get you "toned" or "fit". They have 500 exercises but don't understand peaking, tapers, or how to handle a heavy squat triple. The catch: Great for looking good at the beach, useless for a 200kg deadlift.
3. Online Coaches (The "Premium" Route)
A real human who looks at your videos and tells you to stop being a pussy. The pros: Maximum personalization. The cons: It costs $150-$300 a month. Unless you're aiming for nationals, it's a massive drain on your wallet.
4. AI-Powered Powerlifting Apps (The "Smart" Route)
Software like Momentum Coach. It’s not a static plan. It reads your RPE, looks at your stress, and adjusts the weights while you're still in the gym. The pros: Elite programming for the price of a couple of tubs of protein.
Which one should you choose?
| If you are... | Use this |
|---|---|
| Broke but dedicated | A generic PDF (and pray you don't get injured). |
| Just wanting to look fit | Any generic fitness app. |
| Serious about strength but have a life/job | Momentum Coach (AI). It adapts when your schedule goes to hell. |
| Aiming for an International podium | A high-end human coach + a data tracker. |
The bottom line
The "old school" guys will tell you that you just need a notebook and grit. They're wrong. Grit is mandatory, but using a dead program in 2025 is just being stubborn.
If you want to progress without the guesswork, you need a system that reacts to your fatigue.
Stop being a slave to a spreadsheet.
Download Momentum and start your free trial. Let's put some kilos on your total.