Smolov Junior Powerlifting Cycle
The Smolov Junior powerlifting cycle is slightly less demanding then the standard Smolov cycle. Smolov Junior is generally a 3 week cycle, but some trainees extend it to 4, 5 and even 6 weeks.
Week 1 (SETS x REPS x WEIGHT)
Monday… 6 x 6 x 70% (Standard Smolov is 4 x 9)
Wednesday… 7 x 5 x 75% (Standard Smolov is 5 x 7)
Friday… 8 x 4 x 80% (Standard Smolov is 7 x 5)
Saturday… 10 x 3 x 85% (The same as the standard Smolov)
In week 1, the volume is nearly the same as in a standard Smolov cycle, but the sets are higher and the reps are lower.
Week 2 (SETS x REPS x WEIGHT)
Monday… 6 x 6 x 70%
Wednesday… 7 x 5 x 75%
Friday… 8 x 4 x 80%
Saturday… 10 x 3 x 85%
Week two training is identical to week one, except that the trainee adds 10-20 pounds to the bar.
Week 3 (SETS x REPS x WEIGHT)
Monday… 6 x 6 x 70%
Wednesday… 7 x 5 x 75%
Friday… 8 x 4 x 80%
Saturday… 10 x 3 x 85%
Week three training is identical to week two, except that the trainee adds 15-25 pounds to the bar above their week 1 weight.
Notes
It is best to perform Smolov Junior for only one lift at a time. So if you are running Smolov Junior on deadlifts, do not run it on the bench press.
Also, if you are running Smolov Junior for squats or deadlifts, do NOT train with any other posterior chain movements such as good mornings, Romanian deadlifts, power cleans, etc. This means if you’re running squats, you shouldn’t be deadlifting.
I have ran the regular smolov squat cycle and on the first mesocycle I increased my max by 50 lbs. These cycles are not for the faint hearted, there are a lot of days I got under the bar and wondered how the heck your going to be able to finish. With enough sleep and rest these cycles will increase your max.
In Response to Dom:
If you were to run three lifts at the same time, you would be lucky to get through the first week. This would most likely be run you into the ground and cause injury. I would advise not to do so all at once.
What will happen if you do all three lifts at the same time using this program?
Why does the program says to bench on Saturday if you have already bench on Friday?
I’m actually going to run a modified version of this with 2 sessions a wk instead of 4. I’ll check back soon to let you know how it went.
I give this workout a lot of credit. I used it during the last month of my senior year in high school and smashed the school bench press record for my weight going from 260 to 290, the record was 275 @165 lbs. EAT TONS and SLEEP TONS and don’t drink alcohol. ***This is for intermediate to experienced lifters not beginners.
The percentage of people who attempt this foolishness and actually complete it as programmed is 0.001%.
We have quite a few forum members who have completed it. I don’t know one of them that’s quit.