Smolov vs. Smolov Jr.


Perhaps you’ve spent some time reading up on the full, 13-week Smolov squat program.  Or, maybe you’ve been reading up it’s little brother, the 3-week Smolov Jr. regimen.  You know you want to get stronger, but you’re not sure which protocol to use.  Let’s spend a little time discussing the two cycles.

First and foremost, you should really only consider using the full Smolov cycle for squats.  Also, this is a very demanding regimen and is really only meant for

smolov-squat-vs-smolov-jr

advanced lifters.  The stresses you’ll expose your body to under this cycle require that you’re prepared both physically and mentally – and there is no room for poor form when executing this cycle.

Smolov Jr. on the other hand is commonly used for a variety of lifts.  Though, the two most common are squatting and bench press.  Still, there are message boards filled with folks that have used this protocol to improve their deadlift, shoulder press or even weighted chin ups.  While this protocol isn’t as brutal as it’s big brother, it should still only be attempted by experienced lifters.

If you’d like to see what either of these programs would look like for you based on your personal 1 rep max, hop over to our Smolov or Smolov Jr. calculator.