Use the Smolov Jr. Calculator below to generate your training weights for the Smolov Jr. program. Just enter your one-rep max for the squat or bench press and how much weight you’d like to add after Weeks 1 and 2.
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Smolov Jr. Program Overview
Smolov Jr. is a high-frequency training program designed to rapidly improve either your squat or bench press. Unlike general strength programs, Smolov Jr. focuses on one exercise only. For three weeks, you just squat or just bench press—nothing else.
It’s a shorter, less intense version of the 13-week Smolov Squat Program.
Smolov Jr. Set and Rep Scheme
On Smolov Jr., you train four days per week, repeating the same set and rep scheme each week:
- Day 1: 6 sets × 6 reps
- Day 2: 7 sets × 5 reps
- Day 3: 8 sets × 4 reps
- Day 4: 10 sets × 3 reps
For example, if you decide to follow the Smolov Jr. bench program, you do 6 sets of 6 reps of the bench press on Day 1, 7 sets of 5 reps of the bench press on Day 2, and so on. The same structure applies if you’re doing Smolov Jr. for squats.
Smolov Jr. Schedule
Leave a rest day between the first three sessions each week and after the last one. For most people, that means training on:
- Monday (Day 1)
- Wednesday (Day 2)
- Friday (Day 3)
- Saturday (Day 4)
Calculating Your Training Weights for Smolov Jr.
Each Smolov Jr. workout specifies exactly how much weight to lift, expressed as a percentage of your “one-rep max” or your “training max.” For instance, if the program says “6 sets × 6 reps @ 70%,” you do 6 sets of 6 reps with 70% of your one-rep max or training max.
Your one-rep max is the most weight you can lift for a single rep with good form. Your training max is a slightly lighter weight—usually 90% of your one-rep max.
Traditionally, weightlifters used their one-rep max to calculate their Smolov Jr. weights. However, most experts now recommend using your training max (more on why shortly), which is what our Smolov Jr. Calculator does.
As you move from week to week, you’ll gradually increase the weight to keep progressing. Here’s how that looks in practice:
Week 1:
- Day 1: 6 sets × 6 reps @ 70%
- Day 2: 7 sets × 5 reps @ 75%
- Day 3: 8 sets × 4 reps @ 80%
- Day 4: 10 sets × 3 reps @ 85%
Week 2
- Day 1: 6 sets × 6 reps @ 70% + 5-to-10 pounds
- Day 2: 7 sets × 5 reps @ 75% + 5-to-10 pounds
- Day 3: 8 sets × 4 reps @ 80% + 5-to-10 pounds
- Day 4: 10 sets × 3 reps @ 85% + 5-to-10 pounds
Week 3
- Day 1: 6 sets × 6 reps @ 70% + 10-to-20 pounds
- Day 2: 7 sets × 5 reps @ 75% + 10-to-20 pounds
- Day 3: 8 sets × 4 reps @ 80% + 10-to-20 pounds
- Day 4: 10 sets × 3 reps @ 85% + 10-to-20 pounds
Why You Should Use Your Training Max for Smolov Jr.
While calculating your Smolov Jr. training weights using your one-rep max can work, it’s no longer popular because it’s unnecessarily demanding.
If you base your Smolov Jr. weights on your full one-rep max, many of your sets—espcially those later in your workouts—will push you very close (if not all the way) to muscular failure, where you can’t perform another rep despite giving maximum effort.
Training this intensely for several days per week quickly becomes draining, and studies show that it’s no more effective for gaining strength than stopping a few reps shy of failure. In fact, it may even be less effective.
That’s why using your training max (90% of your one-rep max) is smarter. This approach makes each set slightly less taxing, keeps you further from failure, reduces injury risk, and still provides enough intensity to maximize strength gains.
READ MORE: Does Training to Failure Help You Build More Muscle? What Science Says
How to Use the Smolov Jr. Calculator for Bench Press & Squat
While it’s important to understand how the intensity changes throughout each week on Smolov Jr., you don’t need to do the math yourself. Our Smolov Jr. Calculator will generate your exact training weights for all three weeks. Here’s how to use it:
- Select your preferred unit: pounds (lb) or kilograms (kg).
- Enter your one-rep max for the squat or bench press. (If you don’t know it, estimate it using the Legion One-Rep Max Calculator.)
- Select how much you want to increase the weights by after Week 1 (Increase After Week 1) and Week 2 (Increase After Week 2). If your training was easy, increase by 10 lb (5 kg). If it was challenging, increase by 5 lb (2.5 kg).
