Popular Training Systems Adapted To Neurotype - Part 2 - Smolov - Thibarmy PDF

5/12/2020 Popular Training Systems Adapted to Neurotype - Part 2: Smolov - Thibarmy
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POPULAR TRAINING
SYSTEMS ADAPTED TO
NEUROTYPE – PART 2:
SMOLOV
Articles Neurotyping Strength and performance / 02 January,
2018 /
By Christian Thibaudeau
Privacy - Terms
https://thibarmy.com/popular-training-systems-adapted-to-neurotype-part-2-smolov/ 1/17
CrossFit did many great things for the world of lifting in

general, three of which are the democratization of the
deadlift, squat and Olympic lifts. Prior to the advent of
CrossFit, I would say that maybe 30% of the gym rats
squatted with any kind of intensity and dedication. Even
less than that deadlifted and let’s not even talk about
Olympic lifting! But CrossFit made it cool to do these lifts.
And as such, even when you go to bro gyms, you will see
a lot more people squatting and deadlifting than in the
previous 20 years.
With the increase in popularity of these lifts came the

need to shine in the gym (and mostly, on social media) by
putting up big numbers. And who talks about the need to
get stronger also talks about the need for a super secret
magic program!
Enter the Smolov squat program!
WHAT IS “SMOLOV”
Smolov refers to two speci c progression models

designed for bringing squat numbers up. You have the
full version which is 13 weeks long and the Smolov Junior
version, which is more of a blitz and lasts 3 weeks (and
we would normally add a 4th week which would be your
peak).
In this article, I will be discussing adaptations to the

Smolov Jr. model, as it is the most popular out of the two.
It is a program based on frequency (squatting four times a

week) and stimulus variation (using a di erent sets/reps
scheme on all four days).
The basic schedule for the Smolov Jr. is as follows:
DAY 1 (Monday) – 6 sets of 6 reps
DAY 2 (Wednesday) – 7 sets of 5 reps
DAY 3 (Friday) – 8 sets of 4
DAY 4 (Saturday) – 10 sets of 3 Privacy - Terms
The progression model is:
DAY 1
Week 1: 70%
Week 2: Add 10lbs
Week 3: Add 10lbs
DAY 2
Week 1: 75%
Week 2: Add 10lbs
Week 3: Add 10lbs
DAY 3
Week 1: 80%
Week 2: Add 10lbs
Week 3: Add 10lbs
DAY 4
Week 1: 85%
Week 2: Add 10lbs
Week 3: Add 10lbs
And if we were to add a peak week to establish a new PR

I would suggest:
DAY 1 – 4 x 3 @ 80%
DAY 2 – 3 x 2 @ 90%
DAY 3 – 3 x 1 @ 80%
DAY 4 – Test max
IF YOU WANT TO SQUAT A LOT … YOU NEED TO

SQUAT A LOT
Privacy - Terms
The basic premise of the Smolov plan is simple: if you

want a lift to go up, train that lift very often. A higher
frequency of training is something I’ve always believed in.
All the most rapid strength gains I made in my lifting
career occurred when I focused on bringing up one lift by
training it hard very often (of course, decreasing the
amount of work for the other lifts).
– I took my snatch grip high pull from 130kg to 180kg in a

little over 3 weeks by doing high pulls and pull variations
6 days a week.
– I took my bench press from 165kg to 190kg in 6 weeks

by bench pressing 5 days a week using various methods
– I reached a 225kg front squat and 280kg high bar back

squat by squatting 5-6 days a week
– When I decided to hit my squat hard again after 6 years

of almost not training legs I took my squat from 180kg to
230kg in 5 weeks training the squat 4-5 days a week
So, to me the Smolov program is nothing “new” or

“special”. If anything, to anybody with an Olympic lifting
background, it shouldn’t be ground-breaking because
Olympic lifters are used to squatting 4-6 days a week.
But for the general population, and mostly for the

