At the moment I squat every day. I’ve been doing so for now 18 days in a row. Before this I’ve been squatting for many many years, but mostly 3-4 times a week, but also as frequent as 6 times a week. I am natural, and always will be. Many people may think it is impossible to train a lift every day. If you train with too much intensity, the chance for burnout and injuries are very high. HOWEVER, and this is the most IMPORTANT point: Given you utilize proper intensity management, it is doable. So basically what I did for my own cycle that I am running now, is that I took and modified the smolov base meso cycle (I’ve earlier posted a spreadsheet with a program that I called “Smolov S Aplha”). Basically it is just the smolov base meso cycle with REDUCED intensities, and instead of 4 times a week, I put one day of rest between each squat day, thus it became 3 or 4 times with squats every week. For my summer project, when there are no stress in my life and everything that I do is to squat, eat and sleep, I decided to give 7 days a try. So I took the Smolov S Alpha, based it of my non-paused max, and do all the days in the program as outlined with paused squats as this for me is less taxing than explosive squats. Of course to good depth and with no belt and a high bar close stance style. On the off-day in this program I put in more light low rep squats like 10x2, 8x3 and 7x4. Thus it became a program of squats every day that looked like this (All numbers in kilos):
W1 4x9@150 8x3@140 5x7@160 10x2@150 7x5@170 8x3@120 10x3@180
W2 7x4@150 4x9@160 8x3@150 5x7@170 10x2@160 7x5@180 8x3@130
W3 10x3@190 7x4@160 4x9@165 8x3@140 5x7@175 10x2@170 7x5@185
W4 8x3@140 10x3@195
If I say the pre-1RM was 240kg non-paused and 230kg paused, then for instance the heaviest day will become 84% (195/230), compared to the original smolov base meso cycle where the heaviest day is at 91%. As you can see, many of the days are in the range 150-170kg, and that is in the percentage range 65%-74%. I haven’t bothered to calculate the average intensity yet, but I will do it at a later stage.
The norwegian national powerlifting association have conducted a study where they tested the results of 6 days a week of squats vs. 3 days a week of squats to see what was most beneficial for strength gains. 6 times a week was more beneficial. I have no actual numbers to back it up, but you can contact the NSF at styrkeloft.no if you are interested in more details about this scientific study.
At the moment I am on day 18 of my 23 day project, and I am thinking of extending it, but based on how I feel by the end of it. In the beginning I had some difficulties recovering from the volume, and my sleep requirements skyrocketed, and some days I could do nothing else but staying in bed because I was so tired. However, at the moment after 18 days with this, I feel actually almost recovered, so it seems the body is adapting to it. Frankly, I’ve been feeling even more worse doing the actual smolov base meso cycle. I always get increasingly tired doing it, and the 2nd and 3rd week is real hell, and motivation for training always reaches nearly rock bottom, but I still go and squat. As you know, the smolov base meso cycle is only squatting 4 times a week, but it is brutal anyway.
So you can’t blindly stare at the number of days and make a conclusion from that, you got to take into consideration the amount of volume, and the average intensity. I believe I could not have done something like in the beginning stages of my training, as I did not have the knowledge or the preparedness to do it properly. However, now after training for 10 years, I know my body much better, so it is easier to set up a program.
I’ve also tried benching every day, using something similar. That works too, but when I tried to jump directly to squatting AND benching every day, then it become too much, and I got a shoulder injury, so I’ve dropped the benches for the time being, I can always catch up on that later on when the shoulder is healed, and besides I hit my summer goal in the bench press, so really I don’t care if it becomes a bit weaker if I can increase my squat, it will come back up soon enough when I hit it seriously again.
If you’re a serious squatter, you’d benefit from squat several times a week. Of course you can become stronger from training a lift only once a week, but there is so much more benefits from training more often:
- You get more used to the exercise, and it becomes second nature to you.
- You can work on the technique more often.
- You become more confident.
- The execution becomes automatic, turning you into a squat machine.
Squatting frequently will work provided the percentages are set right, or if you do not use percentages, that you are a very good judge of what you should lift that day (auto-regulation, RTS comes to mind), perhaps the best would be to have a coach that knows you 100% and can help you with this.
Squatting frequently will not work if you work too hard, and try to increase the volume and intensity too fast. Regardless of what John Broz or the Bulgarians say, I believe this can quickly get you into some REAL trouble: It means REAL INJURIES that it can take months to recover from. Pushing through such injuries are stupid. But of course you can most of the time work around an injury, or if you have a knee problem, you can do exercises that does not trigger the problem. So there is always something you can do, no matter your condition.
I must also mention the importance of nutrition. For the natural lifter taking a creatine product can be beneficial, as it will help you have more energy for the workouts. You should consume a lot of food, and not be afraid of getting a larger stomach. If you are afraid of getting a larger stomach, you should stop squatting, and team up with celeb blogger Perez to play golf in the daytime and frequent gay bars in the night time. If you want to get a big squat, you do what needs to be done. Before bedtime it is beneficial with a large meal filled with proteins, so the body can heal and increase its strength while you sleep. That’s when most of the adaption takes place. Also drink a lot of water to keep yourself hydrated.
The body is able to keep up with more stress than you thought possible, but you must ease into it sensibly and take into consideration all the variables that let you make it or break it.
Of course there are people out there that train every day that are on steroids, it however by no means mean that everybody out there who trains every day are on steroids.
The keyword is: Intensity management.
I’m running a log on T-Nation if anyone is interested to follow my summer project with squatting 7 days a week, and I’ve uploaded every video to my youtube account as well. If you check out my profile for previous posts, you’ll find it.
I hope this was beneficial to some of you. I decided to go the real way: Raw, natural, no belt, no wraps. And I train alone in silence.
Mike Tuscherer is another lifter who is far stronger than me who also trains alone, he’s developed the RTS-system. If anyone have genuine questions, they could send me a message. Ignorant or stupid questions are a waste of my time and will not be answered.
– Stallion