- Write down your results or use the form above to get them sent straight to your inbox.
How to Progress on Smolov Jr.
The key to making rapid progress on Smolov Jr. is selecting the right weekly weight increases. You do this based on how the previous week felt:
- If Week 1 felt easy, add 10 lb (5 kg) in Week 2.
- If Week 1 felt tough, add 5 lb (2.5 kg) instead.
Repeat this process after Week 2:
- If Week 2 felt manageable, add another 10 lb (5 kg) in Week 3.
- If Week 2 was challenging, add just 5 lb (2.5 kg).
Adjusting Your Weekly Weight Increases Using the Smolov Jr. Calculator
Most people use the Smolov Jr. Calculator to plan out their entire program ahead of time. However, many weightlifters initially overestimate how much weight they can add week-to-week.
For example, you might assume you’ll comfortably handle 10-lb (5-kg) jumps, only to discover after Week 1 that your plan was overly ambitious.
If this happens to you, revisit the Smolov Jr. Calculator after your first week and reduce your “Increase After Week 1” from 10 lb (5 kg) to 5 lb (2.5 kg). This will make Week 2 more manageable.
Then, after Week 2, reassess. If adding 10 lb (5 kg) again feels like too much, adjust your “Increase After Week 2” to 5 lb (2.5 kg) to make Week 3 less of a grind.
On the other hand, some people start too conservatively. They plan for 5-lb (2.5-kg) increases, only to find that Week 1 felt too easy and they could have pushed harder.
If this happens to you, revisit the Smolov program calculator after Week 1 and increase your “Increase After Week 1” from 5 lb (2.5 kg) to 10 lb (5 kg). This will make Week 2 more challenging.
Then, after Week 2, reassess. If you’re still handling the weights easily, adjust your “Increase After Week 2” to 10 lb (5 kg) instead of 5 lb (2.5 kg) to make Week 3 as productive as possible.
Smolov Jr. Accessories
Most Smolov Jr. program guides recommend focusing only on the exercise you’re trying to improve. That means if you’re running the Smolov Jr. bench program, you only bench press—and if you’re using it to improve your squat, you only squat.
While this reduces recovery demands, it isn’t ideal if you want to maintain muscle in other areas. For example, your legs and back if you’re only benching, or your upper back, chest, shoulders, and arms if you’re only squatting.
That’s why doing some accessory work on Smolov Jr. makes sense.
The trick is to . . .
- Do as little extra accessory exercise volume as possible to maintain your size and strength.
- Do one accessory exercise per workout after you’ve finished your Smolov Jr. training. That’s all it takes to keep your other body parts from getting smaller and weaker.
With that in mind, here’s what I recommend for your Smolov Jr. accessory work:
Smolov Jr. Squat Accessories
- Day 1: Squat + Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps
- Day 2: Squat + Lat Pulldown: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps
- Day 3: Squat + Bench Press: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps
- Day 4: Squat + Leg Curl: 3 sets of 6-to-8 reps
Smolov Jr. Bench Press Accessories
- Day 1: Bench Press + Leg Press: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps
- Day 2: Bench Press + Barbell Row: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps
- Day 3: Bench Press + Romanian Deadlift: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps
- Day 4: Bench Press + Lat Pulldown: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps
Who Is the Smolov Jr. Program For?
Before we talk about who Smolov Jr. is for, let’s be clear about who Smolov Jr. most definitely isn’t for.
If . . .
- You’ve been weightlifting for less than 1 year
- Your squat or bench press strength is progressing on a different program
- You can’t train 4 days per week
- You’re cutting
- Your recovery and sleep are compromised (you work shifts or you’re a new parent, for example)
- Your goal is to build whole-body muscle, not just increase your squat or bench press
. . . Smolov Jr. isn’t for you.
If, however, you’re an intermediate or advanced weightlifter whose progress has slowed or stalled, and you’re on top of your diet, recovery, and sleep, Smolov Jr. might be worth a shot.
Bear in mind, though, that the Smolov Jr. program is grueling, so don’t begin if you aren’t all in.
What to Expect from Smolov Jr. Results
Most weightlifters on the Smolov Jr. bench program add 15-to-30 pounds to their one-rep max, though some report gains of up to 60 pounds.
Squat improvements are usually even larger, with most gymgoers increasing their one-rep max by 30-to-60 pounds in just three weeks.
The only caveat is that you have to be on top of your diet, recovery, and sleep. If you aren’t eating enough calories and protein, sleeping 7-to-9 hours per week, and minimizing stress, your results will suffer.