CrossFit community (in which it became super popular for
a while) it was a revolution.
Don’t get me wrong, there is some value to changing the

sets/reps scheme on every squatting day but the real key
to the success of the Smolov program is the high
frequency of squatting: 4 days a week.
It’s the high frequency that will maximize neural

adaptations like muscle ber recruitment, inter and
intramuscular coordination muscle ber ring rate. And
these adaptations are what drive strength gains.
Never forget one thing: displaying maximal strength is

not just a physical capacity: it’s a motor skill.
And never forget that the most important thing to

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improve a motor skill is frequency, not quantity, of
practice.
A higher frequency of training a muscle group is also a

superior way to stimulate muscle growth, especially in the
natural trainee who needs to trigger protein synthesis via
the training session; which means that more frequent
sessions (as long as you can recover) will lead to better
growth.
LOAD VARIATION TO MAXIMIZE GAINS
While the high frequency is the most important element

of the Smolov plan, the daily load variation also plays a
role in maximizing the gains.
First, even though the Smolov Jr. plan focuses less on

hypertrophy than the original plan (which uses sets of 7
and 9 reps), the sets of 6 and 5 reps will help you
increase muscle mass. Especially considering the high
number of sets, leading to a higher overall volume. And
the last two days target mostly neural adaptations via low
reps/heavier loads.
There are also bene ts in gradually increasing the load

used from day to day; rst it gradually ramps up the
nervous system, but most of all it allows for a gentler
psychological adaptation, getting you gradually prepared
for your all-out e ort on day four.
As such, we could say that Smolov works for two main

reasons:
. The high frequency maximizes neural adaptations

and helps you become more comfortable and
technically e cient in the squat
. The di erent types of stimulation throughout the
week allow you to target both muscle mass
increase and neural gains, both of which play a big
role in getting stronger on a lift
THE LIMITATIONS OF THE SMOLOV PLAN
When I was involved in the CrossFit community, the

Smolov plan became super popular at one point. That
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was around 4-5 years ago, right after the Games.

Suddenly, everybody wanted to do the Smolov Jr. plan.
I know tons of CrossFit athletes who did it. I would say

that 25-30% got amazing results, 50% had decent results
but not to the level they expected, and the rest had
unsatisfactory results (ranging from a small increase to
even a small decrease in squatting strength).
I believe that the Smolov plan works very well,

physiologically. But, it is my experience that people
grossly underestimate the importance of the
psychological aspect of training. Namely, if a program is
not motivating for you, you will get less results because it
will a ect your training focus and intensity.
The Smolov plan as it is might be good for some

neurotypes. Type 2A for example, will be well suited for
the traditional Smolov Jr. training plan. First, because they
can do both muscular and neural work with equal
motivation. Also, with them everything works, but nothing
works for a long time (they need the most variation) but
type 2A are also natural mimickers: they tend to adapt
themselves to the person they are with or take on
personality traits from the person that is the most
important/in uential in their circle. They are the ones who
are the most likely to become more motivated by doing a
“big name” program or follow a diet based on a speci c
ideology. They are also often attracted to CrossFit and
will be the ones who buy all the expensive Rogue gear
even when they are just recreational trainees. So, a Type
2A will be motivated by doing a “well known” program.
However give the Smolov Jr. as is to a neurotype 1A and

you will either burn them out or kill their motivation. Type
1A are designed for two things 1) intensity (heavy weights)
and 2) competition. They are not designed for volume
and have a marked decrease in performance after 9-12
seconds of e ort, and prefer when the load is at least
85% of their maximum. They also burn out fast when
doing volume work.
Considering these elements, sets of 6 will not be

e ective for them, they should normally stay at 5 reps or Privacy - Terms
less on big compound movements. The high number of

sets with a xed weight is also not good for them: they
normally have a decrease in performance after 3-4 heavy
sets and continuing with more volume will make it very
hard for them to recover.
Furthermore, only the last day touches weights in the

zone that really motivates them and makes them feel
satis ed (85%+).
Since they are competitive they must “beat the workout”

and as such, using a xed percentage or sticking to a
programmed weight will not be motivating for them.
With that in mind, here are my recommendations for how

