That’s what I’m doing, as I stated, leaving out anything that will interrupt the process. Working my calves, biceps, back, side/rear delt will not impact my squatting or benching as I’m sure you know. Anything I do that has overlap will be done in a logical and minimal manner.
Definitely not serving two masters, don’t worry! [/quote]
Double Smolov? You’re a crazy son of a bitch. I have to echo aquah0ser though, take it easy on the accessory work!!! Training your back can surely affect your squat and bench :)[/quote]
I ran double smolov over christmas whilst including my usual amount of accessory work and saw no real ill effects. If you can do the required recovery to support the work you are putting in, go for it. If not, stick to the minimum.
That’s what I’m doing, as I stated, leaving out anything that will interrupt the process. Working my calves, biceps, back, side/rear delt will not impact my squatting or benching as I’m sure you know. Anything I do that has overlap will be done in a logical and minimal manner.
Definitely not serving two masters, don’t worry! [/quote]
Double Smolov? You’re a crazy son of a bitch. I have to echo aquah0ser though, take it easy on the accessory work!!! Training your back can surely affect your squat and bench :)[/quote]
I ran double smolov over christmas whilst including my usual amount of accessory work and saw no real ill effects. If you can do the required recovery to support the work you are putting in, go for it. If not, stick to the minimum. [/quote]
I just don’t believe back work will be a limiting factor, especially if we’re talking hypertrophy specific (ie. not huge spinal loads). If anything, I find my bench gets weaker when I don’t train my traps, rear delts etc. But yes, I do realise it’s within limits! Not going to be rack pulling or deadlifting and the bench and squat will always be performed before other work.
I’m looking forward to the challenge. Makes training way more fun. I think a huge part of me has always wanted to seriously try performing lifts multiple times a week. I just love the look of smolov after 5/3/1 where your “1 top set of the day” going wrong means you’ve basically missed your opportunity to progress that week.
That’s what I’m doing, as I stated, leaving out anything that will interrupt the process. Working my calves, biceps, back, side/rear delt will not impact my squatting or benching as I’m sure you know. Anything I do that has overlap will be done in a logical and minimal manner.
Definitely not serving two masters, don’t worry! [/quote]
Double Smolov? You’re a crazy son of a bitch. I have to echo aquah0ser though, take it easy on the accessory work!!! Training your back can surely affect your squat and bench :)[/quote]
I ran double smolov over christmas whilst including my usual amount of accessory work and saw no real ill effects. If you can do the required recovery to support the work you are putting in, go for it. If not, stick to the minimum. [/quote]
I just don’t believe back work will be a limiting factor, especially if we’re talking hypertrophy specific (ie. not huge spinal loads). If anything, I find my bench gets weaker when I don’t train my traps, rear delts etc. But yes, I do realise it’s within limits! Not going to be rack pulling or deadlifting and the bench and squat will always be performed before other work.
I’m looking forward to the challenge. Makes training way more fun. I think a huge part of me has always wanted to seriously try performing lifts multiple times a week. I just love the look of smolov after 5/3/1 where your “1 top set of the day” going wrong means you’ve basically missed your opportunity to progress that week.[/quote]
I’d agree. I added in plenty of accessory work (including back work) and trained 5-6 days a week. The worst that happened was that I got stronger!
Bench Press (aim is 176x7x5)
80/176 x 6 - wrist wraps on- 80/176 x 6 - 80/176 x 5 - 80/176 x 5 - 80/176 x 5 - 80/176 x 5 - 80/176 x 5
I accidently did one rep too many for the first two sets and decided I’ll “leave my tiny-girl-wrists out of it” after the first set… I don’t really get wrist pain benching any more but no point chancing it with benching 4x a week. My jumps are a little high session to session weight wise (due to minimum 2.5kg weight increases) but I should be able to handle it without missing reps on the bench I feel.
Olympic Squat (belted up this time) (aim is 248x5x7)
112.5/248 x 7 - 112.5/248 x 7 - 112.5/248 x 7 - 112.5/248 x 7 - 112.5/248 x 7
Had a lecture so wisely decided to leave it there and work my back/anything else on my off day tomorrow before. Then I have 2 smolov days in a row which will be suitably brutal. 2 1/2 weeks until I get to throw just over 3pps on the bar again for reps… been too long.
I like smolov. A lot. Brutal and teaches technique so much better then once a week…
Pull-ups
Wide-grip - BW x 8 - mid-grip - +10/22 x 8 - +20/44 x 5
Lat Pulldown
CG - 80/176 x 10 - 90/198 x 6
Seated Cable Row
55/121 x 10 - 60/132 x 5
HS Low Row
3pps x 8 - 3pps x 5
DB Pullover
42/93 x 7 PR
Deadstop DB Row (other arm on rack, bb’er style)
50/110 x 8 - Thumbless/lat focus grip - 50/110 x 5
Called it there… didn’t want to overdo things with “heavier then ever” smolov the next two days in a row… figure I can add a little after those sessions if I’m alive… will probably do a little more assistance work overall in second week but have a similar back session on the Wednesday. Felt good to pump dem lats, front lat spread looked awesome in the mirror afterwards.