3 Tips for Maximizing Your Progress on Smolov Jr.
1. Eat enough calories and protein.
To get the best results from Smolov Jr., you need to eat enough calories and protein to support recovery and muscle growth. As a general rule, aim to:
- Eat around 110% of your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE)
- Eat 0.8-to-1 gram of protein per pound of body weight
For more personalized advice on exactly what to eat to maximize muscle and strength gain, take the Legion Diet Quiz.
2. Optimize your training.
Before you run Smolov Jr., make sure you’ve built a solid foundation of strength and can perform the exercise you’re going to be focussing on with good form.
As a rule of thumb, aim for the following strength standards before starting Smolov Jr.:
Men:
- Bench press at least 1.25× your body weight
- Squat at least 1.5× your body weight
Women:
- Bench press at least 0.5× your body weight
- Squat at least 0.75× your body weight
Once you start, don’t plan to run it indefinitely. The first time you try Smolov Jr., stick to a single cycle. After that, switch to a more well-rounded strength program to recover, maintain your new numbers, and build strength more broadly.
If you need personalized advice about which general strength training program will work best for you, take the Legion Strength Training Quiz.
After at least 8-to-12 weeks of general strength training, you can return to Smolov Jr. for another cycle. Over time, you might even be able to run back-to-back Smolov Jr. cycles, with a week of recovery in between—but only if you’re recovering well and still progressing.
3. Take the right supplements.
These supplements can help you optimize your performance and gains while following the Smolov Jr. program:
- Protein powder: Protein powder, such as whey or casein, provides your body with the nutrients needed to build muscle tissue and recover from workouts. For a clean and delicious protein powder, try Whey+ or Casein+.
- Creatine: Creatine boosts muscle and strength gain, improves anaerobic endurance, and reduces muscle damage and soreness from your workouts. For a natural source of creatine, try our creatine monohydrate, creatine gummies, or Recharge.
- Pre-workout: A high-quality pre-workout enhances energy, mood, and focus, increases strength and endurance, and reduces fatigue. For a top-tier pre-workout containing clinically effective doses of 6 science-backed ingredients, try Pulse with caffeine or without.
(If you’d like even more specific advice about which supplements you should take to reach your health and fitness goals, take the Legion Supplement Finder Quiz, and in less than a minute, you’ll know exactly what supplements are right for you.)
FAQ #1: Does Smolov Jr. work?
Yes, provided you prioritize your diet, sleep, and recovery, you can expect to gain up to 30 pounds on your bench press or 60 pounds on your squat in a single 3-week Smolov Jr. cycle.
FAQ #2: Is Smolov Jr. worth it?
If your goal is to quickly improve your squat or bench press and you’re prepared for a tough program, Smolov Jr. is worth it. If not, a less intense program will suit you better.
FAQ #3: Is there a Smolov Jr. deadlift program?
Not officially, and I wouldn’t recommend running Smolov Jr. for deadlifts. The high-frequency, high-volume nature of Smolov Jr. doesn’t lend itself to deadlifts—you’d likely struggle to recover session to session. If you want to increase your deadlift, a better option would be a lower-volume program like Bigger Learner Stronger, 5/3/1, or one of Greg Nuckol’s specific deadlift programs.
Scientific References +
- Vieira, João Guilherme, et al. “Effects of Resistance Training to Muscle Failure on Acute Fatigue: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Sports Medicine, 9 Dec. 2021, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01602-x.
- Davies, Tim, et al. “Effect of Training Leading to Repetition Failure on Muscular Strength: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Sports Medicine, vol. 46, no. 4, 14 Dec. 2015, pp. 487–502, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-015-0451-3.
- Davies, Tim, et al. “Erratum To: Effect of Training Leading to Repetition Failure on Muscular Strength: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Sports Medicine, vol. 46, no. 4, 18 Feb. 2016, pp. 605–610, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0509-x. Accessed 18 Oct. 2019.
- Carroll, Kevin M., et al. “Divergent Performance Outcomes Following Resistance Training Using Repetition Maximums or Relative Intensity.” International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, vol. 14, no. 1, 1 Jan. 2019, pp. 46–54, https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2018-0045. Accessed 27 Aug. 2020.
- Stokes, Tanner, et al. “Recent Perspectives Regarding the Role of Dietary Protein for the Promotion of Muscle Hypertrophy with Resistance Exercise Training.” Nutrients, vol. 10, no. 2, 7 Feb. 2018, p. 180, www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/2/180/pdf.
