SMOLOV IN DEPTH: SQUAT, EAT, SLEEP, HATE YOURSELF, REPEAT and WHAT IS THE 40% RULE?

"...and as for why I no longer kill? I hate no man as much as I hate myself."

DISCLAIMER: 

If weightlifting is not 50% of the reason you are still alive, then promptly execute an about face and swiftly walk out of this room afraid to even breath. Do not make eye contact with any of us. Go back to your scenic hiking trails, your spartan-military-warlord-beastmode-challenger XxXtreme hard-earned-mud soaked obstacle course fetish, and your sisters walk/run/fun 5K benefits. Only the committed and proven are worthy of the content in this blog. You have to leave because the things we discuss and addresses require qualities not allowed with the garbage modern gym culture. Things like uhhhhh.....COMMITMENT, DEDICATION, or (get this) ACTUALLY TRYING! We do things that are hard and painful. WE ARE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT QUIT WHEN ITS GETS HARDER. When its difficult we look up and say “Gimme Some.”

sadistic in all of our endeavors.

If you are still here:

Hit yourself in the face once or twice.

 Bang your chest.

Spit on the floor.

Scream at the mirror.

Channel your disgust. 

Have pride in how fucked up you are.

Walk into your gym confident and strong.

Crawl out of your gym humbled and stronger.

Hopefully your dick is hard and your palms are seizing up into fists that refuse to release. Enjoy that pre-post Fluff. GET SOME! Now lets get our knuckles bloody.

"IF IT DOESN'T SUCK, WE DON'T DO IT."

LEARNING THE 40% RULE. 

What is the 40% rule?  This quote is from a Navy SEAL who created the 40% mantra.

“…He would say that when your mind is telling you you’re done, you’re really only 40 percent done. And he had a motto: If it doesn’t suck, we don’t do it. And that was his way of every day forcing us to get uncomfortable to figure out what our baseline was and what our comfort level was and just turning it upside down. We all have that will. It’s just a matter of how we apply it.

A brief overview of the 40% mentality.

This is biblical. I know this first hand. One of the greatest gifts the Infantry gave me is the ability to push past the point of your exhaustion. When I was in boot camp I started learning what I was capable of. Each grueling two-a-day Physical Training session peppered with little sleep and endless 45pound ruck marches with a 27 pound rifle had me breaking down fast and looking for sympathy. In the Army we called it “feeling sorry for yourself.” That is the initial 40% peak. Your smoked and ready to stop, but the reality of the task ahead would not accommodate my butt hurt feelings and tired body. There was no sympathy and there never will be. I had to move on for the greater good of the team. If I failed, my squad failed. If our squad failed, we either died or were punished with even more grueling physical exercises after we finished whatever task we were currently doing. What we called “getting the shit smoked out of you”. I swear to you there were times where I was so drenched in sweat and hadn't stopped moving for hours. I was seeing shit. The face of God appeared before me. That is how I know I was fucked up. I was seeing shit that doesn't even exist. So, with each passing week I began going a little bit further and faster than the previous week but I never realized it until the end of my 16-week Ft. Benning vacation. I reflected on how far I came and how much more resilient I was. Resilience is a crucial ingredient in endurance and fatigue.  

All the hardest and strongest dudes I served with had become soldiers who fed of the failure of others around them. Two reasons: 1) That is one less competitor in the event or training and 2) It was a tool used to guilt those who couldn’t hack it into manning the fuck up, stop feeling sorry for themselves. They were mocked in hopes they would dig into that 60% reserve to get that famed second wind. 9 out 10 times the fading soldiers fell out with heads down and little shame. But that 1 dude out of every 10 responded to his failures and mockery by quickly getting back in line and pushing on silently. That 1 dude has now earned the respect his peers because he showed his ass (flagrantly showing people your weakness) and was ready to tap but something clicked in him and he carried on.

Mind Control.

 Self Control by Laura Branigan.

SMOLOV SQUAT PROGRAM: THEN AND NOW

Long time readers should already be familiar with the Smolov Program. I have relentlessly preached its merits over the last three years. In all my years of gym weightlifting nothing I’ve done or tried to do has ever given me results the way Smolov has. It a program crafted to perfection. It is philosophical as much as it is quantitative. Weight room poetry in motion. It is a rewarding path littered with landmines of short-term goals that accumulate into gratifying long-term triumphs.

