Doing Smolov again

[Kerpal]

I did this last December and took my squat from 300 lbs to ~370 lbs. I really want to hit 4 plates a side for a 1RM this time.

I just moved to a new city and have not been training enough, have gotten lazy, bad diet, drinking too much, etc. Time to change all that, and what better way to get back into it than to take on another Smolov squat cycle?

This will be my routine for the next 3 weeks:

(sets x reps)

Monday:

BP 5x5 or OHP 5x5
Squat 4x9
Weighted abs 3x5

Wednesday:

BP 2x5 (light) or OHP 2x5 (light)
OHP or BP 3x5
Squat 5x7
BW pull up 3 x failure or Weighted pull up

Friday:

Bench press 1RM or OHP 1RM
Squat 7x5
Weighted abs 3x5

Saturday:

Weighted chin up 3x5 or BW chin up 3 x failure
Squat 10x3
Deadlift 2x1 @ 85%

I am combining Smolov with the Texas Method, so I am squatting 4x a week and alternating between BP and OHP with heavy, light, and max days. I am also going to do pull/chin ups, and a couple of deadlift singles a week @ 85%, because last time I did this my grip strength dropped since I wasn't doing any heavy pulling. I am planning on doing a few sets of weighted situps or something 2x a week also, but I may drop that if it's too much.

I am going to start tomorrow. I will update this every week in case anyone is interested. Also if anyone wants to do it simultaneously we can post our results.

 

[kickureface]

how long did you do smoolov last time?
3 wk smolov-base meso only?

 

[wolf116]

That looks intense!

Good luck with it Kerpal.

 

[Kerpal]

how long did you do smoolov last time?
3 wk smolov-base meso only?

Last time I did everything except for the 1-week peaking phase. I might do it this time. The whole thing is 13 weeks long, but that includes a 2 week "introductory cycle" which I'm skipping because I'm already used to squatting frequently, a rest week after the first 3 week phase, and the "switching" phase, which is 2 weeks of speed work, plyometrics, etc. with no heavy squatting.

So it's really only 7 weeks of heavy work, 8 if you do the peaking phase, and I already know from last time that the 1st 2 weeks of the base cycle aren't that difficult. The intense cycle is a lot harder because you use lower reps, but much heavier weights. 5x5 @ 90% of your new 1RM after the 1st 3 weeks is absolutely brutal.

 

[Kerpal]

That looks intense!

Good luck with it Kerpal.

Thanks Wolf! :flowers:

(no homo)

 

[kickureface]

WTF
how do you do 90% for 5x5????!?!?! rest squats??? sounds like cns failure after 3 workouts!!

 

[Kerpal]

Yeah, it's tough. I never was able to do the 5x5 @ 90%. I tried it twice and although I did finish it, both times failed at the same place, the last rep of the 4th set

 

[EFFORT]

are you sure you were doing a true 90% of your 1 rm? 5x5 at 90% seems impossible in theory.

 

[Kerpal]

Yup. You can read about it here: http://www.dragondoor.com/articler/mode3/81/

You actually do 5 x 5 @ 90% twice on this program, on the Mondays of weeks 3 & 4 of the Intense Phase. And it's not even the only thing you do on those days.

 

[kickureface]

mnakes sense now. its 90% of your previously tested 1rm, which yous hould have gotten much stronger by now.

 

[Kerpal]

In the intense phase you use the new max you hit during the base phase.

This is what the program is all about. Squatting at absurd levels of volume and intensity. It lasts 4 weeks, followed by a one week taper cycle, and it makes those 4 sets of 9 from the first phase seem like a warm-up. You squat 3 days per week, and all of the percentages are based not on the max you started with, but with your new max that you just worked so hard to achieve.

 

[blackbelt2k]

very nice kerpal...whats your stats? height, weight, and yrs training?

 

[Kerpal]

5'11, 185 lbs, training for about 2 years now, but haven't been consistent with the weights because I've also been training BJJ/MMA.

I did the first day on Monday and I can already tell this time around is going to be a hell of a lot harder than last time... This time I'm using higher weights at the beginning of the base phase than I was using at the end of the base phase the first time I did it

 

[Kerpal]

Ok, something weird was going on with my computer. Here we go...

Week 1 completed today.

Monday:

1. Overhead press:

5 x 5 x 115 lbs (+5 lbs next time)

2. Squat:

4 x 9 x 245 lbs

Not too difficult yet.

