Smolov Base Cycle for a 150 kg Squat: 4-Week Walkthrough

Smolov is the most-cited Russian squat program in English-language strength training. The full program runs 13 weeks; the "Base mesocycle" is a 4-week chunk designed to add 20 to 35 kg to a stalled squat. The volume is high enough that it only works for some lifters; the math behind it is fully deterministic and prints day by day.

The scenario

An intermediate lifter with a stalled squat at 160 kg 1RM, willing to dedicate a 4-week block exclusively to squatting. Other training (bench, deadlift, accessories) cuts to maintenance volume during the cycle. Sleep 8+ hours, calories at +300 above maintenance, protein 2.2 g/kg.

What the calculator returns

Running the inputs through the Smolov / Sheiko / Texas Cycles tool:

# smolov-sheiko-texas-cycles (computed live from /engines/smolov-sheiko-texas-cycles.js)
Engine input
  one_rm                = 160
  cycle_choice          = smolov_base

Engine output
  cycle                 = smolov_base
  cycleName             = Smolov Base Mesocycle
  oneRm                 = 160
  weeklyVolumeReps      = 136
  totalWeeks            = 4
  weeks[0].weekNumber   = 1
  weeks[0].label        = Smolov Base · Week 1
  weeks[0].totalReps    = 136
  weeks[0].averageIntensity= 77.16911764705883
  weeks[0].sessions[0].day= Mon
  weeks[0].sessions[0].workingSets= 4×9 @ 70%
  weeks[0].sessions[0].totalReps= 36
  weeks[0].sessions[0].intensity= 70
  weeks[0].sessions[0].weights[0].percent= 70
  weeks[0].sessions[0].weights[0].kg= 112.5
  weeks[0].sessions[0].weights[0].sets= 4
  weeks[0].sessions[0].weights[0].reps= 9
  weeks[0].sessions[1].day= Wed
  weeks[0].sessions[1].workingSets= 5×7 @ 75%
  weeks[0].sessions[1].totalReps= 35
  weeks[0].sessions[1].intensity= 75
  weeks[0].sessions[1].weights[0].percent= 75
  weeks[0].sessions[1].weights[0].kg= 120
  weeks[0].sessions[1].weights[0].sets= 5
  weeks[0].sessions[1].weights[0].reps= 7
  weeks[0].sessions[2].day= Fri
  weeks[0].sessions[2].workingSets= 7×5 @ 80%
  weeks[0].sessions[2].totalReps= 35
  weeks[0].sessions[2].intensity= 80
  weeks[0].sessions[2].weights[0].percent= 80
  weeks[0].sessions[2].weights[0].kg= 127.5
  weeks[0].sessions[2].weights[0].sets= 7
  weeks[0].sessions[2].weights[0].reps= 5
  weeks[0].sessions[3].day= Sat
  weeks[0].sessions[3].workingSets= 10×3 @ 85%
  weeks[0].sessions[3].totalReps= 30
  weeks[0].sessions[3].intensity= 85
  weeks[0].sessions[3].weights[0].percent= 85
  weeks[0].sessions[3].weights[0].kg= 135
  weeks[0].sessions[3].weights[0].sets= 10
  weeks[0].sessions[3].weights[0].reps= 3
  weeks[1].weekNumber   = 2
  weeks[1].label        = Smolov Base · Week 2 (+10 kg)
  weeks[1].totalReps    = 136
  weeks[1].averageIntensity= 83.41911764705883
  weeks[1].sessions[0].day= Mon
  weeks[1].sessions[0].workingSets= 4×9 @ 76.25%
  weeks[1].sessions[0].totalReps= 36
  weeks[1].sessions[0].intensity= 76.25
  weeks[1].sessions[0].weights[0].percent= 76.25
  weeks[1].sessions[0].weights[0].kg= 122.5
  weeks[1].sessions[0].weights[0].sets= 4
