Smolov Jnr: 14 Things
you need to know
By Andrew Richardson
Smolov was created by
Sergey Smolov “the Russian
Master of Sports” and was primarily used for junior soviet weightlifters
to increase their muscles mass and strength when perfecting their snatch and
clean and jerk movements. It is still used today and further popularised
through the sport of powerlifting. 3 weeks before my universities own meet I ran
this method which was very successful.
I am going to explain
what it was like doing Smolov to prepare those who wish to tackle the infamous
squatting routine.
The Jnr 3 Week Cycle
The Jnr looks like this; Squatting 4 days a week. The reps decrease
as the week goes on but the sets increase as well as the weight lifted. This
cycle below was calculated using http://joshmahony.com/weights/smolov_jr.php
. You are lifting between 70-88% of your 1RM over the 3 week period.
Looks like this over a week.
Week 1 It is based off your max with a 2.5-5kg increment
each week.
Day
|
Sets
|
Reps
|
Weight
|
Monday
|
6
|
6
|
70%
|
Wednesday
|
7
|
5
|
75%
|
Friday
|
8
|
4
|
80%
|
Saturday
|
10
|
3
|
85%
|
Each week add 2.5kg-5kg as shown below
Week 2
Day
|
Sets
|
Reps
|
Weight
|
Monday
|
6
|
6
|
70%+10-20 lbs
|
Wednesday
|
7
|
5
|
75%+10-20 lbs
|
Friday
|
8
|
4
|
80%+10-20 lbs
|
Saturday
|
10
|
3
|
85%+10-20 lbs
|
Same as week 2 add another 2.5-5kg as shown below
Week 3
Day
|
Sets
|
Reps
|
Weight
|
Monday
|
6
|
6
|
70%+15-25 lbs
|
Wednesday
|
7
|
5
|
75%+15-25 lbs
|
Friday
|
8
|
4
|
80%+15-25 lbs
|
Saturday
|
10
|
3
|
85%+15-25 lbs
|
Tables
created by Seriouspowerlifting.com
Each week you are doing over 130 reps over 70% of your 1RM.
That’s a lot of volume and intensity on your body. The body however is good at
adapting to new stressors. This is how my Smolov Jnr went (weights in kg)
 |
| Smolov Junior Based off 205kg squat 1RM Max
Week 1: It was
just a shock to the body very sore and fatigued from the training as I had
never done anything like it before. I was worried that this would carry over to
the final two weeks. I felt strong when lifting the weights but besides that I
was tired. So what I did was up the sleep, protein and carb intake.
Week 2: The
muscle soreness was virtually gone just sore around the joints nothing serious
or worrying. Once I warmed up I was grand. Felt my strength had increased and
my technique had improved ten-fold. Was surprised at how quickly the adaptation’s
had taken place since all sports books state never train the same muscle group
between 24-48 hours after training. Russians go against that rule.
Week 3: My
confidence was at an all-time high for squats. All weights felt light and my
form felt indestructible. Only wore the belt for the 10X3 sessions each week.
Was able to gauge my own depth without second guessing myself if it was a high
lift or not. My “bounce” out of the hole was timed really well. I was happy to
see the end of the 3 weeks to get much needed rest. The last session of 10x3 of
180kg I felt I could of done 8-10 fresh it was that good.
Week 4 (test week):
After 5 days rest the joints and muscle soreness had gone. It was weird as I
really wanted to squat but I gave myself a minimum of 5 days without leg
training. When I reattempted my maxes as below everything felt really light
nothing felt heavy. Doing single reps was a gift from God haha.
Below is the load over the 3 weeks I completed. The x axis
is the weights lofted in kg and the y axis is each day over each week. Day 1 is
the 6x6 sessions, Day 2 is 7x5 sessions, Day 3 is 8x4 session and Day 4 is 10x3
sessions.
 |
Here is how I attempted my new maxes.
20kg (bar) – 10 reps
60kg – 10 reps
100kg – 8 reps
140kg – 4 reps
160kg – 1 rep
180kg – 1 rep
200kg – 1 rep
210kg – 1 rep PB
220kg – 1 rep PB
227.5kg – 1 rep PB
Video link of the final lift http://vimeo.com/95034348
Overall thrilled with the lifts I obtained, we (Teesside
Barbarians Powerlifting Club) used the strength calculator exrx to work out my
predicted 1RM which was 220kg. I have just finished my 5x5 for all 3 of the
power lifts, taking a deload week then starting smolov jnr again. I will
improve but not to the same extent as I did the first time round running it.
Even if I get half the improvement I will be so happy!! A closer step towards
the 250kg squat. Here is my new Smolov jnr routine:
I will doing this programme next week in the build up to the WDFPF 4 Nations Powerlifting event where I will be representing Ireland.
I have created a list of 14 points for those about to
attempt this programme so they can prepare themselves physically and mentally
before this programme. I hope you find them useful.
My 14 Points before undertaking
Smolov Jnr
1/ Have over a double
bodyweight squat before attempting it. This programme isn’t aimed at
beginner lifter’s, you need a good few years at the gym doing hard training
before attempting this. If one link in your armour is weak Smolov will crash
and burn you to the ground.
2/ Have a solid form.