do a “Smolov-like” approach for each neurotype.
TYPE 1A SQUAT CYCLE
Type 1A are competitive, intense and driven. They are an

all-or-nothing personality. They want to win at everything.
They are neurologically designed for maximal e orts but
cannot tolerate volume. When it comes down to a set,
they have a drastic drop in performance after 9-12
seconds making sets of more than 5-6 reps on the big
compound lifts (like squats) an ine cient way to train.
The Type 1A do very well on high frequency so they won’t

have trouble with the 4 sessions of squats per week. But
they can’t do volume and need to be able to “win the
workout”, meaning that they don’t do well when they are
given a speci c weight to lift in a given workout.
When doing a Smolov-like program the Type 1A should

not go above 5 reps per set to stay in the right zone.
Here is what a weekly schedule should look like:
Option 1 : Ramp up Heavier from day to day
DAY 1 – Work up to a 5RM (maximum weight that can be

lifted for 5 reps with good form) using the hanging band
technique*. Hang 25-35 lbs per side.
DAY 2 – Work up to a 5RM with a slow eccentric (4-5

seconds)
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DAY 3 – Work up to a 3RM (normal reps)
DAY 4 – Work up to a technically solid 1RM (normal reps)
NOTE: “Work up” or “Ramping” means that you do sets of

the target reps (5, 3 or 1) while gradually adding weight
on every set. You start with around 60% and work up
from there. Type 1A need the fewest sets when doing a
ramp up. I normally want them to reach their top weight in
around 5 sets. Of course, if dealing with the 600lbs+
squatter it might take a few more sets to get there.
There is no need for a week to week progression model,

since each training day is a ramp up to a daily RM.
Option 2: Range of motion reduction to increase load
DAY 1 – Squat from pins below parallel work up to 3 RM
DAY 2 – Squat from pins parallel work up to 3 RM
DAY 3 – Box squat parallel work up to 2 RM
DAY 4 – Box squat above the parallel work up to 1 RM
NOTE: The 1A pro le has a speci city: it can gain strength

over the full amplitude of a movement even if it they are
only partial movements, the only condition being that the
nervous system is strongly activated.
TYPE 1B SQUAT CYCLE
Type 1B are also con dent and somewhat competitive. In

training, 1B show this competitiveness in the form of
impatience. They judge their training by how much more
weight they can lift and they want to progress NOW! They
are naturally explosive, they are wired to use the stretch
re ex (because of the higher level of acetylcholine.
Acetylcholine increases the sensitivity of the muscle
spindle/stretch re ex). They also need more variation;
mostly in the motor tasks not so much in the style of
repetition/method.
NOTE: The training tools used (speciality bar, chains,

bands, weight releasers) are not “methods”, they are
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“means” which are seen by the brain as a di erent motor

task because the movement feels completely di erent.
Type 1B should thus vary either the squat variation or the

tool used on each of the four workouts, but always going
from the smaller to the greater load (to respect the
original Smolov progression).
Just like a Type 1A, they don’t do well where there are too
many work sets for each exercise. As such the original
model will not t them well.
Here are two options:
Option 1. Squat variation
DAY 1 – Front squat / Ramp to a 5RM
DAY 2 – Safety bar squat / Ramp to a 4RM
DAY 3 – Zercher squat / Ramp to a 3RM
DAY 4 – Back squat / Ramp to a 2RM
You can reverse the day 2 and day 3 exercises

depending on your weakness. If your Zercher squat is
lighter than your safety bar squat, do the Zercher on day
2.
Option 2. Tool variation
DAY 1 – Hanging band technique1 / Ramp to 5RM
DAY 2 – Reverse band squat2 / Ramp to 4RM
DAY 3 – Squat with chains3 / Ramp to 3RM
DAY 4 – Squat with bands4 / Ramp to 2RM
NOTE: If you have access to a set of weight releasers you