Good work man! Honestly though, I dont see you being able to run something like this for a long time. Especially going in on your off days which are crucial for recovery if you’re going to run something like this…
I think they way you’re going about this will be fruitful in the medium term. You’ll get stronger with the all the extra practice and training volume, but eventually gains will stall. It’s at the point that I discovered on accident that lowering frequency leads to gains like crazy AFTER the initial frequency. That was after training high frequency for many months and then just training less often. Again I noticed this inadvertently, so I wouldn’t approach it as an actual training methodology.
[quote]pbclax1 wrote:
Good work man! Honestly though, I dont see you being able to run something like this for a long time. Especially going in on your off days which are crucial for recovery if you’re going to run something like this…[/quote]
Not necessarily - I’ve eliminated all of my rest days and I do at least to of the following: Bench, overhead/push press, squat, deadlift, each session, every day, and I feel great.
[quote]pbclax1 wrote:
Good work man! Honestly though, I dont see you being able to run something like this for a long time. Especially going in on your off days which are crucial for recovery if you’re going to run something like this…[/quote]
Not necessarily - I’ve eliminated all of my rest days and I do at least to of the following: Bench, overhead/push press, squat, deadlift, each session, every day, and I feel great.[/quote]
I have ran something like this too, but I also wasn’t running a 2 different volume based programs which is what Jake is doing. Are you running two volume based programs while lifting everyday? That is my point, there is a difference between training instinctively everyday and training everyday based around a program.
Interesting stuff guys, always good to have discussions about such things. I’m not doing (additional) lifts which tax me in a way which would effect the next days performance, for me personally, from experience (hence seated cable rows instead of yates row, etc.). I know Sam trains with phlegms so it’s likely he’s also running double smolov with him too.
But I think the human body is more then capable of double smolov & more, assuming the ‘more’ is logical boundaries.
If I wasn’t eating well right now or I wasn’t getting adequate sleep, I wouldn’t be able to do this though.
I think it will be great for the squat especially and work reasonably well for bench, for as spar4tee points out, this is not a permanent state of being, after the initial 3 weeks I will more then likely take the reccomended 3 weeks off direct squatting work and probably start the proper cycle assuming all is well.
If smolov somehow also helps my deadlift (since I always fail on the floor) then I’ll be delighted, with that possibility in mind I’m probably going to try and hit 500+ sometime in the 3 week break from squat work.
edit: and at sams post… I’m definitely a fan training every day I can (6 is max, always have Saturdays off)… whether this entails just some extra calf/ab work or technique practise or whatever, I believe I recover/improve faster this way… on a very personal note, the more often I train, the more often I get to utilise peri-workout nutrition which provides valuable and easy calories.
[quote]pbclax1 wrote:
Good work man! Honestly though, I dont see you being able to run something like this for a long time. Especially going in on your off days which are crucial for recovery if you’re going to run something like this…[/quote]
Not necessarily - I’ve eliminated all of my rest days and I do at least to of the following: Bench, overhead/push press, squat, deadlift, each session, every day, and I feel great.[/quote]
I have ran something like this too, but I also wasn’t running a 2 different volume based programs which is what Jake is doing. Are you running two volume based programs while lifting everyday? That is my point, there is a difference between training instinctively everyday and training everyday based around a program.[/quote]
I’m reasonably sure that Jake got the idea from something myself and phlegms did a few weeks ago. So yes, I have. I’m not any longer, because I actually ended up gaining strength fast enough that I was ahead of the programs, so that’s why I left it.
[quote]SamMcLoughin wrote:
I’m reasonably sure that Jake got the idea from something myself and phlegms did a few weeks ago. So yes, I have. I’m not any longer, because I actually ended up gaining strength fast enough that I was ahead of the programs, so that’s why I left it.
[/quote]
Correct, fine sir. The approach seemed very well tailored to my exact current needs of:
-practise benching
-stop having sucky bench
-practise squatting
-stop having sucky squat
EDIT: for what its worth, I’m inclined to think olympic squatting (as I’m doing) may be a little quicker to recover from then powerlifting style, but I’m fairly sure either could work with smolov (largely based on empirical evidence and the fact the oly squat seems to have a less damaging eccentric portion).
Also- being used to every leg day being high set 12+ of high-ish reps… means 4-10 sets of medium-low arent taking my legs quite to “destruction” mode… just close (but yes I’m still scared for the 4th squat day of the week)
[quote]SamMcLoughin wrote:
I’m reasonably sure that Jake got the idea from something myself and phlegms did a few weeks ago. So yes, I have. I’m not any longer, because I actually ended up gaining strength fast enough that I was ahead of the programs, so that’s why I left it.