  weeks[1].sessions[0].weights[0].reps= 9
  weeks[1].sessions[1].day= Wed
  weeks[1].sessions[1].workingSets= 5×7 @ 81.25%
  weeks[1].sessions[1].totalReps= 35
  weeks[1].sessions[1].intensity= 81.25
  weeks[1].sessions[1].weights[0].percent= 81.25
  weeks[1].sessions[1].weights[0].kg= 130
  weeks[1].sessions[1].weights[0].sets= 5
  weeks[1].sessions[1].weights[0].reps= 7
  weeks[1].sessions[2].day= Fri
  weeks[1].sessions[2].workingSets= 7×5 @ 86.25%
  weeks[1].sessions[2].totalReps= 35
  weeks[1].sessions[2].intensity= 86.25
  weeks[1].sessions[2].weights[0].percent= 86.25
  weeks[1].sessions[2].weights[0].kg= 137.5
  weeks[1].sessions[2].weights[0].sets= 7
  weeks[1].sessions[2].weights[0].reps= 5
  weeks[1].sessions[3].day= Sat
  weeks[1].sessions[3].workingSets= 10×3 @ 91.25%
  weeks[1].sessions[3].totalReps= 30
  weeks[1].sessions[3].intensity= 91.25
  weeks[1].sessions[3].weights[0].percent= 91.25
  weeks[1].sessions[3].weights[0].kg= 145
  weeks[1].sessions[3].weights[0].sets= 10
  weeks[1].sessions[3].weights[0].reps= 3
  weeks[2].weekNumber   = 3
  weeks[2].label        = Smolov Base · Week 3 (+15 kg)
  weeks[2].totalReps    = 136
  weeks[2].averageIntensity= 86.54411764705883
  weeks[2].sessions[0].day= Mon
  weeks[2].sessions[0].workingSets= 4×9 @ 79.375%
  weeks[2].sessions[0].totalReps= 36
  weeks[2].sessions[0].intensity= 79.375
  weeks[2].sessions[0].weights[0].percent= 79.375
  weeks[2].sessions[0].weights[0].kg= 127.5
  weeks[2].sessions[0].weights[0].sets= 4
  weeks[2].sessions[0].weights[0].reps= 9
  weeks[2].sessions[1].day= Wed
  weeks[2].sessions[1].workingSets= 5×7 @ 84.375%
  weeks[2].sessions[1].totalReps= 35
  weeks[2].sessions[1].intensity= 84.375
  weeks[2].sessions[1].weights[0].percent= 84.375
  weeks[2].sessions[1].weights[0].kg= 135
  weeks[2].sessions[1].weights[0].sets= 5
  weeks[2].sessions[1].weights[0].reps= 7
  weeks[2].sessions[2].day= Fri
  weeks[2].sessions[2].workingSets= 7×5 @ 89.375%
  weeks[2].sessions[2].totalReps= 35
  weeks[2].sessions[2].intensity= 89.375
  weeks[2].sessions[2].weights[0].percent= 89.375
  weeks[2].sessions[2].weights[0].kg= 142.5
  weeks[2].sessions[2].weights[0].sets= 7
  weeks[2].sessions[2].weights[0].reps= 5
  weeks[2].sessions[3].day= Sat
  weeks[2].sessions[3].workingSets= 10×3 @ 94.375%
  weeks[2].sessions[3].totalReps= 30
  weeks[2].sessions[3].intensity= 94.375
  weeks[2].sessions[3].weights[0].percent= 94.375
  weeks[2].sessions[3].weights[0].kg= 150
  weeks[2].sessions[3].weights[0].sets= 10
  weeks[2].sessions[3].weights[0].reps= 3
  weeks[3].weekNumber   = 4
  weeks[3].label        = Smolov Base · Week 4 (rest, then test)
  weeks[3].totalReps    = 1
  weeks[3].averageIntensity= 100
  weeks[3].sessions[0].day= Sat (test a new 1RM)
  weeks[3].sessions[0].workingSets= 1×1 @ 100%
  weeks[3].sessions[0].totalReps= 1
  weeks[3].sessions[0].intensity= 100
  weeks[3].sessions[0].weights[0].percent= 100
  weeks[3].sessions[0].weights[0].kg= 160
  weeks[3].sessions[0].weights[0].sets= 1
  weeks[3].sessions[0].weights[0].reps= 1

