Smolov Squat Program

[Yanks]

What's up guys I'm looking to run Smolov for my first time, thinking to start off with the Mesocycle and if that goes well take a little time before going on into the intense cycle. My pr is somewhere around 405 trying to add 35-45 pounds or more is this realistic at my current numbers?

More importantly if you've run Smolov and especially if you've just run the Mesocycle what type of gains did you get from running it? I'll end up logging it as well and try to throw up a video of 1RM before and after.

 

[kisaj]

I've added more to 1RM using DC training and more overall size.

 

[PaulBlack]

I wish I could tell you, you will hit X with it, but the work will be up to you and how your body responds. I did the following, for my deadlift, (I never used it for a squat, as I am not built as much to squat as I am to deadlift) about 6 years ago, I did this w/o, which was based on Smolov and written by a German oly lifter on a site I frequented.
He originally wrote it for 4 days per week, (MWFS) but I dragged it out, to only do 3 (MWF-at first) a week, then dropped to 2 (M-F) with some deload or speed work between/ wed. the days. It was just getting to hard for me to pull with that much volume along with intensity. Mind you I was also working 40 hrs a week at my job on my feet and not always light work necessarily. I did a pre W/O short cycle to get a pretty true 1RM...

Week 1 M-70%x9x3sets W-75%x7x4sets F-80%x5x5sets (not a bad week)

Week 2 M-85%x3x6sets W-75%x9x3sets F-80%x7x4sets (getting tougher)

Week 3 M-85%x5x5 W-90%x3x6 F-50% speed dayx3x8sets (tough)

Week 4 M-77.5%x9x3sets W-82.5%x7x4sets F-50% speed dayx3x8sets(by now I hated the higher reps)

Week 5 M-87.5%x5x5 W-50% speed dayx3x8 F-92.5%x3x6sets (tougher yet)

Week 6 M-50% speed x3x8sets W-40%- 50% squats onlyx3x6sets F-PR pulled #600, then #575 then #505x5 (woo hoo week)

I will say after the 2nd/3rd week, (I had 6-8 heavy w/o's in)and it started to get a bit tough and it did beat me up some. When I went to bed at night, it felt good to lay down and my low back felt very trained and almost heavy with a dull all over ache.
I think I gained about #30 on my pull maybe, but my dead was near #580 at the time and I wanted something to push me up over the #600+ mark. All drug free, some creatine, erase I think, BCAA's.
Now, I think the supercompensation took place but I think I rushed it too. I think I was stronger doing some rack work and partials below the knees a month or so later. #615-#630 and I think I did #580-#600 from 2" def.

Thinking back, I am glad I tried it. If anything it builds work ethic. I think I have made progress like this without beating myself up so much and do agree that you don't need to get this greasy IMO. Maybe I would drag it out over 1-2x per week and a longer cycle. 9-12 weeks
I know squatting is a bit different animal than deads, so again YMMV. All the best and have fun most of all.

 

[ericos_bob]

Yes it's very realistic to gain 35-45lb.
I've completed smolov 4 times. 3x with back squats and 1x fronts. Always did the complete program including introductory microcycle. First 3 runs I completed in a span of 14 months. It brought my olympic squat from 220lb to 400lbs. I was 26 at the time so recovery was no problem but I did have chronic lower back fatigue for pretty much the whole year. Recently I just completed smolov at a much older 31. This time for front squats just to try something new. My 1 rm (front squat) was around 220lb (long time hiatus from doing squats) I gained 80lbs or a 300lb front for the 13 weeks. I'm certain muscle memory played a big part here as I'm still building back towards my old self but having said that I've always come away with some good strength/size increases from smolov and it's a great challenge. The point of diminihing returns is very real. First time I did smolov I gained the best (right near 100lb) and in subsequent cycles 40lbs or so. You should have a good run if it's your first time. Don't forget to eat like a horse, get your sleep in and if you really want to maximize your gains I'd put other lifts on the backburner or cut the volume significantly. Even if you do zero upper body work while running smolov your lifts won't suffer or atleast mine didn't. Actually my other lifts increased.

 

[PaulBlack]

You should have a good run if it's your first time. Don't forget to eat like a horse, get your sleep in and if you really want to maximize your gains I'd put other lifts on the backburner or cut the volume significantly. Even if you do zero upper body work while running smolov your lifts won't suffer or atleast mine didn't. Actually my other lifts increased.

Some good points, bob.
Question... what other approaches/routines have you done and how did they compare "in gains" and to the frequency/volume that smolov has?
Do you think the back fatigue was from the squat work specifically, or something else?

