Drug Free Steroid-like Gains for The Squat

The squat is commonly regarded as the king of all exercises-- for good reason. If I were locked up in a cell and was told I could only perform one exercise, it would be the squat. There is nothing else that will train the entire body and test the fortitude of a person more. It is simply the only exercise that has taught me a lot about myself and has continued to help pave my way through personal excellence. The squat is like a beacon when stranded out at sea-- it keeps me on course. It never fails to remind me where I am as a human

A lot of people hate squats. I did too at one point in my life, pretty much my first couple years of seriously getting into lifting. I never did them, I hated the way they made me feel, and how it seemed like it would take 2 weeks for me to recover from doing them. It was always such a humbling exercise; it crushed my ego. I can still remember when I could barely squat 205 lbs with marginal depth and form... how embarrassing...

Fast forward years later and I got a reputation at my old gym as the "Squat Master." I certainly felt like I did not deserve such a name, and still don't. There are plenty of people who are much stronger squatters than me. One quick search on YouTube will send you into "Inadequacy Ville."Although, having been given such a name raises the issue of why I was given that name-- because no one else took squatting as seriously as I did. It is as simple as that. When I was at Appalachian State University studying physics, in my free time I did only a few things. One of those things was squatting, and it was there I discovered a very powerful squat routine in Russian origin...

Squat! Again!

Meet Sergey Smolov 

S.Y. Smolov, Russian Master of Sports, designed a 13 week squat routine that is commonly referred to as simply, Smolov or the Smolov Squat Routine. It was originally made popular in published works by Pavel Tsatsouline and has since become more popular over the years. I did my first Smolov cycle in 2008 and started with a 275 lbs 1RM (1 Rep Max) and ended with a 350 lbs 1RM. I was ecstatic to say the least because that is a 75 lbs increase in 13 weeks! I can still remember how amazed I was and how the hard work really paid off. However, I got more than just a 75 pound increase in my squat-- oh yes. My squat form got ridiculously better. My entire body was more muscular and I dropped fat, even while eating a ton of calories. My deadlift increased despite not deadifting any. Most importantly, I learned what true hard work was and I learned I could push my body far beyond what normal people do in the gym. After finishing Smolov, it really makes everyone's workout routines look like a child's game-- seriously. Smolov is fuckin intense. The best way I can describe it is a religious experience.

If you read around the interwebz, you'll find all sorts of conflicting information about the routine. Some people say it was designed for lifters on steroids and it is too much for a natural lifter to handle. I'm here to tell you that is bullshit. I've never touched a steroid in my life and I have successfully completed Smolov twice, with great results and no injuries. Did my body hurt? Yes. Did I feel like squatting on really any of the days? Nope! Perhaps, I'm like a sadomasochist and I enjoy the punishment... I'll tell you this though, there is no where else in my life that challenges my mind and body like this program does, which is probably why I love it-- not to mention, you are rewarded with outstanding muscular and strength gains. 

The Mad Commie Cycle
Smolov is broken up into 5 mini cycles to comprise one 13 week macrocycle.
1. Introductory Microcycle (2 weeks)
2. Base Mesocycle (4 weeks)
3. Switching (2 weeks)
4. Intense Mesocycle (4 weeks)
5.Taper (1 week)

**Set/rep schemes are read as (1RM% x SET x REP). So 85%x5x2 is read as 85% at 5 sets of 2 reps.
Percentages are based on your tested one rep max (1RM).**

The Introductory Microcycle is essentially a preparatory phase for all of the pain and anguish that lies ahead. It is designed to bring you up to at least 90% of your 1RM in the first week. 
In week 1, the first three days are consecutive days of squatting followed by 3 days of lunges. Do not worry about the weight you use on your lunges, rather focus on stretching the thighs.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

65%x8x3, 70%x5, 75%x2x2, 80%x1 65%x8x3, 70%x5, 75%x2x2, 80%x1 70%x5x4, 75%x3, 80%x2x2, 90%x1 3x8 (lunges) 3x8 (lunges) 3x8 (lunges)

In week 2 you will squat every other day working up to 1 set of 5 at these given percentages:

Monday Wednesday Friday

80%x1x5 82.5%x1x5 85%x1x5

The Base Mesocycle is the next 3 weeks of hell on Earth followed by a week to test your new 1RM so you can remind yourself why you are doing this. You will squat four times per week and will often find yourself wishing you had just stuck to your usual routine. It will take a lot of intestinal fortitude to get through this cycle. Upon testing your new max, you should expect a gain of 20-50 lbs. The Base Mesocycle looks like this:

Week #	Monday	Wednesday	Friday	Saturday
1	70%x4x9	75%x5x7	80%x7x5	85%x10x3
2	(70%+20lbs)x4x9	(75%+20lbs)x5x7	(80%+20lbs)x7x5	(85%+20lbs)x10x3
3	(70%+30lbs)x4x9	(75%+30lbs)x5x7	(80%+30lbs)x7x5	(85%+30lbs)x10x3
4	Rest	Rest	Rest	Test 1 Rep Max

*In weeks 2 and 3, you will add weight (20-30lbs) to whatever weight you did in week 1. So, say if you did 315 lbs on Saturday of week 1-- you will do 335 on week 2, and 345 on week 3 for the Saturday sessions.

