smolov squat routine

WEEK 2 INSANE HEAVY CYCLE

DAY 2 WEDNESDAY

SQUATS
190x3
215x3
245x3
260x3x3(90%)
275x3 (95%)

this was insane. for the 260x3x3 i used like 5-8 breaths between reps and for the last tripple(275) i used 7-15 breaths lol. these are truly breathing squats. i couldnt have completed the reps without breathing massively in between. for the last rep at 275, i thought i wouldnt get it. it was kinda scary.

POWER CLEANS
135X2X5
145X5
155X5
165X2X5

MILITARY PRESS
6x3 @ 115
2x2 @ 115

TOWEL CHINS(2 fist lengths)
8x3
tried to put as much work on the working (non-towel) hand as possible.

PWO: usual
 
WEEK 2 HEAVY INTENSE CYCLE
DAY 3
SATURDAY

SQUATS
190X3
215X3
245X4
260X4X5 (90%)

these were intense! i used a wiiide stance, and took 5-8 breaths in between squats.

its really cool that im using my previous 1RM for four sets of five now. hard work...works.

DEFECIT DEADLIFTS (standing on 25lb plates)
135X5
225X3X8
had a very high heartbeat from these

CLOSE GRIP BENCH
135X3
155X3
165X3
185X2X3

these felt good

DOUBLE TOWEL CHINS (put 1 long towel around bar, 1 short towel. grab short towel at top with 1 hand, grab long towel 3 fist lengths down with other hand. chinup. repeat, alternating arms for 1 set)
2x3 four fist lengths
2x5 three fist lengths

WEIGHTED CHINS
2x3 @ +55lbs

PWO: tons apple juice, 30g whey
 
Are your hips positioned good for your body type? A lot of people pull with the hips too low because they hear everyone say "it's not an RDL" but some people need to have their hips a bit high, specially people with long femurs. Play around with it. Where do your hips naturally go when you want to pull something heavy off the floor? That might not be the best thing to follow, since some imbalances could play in.. but it should let you know if you're a high hip or low hip puller.
 
my weakpoint is at the bottom.
i think im just a neutral hip puller. i dont go specifically high or low. but im not that tall, and im more compact so i think if anything i go a bit lower.

my avatar is me jumping strangely in a suit in my living room lulz
 
Remember to pull explosively off the floor. RIP IT OFF! you need to develop some explosiveness off the floor. You need to practice starting your engine up as fast as possible.

Also, where is your weak point? Grip? Do you lose the arch in your back?

And dude, just train grip. I remember once I pulled 100kg RDLs for 10 sets and 3 reps, and I had no grip problems, I just used a normal grip. Then I tried with hook grip the next week and I could put 20kg on that bar. Even though you don't think your grip is your weak point, it could be, you just don't feel it. Working the grip often makes every pulling exercise better.
 
yeahhhh RDLs really hit my grip up good. i should train my grip more.
its just i really dont know how except usingnormal deadlift grip, hanging onto a chinup bar with one hand.

you think deficit deadlifts can help my weakness fromt he ground? and yeah iv been trying to 3xplod3 from th3 ground as much as i can. im just faster at the top lol.
 
Elevated dl's will help a little from the floor, but the weakness is in the quads if you can't get it off the ground. So elevated deads, front squats, bulg squats, etc is what you should be doing.
 
11/17/08
WEEK 3 HEAVY INTENSE CYCLE
MONDAY

SQUATS
175X3
205X3
230X3
260(90%) 5x5

i felt very strong with God today. again, wide stance, 4-8 breaths between squats

POWER CLEANS
135x3
155x3
165x3
175x3
180x3
new PR. werent even that hard. i know i can get 190 for 1. so my short term goal is a success. next goal: power clean 225.
135x2x3 AFAP(as fast as possible)

MILITARY PRESS
120X3X3
120X2X4

TOWEL CHINS(1 arm grabbing towel, other arm grabbing bar)
5x5 both sides
improved from last time. way better form. held at top for 2 seconds

FINGER CHINS(one arm using only the perscribed fingers, other hand using complete grip)
index and middle 1x3 (ez)
middle finger 1x2
index finger 1x1
con: i had my arms a good foot apart. these are most effective with a very close grip.

however, these are extremely fun! i am using this next time. here is the progression
1) Forefinger and Middle finger
a) Forefinger
b) Ring and pinkie finger
c) Ring finger
d) Pinkie finger
e) 1 Arm Negatives(6 seconds)
f) 1 Arm Chins

PWO: apple juice, orange juice, wheyyyy. took creatine before workout today.
 
11/19/08

HEAVY INTENSE CYCLE
WEEK 3

WENESDAY

SQUATS
175X3
205X3
230X3
275X2X3

wide stance. many breaths. hard.

OLY SQUATS
135x6x5

PWO: usual
 
I've heard different things about pulling from an elevated surface. In theory it sounds fine and dandy, but in reality the pull often becomes so different that it doesn't really cary over at once. Though, the strength you build by pulling off the floor can probably make your regular deads progress faster when you start doing them again. For example: I did a long period with just RDLs, when I switched to DLs again, there wasn't all that much progress on the DLs, but they just shoot up when I started doing them, and I think that is because of the strength I gained from the RDLs. I just had to get used to the regular deadlift movement again.
 
Agreed, you are truly kicking ass.

Also helping me understand some ways to identify my weaknesses with DLs. I was having some back arching issues on my high weight sets, and a trainer was saying make sure you get your hips/butt down and keep the back straight. It just felt so weird to drop my hips so much, I'm 6'4". So I concentrated on keeping the back stiff, but not worrying so much about my hips and I've done better.

Anyways, good stuff in here. Keep it up.
 
LeiYunFat said:
What are you supposed to do when you can eventually no longer add weight to your 20 rep squat?
Click to expand...

you do something else, or you deload.
if you want to keep trying for the 20 rep squat, minus like 15 lbs from what your doing now. that way, you can work up to where you were in 1 week (if your squatting 3 times a week) and hopefully break your PR next week.

usually i just do something else. once 20 rep squats stops working, its about time to change anyway.
 
WEEK3 HEAVY INTENSE CYCLE
DAY 3 SATURDAY

SQUATS
185x3
215x3
245x3
275x4x3

full of win. i felt a lot stronger. i took around 3 minute rest in between sets to make sure i didnt go into squatting with insufficient rest. i took 5-10 breaths between squats. wide stance. this was supposed to be the 2nd hardest squat session in the program.
the last wall i have to completely obliterate is 3x4 @ 275. i can already see myself owning it.

SUPERSET WITH NO REST:
FULL FRONT SQUATS
5x5 @ 135 speed

PUSHUPS
5x10 slow down, explode up, lock shoulders at top

BENT OVER ROWS
5x10 @ 25lb plate

rest 15 seconds after each superset

DEADLIFTS
2x10 @135
ROMANIAN
3x10 @ 135

PULLUPS
3x10
4x5 speed

PWO: usual, used last 5g of creatine :]
 
11/24/08

HEAVY INTENSE CYCLE WEEK 4
DAY 1

SQUATS
205x3
230x4
260x5x5

challenging. i think i did 6 reps on 3rd set by accident. oh well.

POWER CLEANS
135x2
155x2
165x2
175x2
185x1
190x1

yay~

BENCH
close grip
135x10
185x3
155x8
normal grip
185x3x5
185x4

WEIGHTED CHINS
4X5 @ +35
2X5 @ +40

PWO: usual
 
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