@Watango: Thanks for the compliments, hope I will continue to spark your enthusiasm for lifting. I don’t deserve so much credit though, just following in the footsteps of greater athletes and lifters.
Great to be able to follow your progress. What Squat and Bench maxes are you using to calculate the weekly % in the program?
I can imagine sleeping, getting enough calories, and keeping moving during the day is tough on in this program. Keep up the good work!
Nice work! This is definitely North of Vag.
just wanted to stop in and give a late hello. I was wondering how long have you been lifting. what your background is in the sports world
Such is life. The past 3 days have been a living nightmare for me. I’ve had some kind of stomach flu or body flu that has knocked me out of lifting and interrupted my Smolov routine. Body ache has been so bad. Sometimes I felt like an ice pick was being inserted in my traps and lower back and my legs have felt as if being compressed between hydrolic metal machining tools. Nevertheless, I am feeling better today so I will resume the final day of the 3rd week of my Base Microcycle and continue on with Smolov.
@Oldman Powers- My Smolov template is based on a 590lbs squat max and my Smolov bench has been based on a max of 231lbs but I recently moved that up to 245lbs. The maxes for both templates are well below my actual max lifts because I thought it wise to keep them lower due to the work load of this program and I did not want to burn out on too much accumulated body stress.
@hawkcapt1912-Thanks.
@damutt-I have been lifting consistently for the about the last 8 years. Before that I did lots of calisthenics, running, yoga, and body weight strength training for about 4 years. Prior to that I trained lifting for about 5 years but mostly bodybuilding and weightlifting as well as general sports such as tennis, racquetball, football, soccer, etc. Further back to high school I did sporadic lifting and sports like wrestling, karate, soccer, and football. Lifting has always been my greatest athletic love but I didn’t find real consistent direction with powerlifting until just short of 8 years ago.
Lifting last night was less than triumphant on the squat but my bench was great.
T-Handle Swings:
60 lbs x 50 reps
Incline Bench Press:
45 lbs(Bar) x 25
135 x 10
195 x 8sets x 4reps
Squat:
135 x 10
225 x 5
315 x 5
405 x 3
530 x 10sets x 3reps
Standing Crunches:
60 lbs x 25
Feeling good on benches and making good progress. About a year and a half ago I couldn’t bench the bar due to my right biceps tendon tear so even though the weight is light I feel good about my benching development.
Squats were going fine up to 405 pounds and I felt good overall. When I put 530 on the bar I thought this is going to be easy considering last week at 520 pounds went nicely. My back did not agree with my presumption. The 530 pounds moved slowly and it was ugly, which was a complete regression from last week. I don’t feel any of my reps were deep enough and my form was horrible. Still managed to crank out the reps but this wasn’t my squatting night and I know none of my reps would have passed in a contest. Nevertheless, I feel the accumulation of stress from this past week played a large role in my performance so I will continue with Smolov and do my best to finish the 13 weeks of squatting hell. This week I am off from squatting, according to the template, and I max at the end of the week. I will most likely do some light squatting on Monday and Wednesday like I would if getting ready for a meet.
First day of the fourth week of the Smolov Squat Base Mesocycle. I am not supposed to squat until Saturday for a new max but I am not satisfied to just rest. The Smolov Bench routine is still going.
T-Handle Swings:
60 lbs x 50 reps
Incline Bench Press:
45 lbs (Bar) x 25
135 x 10
210 x 10 sets x 3 reps
Good Mornings:
135 x 10
225 x 2 x 10
Hammer Curls:
35 lbs(each hand) x 20
Standing Crunches:
60 lbs x 25
Easy and fast lifting tonight. Everything felt good. I feel guilty doing so little on the Good Mornings and curls but I am supposed to take it easy this week. (40 minutes lift time)
Great work GV… numbers are Nasty ( my kids tell me that’s good!!) Taking on two Smolov programs at the same time is nuts ( much respect)!!
Lifting tonight was uninspired to begin with. I think my body and mind are in Thanksgiving mode already. Still ended up having a strong, fast lifting session.
T-Handle Swings:
60lbs x 50 reps
Incline Bench Press:
45lbs (Bar) x 25
135 x 10
190 x 6sets x 6reps (Paused last rep of last 2 sets)
Good Mornings:
135 x 10
225 x 2sets x 10reps
Hammer Curls:
35 lbs each hand x 20 reps
Standing Crunches:
60 lbs x 25 reps
Easy lifting in about 30 minutes. The whole day has been low energy and lethargic pre-holiday status. Work was slow and just feeling kind of bored but tomorrow has its perks with all the food, family, and football. Happy Thanksgiving.
Tonight the energy was low-low. It was such a lazy day and then I had to find a spark to lift so a strong cup of coffee was in order.
