Lessons From Smolov

1)RESPECT THE PROGRAM

I got carried away during the program, trying to fit in more squat days into the week than stipulated. For example, during the intense phase I was supposed to squat 3 days a week. Instead, i squat 3 days consecutively, and got my my ass handed to me. My cns suffered and I fell sick. I guess I was uncomfortable with the sudden drop in volume between the base cycle and intensive cycle, BUT DON'T BE A LITTLE BISH LIKE I WAS.

2)DAT FEEL

That said, it's okay to squat according to how you feel that day. During the base mesocycle, There were alot of days with weights ending with 2.5. Didn't really like that, so i rounded the weights up to a nice number instead. Perhaps it was psychological, but it felt nicer squatting a nicer number. Also, it enabled me to better prepare myself for the next increase in weight.

3)NO ADDITIONAL LOWER BACK WORK

This point should be fairly obvious. Before Smolov, despite my horrendous form, I was a cleans and snatch junkie. I even tried to do some cleans before my first base meso session. Don't. Your lower back will be getting enough work from regular heavy squatting.

4)EAT

When you're on Smolov, YOU NEED YOUR DAMN CARBS. Smolov is not the time to worry about body composition , whether your abs show, shit like that. It's a performance oriented program, so, just as you have to train like a machine, EAT LIKE A MACHINE. My metabolism shot up up. I started eating almost more food then I could afford, and yet i was still hungry alot of the time. I gained 4kg in weight, but believe me when i say it was all muscle. I started getting lines across my chest, which I didn't have before, and the veins on my delts became more pronounced. That said, try to save your feasting for AFTER your squat session.

5)FEAR

If you're apprehensive of the upcoming session, that's good. That's real good. That means you're actually training. But don't let the fear incapacitate you. Use it as one source of motivation. I am very affected by my environment, so I tend to listen to very loud music when I lift. I find that it transforms my fear into a desire to dominate the weight that i previously feared. Sometimes, especially when you're training alone for that day, it is imperative that you find a way to get into that zone. The program also builds confidence. Before Smolov, 140 was a weight that scared me. I had to have a spotter before I would use that weight. However, on the last day of my base mesocycle, I had to squat 140 for ten sets of three reps, and my training partner couldn't make it. Didn't give a fk, went for it, and cleared it without a hitch.

6)REST

As I said earlier, Smolov is a performance oriented program, so rest as much as necessary between sets, and then rest some more. As Frank Yang said, when you feel you're ready for your next set, rest 15 seconds more. He did mention some broscience about how your cardiovascular system recovers faster than your CNS or some shit. Whatever it is, try to rest at least 3 minutes between heavy sets. I tried to push myself by keeping my rest time low, starting on my next set while my heart rate was still pretty damn high. Not cool. Do pull ups/hang from a bar to aid decompression, or do face pulls to warm up your shoulder girdle. While on Smolov, you also need your sleep. Try to sleep at least seven hours a night. This part should be self explanatory.

7)SUPPLEMENTS

I don't know, but drinking coffee before every session and taking creatine after worked pretty well for me. In case you've never taken creatine/ aren't taking it right now, I highly advise that you take it when attempting Smolov. Also, I took, and am taking, fish oil, glucosamine, vitamin C, and Gaspari Anavites. Not sure if all that shit helped, but I recovered pretty damn fast between sessions, and my knee and back didn't give me any problems.