… completing only part of it for strength?i have another post here about squats; i’m considering all of my options so please don’t think i’m annoying. 
i have reached a plateau in my squats and am considering doing ONLY either the base mesocycle or the intense mesocycle of the program. i’ve heard people have made incredible gains using only one or the other.
what do you recommend?
[quote]FROGGBUSTER wrote:
… completing only part of it for strength?i have another post here about squats; i’m considering all of my options so please don’t think i’m annoying.
i have reached a plateau in my squats and am considering doing ONLY either the base mesocycle or the intense mesocycle of the program. i’ve heard people have made incredible gains using only one or the other.
what do you recommend?[/quote]
I never tried it, but attempting to use the intensive phase without building up siginificant volume tolerance thru either the prep/base phase or some other form of high volume training is a potentialy disasterous idea in my opinion.
alot of people only do the base. ive never heard someone only do the intense. im sure itll breka you through your plateu. its tough but worth it
Don’t do the intense mesocycle (Feduleyev cycle) before doing the base mesocycle and the switch phase. I’d go so far to tell you to not do the base mesocycle before doing the preparatory cycle.
If you’re a beginner the Smolov Junior template will do too. That you can do without the preparatory cycle.
Do the base cycle and let us know how that works out.
If you feel like a bad ass after it then hit the intense part.
And don’t get caught in paralysis by analysis. It’s better to friggin do something wrong with intensity than to waste time designing the “perfect” program and yet never train.
I’ve done modified Smolov squat cycles (2x/week) with pretty good success - just don’t be afraid to back off on the volume or poundages a little.
If you stick with high intensity + high volume for too long, you are just asking for overtraining and/or injury. IMHO, you shouldn’t stick with it for more than 2 weeks straight.
[quote]Boris B wrote:
I’ve done modified Smolov squat cycles (2x/week) with pretty good success - just don’t be afraid to back off on the volume or poundages a little.
If you stick with high intensity + high volume for too long, you are just asking for overtraining and/or injury. IMHO, you shouldn’t stick with it for more than 2 weeks straight.[/quote]
i dissagree since the base cycle is more than 2 weeks and works fine for many lifters
does anyone have a link to the smolov jr. program? i can’t find any results on google.
thanks.
I have done 10kg gains on my 1RM in the frontsquat doing the smolov base meso cycle.
I have also done the entire smolov for squat, and had a 30kg and a 27.5kg increase in the squat over a 3 month period.
Bw=105, 1RM squat: 250kg.
It is recommended, but insanely hard.
I am now injuried in my back due to doing two smolov base meso cycles almost back to back…
Make sure you get in a rest-period after the program.
But it WILL increase your squat.
[quote]redsox348984 wrote:
i dissagree since the base cycle is more than 2 weeks and works fine for many lifters[/quote]
You’re welcome to disagree, but how many people do you know PERSONALLY (not through the internet) that have actually finished a Smolov Squat Cycle to the letter to the end? Granted, I don’t talk about Smolov to every lifter I meet, so maybe I’ve met more but I know, personally, one guy.
Can people use it? Of course. Is it the best? Probably not.
IMHO, the people most likely to gain and least likely to crash and burn from a program like this fall into one or more of the following categories:
*have already devoloped great work capacity and recuperative ability
*have plenty of free time (i.e. training is all they do)
*are ‘assisted’
*are novice lifters
Just my opinions.
[quote]FROGGBUSTER wrote:
does anyone have a link to the smolov jr. program? i can’t find any results on google.
thanks.[/quote]
I have it allready as an Excel file, if you want to have it send your e-mail address via PM.
i did it, i dont know anyone else personally who did it though
[quote]Boris B wrote:
redsox348984 wrote:
i dissagree since the base cycle is more than 2 weeks and works fine for many lifters
You’re welcome to disagree, but how many people do you know PERSONALLY (not through the internet) that have actually finished a Smolov Squat Cycle to the letter to the end? Granted, I don’t talk about Smolov to every lifter I meet, so maybe I’ve met more but I know, personally, one guy.
Can people use it? Of course. Is it the best? Probably not.
IMHO, the people most likely to gain and least likely to crash and burn from a program like this fall into one or more of the following categories:
*have already devoloped great work capacity and recuperative ability
*have plenty of free time (i.e. training is all they do)
*are ‘assisted’
*are novice lifters
Just my opinions.[/quote]
Good points.
I know only one lifter in real life that has done smolov squat program to the letter twice - myself.
Most other people won’t do such brutal programs.
It is possible to do it without steroids, but it is damn hard work.
The first time, i was about to die, but saw it through.
Second time was also brutal, especially in the intense meso, I tought something in my body was about to break from squating over 200kg raw three times a week.
brutal.
insanity.