Four sessions per week, each with a clear percentage and set/rep prescription. Total work in weeks 1 through 3: 408 reps. Week 4 is rest, then a 1RM test. The cycle climaxes in that new-max attempt.

Reading the weekly structure

Each week has a fixed session pattern:

• Monday — high volume, moderate intensity: 4 sets of 9 reps. Builds work capacity and conditions the body for the heavier intensity later in the week.
• Wednesday — moderate volume, threshold intensity: 5 sets of 7 reps. Hypertrophy stimulus close to 80% of 1RM.
• Friday — lower volume, high intensity: 7 sets of 5 reps. Strength stimulus at 80 to 85% of 1RM.
• Saturday — heavy singles or triples: 10 sets of 3 reps at peak intensity. The killer session of the week.

The structure escalates intensity intra-week (light Monday, heavy Saturday) and across weeks: week 2 adds 10 kg (20 lb) to every session and week 3 adds 5 kg more, with the sets and reps unchanged. The program assumes accumulated fatigue makes each week harder even though the jumps are small.

Where Smolov Base fails

Three common failure modes.

Under-fed. The cycle is calorie-expensive. A lifter eating at maintenance during 136 reps per week of squatting at 70% to about 94% of 1RM will lose strength rather than gain it. The minimum is +300 kcal above maintenance; +500 kcal works better. Protein at 2.2 g/kg/day is non-negotiable for the recovery throughput required.

Under-slept. Recovery from 10 sets of 3 at 85% of 1RM on Saturday requires ~8 hours of sleep that night plus another 8 hours Sunday. A 5-day work week with 6 hours of sleep breaks the cycle by mid-week 2; the Saturday session does not recover by the following Monday.

Conflicting load. Adding heavy deadlifts, hard sprints, or hill running during the cycle compounds total weekly stress. The classic prescription explicitly drops these to "maintenance" — meaning one light session per lift per week, no second hard session. Lifters who insist on running a full powerlifting template alongside Smolov usually break by week 3.

Expected outcomes

Historical reports of Smolov Base outcomes for intermediate lifters:

1RM gain (week 4 test single vs week 1 starting point)
  Best case        +25 to +35 kg
  Typical          +15 to +20 kg
  Below average    +5 to +10 kg
  Failed cycle     no gain or slight loss

Body composition changes
  Bodyweight       +1 to +3 kg in 4 weeks
  Lean mass        +1 to +2 kg
  Other lifts      maintained or slight decline (cycle is squat-specialized)

The 160 kg starting 1RM in this case might test at 175 to 185 kg in the week-4 single under typical conditions, with the upper bound (185 kg) achievable only with full adherence to sleep, calories, and ancillary-lift maintenance. The One Rep Max Calculator can recalibrate the new 1RM from the test single output.

Recovery and supplementation during the cycle

Three non-negotiables that determine whether Smolov Base finishes successfully:

• Carbohydrate intake at 5 to 7 g/kg/day. The cycle depletes muscle glycogen four times per week; insufficient carbs starve recovery between sessions.
• Sleep tracking, not just hours-in-bed. Aim for 7.5+ hours of actual sleep. The Saturday session especially requires deep-sleep recovery on Saturday night; phone-free hour before bed becomes a discipline issue across 28 days.
• One full rest day, two if possible. Sundays are mandatory rest. Tuesdays and Thursdays should be active recovery only — easy walking, light upper-body pumps, no lower-body work, no hill sprints, no jumps.

Creatine monohydrate (3 g/day) and adequate sodium (4 to 6 g/day given the high-volume sweating) are the only supplements that materially affect cycle outcome. Caffeine pre-session is permitted but should be capped at 200 mg per session to avoid sleep contamination later.

Cross-checking the loading curve

Smolov's weekly intensity progression matches the high-frequency / high-volume hypertrophy literature for resistance-trained subjects^[2]. A 25 to 30 sets/week volume for a single muscle group sits at the high end of the productive volume range; sustained for more than 4 to 6 weeks it crosses into overreaching territory. The 4-week limit on Smolov Base is not arbitrary — it sits inside the window where high-volume squat work still produces adaptation rather than overtraining.

Compare with the Wendler 5/3/1 Planner for a lower-volume strength template, or layer Smolov Base inside a longer powerlifting cycle as the volume mesocycle.

Related tools and follow-ups

• Smolov / Sheiko / Texas Cycles — the engine used here.
• Wendler 5/3/1 Planner — lower-volume alternative for the same lifter.
• One Rep Max Calculator — recalibrate the post-cycle 1RM from a clean test single.

For broader context: Powerlifting peaking: Smolov, Sheiko, Texas Method, The 2026 evidence-based programming guide, and How to structure a powerlifting meet cover the broader competition-prep framework.

FAQ

How much volume does Smolov Base prescribe per week? 136 squat reps per week for the three loading weeks, then a rest week that ends in a 1RM test. Four sessions per week (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat), from 70 percent of 1RM in week 1 up to 85 percent plus 15 kg in week 3.

What weights does Smolov Base use for a 160 kg 1RM? Week 1 ranges 112.5 to 135 kg. Week 2 adds 10 kg to every session (122.5 to 145 kg) and week 3 adds 15 kg over week 1 (127.5 to 150 kg). Week 4 is rest, then a test working up from 160 kg toward a new 1RM.

Is Smolov Base safe for an intermediate lifter? Marginal. The 136 reps per week at 70% to about 94% of 1RM is hypertrophy/strength volume that intermediate lifters can absorb with adequate sleep, calories, and recovery time. Below 2.5 g/kg protein, under 7 hours of sleep, or with a job that involves heavy physical work, the cycle breaks down by week 3.