I am just started giving the Smolov squat cycle a run, with front squats. I choose front squats over back because: my front squat only lags my back squat by about 10%, it has better carryover to the Olympic lifts, and I think I perform them better and will therefore better handle a very high volume of them. I know that I am not a huge squatter, but I think I can handle the volume based on what I have been putting myself through the last few months, and I need something to jump start my strength. It has been stagnant for a while. The planned workouts look like this:
week
Monday
Wednesday
Friday
Saturday
4x9
5x7
7x5
10x3
1
185
200
215
225
2
205
220
235
245
3
215
230
245
255
My questions are mostly for those who have done this or very similar high volume exercise specific routines: What else(other exercises) can I afford to put my lower body through during this time? Did you see much of an impact, or need to reduce volume, for your upper body? I am only 2 workouts in, but wondering if I should be doing much GMs or GHRs.
Take a look at this lifting blog: http://www.celestialstudios.ca/~jjamie/wordpress/ Jaime's a powerlifter out of Canada that has done this program before and is currently doing it. He might be able to give you some pointers. In addition you might want to look through some of his logs for what he did. Look back in late December and early January as he was headed into a meet.
Buk, I completed that phase of the training and the intense phase in dec. and jan. I wouldn't suggest doing ANYTHING else outside of goodmornings. Squats especially front are going to test your core and everything else. Maybe calf work is all I would do because they lagged during my work. What are you planning for your upper body?
It dependes. For those who have a large work capacity in their legs, then you could do this routine in place of your usual squat work. I know some o-lifters that will keep their workouts the same and just replace this with their squatting routine.
For those who do not have a high work capacity, then just do this routine. Things that are challenging the upper body more than the lower (i.e. OH squats, push presses, drop snatches, etc.) wouldnt be too taxing to do in conjunction with this routine. If your o-lifts are very close to your current strength levels (i.e. clean 200lbs, FS 220lbs), then you might want to limit those, but if you can squat way above them then you can do o-lifts.
Thanks for that link Chris, that is a pretty good log. I will be reviewing it.
Hmm, I never do calf work, but I have been doing more and more jump rope lately. So you did Goodmornings with Smolov, but were you doing any upper body amount of volume, or still basically just recovering?
I don't have anything planned for upper body yet. Lately I have been alternating a lot of Crossfit type workouts with workouts of an o-lift and few compound exercises; sometimes full body, sometimes in an upper/lower split. I think that is going to have to change a lot, where I am not sure if I should do any clean or snatch variants, and I probably have to drop all the Crossfit type stuff that heavily involves the lower body. I might limit upper body stuff to dips, pull-up, rows, presses, and straight arm work. I just feel really good, and wanting to train evey night even after training in the afternoon. I might just add in some running or swimming to get some exercise of a completly different modality.
My O-numbers are catching my squat strength, that is why I need to focusing on it. My work capacity is relatively high though. My initial plan is to continue to train fairly intensly in addition to this cycle. Your input adds some good reinforcement to that. Drop snatches aren't something that I have thought of as heavily utilizing, that is a good idea. I have never felt that push presses or jerks take too much out of me. Thanks GQ.
Yes. I was pretty much recovering but was doing a lot of rows and back work as well as pushups. You plan sounds good with the dips and others but I would stay away from the cleans and snatches. You'll be done by the time you reach the intense phase physically if you do that. It is...as the name hints...extremely intense. Pace yourself. I have the log still in the workout forum if you wanted to look at what my numbers increased by. It's the "squats, squats and more squats" thread.
What about pace. Should I keep strict rest intervals or give myself the time I need to finish the next set. I normally don't time my rests. So what rest intervals would be suggested, and how strictly should they bo followed for this program? Beter to get the reps or stick to the timing? Thoughts and opinions welcomed.
Rest until you are ready for the next set... that is always the way to go when training for strength, IMO.
Adam
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I agree with this. Leave your o-lifts at maintenance and just do a few singles for the sake of keeping your form. Your focus here is to bring up your strength so other things have to be held constant.
Smolov squat cycle - what else?
Linear Mode