Technique is key especially when you are fatigued and you will be fatigued
doing smolov. Making sure every rep is 100% perfect will not only allow you to
gain maximum physiologically adaptations but prevent injury.
3/ Don’t attempt any
weight cuts during it. You won’t last I increased in weight by a couple of
kilos (of muscle), was even more hungry than normal. If you do attempt a cut
its stupid and it will bite you in the ass. Trust me not worth it.
4/ No injures going
into the training programme. It’s an easy one to say but if you have a
slight strain or pull in your quad or glute Smolov will make it worse due to
the volume and intensity of the training. Rest up and heal before undertaking
Smolov.
5/ Eat as much as you
can. Milk was my weapon in this programme. Not so much eating but consuming
calories any means necessary. I was drinking 20 pints a week and it helped with
my recovery and to meet my dietary requirements.
6/ Sleep more.
Sleep is key for any athlete to promote recovery and even more so for this one.
Take power naps if you can they will make the training easier as you are
recovering more.
7/ Go as low as you
can go (preferably ass to grass). The lower you go in the squats the more
muscle fibres you will activate and it is better for the knees. The deeper the
squat the more physiological adaptations you will gain out of it. Don’t cheat
yourself out by doing high squats.
8/ Longer warm ups
and rest periods. When doing strength training it’s not how fast you do the
training its doing it correctly. I take as much rest as I need until I feel
physically and mentally ready for the lift. I increased the length of my warm
up as squats were the only exercise for legs I was doing so I ensured I
wouldn’t get injured doing them.
9/ Have a training partner who is will do this
programme with you. This is probably the most crucial point, having someone
to share the journey with is key to keeping your sanity in this programme. I
had a training partner for my first wave of Smolov and we both agreed if we
didn’t have each other for it we would of gave up and stopped halfway through.
There was days when we didn’t want to train but we couldn’t let each other down
so we kept doing it.
10/ Don’t worry about
the DOMS (Delayed onset muscle soreness) worry about your joints. Stock up
on the cod liver oil and the multivitamins. Keep your body in check your joints
will hurt the most due to the repetitive nature of the programme. When I say
hurt I’m not saying they are in agony but the tendons will sometimes inflame
due to the volume of training.
11/ Don’t be afraid
to take an extra day of rest during the programme. If you need an extra
rest day take it. You won’t lose any progression in fact the rest will probably
help you out in the long run as you have an extra 24 hours to recover. Don’t
feel pressured to do the programme as it stands. I took 2 extra rest days in
Smolov Jnr and I felt better for it.
12/ Only use the belt
for 10X3 days. I only used my belt for the last session of each week. Again
same as the knee sleeves we tried this on previous programmes and the belt
didn’t give much help. It was more of a psychological aid to feel happier when
lifting as you have a belt. My core has never felt stronger doing squats
without a belt. In previous programmes I have relied too much on my belt but
for Smolov I made the choice to not use it and I gained a lot more core
stability from that.
13/ Don’t be afraid
to use Knee Sleeves. I did some experimentation during the programme. I
used knee sleeves on some sessions and others without. Personally I didn’t feel
as if they helped me lift the weight any faster but what they did which I liked
they kept my knees warm. My knees felt great wearing them as all the tendons,
ligaments and supporting muscles were warmed up well.
14/ Get some bigger
trousers. My thighs went from 25/26 to 27/28 inches in size over the 3
weeks. It is a great programme to get bigger quads but at a cost. Most jeans I
own do not fit anymore and I can only wear sweats and tracksuit bottoms hahah.
This hypertrophy gain is due to the sheer volume of the programme.
Andrew Richardson, Founder of Strength is Never a Weakness Blog
I have a BSc (Hons) in Applied Sport Science and a Merit in my MSc in Sport and Exercise Science and I passed my PGCE at Teesside University.
Now I will be commencing my PhD into "Investigating Sedentary Lifestyles of the Tees Valley" this October 2019.
I am employed by Teesside University Sport and WellBeing Department as a PT/Fitness Instructor.
My long term goal is to become a Sport Science and/or Sport and Exercise Lecturer. I am also keen to contribute to academia via continued research in a quest for new knowledge.
My most recent publications:
My passion is for Sport Science which has led to additional interests incorporating Sports Psychology, Body Dysmorphia, AAS, Doping and Strength and Conditioning.
Within these respective fields, I have a passion for Strength Training, Fitness Testing, Periodisation and Tapering.
I write for numerous websites across the UK and Ireland including my own blog Strength is Never a Weakness.
I had my own business for providing training plans for teams and athletes.
I was one of the Irish National Coaches for Powerlifting, and have attained two 3rd places at the first World University Championships,
in Belarus in July 2016.Feel free to email me or call me as I am always looking for the next challenge.
Contact details below;
Facebook: Andrew Richardson (search for)
Facebook Page: @StrengthisNeveraWeakness
Twitter: @arichie17
Instagram: @arichiepowerlifting
Snapchat: @andypowerlifter
Email: a.s.richardson@tees.ac.uk
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-richardson-b0039278
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Andrew_Richardson7
I wish everyone the best of luck attempting this routine and have more respect for those who do the 13 week one. Think we should make T-shirts and hand them out when one completes a wave of Smolov for squats? Haha
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