can replace the bands on DAY 4, by weight releasers
adding around 10% per side. Do not do the eccentric
super slow, do a normal eccentric and use the extra load
during the eccentric to trigger and even bigger stretch
re ex.
Information about the tools Privacy - Terms
* For the bands, I will use the Elite FTS models but I will
also list the width of the band if you are using a di erent
brand.
. With the hanging band technique I recommend

handing 25-35lbs per side. You hang them using a
pro light band (1 and 1/8th of an inch wide)
. With the reverse band squat you can use either a
pro light band (1 and 1/8th of an inch) or a pro
average band (1.75 inches wide). Of course, with
the former you will use less barbell weight because
it will not help you as much. With a type 1B, I prefer
to use less band assistance (so the pro light would
be better) because we don’t want an excessive
overload at the top.
. For the chains, it is important to set them up
properly. When you are at the top, there should be
1-2 links on the oor, no more (and it should not
hang freely in the air either) and when it’s on the
oor the totality of the chains should be on the oor.
This provides the greatest load contrast throughout
the exercise. You will need either a smaller chain or
a nylon belt (I’ve even used a very thick resistance
band) to hang the chains. And the chains should be
“folded” in half to allow for the total deload at the
bottom.
Each set of chains should weigh 20-25lbs. You can get

some here: https://www.elitefts.com/eliteftstm-pair-of-5-8-
chains.html
If your squat is less than 405lbs, use only one set of

chains. If it’s between 405 and 500, use two sets and if it
is above 500, use three sets per side.
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. In the squat with added band resistance (band

attached to the bottom of the rack) use either a pro
light band (1 1/8th of an inch), a pro average band
(1.75″) or pro strong band (2.5″ wide) depending on
your strength level. Up to 315, use the light band,
up to 405, use the average band and if you squat
more use the strong band. A Type 1A could use
more band resistance, but Type 1B are better o
using more barbell weight and less band weight.
TYPE 2A SQUAT CYCLE
Type 2A are normally extroverted and fun to be around.

However, deep down they have a lower level of
con dence and the reason why they are fun to be around
is that they need everybody to like them. They are great
at adapting to the person they are talking to. They can
handle a lot of physical work, they are hard to overtrain,
BUT they get easily bored from training if it becomes
repetitive. If they repeat the same training for too long,
they will show signs of mental fatigue that are similar to
overtraining. As I always say, with them everything works
but nothing works for long. They do better when they
have a wide variety of stimuli in their training.
For this reason, they can do the Smolov Jr. as it was

designed. The change in rep ranges throughout the week
will keep them motivated, at least for a while. And the
program being 3-4 weeks in length is about the limit of
what they can do.
Even though the traditional Smolov Jr. program will work

for them, I still prefer an approach that includes more
variation, especially in the methods used (Type 2A love
methods variation).
Option 1. Method variation
DAY 1 – Speed squats with 60-67.5% of 1RM for sets of 3

(see progression model after the schedule)
DAY 2 – Slow eccentrics (5 seconds) squats 4 sets of 6
DAY 3 – Paused squats (3 second just short of the

bottom position) 6 sets of 4 Privacy - Terms
DAY 4 – Regular squats ramp up to 3RM
NOTE ON PROGRESSION
For DAY 1 the progression over 4 weeks is as follow:
Week 1: 12 x 3 @ 60%
Week 2: 10 x 3 @ 62.5%
Week 3: 8 x 3 @ 65%
Week 4: 6 x 3 @ 67.5%
For DAY 2 the progression over 4 weeks is as follow:
Week 1: 4 x 6 @ 70%
Week 2: 4 x 6 with 10lbs more
For DAY 3 the progression over 4 weeks would look like:
Week 1: 6 x 4 @ 75%
On DAY 4 you work up to a 3RM so there is no speci c

progression scheme.
Option 2. mechanical advantage progression
* In this option I give you three exercises but you only

do one depending on the week. See the progression
model at the bottom for more info.
DAY 1 – Frankenstein squat – Front squat – Front squat