3. Roman chair weighted sit up:

3 x 5 x 15 lbs (+5 lbs next time)

First time doing these, felt good.

Wednesday:

1. Overhead press:

2 x 5 x 95 lbs

2. Bench press:

3 x 5 x 165 lbs (+5 lbs next time)

3. Squat:

5 x 7 x 265 lbs

Not too difficult yet.

4. Pull up:

8, 6, 6 x bodyweight

 

[Kerpal]

Friday:

1. Squat:

7 x 5 x 280 lbs

This was easier than I thought it was going to be.

2. Roman chair weighted sit up:

2 x 5 x 20 lbs

I had planned to do 3 sets, but my lower back was worn out and it felt like I was hyperextending a little at the bottom so I decided to skip the last set. It would be pretty stupid to have to quit Smolov because I got hurt doing sit ups

Also I was supposed to attempt a new overhead press max today but I forgot.

Saturday:

1. Squat:

10 x 3 x 300 lbs

This was harder than I thought it would be.

2. Overhead press:

1 x 150 lbs (failed)
1 x 150 lbs (failed)
1 x 135 lbs

Tried 150 lbs twice but it wasn’t happening so I lowered to 135 lbs and it was easy. Probably should have done this before the squats but I forgot again. I still suck at presses

To make matters worse, while I was doing this some guy came in and easily benched 315 lbs for a few singles and then told it was his “light day”

3. Deadlift:

2 x 1 x 365 lbs

Just two singles at 85% to keep me “in the groove” for deadlifting. Felt good.

4. Chin up:

10, 8, 6 x bodyweight

Was planning on doing weighted chin ups but just wasn’t feeling up to it after the squats. Next Saturday I will start with weighted chin ups like originally planned.

 

[Kerpal]

I know someone out there on H&F wants to do this. Come on, it's fun

 

[Being_the_Don]

I know someone out there on H&F wants to do this. Come on, it's fun

Kerpal,

How's your progress on this method?

 

[Kerpal]

It's going well so far. I think I've adapted to the increased volume because so far this week has felt easier than last week even though I added 20 lbs to everything this week keeping sets and reps the same.

I added 70 lbs to my squat last time I did it. When I started, my 1RM was 300 lbs and by the end I was doing 4 sets of 3 with 335 lbs. My deadlift went up too. It's a great program to do if you've hit a plateau in your squat and/or deadlift.

The problems with it:

1. Squatting heavy 3-4 times a week, you can't really do anything else that involves the legs. No running, conditioning, etc and no other lower body lifts at all, especially no heavy deadlifts. I stupidly did burpees and tried to go on a 3 mile run during the switching phase and 2 miles into it my hamstrings tightened up and I had to limp the rest of the way home.

2. You won't be able to make progress on your upper-body lifts and you might even regress a little on them, but I think it's worth it because you will gain back that strength quickly once you're no longer hitting the lower body so hard. You might have to quit overhead pressing or switch to a seated overhead press until the program is over because your lower back will be very fatigued.

3. If you decide to do it, do a couple of deadlift singles at 85% every week to keep your body "in the groove" for deadlifting while not hitting your lower back too hard. Personally, I felt that my lower back got more fatigued than my legs. I didn't wear a belt though, I'm not sure how much of a difference a belt makes.

 

[Kerpal]

Week 2 completed today.

Monday:

1. Bench press:

5 x 165 lbs
5 x 170 lbs
5 x 170 lbs
5 x 175 lbs
4 x 175 lbs, 1 x 175 lbs (failed on last rep, rested a minute and then finished)

2. Squat:

4 x 9 x 265 lbs

This was a lot easier than I thought it would be, I was surprised.

3. Roman Chair weighted sit ups:

2 x 5 x 20 lbs

Skipped 3rd set because lower back felt too worn out again. I was thinking about replacing this with spread eagle sit ups but if I do those after squatting my hips cramp up. I may just drop ab work for now.

 

[Kerpal]

Wednesday:

1. Bench press:

2 x 5 x 140 lbs

2. Overhead press:

5 x 120 lbs
5 x 120 lbs
4 x 120 lbs (failed on last rep)

Really felt this in my lower back.

3. Squat:

5 x 7 x 285 lbs

Again, I was surprised at how easy this felt. Not difficult at all.

4. Pull up:

8, 7, 7 x bodyweight

I decided not to add weight to the pull/chin ups, it’s just too much work with the squats and everything.