 

[Yanks]

I wish I could tell you, you will hit X with it, but the work will be up to you and how your body responds. I did the following, for my deadlift, (I never used it for a squat, as I am not built as much to squat as I am to deadlift) about 6 years ago, I did this w/o, which was based on Smolov and written by a German oly lifter on a site I frequented.
He originally wrote it for 4 days per week, (MWFS) but I dragged it out, to only do 3 (MWF-at first) a week, then dropped to 2 (M-F) with some deload or speed work between/ wed. the days. It was just getting to hard for me to pull with that much volume along with intensity. Mind you I was also working 40 hrs a week at my job on my feet and not always light work necessarily. I did a pre W/O short cycle to get a pretty true 1RM...

Week 1 M-70%x9x3sets W-75%x7x4sets F-80%x5x5sets (not a bad week)

Week 2 M-85%x3x6sets W-75%x9x3sets F-80%x7x4sets (getting tougher)

Week 3 M-85%x5x5 W-90%x3x6 F-50% speed dayx3x8sets (tough)

Week 4 M-77.5%x9x3sets W-82.5%x7x4sets F-50% speed dayx3x8sets(by now I hated the higher reps)

Week 5 M-87.5%x5x5 W-50% speed dayx3x8 F-92.5%x3x6sets (tougher yet)

Week 6 M-50% speed x3x8sets W-40%- 50% squats onlyx3x6sets F-PR pulled #600, then #575 then #505x5 (woo hoo week)

I will say after the 2nd/3rd week, (I had 6-8 heavy w/o's in)and it started to get a bit tough and it did beat me up some. When I went to bed at night, it felt good to lay down and my low back felt very trained and almost heavy with a dull all over ache.
I think I gained about #30 on my pull maybe, but my dead was near #580 at the time and I wanted something to push me up over the #600+ mark. All drug free, some creatine, erase I think, BCAA's.
Now, I think the supercompensation took place but I think I rushed it too. I think I was stronger doing some rack work and partials below the knees a month or so later. #615-#630 and I think I did #580-#600 from 2" def.

Thinking back, I am glad I tried it. If anything it builds work ethic. I think I have made progress like this without beating myself up so much and do agree that you don't need to get this greasy IMO. Maybe I would drag it out over 1-2x per week and a longer cycle. 9-12 weeks
I know squatting is a bit different animal than deads, so again YMMV. All the best and have fun most of all.

Thanks man that sounds brutal with deadlifts really effect my body different than squats, much harder to recover from. I'm naturally built for squats I hit 405 yesterday with my normal training and am just pen slightly above that on deadlifts. I'm going to do Smolov and prob log it see what happens.

Seems like if your trying to bulk up and are in a large surplus with a lot of sleep at night and also napping if possible you're gonna be able to maintain the program otherwise you'll be screwed. I'll do what you did if the volume gets to be too much with everything else in my life I'll just draw back a day here or there if I really have to but I plan to follow it 100%

 

[PaulBlack]

I hit 405 yesterday with my normal training

NICE...!

 

[Yanks]

Yes it's very realistic to gain 35-45lb.
I've completed smolov 4 times. 3x with back squats and 1x fronts. Always did the complete program including introductory microcycle. First 3 runs I completed in a span of 14 months. It brought my olympic squat from 220lb to 400lbs. I was 26 at the time so recovery was no problem but I did have chronic lower back fatigue for pretty much the whole year. Recently I just completed smolov at a much older 31. This time for front squats just to try something new. My 1 rm (front squat) was around 220lb (long time hiatus from doing squats) I gained 80lbs or a 300lb front for the 13 weeks. I'm certain muscle memory played a big part here as I'm still building back towards my old self but having said that I've always come away with some good strength/size increases from smolov and it's a great challenge. The point of diminihing returns is very real. First time I did smolov I gained the best (right near 100lb) and in subsequent cycles 40lbs or so. You should have a good run if it's your first time. Don't forget to eat like a horse, get your sleep in and if you really want to maximize your gains I'd put other lifts on the backburner or cut the volume significantly. Even if you do zero upper body work while running smolov your lifts won't suffer or atleast mine didn't. Actually my other lifts increased.

That's good to hear I would love to gain anything close to 100lbs. Just got 405 little after 3 months of training if I got up to 5 plates it would be def worth it.

For my upper body I imagine doing something like 2x10-2x8-2x6 on bench alternating every week as long as I can recover. This way can touch moderate weights and nothing to taxing on my body. I'll do something similar on my back just a few sets to keep everything ok but I imagine the increase in my squatting amount would keep me right there or increase my other lifts. Also would prob help with plateaus on other lifts I'm thinking...you ever have trouble gaining on bench or deadlifts before doing Smolov and it help you start to gain again? Can't imagine my bench going lower than 265 or my deadlift not keeping up with my squat if I'm up to 450-500.

 

[Yanks]

NICE...!

