This particular
routine was developed by Sergey Smolov (hence the name) but was brought into
the popular domain by Pavel ‘The Mad Russian’ Tsatsouline. According to Pavel,
either of the 2 x 4 week loading blocks contains more heavy squatting than
normally found in a full year of training of the typical ‘Western’ lifter. The
entire routine is 13 weeks long and is divided into 5 distinct phases:
Weeks 1-2 – Introductory ‘light’ microcycle
Weeks 3-6 – Base Mesocycle
Weeks 7-8 – The Switching Phase
Weeks 9-12 – Intense Mesocycle
Week 13 – Tapering Week
The first 2
weeks helps you acclimatize to the brutal 4 week base mesocycle where you will
squat 4 times a week. For most lifters, this is the period that provides the
most gains but persevere through the switching phase and the next 4 weeks of
pain and you could see even greater rewards not to mention oak trees where your
legs once were and a new-found ability to attack heavy training.
A Warning About Smolov Training
If you are a
beginner or early intermediate, the Smolov squat routine is not for you for a
number of reasons:
Technique: To get through Smolov in one piece, your
existing technique needs to be excellent. ‘Decent’ or ‘okay’ technique will
almost guarantee injury since you will be squatting with weights you’re simply
not used to. On the vast majority of days, you will be at near maximum exertion
and those with shoddy or average technique will be hit hard. For those with
proficient technique, Smolov will serve to solidify it.
Frequency: If you are a relative newcomer, you have
not yet learned how to train at your full capacity and are still in a learning
zone. To complete Smolov, you need to be inured to hard training to a certain
degree and should be squatting relatively heavy weights twice a week at least.
Making the jump from one hard session a week to four is too great a leap.
Mentality: When you get to the real ‘nitty gritty’ of
Smolov, your mental strength will be tested to its limit. If you
have spent your training life following traditional cookie-cutter programs, the
intensity of Smolov will blow you away and reduce you to a weeping wreck about
a week into the base mesocycle. You will regularly be in a situation where it
feels as if you are about to fail every single rep. Beginners and early
intermediates lack the ability to push through such barriers.
Additionally,
the DOMS (muscle soreness) you get will test your desire to train.
Smolov Program Layout
Before beginning
the program, you will need to choose your 1RM as everything is based on a
percentage of this figure. It is advisable to choose approximately 90% of your
existing 1RM for reasons that are outlined later on. The purpose of the
introductory microcycle is to prime your body for the assault that lies ahead.
You will work up to 90% of the 1RM you have plugged in for this program before
tackling the 4 week base mesocycle which could boost your existing 1RM by 30-60
pounds.
Two weeks of
‘switching’ changes things up and involves dynamic effort squatting. The
intense mesocycle will yet again test your mettle and could give you another
20-40 pound boost. Finally, you conclude the program which a one week tapering
off period and a final max attempt to discover how many pounds Smolov has added
to your squat.
(In the
following cycles, sets are written before reps and the percentage is added at
the end. 3 x 8 @ 65% means 3 sets of 8 reps at 65% of the 1RM you are using for
the program while 10 x 3 @ 85% means 10 sets of 3 reps at 85% and so on. If you
use 400 pounds as your 1RM, 65% is 260 pounds so you would be squatting 3 set
of 8 reps at 260 pounds. It is best to round figures down rather than up.)
Introductory Microcycle – Weeks 1-2
Get ready for
pain! This microcycle is used as preparation and really should not feel too
heavy. You’ll squat 3 days on both weeks and the program is as follows:
Week 1
Day 1 – 3 x 8 @ 65%, 1 x 5 @ 70%, 2 x 2 @
75%, 1 x 1 @80%
Day 2 – Exactly the same as day 1
Day 3 – 4 x 5 @ 70%, 1 x 3 @ 75%, 2 x 2 @
80%, 1 x 1 @90%
Week 2
Day 1 – 1 x 5 @ 80%
Day 2 – 1 x 5 @ 82.5%
Day 3 – 1 x 5 @ 85%
It is important
to note that during week one, you are to squat three days in a row. The next
three days are dedicated to stretching your legs to speed up your recovery with lunges a good choice of exercise.
During week 2, you can elect to have a rest day between sessions if you wish
and Smolov also encourages explosive drills such as jumps that are to be
performed after the squat session.
