A friend of a friend just sold me nine baby chickens today for $25. I’ve been wanting to raise a few chickens now that I’m living in the country so that I can have some decent eggs to eat that don’t cost $6+/dozen.

Are they not the cutest things ever?

Bacon omelets are the best

One of my soon-to-be neighbors was kind enough to pass along about 6 lbs. of deer burger meat to me. Awesome guy.

Of course, I made some burger patties with it. I added a little cheese, some bacon slices, and a few tomato chunks. Then, I topped it off with some homemade mayo. Yum!

I got a food processor for Christmas. This is my first attempt at a nut butter. I used walnuts, almonds, a little stevia extract, and coconut oil. Of course, I then spread it on a banana!

The intro microcycle was no walk in the park. I made it through the first week (three days in a row of squatting) without too many aches and pains. The second week was tough on me though. I was a bit too low on carbs, so my body nearly crashed by the last workout of the week. I had to do some serious eating over the weekend to recuperate.

If you haven’t already done so, read through the Smolov introduction post. This article will outline the second of four cycles in the program: the base mesocycle.

What is the base mesocycle?

Assuming you had the guts to complete the intro microcycle, this is the next step in the program. It doesn’t get any easier. The goal here is to get you stronger and test your will. Intestinal fortitude is a must for this step.

The base mesocycle is a four-week cycle. For the first three weeks, you’ll be squatting with both high volume and high intensity four days a week. The fourth week is a max-out week.

In the following sections, I’ll outline each week’s workout plan.

Week #1

The first week of this cycle will be easier than the following three weeks, but you’ll probably still be adjusting to the volume and intensity. It’ll be a little tougher than what you went through in the intro microcycle. You definitely don’t need to miss any sets or reps this week. You’ll pay for it later.

Week #2

Most people who’ve done this program say this is the hardest week of the entire 13-week routine. It’s the same number of sets and reps as the first week. However, each lift has an additional 20 lbs. (10 kg) added to it, which is an insane leap in weight in just a week. You must reach down and find that inner beast within you.

Week #3

For the third week, you just add 10 lbs. (5 kg) more weight to the bar based on your weights from week #2. This is a 30-pound (15 kg) jump from week #1. The reps and sets are the same as the preceding weeks. Just find a way to get it done. You’ll get to rest a bit in the following week.

Week #4

If you’ve made it this far, congratulations! You are officially a beast. Take a few days rest. Your legs will probably need it at this point. You shouldn’t do any leg work whatsoever outside of stretching or walking. You’ll need fresh legs for maxing out.

On Friday of the fourth week, you can get a new 1-rep max. If you’re not really “feeling it” on Friday, come back on Saturday and go for it. Or, you can skip Friday altogether and get your max on Saturday. You want to set a new PR. You’ll be using this new 1RM throughout the remainder of the Smolov program.

Don’t use lifting equipment for this max. This should be a raw max. Otherwise, you won’t be able to appropriately calculate your lifts in the coming weeks.

What’s next?

Once you’ve completed the base mesocycle, you’ll be going a bit lighter and doing some speed/explosion work. I’ll cover this in the next installment of this series.

Remember the most important rules: Eat. Sleep. Squat.

Yeah, I cooked it in the oven and didn’t use barbecue. Maybe next time.

How we do breakfast at my house. Oh my goodness, bacon!

Another thing I want to document is the full Smolov squat routine. I’ve searched for weeks and couldn’t find a well-written guide on the program. Some are good, but it takes a bit of deciphering to figure it all out. Therefore, my hope is that other weight lifters will find this information useful as they search the Web.

In this post, I will introduce you to the Smolov squat routine and cover the 2-week intro microcycle in detail. If anyone is crazy enough to join me, good luck. Email me if you need emotional support.

What is Smolov?

Smolov is this insane squat routine designed by S. Y. Smolov. Basically, I call him the crazy Russian guy.

The Smolov squat routine is meant to boost your squat max up to 100 lbs. (45.36 kg) in 13 weeks of training. It’s an intense workout plan in which you squat a lot. Then, you squat some more. And, you squat some more.

The program is split into 4 cycles:

• Intro microcycle
• Base mesocycle
• Switching phase
• Intense mesocycle

Squats are the king of all lifts in the gym. If you’re not squatting, you’re not lifting. You might as well go home, grab a bag of potato chips, and tune into your favorite television program if you’re not squatting when you’re in the gym.

While squatting is for everyone, Smolov isn’t. This isn’t something I’d recommend to anyone who doesn’t have a couple of years of serious weight training under their belt and who can at least squat 350+ lbs. (158.76+ kg). Honestly, I’d say you’d need to squat at least two times your own bodyweight before embarking on this plan.

No, I haven’t been back into lifting for that long. I’ve only been squatting for about the last six months. However, my workout partner and I both have an extensive background in powerlifting, so we’re well aware of both the physical and mental aspects required for such an undertaking. Even with that in mind, we know it’s a possibility that we won’t finish the program.

Basically, you need to be serious about lifting and know what you’re doing before taking on Smolov. Having balls of steel wouldn’t hurt either. You’ll need them.

What tools do you need?

Well, this is pretty simple. You need the basics:

• Squat rack
• Barbell
• Weights
• Weight belt (optional)

This program was designed before lifting equipment was really used. Plus, I’m not a huge fan of lifting equipment. I’ve always been more of a fan raw powerlifting. But, if you use lifting equipment, save that for the end of the program when you get your new max.

You might also want to invest in a decent foam roller to help with those aches and pains.