If you have no idea what I am talking about the click the link below to learn. You are required to visit the link below before further reading.

How to add 100 pounds to your squat.

This article is intended for anyone interested in growing respectable legs, confidence, size, weight, and wisdom. From the flabby n00b who knows hes gotta shape up before his bad back and left knee give out at the "old" age of 28, to the overly tattooed Co-Magnon who recently unlocked his true potential and has actually transformed himself into a respectable monster, to even the tanned IG rock star who somehow manages plug a garbage ass "sponsor" into photos of a bottled water and cuddling rescue dogs.

I feel confident in my ability to molest the entire spectrum of lifters because this is not my first Smolov Cycle.  I completed my first Smolov cycle at Anytime Fitness in Olympia, WA and Wilson Sports and Fitness Center on JBLM North Post in Fort Lewis at the start of 2014. Currently I am quarter into my 2nd descent.

The above information is crucial to you the reader because who I was then as a lifter and who I am now are depressingly similar but incredibly different.

HNNNG

I am going to list and compare the circumstances, differences, nutrition, opinions, and results of both cycles. I hope this helps you and give you the motivation or idea to submit to this program. I also hope its aids in better understanding the unseen work of a typical Smolov cycle.

Now, I am writing this with the assumption that you are not a competitive bodybuilder who's finances are dictated by the number of pumps achieved before 2100. You are a workingman, you are a student, you are a three job-working bachelor, you are a father/husband/guardian. You spend your days and nights shifting your energy and empathy into multiple facets of existence. Plainly put, you got other shit going on in your life all the time. BUT like any hobby, when you want to pursue your interest you find the fucking resources and you make the goddamn time to make it happen.

The caption of this photo is really what sells it for me. Time To Feel indeed.

Cycle One: March -June (2014)

1. Before this I only recently began squatting. I would say about 8 months of squatting once a week. High reps of weight that never went heavier than 225. I thought I was building big legs but really i was just building false hope. I already addressed the error of my non-squatting ways before. I’m ashamed it took me that long to realize how important legs were in building a strong frame. Because I had not squatted for very long or frequently I was totally blind to proper squat form and technique. I learned as I progressed in the program.  In hindsight I wish I had focused more on that kinda stuff when I was cherry because I did suffer some minor tears and long lasting aches that took an incredibly long time to correct and become habit.

2. I was in the Army and my normal M-F work schedule was as follows:

Wake up at 0430, leave by 0515, at work 10 minutes before 0600

Physical Training was 0630-0930 (average 10-12 miles of running a week)

Work till 1700 or 1800

Eat and at the gym by 2000 for the lift.

Asleep by 2230-2300

3. Sleep was decent but by no means good. Weekend's allowed me to catch up on rest. Rest and Relaxation is an extremely important component of this program. Do not miss an opportunity to lay down and do nothing.

4. I had no child and was not in college. This is the single reason I was able to execute this program despite my grueling work schedule.

5. My final 3 weeks of the program where I was to attempt my new true max was cut off because of an extended training exercise. I left for the desert of California to train outdoors in 100 degree heat for 6 weeks. Everything I built was lost. It was a very hard climb back to the top. I still remember how depressed I was when I came back. Never again.

6. I ate like an animal with complete disregard for calories or content. Talking medium pizza and 10 wings for lunch like it was nothing. Dozen eggs a day, Burger King and Wendy’s value menu daily, etc… It was actually quite fun. I had never done anything like that before.

7. I drank alcohol waaaaay more than I do now. Binge drank every weekend getting wasted. Its just was soldiers do.

8. My legs, shoulders, trunk, arms, grew exponentially. Incredibly significant gains were achieved boys. I had to buy new underwear and pants quicker than I expected. It’ll never for the ecstasy of finally being one of the big dudes who always complained about jeans not fitting.

9. My start weight was 205 and my finish weight was 222.

10. I did not keep a written log with notes of all my lifts. I just screen shot the week’s program and followed it from my phone. I did however document significant portions of my lifts on Instagram and with photos. I can now go back and compare where I was then to now to actually see with clear vision how much I was improving and growing. This is highly recommended for everyone attempting this program or something similar. You don’t know how far you’ve come if you don’t know where you’ve been.

