I’m doing Smolov Jr. right now. The competition is in February. I’m kinda skeptical, but I think this is solid considering he got gold in the last competition and he trained someone the same way and got gold as well.
I’d also like to say that nothing over 6 reps is NOT conducive of a 1RM. Sounds like a progression program I made when I was 16 (thats not a good thing).
With that progression you’ll be stuck somewhere around week 7 (where you do 3x5x90%) which would require a monster effort unless you’ve been doing 5’s previously with 90%. The previous work with 3x15-3x6 is too low intensity to give you any real base strength to break new records.
In my opinion you should spend more weeks (at least 4-6) in the 75-90% weights. And then finish off with 2-5 weeks above 90%.
Thanks guys. I think the premise here is that at week 8, I’m already stronger, so 95% of my week 1 1RM could be just around 85-88% of my probable 1RM at that time. But I don’t really know.
In any case, you guys are probably right. Anything over 6 reps might be unproductive for direct strength gains, but could it build me muscle that can help me once I reach the later weeks?
I’m also thinking of making the 40%-60% weeks all dynamic effort with sets of 3. I just don’t wanna offend the guy for changing his program since he’s training me for free. I mean he competed and won gold many times. It should work, but I’m still skeptical. I’m actually torn and confused.
I think high reps have their place every now and again. I’m coming off a high rep squat cycle (10’s and 12’s) and I just totally smashed my 5rm by 10kg with another 5kg or so in the bag (30 something lb like).
[quote]undeadlift wrote:
Thanks guys. I think the premise here is that at week 8, I’m already stronger, so 95% of my week 1 1RM could be just around 85-88% of my probable 1RM at that time. But I don’t really know.
[/quote]
My concern is that doing reps with under 70% don´t really make you stronger.
Certainly majority of us especially beginners should devote some time doing over 6 reps to gain muscle. Also accessory lifts should be used for hypertrophy. This certainly will increase your potential to increase max strength later.
Again in my opinion (and not just my) majority of strength work should consist of doing lots of reps with weights between 70-85%. This will build correct technique, work capacity and strength.
So the major flaw as I see it in your outlined program is that the program goes too fast from 70% to weights over 90%. It could work with a relative beginner whose difference in those weights is not that big. But even though I am not a competetive lifter nor at that level of strength myself…this approach does not work on me. Jumping to big weights too fast, after long period of low intensity stuff, would kill me.
You have to start somewhere. So just go for it and report to us how it went. Like I’ve said many times…nobody can tell you that something will or will not work…its up to you to decide. If you don’t break PR:s, which I hope you do, at least you will learn something about what works for you and what doesn’t.
The first 6 weeks look like a waste of time. And the percents are way too high in the last 5 weeks. But like Hanley said why not try it, its only 11 weeks.
I got to train with the guy today. He had around 6-8 assistance exercises for the bench, all 3 sets of 10. It looks more like a bodybuilding program than a powerlifting program.