Base Mesocycle
Hopefully, you
will have increased your calorie intake accordingly during the previous two
weeks and be fuelled up and ready for action. After successfully completing the
first base mesocycle week, you will be asked to add 20 pounds (or 10kg if your
gym uses plates in kilos rather than pounds) for the following week. If you get
through this, you will be asked to add another 10 pounds for the third base
mesocycle week and the whole thing looks something like this:
Week 3
Monday – 4 x 9@ 70%
Wednesday - 5 x 7@ 75%
Friday – 7 x 5@80%
Saturday – 10 x 3@ 85%
Week 4
Monday – 4 x 9@70 + 20 pound increase from
Week 3
Wednesday - 5 x 7@ 75% + 20 pound increase from
Week 3
Friday – 7 x 5@80% + 20 pound increase from
Week 3
Saturday – 10 x 3@ 85% + 20 pound increase from
Week 3
Week 5
Monday – 4 x 9@70 + 30 pound increase from
Week 3
Wednesday - 5 x 7@ 75% + 30 pound increase from
Week 3
Friday – 7 x 5@80% + 30 pound increase from
Week 3
Saturday – 10 x 3@ 85% + 30 pound increase from
Week 3
Week 6
Monday & Wednesday – Rest
Friday – Work up to max single
Saturday – Work up to max single
Hopefully, you
will understand why it is best to use a conservative 1RM. By week 5 of Smolov,
you will be hitting several PRs a session so you need to be ready. For example,
if you use a 1RM of 400 pounds, you will squat 10 x 3 @ 340 pounds in week 3
and 10 x 3 @ 370 pounds in week 5! If you start failing sets in weeks 4 and 5,
you’re well on your way to failing the program. Provided you follow the tips
outlined later on in the article, you have an excellent chance of success.
Weeks 7 & 8 – Switching
You will be
grateful for the opportunity to rest those weary legs as this is a two week
period with no regulated set and rep pattern. Smolov recommends dynamic effort
squatting and it is best not to go above 60% of your new 1RM. In fact, you may
prefer to stay closer to 50% and don’t go above 3 reps during a dynamic effort
day. Some lifters like to follow Westside Barbell principles and box squat 12 sets of 2 but it’s really up to
you.
Smolov also
advocates negative squats which involve using a weight greater than your 1RM
but only concentrating on the descent. In other words, you unrack the bar,
squat down slowly until the bar rests on preset safety bars and leave it. Other
explosive exercises that can be performed include box jumps and deep squat
jumps. This period should be little more than an active rest so listen to your
body and don’t go overboard.
Weeks 9-12 – Intense Mesocycle
As if the base
mesocycle wasn’t intense enough! This is 4 weeks of grinding difficulty and
Smolov took it from I. M. Feduleyev, a Russian weightlifting coach who
originally designed it as a loading block on its own. The intense mesocycle
grinds people into dust and many lifters elect to focus solely on the base
mesocycle for this reason. However, if you’re ready for it, an extra 20+ pounds
could be your reward.
44% of all reps
used in the next 4 weeks will be in the 81-90% range with some 95% work thrown
in for good measure though on the plus side, you’re only squatting 3 days a
week now instead of 4. Due to the extraordinarily difficult nature of this
section, you should once again take 10% off your new 1RM or else you will
almost certainly fail.
Simply put, 5
sets of 5 reps @ 90% of your true 1RM just isn’t happening! If you get stuck,
reduce the weights by 5% or more while keeping the same set/rep scheme. As
Pavel said, ‘there will be days when you wish you had stuck to stamp
collecting!
