As I now have a light 3 week period during my Smolov squat routine, due to the switching cycle, I have decided to sample another of his routines named Smolov Jr..
Smolov Jr. is an intense 3 week routine commonly used to improve one's bench. It can be used for other compound movements, some have used it for deadlifts but I would advise against this as the sheer volume would put a lot of stress on the central nervous system (CNS) as the back takes a longer time to heal.
I love chest workouts, there's nothing like the aching feeling in your chest the day after. So this should be a lot of fun with the bench. I personally prefer the dumbbell bench press, as it uses more muscles to stabilise your entire body (well, that and it gives a thicker look to your chest over a wide!). However, I will be using the bar for this routine as my DB bench press is way better than my barbell, which shouldn't necessarily be the case!
The routine involves benching 4 times a week similar to the base cycle of the Smolov squat routine: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Each session sees a percentage increase in weight from an initial 1RM. The sets are as follows:
Mon: 6x6
Wed: 7x5
Fri: 8x4
Sat: 10x3
This type of program has been criticised before. The chest muscles are smaller than the legs and so do not react so well to the volume of the program. They are not given enough time to recuperate. On the other hand, many people before have tried and succeeded, adding up to 20kg to their bench press in 3 weeks!
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