11. I stretched out often before and after my lifts. Learned a lot of new stretches and which ones helped me the most for recovery and performance. I learned the basics of foam rolling but admittedly did not do them 100% the right way. My stretching routine did not incorporate rolling out the bottoms of my feet or my calves. Which is imperative in maintaining muscle, joint, and tendon health. Especially the older you get and the longer you’ve been a hard lifting meathead.

Commin' outta a 13-week program like...

 

Cycle Two: January-April (2016)

1. No longer in the military. Fuck yeah. This now gives me ample time for recovery since my other responsibilities (class, homework, studying, writing papers, Dad stuff) requires minimal physical output. On the other hand, the accelerated mental output throughout my day does breed its own challenges. 

2. I am keeping an detailed and descriptive written log of each lift. I have notes on some of those pages to get a better look on where I am at and what, if anything, needs to be addressed. 

Keeping a workout log like this is also helpful in keeping me focused and motivated. So again I strongly suggest you do something similar when tackling any extended training program.

3. Now instead of being a soldier I am a full time college student. Classes are long with labs. No summer breaks. Every semester has been full-time.

4. I am a father now. My daughter recently turned 1-year old. This makes scheduling gym times a little harder but I am not complaining. I have learned how to adapt to the change. Like any dedicated lifter should.

5. My wife works now. Her hours are erratic and she works random weekends when asked. Another hurdle to jump when planning lifts.

6. My diet is nothing like the first cycle. I eat often and a lot but within reason, I do not gorge on fast food. I eat big meals I make at home, always eating snacks, and whatever my wife cooks I try to eat as much as humanly possible. I never leave the house without something to eat. I am a walking commissary. 

7. My drinking has decreased tenfold. I don't drink because I am home and bored. I have occasional weekend outings where I drink with my buddies and we stay out late but it is light years away from my behavior during the Army and my first cycle.

8. I have learned soooooo fucking much over the last two years about my body, weight lifting, form, stretching technique. I am by no means an expert, but I have a better grasp on what I am doing. My form is considerably better, my stretching is disciplined and effective, my muscles are stronger, and I have learned the merits of mobility and conditioning during the cycle. Basically I have gained more wisdom. A natural side effect of caring.

9. Things that once hurt no longer hurt me. Knee is no issue at all. Left foot cramping and burning pains have subsided, ankles have gotten stronger, my lower back no longer activates as rapidly and burns out before my quads do.

10. I am in an environment (Rockwell Barbell) filled with the proper tools. I have access to friends and people with years of power lifting experience and years of personal and corrective training. If ever I have a pressing question or need a recommendation they are quick to help. It’s a lifesaver. I am grateful for my place in the gym and am humbled to be a part of something so heavy. If I may be real for a moment there is no gym in Chicago and definitely no gym in the Midwest that compares to what we have. If you have ever been fortunate enough to come through then you know what I speak of. Its literally like going to a punk or hardcore show except there are no bands playing. But its just as intense as if they were. Friday nights are lit son. Its is organic, cathartic, and raw. I equate it too a ritual of the utmost extreme. You walk in there on Friday night bench press and it smells like a goddamn fight club. 

Obviously I have not completed this cycle yet. I'm in Week 5 right now. This is where I remember it getting hard. The weight is increasing and I slightly dread it sometimes. Which is awesome. Punish the deserving! Im finding this cycle to be a little more challenging because I am a little older and some aspects of my body are weaker than I'd like. I fine tuned my program schedule to accommodate more back work on days that don't call for squatting.

When you thought you were gonna miss the rep but still managed to fart it out.

 

THE TAKE AWAY: You do not have to do Smolov or have an interest in it to see the pay-off is no secret. Boiling away the spreadsheets, gram counting, recovery, planning, and high-speed discussion points or critiques what remains is this….

Consistent and methodical hard work with reasonable challenges executed over extended time creates Net Gains. We know this truth in the weight room as much as the work place.  It’s an ethos all successful people hold dear.

I refuse to live the farrow existence.

I hope my observations on extended program training impact lifting. I do not intend to talk down to anyone. I just record my observations and relay them to anyone who cares to listen. Take what thou wilt and do what thou must. I’ll see you in Hell.

I leave you with three powerful quotes from the late Jim Rohn. The most sincere and real motivational speaker there ever was and ever will be. Let these words marinate in your head. Really take the time to read them and analyze them. You’ll see that everything I have wrote about and speak of is what this man said for 40 years. Respect.

 

 

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”

“We all must suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret”

 “If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.”

STAY GRIM. HIT THE GYM.