smolov (intense mesocycle)

[lift9]

i am currently running the full smolov program for front squats. last night I had completed the base mesocycle and I know that for the intense mesocycle I have to test my new 1 RM and use that to base the percentages in the intense mesocycle. My question is do I use my new 1 RM or should I take 5-15 lbs off the new 1 RM and use that for the intense mesocycle? for the base mesocycle I took 15 lbs off my max then and I think it was just right. im afraid of picking too heavy of a weight to base the percentages off of and messing up the entire intense mesocycle. if it helps on a side note the 10 sets of 3 reps in the base mesocycle were easier for me than the 4 sets of 9 reps. I do better with near 1 RM weight. thanks

 

[Hyde]

I would take 10lbs off of it and shoot for sustainability. But I wouldn’t use Smolov anyway. I am a great peaker and don’t need to lift heavy constantly to put up a good number on the day of comp when it matters.

So if you do well with very heavy work very often you could do the full weight. The truth is 10lbs probably won’t make the difference in the final test performance either way.

 

[lift9]

thanks for the reply!

 

[Dustin07]

if it helps on a side note the 10 sets of 3 reps in the base mesocycle were easier for me than the 4 sets of 9 reps. I do better with near 1 RM weight. thanks

This was my experience with smolov as well.

 

[AlexPowell]

In my experience when people do the intense mesocycle they don't get decent gains. My advice would be to switch to something else

 

[lift9]

I have read that some people don't do too well in the intense cycle too, My theory is its just too much stress on the body especially doing the base mesocycle right before it. one thing that also makes me wonder about smolov is the switching phase. it seems to me that the switching phase would hurt your gains and you would loose some strength going into the intense cycle.

 

[TheMovement]

I have done it a few times and the biggest issue isnt the training its whats done for recovery afterwards. It sounds generic but honestly stretching, warm compression here and there, and eating in surplus made the last two runs much more enjoyable. I personally take 15lbs off my actual max then work off those percentages.

 

[Dustin07]

I have done it a few times and the biggest issue isnt the training its whats done for recovery afterwards. It sounds generic but honestly stretching, warm compression here and there, and eating in surplus made the last two runs much more enjoyable. I personally take 15lbs off my actual max then work off those percentages.

I agree. and if you're doing the smolov squat cycle everyone is pretty clear usually that you ONLY squat during that cycle. anything else will trash the cns. it's pretty focused. Too much volume for me to see gains though. I think newbie lifters might do better on it but those same lifters would be fine with a starting strength 3x5 approach too.

 

[lift9]

thanks for the imput! so far smolov isn't too bad yet but im thinking after I finish the program ill do one heavy day a week and then 2 light days. and hey its the generic things that can make all the difference.

 

[lift9]

Dustin07 lol yea I agree. after going through the base mesocycle I could only imagine someone trying to do deadlifts with smolov. theres just no way. now I will say i am doing some light Romanian deadlifts with this program but that is it. im thinking about not doing them when i start the intense cycle in a couple weeks

 

[Dustin07]

Dustin07 lol yea I agree. after going through the base mesocycle I could only imagine someone trying to do deadlifts with smolov. theres just no way. now I will say i am doing some light Romanian deadlifts with this program but that is it. im thinking about not doing them when i start the intense cycle in a couple weeks

yeah it's a catch 22. I love RDL's as an accessory to squats, but I know first hand how demanding the smolov program is on the cns.

 

[AlexPowell]

You have to take it in the full context of the program and your training
It was a program designed for a beginner weightlifter to get their squat up to around 180kg so they could start focusing more on the olympic lifts

Is this you? If not then another program would be best. It's a lot of volume and it's designed that way because afterwards you're not supposed to be squatting you're focusing on weightlifting. But if you want to keep squatting afterwards you're going to have to provide more of a stimulus and after you just smashed them with high volume for 4 weeks that's going to be hard. Realistically you'll have to deload squats completely for a few weeks in order to sensitise yourself to volume again.

So it's great if you put 30kg on your squat with it but then you'll have to squat very light for 2-3 weeks afterwards. If you're a beginner then you may as well just follow a standard progression and add the 30kg over time

 

[lift9]

AlexPowell ive thought about this too. and I think thatll be the most challenging part is providing a stimulus after introducing myself to that much volume. and I guess im fairly advanced. when I tested my max front squat at the beginning of smolov it was 375 lbs and I know for certain ive gained 25 lbs so far. my goal 1rm after smolov is complete is 420 lbs. so im kind of wandering too, that if I do make it to 420 if ill be able to hang onto that strength after smolov is over due to the drop in volume. before smolov my main program was basically just one heavy day a week and two light days a week on front squats followed by accessory work. im not really sure what other programs are out there for someone at a more advanced level

 

[AlexPowell]

AlexPowell ive thought about this too. and I think thatll be the most challenging part is providing a stimulus after introducing myself to that much volume. and I guess im fairly advanced. when I tested my max front squat at the beginning of smolov it was 375 lbs and I know for certain ive gained 25 lbs so far. my goal 1rm after smolov is complete is 420 lbs. so im kind of wandering too, that if I do make it to 420 if ill be able to hang onto that strength after smolov is over due to the drop in volume. before smolov my main program was basically just one heavy day a week and two light days a week on front squats followed by accessory work. im not really sure what other programs are out there for someone at a more advanced level

If your goal is just a big front squat then you could front squat twice a week and do something like, as many singles with 90% of your max in 30 minutes. Then just try to beat your high score each time

 

[Hyde]

AlexPowell ive thought about this too. and I think thatll be the most challenging part is providing a stimulus after introducing myself to that much volume. and I guess im fairly advanced. when I tested my max front squat at the beginning of smolov it was 375 lbs and I know for certain ive gained 25 lbs so far. my goal 1rm after smolov is complete is 420 lbs. so im kind of wandering too, that if I do make it to 420 if ill be able to hang onto that strength after smolov is over due to the drop in volume. before smolov my main program was basically just one heavy day a week and two light days a week on front squats followed by accessory work. im not really sure what other programs are out there for someone at a more advanced level

I pushed my frontsquat from around 340 to 375 in about 10 weeks squatting1x/wk. I would work up to a top set of frontsquat based off a traditional 5/3/1 scheme using my real numbers for the max (not 90%) that also had 1 chain (17.5lb) per side. Next 3wk wave had 2 chains, then 3 - always trying to match or beat the previous corresponding week’s number.

After the top front set I would immediately continue working up on heavy hi bar with the same chain on it (this varied on how strong I felt but # of reps were similar to front reps).

Deloaded and took 375 handily, and a new hi bar PR, but missed 405. I was also training logpress and atlas stones weekly on other days, which both incorporate elements of frontsquat.

 

[lift9]

Hyde good info and thanks for the reply! very nice front squat too. how well do you feel the log presses and atlas stone training helped your front squat

 

[Hyde]

Hyde good info and thanks for the reply! very nice front squat too. how well do you feel the log presses and atlas stone training helped your front squat

Not really - almost more that they rely on front squat strength to be able to make the lift. If you can’t clean the log or actually load the stone, it doesn’t matter if you have the pressing might or can pick it off the ground.

Rather, they’re reasons why I wasn’t trying to squat any additional days per week.

The front/hi bar vs chain work was essentially an idea I had to parrot some of Clint Darden’s training on YouTube at the time. I have set lifetime PRs with some of his protocols before so it seemed worth a shot. He knows some good methods no doubt.

 

[lift9]

awesome. ill have to get on youtube and check out clint darden's channel. but the front/hi bar vs chain work sounds very interesting I may give it a shot after I complete and recover from smolov.