This is a general question to the community. What do you guys think of Smolov? I think it’s a very interesting program, and definitely a little crazy. Have any of you ever run Smolov? If so, what was your squat when you started and what was your squat at the end? If anyone has done Smolov Jr. for bench or squat, I’d also be interested about your results. Do you guys think Smolov is dangerous and something only maniacs would run? I’m really just wondering what the community thinks. I should probably mention that I’m making this post out of interest, not because I want to run Smolov myself (I’m only 15 and obviously not experienced enough)
Edit: I also wonder what kind of accessory work people who ran Smolov did.
There is no evidence of a coach Smolov having ever actually existed. If he DID exist, his athletes were awful, because there is no evidence of them ever doing well in any sport.
With so many good programs and coaches out there right now, the only real reason I see to run Smolov is purely for the challenge of saying “I ran Smolov”.
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It’s a dangerous mindset to those seeking long term results.
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Correct, wait a couple years and get overall bigger and stronger first before messing around with these type of programs
Having said that theres a big thread on it, look it up. Base mesocycle/jr for 4 weeks at a time seemed to report back the best results.
Pavel has a good article on it with tweaks in his book ‘Beyond bodybuilding’ that is well worth the read
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You would have to talk to some Russians to get the full story. I have Pavel Tsatsouline’s book “Power to the People - Professional” (it cost like $2 for the kindle version), he talks about both Smolov’s squat program and his deadlift program (yes, there is a separate Smolov DL program) and has some quotes from Smolov himself. Apparently parts of both programs were originally written by another coach named Feduleyev, who has supposedly coached several world champion powerlifters and was also a weightlifting coach.
I heard some explanations before that the Smolov squat program was written for beginner weightlifters who lacked leg strength, sounds like that is bullshit.
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Yeah, I read “Beyond bodybuilding” which had similar stories. It is like getting a program from Santa, haha.
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The biggest problem with the program is the expected rate of progression. You are supposed to be repping 90 and 95% for multiple sets at certain points in the program, that just isn’t realistic for the vast majority of people. Other than that, it is just too much volume at too high an intensity for most people. For every lifter who did Smolov and increase their squat there are several who dropped out due to injury or burnout. If you are used to extremely high volume and either just started taking steroids or are greatly increasing your dosage I would say that the odds are against you. There are other fucked up programs that have a better track record.
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What do you mean by that?
Santa isn’t real.
But his spirit lives in us all.
Yeah, I considered the possibility that Pavel is full of shit and making up stories to sell things. Like I said, some actual Russian people (not internet celebrities) might know whether or not he really exist. Either way, I’m not about to use any of his programs.
Well, if he did, he was an awful coach based off the lack of athletes amd records, haha.
But yeah, concur. Too many legit coaches out there to want to go and get coached by Paul Bunyan.
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I’m starting to think you are right, I searched “fedulevey powerlifting” and the only stuff that came up with Feduleyev’s name in it was about the Smolov program. If he had coached multiple world champions you would think there would be some reference to him online, and there is none. Nobody can figure out who this Smolov guy is and who he is coached so Pavel just goes and says “oh, part of his program is based on Feduleyev’s program and he has a deadlift program too”, then we have to figure out who Feduleyev is. Nothing adds up here, and both alleged Smolov programs look abnormally fucked up compared to any other Russian program I have seen.
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Pavel’s book:
“Today three All Time Historic World Deadlift Records belong to ex-Soviet sumo pullers:
Oleksandr Kutcher’s 4.8 times bodyweight 793 at 165, Yury Fedorenko’s 892 at 242, and Maxim Podtinny’s 909 at 308. Their lineage goes back to Sergey Smolov. Give the man’s ideas a try, what do you have you to lose except your weakness?”
What sort of lineage is he talking about? He makes it sound like Smolov is their common ancestor. I know that both Fedorenko and Podtinny were coached by Sheiko. Maybe start an account on the Sheiko forum and ask if Smolov is real.
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Something else I don’t understand about Smolov is the rate of progression. Your supposed to hit 95% for 3 sets for 4 based on a 1rm tested only 4 weeks ago. To me, it seems like this sort of progress is only possible for pretty new trainees, which Smolov has been labeled inappropriate for (not arguing with this I’m just confused). maybe the program was intended for lifters doing their first steroid cycle? It just seems like insane volume for the high intensity, without a lot of recovery time, with lightning fast progression. Oh well. I still think it’s interesting
I’ll make an account on Sheiko forums and ask if anyone knows if smolov was real
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It’s bullshit, plain and simple. Daily 1rm squatting makes more sense and is still a bad idea. You need to make continuous progress over years to get anywhere in powerlifting, there is no program that will make you a champion in a few weeks or months. Also, a lot of people who get through Smolov lose most of their gains when they get back to regular training, the concept of progressive overload implies that you do more than before and Smolov is pretty much the absolut maximum that anyone can handle.
Oh to be 15 again and not realize what a crapstorm that will become, haha. Good luck!
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Haha thank you. What exactly do you mean though? Just responsibilities of being an adult?
At 32, I don’t have the patience to get into an online argument that big/extensive. Juice isn’t worth the squeeze.
Nothing would sum up the internet better than Smolov not even being a real person.
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