T-Handle Swings:
60 lbs x 50 reps
Incline Bench Press:
45 lbs (Bar) x 25
135 x 10
205 x 7sets x 5reps
Standing Crunches:
60lbs x 25
Tomorrow I max on the Squat for the fourth week of Smolov Squats Base Mesocycle. Feeling good about setting a new PR and starting to do some visualization meditation tonight.
Didn’t have much to do tonight besides max on the squat so lifting went fairly quickly.
T-Handle Swings:
60 lbs x 50 reps
Squats:
135 x 10
225 x 10
315 x 5
405 x 1
545 x 1
615 x 1
Standing Crunches:
60 lbs x 25 reps
This was not a new PR for me but within the numbers for increase on the Smolov Squat routine. So onwards and upwards to the Smolov Switching Cycle, the next phase of the 13 weeks of Smolov craziness. I didn’t have any more in me for heavier squats tonight but I feel that is because I haven’t been lifting over 600 so far. I’m looking for bigger numbers to come in the next month and a half.
615 is huge. Great work.
Thanks for the encouragement jjackkrash.
Started later than usual tonight. Lifting went well.
T-Handle Swings:
60 lbs x 50 reps
Incline Bench Press:
45lbs(Bar) x 25
135 x 10
185 x 4
215 x 8sets x 4reps
Squats to Parallel (thighs to floor) Pin:
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 3
405 x 1
625 x 1 (unrack to pins) Negative
Standing Crunches:
70lbs x 25
The Switching cycle on the Smolov is a little different. My incline bench presses are going well and I haven’t missed a rep. I was very fast with the squatting portion and the benching went fairly quickly as well. Total lifting time about 45 minutes.
Yesterday’s lifting went very fast and was intense.
T-Handle Swings:
60 lbs x 50 reps
Incline Bench Press:
45 lbs(bar) x 25
135 x 10
185 x 5
225 x 10 sets x 3 reps
Power Cleans:
135 x 8 sets x 3 reps
Standing Crunches:
70 lbs x 25
Had to really burn though this lifting in about 35 minutes because I was on schedule to take my mom to see La Nouba Cirque Du Soliel for her birthday. I’m really feeling the soreness today.
Nice squatting. I now have squat envy.
Thanks hawkcapt1912. I haven’t done much squatting this week but next week the amazing fun continues with the next meso cycle in the Smolov Squat labyrinth of fun ride.
INCREDIBLE!!!
I just can’t get my head around a 615 lb squat at a 210 lb bodyweight.
I’m more or less the same, age, weight and height as you.
Let me tell you, your log is not doing much for my self esteem!
FarmerBrett, thanks for inspiration but I think with the time and smart hard work you’ll get there.
Last night the lifting was fueled by anger with a road rage incident I experienced a few hours prior to the weights: Explanation later.
T-Handle Swings:
60 lbs x 50
Incline Bench Press:
45lbs(Bar) x 25
135 x 10
195 x 6sets x 6reps
Paralel Box Squats:
135 x 10
225 x 5
315 x 5
430 x 12sets x 2reps
Standing Crunches:
70lbs x 25
Lifting lasted about an hour and was fast as well as intense. I moved the weight with anger last night because I was attacked by a woman with road rage so I let out my angst on the weights. The woman was tailgating me severely so I flicked her off and yelled at her as I pulled into a gas station. The woman decided to circle around and follow me in to the gas station but I didn’t know it.
I was getting an energy drink and about to buy a lottery ticket when the woman came storming into the gas station yelling and swinging her arms. I was startled and turned to face her. She got very close to me yelling so I began to yell back at her. Profanity was being sprayed about. Then the woman slapped me which amused and angered me so I advanced toward her yelling at her to back off and defending myself. The woman then spit on my face and slapped me again as well as knocking my energy drink out of my hand. I was doing everything I could not to touch the woman.
All said and done the police were called, the clerks at the store verified my account of the incident and were going to arrest the woman. I decided to not press charges but the police told me they wanted to take the woman to jail. I said that sending her to jail wouldn’t help the woman because she has rational thinking problems and jail most likely will not solve that. The woman ended up, under police supervision, coming up to me sobbing and apologizing which I accepted.
Therefore, I used up all the anger and disgust I had for the woman and her behavior on the lifting last night. The woman is lucky but I also have decided not to flick people off, even if they deserve it, as much because the next time someone follows me and attempts to assault me I may treat them to a taste of what real power is.
Nothing like a little confrontation at the quickie mart to get the adrenaline flowing. I’ve been known to use my middle finger on the highway on occasion. I may need to re-evaluate that practice. I’m glad things didn’t go further south than they went.