I just started a new training program and I was curious what other people would think about it. I’m doing a modified version of Smolov Jr. for squats and bench. Instead of the 4x9 on Mondays I will be doing dead lifts and assistance work. I think that this approach will still yield the benefits of Smolov Jr. while allowing me to keep doing dead lift work and reducing risk of injury. Here’s what it will look like:
Monday:
3-5x1-5 Dead lifts (alternating weeks of speed pulls w/ ~75%1RM and heavier singles w/ ~85%1RM)
5x5 snatch grip rack pulls
5x8 of BB rows
Smolov is geared towards focusing on improving squat. You will naturally get stronger in deadlifts if your squat improves. If you are to follow a program, do it as intended. Nothing about what you proposed is reducing risk of injury, if anything, it’s higher due to working with max load on deadlift.
Think about it, after your 10x3 day, you will have one day of rest before having to do a heavy dead session. I understand where you are going with this. You want to do smolov but you don’t want to give up doing deadlifts. Focus on doing what you need to do and not what you want to do.
Just do the program the way it is. I’m sure it can be improved, but that’s not the way.
You’re deadlift will be fine. I did the junior and the base. And I didn’t even do any benching or dead lifting during it. Sure, those lifts didn’t really improve as much as if I were doing them. But my squat improved a lot.
[quote]steviebeast wrote:
how does one post a new topic here? I see (obviously) how to respond…
I also started the smolov and wanted to write about it.[/quote]
Use the search feature and find one of the like 30 threads on it.
People are pretty much the same, whatever you have to say has probably been said.
[quote]RonSwanson wrote:
I just started a new training program and I was curious what other people would think about it. I’m doing a modified version of Smolov Jr. for squats and bench. Instead of the 4x9 on Mondays I will be doing dead lifts and assistance work. I think that this approach will still yield the benefits of Smolov Jr. while allowing me to keep doing dead lift work and reducing risk of injury. Here’s what it will look like:
Monday:
3-5x1-5 Dead lifts (alternating weeks of speed pulls w/ ~75%1RM and heavier singles w/ ~85%1RM)
5x5 snatch grip rack pulls
5x8 of BB rows
For what its worth, I emailed Christopher Smith about possibly running it for squat and bench at the same time and heres what he said…
“I would definitely NOT run the cycle for more than 1 lift at a time. Stick to just one, then run it for another if you want. It gets very intense very fast and recovery becomes premium.”
Thanks for the feedback guys. I am definitely concerned about dropping the deads because, though squats have some crossover effect, my grip strength will surely decline over the next three weeks.
Also what kind of protocol would you suggest for the deload week following Smolov Jr? Should I go easy for seven days and then max out on squat and bench the following week?
if you really need something to feel like you won’t lose grip strength, just work it separately? forearm curls, wrist curls, pull-ups, weighted pull-ups, plate pinches, i mean the list goes on and on with ways not to fuck with the muscles the deadlift shares with the squat.