Thanks man felt so good

 

[Yanks]

Some good points, bob.
Question... what other approaches/routines have you done and how did they compare "in gains" and to the frequency/volume that smolov has?
Do you think the back fatigue was from the squat work specifically, or something else?

Yeah I'd like to know as well I hear about a lot of other Russian peaking programs that seem to be similar. I'm not sure about Bob but myself when I was 15 was obsessed with benching and wanted to get a big bench. I got my bench up from 200-245 with this program Blast Your Bench seen it get some slack online but it's high volume 5 days a week of benching. Also has a squat version as well that I never tried only lasts 3 weeks too.

 

[PaulBlack]

Well, I did this one for my BP and it worked pretty great...
W/O at bottom of page.
http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-wisdom-behind-soviet-training-fred.html

But I do know guys who have tried it on the squat and it was just a lot for the 1RM they started with. I think one has to be pretty conservative and set your ego at the gym door. Which I will admit, is not always easy for me. I want to start my percentages at a very current single and not always 90% or say an anytime single, I can go in and hit without it being a real grinder.
The reason is, after I did the Smolov dead cycle, I kept pushing heavy for a few months and my libido started to wane. Or my libido was okay, but my ability to get real stiff (sorry for the detail) was dropping. Other guys who experienced the same thing, told me I was probably stressing the adrenals to much and it was time to dial back some.
Again, you are younger so, YMMV. Just sayin'

 

[Yanks]

Well, I did this one for my BP and it worked pretty great...
W/O at bottom of page.
http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-wisdom-behind-soviet-training-fred.html

But I do know guys who have tried it on the squat and it was just a lot for the 1RM they started with. I think one has to be pretty conservative and set your ego at the gym door. Which I will admit, is not always easy for me. I want to start my percentages at a very current single and not always 90% or say an anytime single, I can go in and hit without it being a real grinder.
The reason is, after I did the Smolov dead cycle, I kept pushing heavy for a few months and my libido started to wane. Or my libido was okay, but my ability to get real stiff (sorry for the detail) was dropping. Other guys who experienced the same thing, told me I was probably stressing the adrenals to much and it was time to dial back some.
Again, you are younger so, YMMV. Just sayin'

I'll check that link out see how it looks.

I hear you on not being able to hold back I think it really bites me in the ass sometimes, I'll suppose to do low reps rest and lift again in 3 days next thing you know I'm doing hard set of 10 reps lol so I def understand you on that part.

That sucks with it effecting your libido like that. I could see that though even with a young guy if u beat ur body down that much.

I'm on a routine I wrote down below. After hopping up to heavy sets with 4 reps I could recover good, but the sets of 2 reps this week absolutely killed me. Heavy squat day doing 355-365-375-385 for doubles then coming in and deadlifting on Wednesday my cns was just not there I guess,I just did some deficits and worked up to a single around 80%. Had to squat again yesterday even with an extra rest day more than normal I felt off in the gym and I think it's def partially from the heavy lifting last two weeks.

That's what really concerns me with Smolov is recovery time I'll hit reps and pause sets and stuff after my working sets but Smolov is going to really push my body I'm just gonna go 1000 calories above surplus and sleep as much as possible lol.

Bench/squat Mon/fri
Deadlift Wednesday Says to bench with deads as week but I don't feel like it's feasible for me with deadlifts that day rather workout my back and accesories.
4 sets of 8 75% week 1
4 sets of 6 80% week 2
4 sets of 4 85% week 3
4 sets of 2 90%+ week 4

 

[ericos_bob]

Yeah I'd like to know as well I hear about a lot of other Russian peaking programs that seem to be similar. I'm not sure about Bob but myself when I was 15 was obsessed with benching and wanted to get a big bench. I got my bench up from 200-245 with this program Blast Your Bench seen it get some slack online but it's high volume 5 days a week of benching. Also has a squat version as well that I never tried only lasts 3 weeks too.

Back fatigue was definitely from squats. The lower back is often the weak link. It took about 2 months til my lower back muscles felt refreshed. In the down time I would utilize weighted one legged squats to hold onto my gains and give my back a chance to recover. I still do this now after a peaking cycle. I started off on the bench like everyone else back in my teens and never trained legs. Leg training hit the scene for me when I noticed I couldn't make significant progress on upper body development anymore. Gaining weight from a heavy squat cycle has always helped my bench numbers improve. Another great squat cycle which has a few variants yet all of which are very effective is the 20 rep squat program AKA squats and milk. Incredibly simple and brutal. I'd put it right on par with smolov for strength gains, perhaps even more intense IMO as I really suffer when squating such high reps with heavy weights.

 

[desolateline]

didn't even read the other posts. just came in to say "good night sweet prince"