Week 9
Monday – 1 x 3@ 65%, 1 x 4@ 75%, 3 x 4@ 85%,
1 x 5@ 90%
Wednesday – 1 x 3@ 60%, 1 x 3@ 70%, 1 x 4@ 80%,
1 x 3@ 90%, 2 x 5@ 85%
Saturday – 1 x 4@ 65%, 1 x 4@ 70%, 5 x 4@ 80%
Week 10
Monday – 1 x 4@ 60%, 1 x 4@70%, 1 x 4@ 80%, 1
x 3@90%, 2 x 4@ 90%
Wednesday – 1 x 3@ 65%, 1 x 3@ 75%, 1 x 3@ 85%,
3 x 3@ 90%, 1 x 3@ 95%
Saturday – 1 x 3@ 65%, 1 x 3@ 75%, 1 x 4@ 85%,
4 x 5@ 90%
Week 11
Monday – 1 x 3@ 60%, 1 x 3@ 70%, 1 x 3@ 80%,
5 x 5@ 90%
Wednesday - 1 x 3@ 60%, 1 x 3@ 70%, 1 x 3@ 80%,
2 x 3@ 95%
Saturday - 1 x
3@ 65%, 1 x 3@ 75%, 1 x 3@ 85%, 4 x 3@ 95%
Week 12
Monday – 1 x 3@ 70%, 1 x 4@ 80%, 5 x 5@ 90%
Wednesday – 1 x
3@ 70%, 1 x 3@ 80%, 4 x 3@ 95%
Saturday – 1 x 3@ 75%, 1 x 4@ 90%, 3 x 4@ 80%
Week 13 – Tapering
By now, you will
be completely fed up with squatting but if you have made all the reps so far,
it is certain that you’ll be smashing a 1RM very soon. You will spend
Monday-Saturday resting with a light session thrown in before you attempt your
1RM on Sunday. If you are an experienced lifter with great recovery powers and
a penchant for masochism, you could follow the Smolov final week plan:
Monday – 1 x 3@ 70%, 1 x 3@ 80%, 2 x 5@ 90%,
3 x 4@ 95%
Wednesday – 1 x 4@ 75%, 4 x 4@ 85%
Sunday – Max attempt
However, it
really is best if you rest up since you have pushed your body to its very limit
in the previous 4 weeks. This means week 13 should be as follows:
Wednesday – 1 x 4@ 75%, 1 x 5@ 85%
Sunday – Max attempt
Preparing For (and Recovering From) a Smolov Session
It is common
sense to warm up properly before any training session so if you’re one of those
people that does a half-assed job, you need to stop what you’re doing and pay
attention! A poor warm up means you greatly increase your chances of sustaining
an injury given the intensity of Smolov.
Pre-workout
From about 60
minutes before your session, it’s time to get into training mode so consumewhey protein, creatine, peanut butter and caffeine. The most effective way to do this is of
course through a protein shake. Consuming this food gives you amino acids and oils which help you power through
the demanding sessions. Obviously, the caffeine gives you that extra kick you
need.
You can do 5
minutes on the treadmill or else you can jump rope before engaging in a dynamic
warm up consisting of leg swings, high knees, shoulder cyclones, bodyweight
squats and any other warm up exercise you want. Foam rolling is also an
excellent idea following by some stretching for all areas of the body since the
squat is the ultimate full body workout.
During & After Training
Do not be afraid
to have sugar during training and snack on small sugary items like M&M’s
during sets. This is not a necessity of course and you can avoid if you hate
the idea of eating too much junk food but Smolov survivors claim it helps!
After the session, immediately get some protein and trashy carbs before you
even shower and have a proper meal within 60 minutes of your session ending.
Never neglect to warm down so this means more light cardio, foam rolling and
stretching. If you forget to do this, the intense pain you feel the following
day will serve as a reminder not to do so again!
Tips For Smolov Success
You can’t
approach Smolov in a haphazard manner. Regardless of your physical conditioning
and training experience, you are about to go to war with the squat rack for 13
weeks so be ready for success with these tips.
Develop A Love For Food & Rest
If you’ve been
training for a considerable length of time and have brought your squat up to a
respectable level, you will hopefully have some idea of how to eat big to bring
up your numbers. Generally, I would not recommend increasing calories to any
major degree during a routine unless the weights stall.
Anyone can
simply ‘eat’ and pile weight on the bar (and around their waist) but this often
happens at the expense of proper training technique and progression. Normally,
it is best to gradually increase calories as you get stronger to avoid
unnecessary fat gain but Smolov is an exception.
If you’re scared
of losing your abs or don’t want to gain weight, forget about Smolov. You will fail
miserably on this program if you don’t drastically increase your calorie
intake. This is one of those rare periods where eating ‘dirty’ food is actually
encouraged. Obviously, you need to continue eating good quality food but now,
you can add pizza, chocolate cake, candy, peanut butter and other forms of
assorted ‘junk’ food that you shouldn’t normally indulge in.
You will need
caffeine, sugar, BCAAs, creatine and other items in order to speed
up your recovery because your body will be under immense strain. Forget your
6-pack for the time being and besides, this routine will strengthen your whole
body, abs included so you’ll actually look like someone who lifts.