heels elevated
DAY 2 – Front squat – Zercher squat – High bar back

squat Privacy - Terms
DAY 3 – Zercher squat – High bar back squat –

Powerlifting/low bar back squat
DAY 4 – High bar back squat – Powerlifting/low bar back

squat – Sumo deadlift
Week 1 = Work up to 5 RM for the rst movement
Week 2 = Work up to 4 RM for the second movement
Week 3 = Work up to 3 RM for the third movement
Week 4 = Only to the back squat (your style of choice)

on all 4 day, 4 x 3 @ 80% on day 1, 3 x 1 @ 90% on day
2, 3 x 2 @ 80% on day 3, and test your max on day 4
TYPE 2B SQUAT CYCLE
Type 2B place a lot of importance on the mind-muscle

connection, they do well on a high level of lactic acid, in
fact they like it… the burn and the pump are two things
that make them feel good about the workout. They don’t
do as well on very low reps with near-maximal weight. I
like to describe their training as such: “They become
stronger by becoming bigger”, meaning that even when
training for strength they should focus on adding more
muscle amass.
They will do quite well on a Smolov-like approach (they

don’t need much variation as long as they feel a good
mind-muscle connection and pump), but the Smolov Jr.
might be a bit too low on reps to really target maximal
hypertrophy. And when they go heavy, they can’t do too
many sets because neural work is a lot more
traumatic/stressful for them and they can’t do a lot of it.
However, they can do a high volume of hypertrophy work
and recover more easily.
For them I would recommend the following structure:
DAY 1 – 6 sets of 10
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And I would use the following progression model:
DAY 1
Week 1: 65%
Week 2: Add 10lbs
Week 3: Add 10lbs
Week 4: Add 10lbs
DAY 2
Week 1: 70%
Week 2: Add 10lbs
Week 3: Add 10lbs
Week 4: Add 10lbs
DAY 3
Week 1: 75%
Week 2: Add 10lbs
Week 3: Add 10lbs
Week 4: Add 10lbs
DAY 4
Week 1: 80%, 82.5%, 85%
Week 2: 82.5%, 85%, 87.5%
Week 3: 85%, 87.5%, 90%
Week 4: 87.5%, 90%, 92.5%
Type 2B should use a fairly slow eccentric (around 4

seconds) on pretty much all their reps. This will give them
a better mind-muscle connection, movement control and Privacy - Terms
pump while helping them build more muscle (they get

stronger by becoming bigger).
TYPE 3 SQUATTING CYCLE
Type 3 are more naturally anxious and prefer to follow a

speci c plan. They also don’t need much variation, which
makes a high frequency plan like Smolov appealing to
them. However, they don’t do well on heavy weights and
are often intimidated when it comes to putting more
weight on the bar: they must feel like that have mastered
a certain weight before being able to accept putting more
on the bar. They are very patient and not number-driven,
but rather put a big emphasis on technical mastery and
precision.
The original Smolov Jr. plan is good in structure but the

weights are too high and the daily variation in load might
not be optimal for them.
With them, I prefer a xed-load during the week, but

increasing the demand of the sessions by changing the
style of reps using methods like slow eccentrics and
pauses. This also allows them to improve technique and
gives them the feeling of being in control of the weight,
which is key for them to be able to progress.
NOTE: Type 3 do much better if they repeat the same

program for longer. So even though I am giving a 4-week
plan, they will get the best results from repeating the plan
2 or even 3 times in a row.
IMPORTANT THING FOR TYPE 3: WARM-UP SETS:
Here is the structure they should follow:
DAY 1 – 5 x 10 regular reps
DAY 2 – 5 x 8 with a slow eccentric (5 seconds)
DAY 3 – 5 x 6 with a slow eccentric & a 2 sec pause at

the mid-range position during the eccentric (going down)
DAY 4 – 5 x 4 with a slow eccentric & a 2 sec pause at