The Switching Phase is basically a well deserved vacation. To quote Sergey Smolov, the motto of the switching phase is "Speed, and speed again!" There is not a published regimen for these 2 weeks that I can find, but the idea is to focus on dynamic effort while giving your mind and body a break. You can substitute in things like cleans, squat jumps, and even leg presses. Whatever exercises you do choose, focus on explosive power and speed. As far as percentages are concerned-- 50-60% would be a good ballpark for everything.  What I have done in the past is this and find it works well...

Monday Wednesday Friday

Box Squat 10x2 Power Clean 8x3 Box Jumps 8x3

 Do that for both weeks 1 and 2 of the switching phase.

If you're concerned about keeping the nervous system adapted, you can perform a squat negative. I would personally put it in place of the box jumps, and simply perform just 1 rep adding 10-20lbs to your 1RM from the Base Mesocycle. Place the safety pins in a power rack to the exact height where the bar would be in the bottom of the squat (you could also use jerk blocks). Execute the exercise slow and controlled, and make sure to have someone spot you. 

The Intense Mesocycle follows the switching phase, and this is the next episode of a Saw movie but in real life and without the cheesy Billy Jigsaw puppet.

Even Jigsaw wouldn't wish Smolov on his poor victims.

 This 4-week block was designed by Moscow's powerlifting and weightlifting coach I. M. Feduleyev and is good for yet another 25-45 lbs added to your 1RM. Yet like the rest of the program, you pay dearly for these type of results. As you will see below, you are only squatting 3 days per week in this cycle, but don't get too excited. You will be lifting at almost superhuman levels of volume, frequency and intensity. Your legs will transform into hydraulic pistons of anger and steel. You will use your new one rep max from the end of the Base Mesocycle!

Week #	Monday	Wednesday	Saturday
1	65%x3 75%x4 85%x3x4 85%x5	60%x3 70%x3 80%x4 90%x3 85%x2x5	65%x5 70%x4 80%x5x4
2	60%x4 70%x4 80%x4 90%x3 90%x2x4	65%x3 75%x3 85%x3 90%x3x3 95%x3	65%x3 75%x3 85%x4 90%x4x5
3	60%x3 70%x3 80%x3 90%x5x5	60%x3 70%x3 80%x3 95%x2x3	65%x3 75%x3 85%x3 95%x4x3
4	70%x3 80%x4 90%x5x5	70%x3 80%x3 95%x4x3	75%x3 90%x4 80%x3x4

After the Intense cycle, you will begin the 1 week Taper which is primarily geared towards someone peaking for a competition. You will squat one day this week and test/compete for a new 1RM. Your week will look like this...

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Rest 75%x4, 85%x4x4 Rest Rest Rest Test New 1RM

That will conclude probably one of the hardest things you have ever done in your life-- revel in your glory and your acceptance into a new realm of training.

Concerns & Considerations 
-You should be aware that this program is all about the squat. You can successfully add in upper body training while doing Smolov, but be smart and sparing. You should at no point add in anything that will tax your legs or low back. There is no point, you will be squatting so much this will all be worked in abundance and you will only hamper your progress. A lot of people perform Smolov without doing anything other than just the squats. My first time doing it I only did the squats and it was plenty. I did not have any atrophy in the rest of my body, just a couple weeks of remapping motor skills in particular lifts like the bench when I finished and went to a "normal" routine. Remember, the squat works your entire body and is a highly anabolic and stressful movement. If you do choose to add in upper body work, keep it simple and basic. I add in only bench, DB rows, military press, dips and pull-ups. Divide it up through the week and keep the volume low, done. Some days I get done with the squats and I go home. Trust me, when you near the end of a couple cycles it might take you an hour just to do your squats.

A sample template of my added work would look like this:
Day1
Bench 5x5
DB Row 4x8


Day 2
Standing Press 4x5
Pull-Up 1xFailure

Day 3
Bench 4x5, 1x3, 1x8
Chest Support Row 4x8

-You can perform Smolov with front squats, it is what I am doing now.

-Diet and rest. Literally eat as much as you can, whenever you can. If you don't have proper nutrition and a surplus of calories your body simply won't be able to recover from such an intense load of work. Don't worry about gaining fat, this is more work than most top level American squatters perform in a year. Sleep as much as you can, you will get awesome rest, take advantage of it.

-Supplements I use are pizza and giant burritos. They're the best things on the market for recovery, muscle building, hormone production, and energy.   

- Rest periods. Take the rest you need but don't go crazy. Get in there to get the work done. When it gets insanely hard, you might find yourself taking up to 5 minutes between sets... maybe longer. The goal is to get the reps done and move the weight in a full range of motion. That is your priority. I remember on some of the days, I felt like a squat rack hog, because I was literally squatting for around an hour.

-Stretching and mobility should have just as much priority as the lifting. I would even suggest investing in a couple deep tissue massages as well.

Do this program and you will gain a tremendous amount from it. You must have a couple years of lifting hard under your belt before doing it. You should be accustomed to squatting multiple days per week, be squatting at least twice your body weight for a single as well (for men)-- it is not a beginners program. Otherwise, you run the risk of injury and the worst overtraining the world has ever witnessed. It certainly is not for everyone, it is not for the weak and the timid-- it is a true test of ones self. Best of luck.