It should go
without saying that sleep is a priority if you wish to succeed so tape those
late night shows and go to bed! If you can manage 8 hours of good quality sleep a night, you greatly increase your chances of making it through
Smolov in one piece. Cardio should consist of fast walking only
and leave jogging/sprinting etc. on the back burner until the program is
completed. Remember, a strength increase is the goal here so anything that
potentially interferes with the mission must be ruthlessly cut out.
Minimize Accessory Work
In this case,
all exercises aside from the squat fall into the
‘accessory’ category. Frankly, a couple of sessions will be enough to convince
you to abandon accessory work but just in case you’re tempted, remember that it
can impede recovery.Deadlifts are an absolute no-no and if you’re
worried about that lift falling apart don’t be, because most lifters report an
INCREASE in their deadlift despite not training it for months.
If you must, add
a bench session a week but keep it relatively light. Chin ups or pull ups can
stay as your back workout staple while grip work is also okay but as we already
said, you’ll probably just want to warm down and go home after most squat
sessions.
Choose Sensible Weights
As you can see,
Smolov is based off a % of your 1RM. Those who have swallowed their pride and
reduced their existing 1RM by around 10% (in other words, they used their
training max) had a far greater level of success. ‘Hardcore’ lifters will tell
you not to be yellow and go all-out but the secret to Smolov success is not to
miss a single rep.
It is worth
remembering that the original users of this program were on ‘special
supplements’ which you probably don’t have access to. By the final week of the
base mesocycle when you are seeing imaginary people during the seventh of your
ten sets, you’ll be happy you made the decision to drop your 1RM by 10%.
Mental Preparation for Physical Pain
Just to clarify,
this is almost certain to be the most demanding training period of your life to
date. Think of the most difficult squat sets you’ve ever performed and imagine
going through that set 26 times a week because that is what you face. Once
you’re in the gym, it’s time for stony focus.
This is not the
time to talk to bros nor is it the time to contemplate failure. Each and every
time you go under the bar to squat, you must adopt a ‘do or die’ mentality and
recognize that you are not leaving the rack until each rep is completed.
The Smolov squat
routine will turn you into a squat rack hog so clearly, you’ll need to attend
the gym during off-peak hours. The last thing you need is someone asking you
‘how many sets left?’ as they eagerly wait to curl in the rack.
You will need
several minutes between sets and towards the end of the base mesocycle; the
10x3 could take an hour or so. You can pause between reps near the end of sets
if you feel as if you could miss a rep. You don’t want the bar on your back for
eternity but as long as your technique holds up and you hit depth, pausing
between reps is perfectly acceptable.
Only Do the Base Microcycle & 3 Sessions a Week
For the majority
of lifters, doing the full 13 week Smolov squat routine is mentally and
physically too great a burden. As the base mesocycle is capable of providing
you with significant gains, perhaps you could forego the intense mesocycle and
focus on the first loading block instead.
If you go down
this path, you still need to go through the two week introductory phase or else
you’ll probably fail. If squatting 4 times a week is too daunting, revert to a
three day: Monday, Wednesday, Friday split and extend the base mesocycle by a
week:
Weeks 1-2 – Intro Phase
Week 3
Monday – 4 x 9@ 70%
Wednesday - 5 x 7@ 75%
Friday – 7 x 5@80%
Week 4
Monday – 10 x 3@ 85%
Wednesday – 4 x 9@ 70% + 20 pounds from first
session
Friday – 5 x 7@ 75% + 20 pounds from first
session
Week 5
Monday – 7 x 5@ 80% + 20 pounds from first
session
Wednesday – 10 x 3@ 85% + 20 pounds from first
session
Monday – 5 x 7 @ 75% + 30 pounds from first
session
Wednesday – 7 x 5@ 80% + 30 pounds from first
session
Friday – 10 x 3@ 85% + 30 pounds from first
session
Week 7
1-2 light
sessions and work up to maximum attempt on Friday.
Smolov Bench Routine
If you survive
the Smolov squat routine and fancy bringing up your lagging bench, you can
return to the trenches for another 4 weeks of war with the iron. This is
essentially an adaptation of the squat routine’s base mesocycle and is known as
Smolov Jr. It involves benching 4 times a week for 3 weeks followed by a final
week where you test your max.
As was the case
with the squat routine, Smolov Jr. should only be attempted by those with 2+
years of lifting experience and you must have rock solid form. Additionally,
get yourself a spotter or else things may get ugly!