the mid-range during the concentric (going up)
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And the progression model would be as such:
Start with a weight of 65% (you use the same weight for
all 4 sessions) and add 5-10lbs per week. Remember that
Type 3 are patient, and don’t like big weight increases.
That’s why I prefer that they do 2 or 3 cycles in a row for
maximum progress. If they decide only to do one, they
can likely increase by 10lbs per week but it will take its
toll mentally since they are built more for slow, gradual
progression.
CONCLUSION
Don’t get me wrong, the original Smolov Jr. plan will work
for pretty much all the neurotypes, at least to some
extent. After all, it’s only 3-4 weeks long, not really
enough to cause a dramatic decrease in motivation. But
as with all the general plans, there is always a way to
optimize it when you understand the particularities of
each neurotype. It is my belief that the future of training is
not in creating new methods or systems, but rather in
adapting the great systems we already have for the
needs and particularities of each neurotype to ensure the
best long term results.
As with most of the neurotype material, I want to thank

my friend Matthieu Jeandel for providing his valuable
input, but mostly for being a great guy to brainstorm with.
Every time we talk about the subject, great new ideas
come up.
WRITTEN BY CHRISTIAN THIBAUDEAU
Christian Thibaudeau has been involved in the business of

training for over the last 16 years. During this period, he
worked with athletes from 28 di erent sports. He has been
“Head Strength Coach” for the Central Institute for Human
Performance (of…
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‹ BACK TO THE BLOG J’aime 67 Tweet

CrossFit did many great things for the world of lifting in

With the increase in popularity of these lifts came the

Enter the Smolov squat program!

Smolov refers to two speci c progression models

In this article, I will be discussing adaptations to the

It is a program based on frequency (squatting four times a

The basic schedule for the Smolov Jr. is as follows:

DAY 1 (Monday) – 6 sets of 6 reps

DAY 2 (Wednesday) – 7 sets of 5 reps

DAY 3 (Friday) – 8 sets of 4

DAY 4 (Saturday) – 10 sets of 3 Privacy - Terms

The progression model is:

Week 2: Add 10lbs

Week 3: Add 10lbs

Week 2: Add 10lbs

Week 3: Add 10lbs

Week 2: Add 10lbs

Week 3: Add 10lbs

Week 2: Add 10lbs

Week 3: Add 10lbs

And if we were to add a peak week to establish a new PR

DAY 4 – Test max

IF YOU WANT TO SQUAT A LOT … YOU NEED TO

The basic premise of the Smolov plan is simple: if you

– I took my snatch grip high pull from 130kg to 180kg in a

– I took my bench press from 165kg to 190kg in 6 weeks

– I reached a 225kg front squat and 280kg high bar back

– When I decided to hit my squat hard again after 6 years

So, to me the Smolov program is nothing “new” or

But for the general population, and mostly for the

Don’t get me wrong, there is some value to changing the

It’s the high frequency that will maximize neural

Never forget one thing: displaying maximal strength is

And never forget that the most important thing to

A higher frequency of training a muscle group is also a

LOAD VARIATION TO MAXIMIZE GAINS

While the high frequency is the most important element

First, even though the Smolov Jr. plan focuses less on

There are also bene ts in gradually increasing the load

As such, we could say that Smolov works for two main

. The high frequency maximizes neural adaptations

THE LIMITATIONS OF THE SMOLOV PLAN

When I was involved in the CrossFit community, the

was around 4-5 years ago, right after the Games.

I know tons of CrossFit athletes who did it. I would say

I believe that the Smolov plan works very well,

The Smolov plan as it is might be good for some

However give the Smolov Jr. as is to a neurotype 1A and

Considering these elements, sets of 6 will not be

less on big compound movements. The high number of

Furthermore, only the last day touches weights in the

Since they are competitive they must “beat the workout”

With that in mind, here are my recommendations for how

TYPE 1A SQUAT CYCLE

Type 1A are competitive, intense and driven. They are an

The Type 1A do very well on high frequency so they won’t

When doing a Smolov-like program the Type 1A should

Option 1 : Ramp up Heavier from day to day

DAY 1 – Work up to a 5RM (maximum weight that can be

DAY 2 – Work up to a 5RM with a slow eccentric (4-5