[/quote]
Correct, fine sir. The approach seemed very well tailored to my exact current needs of:
-practise benching
-stop having sucky bench
-practise squatting
-stop having sucky squat
EDIT: for what its worth, I’m inclined to think olympic squatting (as I’m doing) may be a little quicker to recover from then powerlifting style, but I’m fairly sure either could work with smolov (largely based on empirical evidence and the fact the oly squat seems to have a less damaging eccentric portion).
Also- being used to every leg day being high set 12+ of high-ish reps… means 4-10 sets of medium-low arent taking my legs quite to “destruction” mode… just close (but yes I’m still scared for the 4th squat day of the week)[/quote]
10x3 is nothing, the middle two are unpleasant though.
[quote]SamMcLoughin wrote:
10x3 is nothing, the middle two are unpleasant though.[/quote]
Second session was hard but today was definitely hardest yet. 10x3 will be hard purely because of no rest day beforehand and about 15 hours between sessions… but I’ll be giving it my all and hoping to get the reps.
Double Smolov, Week 1, Day 3
Bench Press (aim is 187x8x4)
85/187 x 4 - 85/187 x 4 - 85/187 x 4 - 85/187 x 4 - 85/187 x 4 - 85/187 x 4 - 85/187 x 4 - 85/187 x 4
Olympic Squat (aim is 265x7x5)
120/265 x 5 - 120/265 x 5 - 120/265 x 5 - 120/265 x 5 - 120/265 x 5 - 120/265 x 5 - 120/265 x 5
Today was undoubtably one of the toughest ‘hour and however long in the gym’ I’ve ever had. Absolutely had to get into the zone every set…
Very tough, I find my first set is getting used to it, second-third sets are better, middle sets are pretty hard and last 2 or so are very, very tough.
10 x 3 tomorrow should be very interesting on basically no recovery.
Good shit, now you know the pain I went through! I always found the first 2 sets on squats were absolute killers, middle sets I would find my grove. Then the last 2 sets I would have to get in the zone just to get under the bar. It’s tough, but stick with it and the gains will come thick and fast!
[quote]phlegms wrote:
Good shit, now you know the pain I went through! I always found the first 2 sets on squats were absolute killers, middle sets I would find my grove. Then the last 2 sets I would have to get in the zone just to get under the bar. It’s tough, but stick with it and the gains will come thick and fast! [/quote]
Read: thick [tight solid] and fast.
On a serious note, the back to back days aren’t so bad, I think I had 4x9 and 5x7 back to back though. Good stuff, keep it up.
It sure is tough. If I get through tomorrow I know it’s possible. After all the bench weights dont move much week to week… the squatting will be killer by the 3rd though!
Scary as hell but also exciting… I do like training in such a “badass” way…
Edit: I probably shouldnt have the heaviest two day set up next to each other but I’m just doing it as it’s laid out in what I’ve been using…
[quote]jake_j_m wrote:
It sure is tough. If I get through tomorrow I know it’s possible. After all the bench weights dont move much week to week… the squatting will be killer by the 3rd though!
Scary as hell but also exciting… I do like training in such a “badass” way…
Edit: I probably shouldnt have the heaviest two day set up next to each other but I’m just doing it as it’s laid out in what I’ve been using…[/quote]
Your quads are going to facking hate you broham! Eventually you start to go beyond doms and will just ache. But fret not, thats your gains right there!
[quote]phlegms wrote:
Your quads are going to facking hate you broham! Eventually you start to go beyond doms and will just ache. But fret not, thats your gains right there! [/quote]
I may be already there… I felt fine physically going into today…
Double Smolov, Week 1, Day 4
Bench Press (aim is 198x10x3)
90/198 x 3 - 90/198 x 3 - 90/198 x 3 - 90/198 x 3 - 90/198 x 3 - 90/198 x 3 - 90/198 x 3 - 90/198 x 2 - 90/198 x 2 - 90/198 x 1
Olympic Squat (aim is 281x10x3)
127.5/281 x 3 - 127.5/281 x 3 - 127.5/281 x 3 - 127.5/281 x 3 - 127.5/281 x 3 - 127.5/281 x 3 - 127.5/281 x 3 - 127.5/281 x 3 - 127.5/281 x 3 - 127.5/281 x 3
Squats felt easy overall… deep but I will go full a2g in week 2 just to be sure. Bench was tough as hell and lost concentration a little on the last few sets… last one especially, but overall, next week I am confident of hitting all reps all week.
Sunday: Smolov Day 1. Medial/posterial delt work, 3 sets per head. Calves, 5+ sets.
Monday: Biceps & basic ab work.
Tuesday: Smolov Day 2. Triceps long head, 3-5 high-rep sets.
Wednesday: Back.
Thursday: Smolov Day 3. No assistance work.
Friday: Smolov Day 4. No assistance work. (optional extra calf work)
Saturday: Rest Day
Pretty happy with it… expecting to nail the reps this week.