The Smolov Bench Press Routine
Once again, you
need to find your 1RM and sensible lifters will subtract 10% off it and work
from that figure. During the following guide, sets are written first followed
by the reps and % of your chosen 1RM. So 7 x 5@ 75% means 7 sets of 5 reps at
75% of your 1RM.
Week 1
Monday – 6 x 6 @70%
Wednesday – 7 x 5 @ 75%
Friday – 8 x 4@80%
Saturday – 10 x 3@ 85%
Week 2
Monday – 6 x 6 @70% + 20 pounds from week 1
Wednesday – 7 x 5 @ 75% + 20 pounds from week 1
Friday – 8 x 4@80% + 20 pounds from week 1
Saturday – 10 x 3@ 85% + 20 pounds from week 1
Week 3
Monday – 6 x 6 @70% + 30 pounds from week 1
Wednesday – 7 x 5 @ 75% + 30 pounds from week 1
Friday – 8 x 4@80% + 30 pounds from week 1
Saturday – 10 x 3@ 85% + 30 pounds from week 1
Week 4
Monday – Saturday – Rest
Sunday – Attempt new maximum with spotter
Smolov Jr. Tips
Most of the tips
from the squat routine are applicable here. You may need to eat some dirty
calories for a few weeks and it is best if you use a conservative 1RM. It is
also possible to stretch the program out by an extra week through the process
of benching 3 times a week instead of 4.
Assistance Work
As the bench press is not quite as physically demanding
as the squat and the program is relatively short, you can get away with doing a
little more accessory work. However, since this program is less than a month
long, putting squats and deadlifts on maintenance mode is no bad thing.
Chin ups, pull ups, ab work and rowing exercises are the best
choices. Weaknesses in the muscles involved in the bench will become painfully
apparent during the four weeks so you’re better off doing as little as possible
after benching besides some rowing work for balance.
Protect Your Shoulders
If your
technique is poor, your shoulders will get battered during this program.
As well as focusing on decent form and avoiding flared elbows, stretch and foam
roll as much as possible before and after each session. Triceps, rhomboids and traps in particular will be
extremely stiff and sore so pay attention to these areas.
Occasionally,
you will be forced to really push and this may involve your butt coming off the
bench. While it is better if this doesn’t happen, it is okay if it’s on set 10
of a 10 x 3 session during week 3 and the alternative is getting pinned beneath
the bar.
Pros & Cons of Smolov Squat Routine & Smolov Jr.
Pros of Smolov Jr.
Frequent
squatting and benching forces you to hone your technique or else you will
suffer serious consequences.
If you’re
prepared to do the work, you could enjoy a 30-60+ pound increase for 6 weeks
(15-25 pounds in bench) of hard graft (including the intro cycle). This
constitutes a serious return on investment.
As long as you
eat the calories and make the reps, your legs and body will grow and you’ll put
on some decent mass.
The level of
intensity is such that once you return to a ‘regular’ routine, it will seem
easy in comparison because you will be physically and mentally much stronger.
Cons of Smolov Jr.
Few people are
able to last the full 13 weeks because of the brutal nature of the training.
The intense
mesocycle does not constitute a large enough return on investment for the
effort that is put into it. Most trainees would be better off sticking with the
base mesocycle.
If you’re unused
to such heavy training, injuries can quickly occur.
Both routines are best when used as a tool to peak
for competition. We are all subject to the law of super-compensation which
means that once we peak, a fall-off in strength will soon follow. Therefore,
you may discover that your 1RM falls in the weeks after Smolov. Going through
such a grinding program only to lose much of the gains will be frustrating to
say the least. After completing a Smolov program, it may be a good idea to
engage in a base building program and build your strength that way.
Conclusion
For those that
make it through the Smolov squat routine, it is the ultimate strength and mass
gaining program. Successful completion guarantees a new personal best squat and
it will ensure your body becomes used to hard training. While the Smolov Jr.
program is shorter and less taxing for your bench, it can have a profound
positive effect in a short period of time.
It is worth
noting that few people attempt the Smolov squat routine a second time which
speaks volumes about its difficulty. If you are ready for the pain and prepared
to make a few sacrifices during the next 6-13 weeks, the Smolov squat routine
is a worthy program.
If you’re not
yet prepared for the most difficult training regime of your life to date, focus
on other programs such as Sheiko or Korte 3x3 and revisit the idea later on
down the line.
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