Other tips

There are two important things you must do in order for your body to recuperate from a program like Smolov. Otherwise, your body will just shut down on you.

• Eat. Then, eat some more. Seriously, don’t starve yourself on this program.
• Sleep. I’m taking a vacation for week #1 just so I can sleep a little extra as my body adjusts. You need a minimum of 8 hours every night.

You’ll also need to skip any other work on your lower back and legs. Especially skip lower back work. It will go through hell with the squats alone. Doing things like deadlifts and rows while on this program will likely cause you an injury. Just don’t do them until the 13 weeks are over. You are free to work your arms and upper back all you want, assuming you have the energy to do so.

The intro microcycle

The introductory microcycle is a two-week cycle to allow your body to adjust to the volume and intensity of the program. If you’re used to squatting heavy (70%+ of your max for 5+ sets) three or four days a week, you can skip this part of the program. However, I recommend it just so you know what you’re getting yourself into.

Just because it’s an intro, doesn’t mean it ain’t tough, so let’s get right to it.

Week #1

The below table does not have typos. Yes, you will be squatting on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I’ll repeat: that is three days in a row of squatting. Don’t worry though. This is the only days in the entire program where you’ll do three days in a row of squatting. I recommend clearing your schedule for eating and sleeping during these days.

For the remainder of the week, do light lunges to stretch your legs out. Don’t do any more squats.

Week #2

There is no written-in-stone plan for week #2. The only rules are to hit your work set on each training day. I recommend ramping up the weights until you hit that set.

As you can see, the volume is dialed down to almost nothing compare to week #1, but the intensity is high for your work sets. I recommend continuing with lunges throughout the week to keep your legs stretched out.

Who wants to join me?

What I’ve shown above is just the intro microcycle. The intensity and volume gets much tougher.

If you want to try it out, let me know in the comments. Feel free to ask any questions. Or, if you just want to see if I can last 13 weeks in Hell, well, that should be pretty fun too.

Every Saturday morning since the beginning of February this year, I’ve stepped on a scale to check my weight loss progress. This weekend’s total weight was 225.8 lbs (102.42 kg). That’s a drop of 77.2 lbs. (35.02 kg) in 42 weeks.

Forty-two might seem like an insignificant number (other than being the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything), but it dawned on me that I’m 10 weeks away from completing the first full year of my mind and body transformation.

So, I wanted to give you an update on how far I’ve come.

Stick around for 10 more weeks and I promise to show some pictures.

Hitting goals

In July, I wrote an article with my thoughts on goals. In that article, I put myself on a 12-week plan, which involved adding money to a “wardrobe fund” for each goal I hit throughout those 12 weeks.

I’m a little late on updating you with the results, but I’m happy to announce that my wardrobe fund is pretty full. I managed to hit a number of weekly and overall goals, saving a total of $840 USD.

During that 12-week span I managed a few physical changes:

• Dropped 18.2 lbs. (8.26 kg).
• Lost 6.125 inches (15.6 cm) from my waist (belly button).
• Lost 4.625 inches (11.7 cm) from my waist (hips).
• Lost 2.25 inches (5.7 cm) from my chest.
• Finished a 5K race and starting training for a 10K.
• Got quite a bit stronger in my weight lifting.

As I was clearing out my closet to make room for new clothes a few weeks ago, I was reminded of a comment that Nathan Rice left on another blog post of mine. Rather than spending the $840 on new clothes for myself, I made a few decisions:

• Put the $840 toward my Christmas fund so that I could get my friends and family a little bit extra this year.
• Give away all my old clothes to others in need. Basically, this meant giving them to my grandmother so that she could pass them out to less fortunate people in our family and in her neighborhood.
• Tell my family members my new pants and shirt sizes and hope that they’ll get me new clothes for Christmas.

Overall updates

Since February, I’ve completely transformed my life. So, here’s a few fun facts:

• My beginning weight was 303 lbs. (137.44 kg).
• My current weight is 225.8 lbs. (102.42 kg).
• In February, I couldn’t walk up a small hill without being short of breath.
• I completed my first 5K race in September.
• I finished training for a 10K run just this past Thursday (November 17).
• I can now squat 405 lbs. (183.7 kg) and deadlift 450 lbs. (204.12 kg), which is twice my body weight. This is a true 1RM, not an everyday max.
• I haven’t had an alcoholic beverage since January 1, 2011 (not that I was a big drinker anyway).
• I’ve only had three sodas to drink (and nothing other than water, milk, and juice) since February.
• I pig out every Saturday, usually eating pizza, hamburgers, or whatever my grandmother has cooked up if I’m visiting her.
• I don’t count every calorie in every meal, but I do follow a pretty simple diet plan for most meals: Animal, Plant, Water.
• I haven’t missed a single day of planned exercise since I started in February. However, I did miss one weight training session due to other obligations, but I fit in a 30-minute run that morning to make up for it.

The future

When I started, my main goals were to have better overall health and beach-ready abs. However, my goals have been changing. I still want great health, but I’ve learned to enjoy other things such as the 5K race I competed in. I’m even getting back into powerlifting again. A year from now I might have a weight meet or two under my belt.

I definitely plan to keep better track of changes to my body to help others in the future. There are some things that I only recently started tracking such as blood pressure and body-part measurements. Weight loss isn’t everything.

My immediate plan is to start the Smolov Squat Routine, which is this crazy squat program written by a Russian powerlifter. I’ve been mentally and physically preparing myself to take on this 13-week cycle for the past few weeks. I’m even taking a complete vacation this week so that my body and mind can handle the load. I’ll save the details of this for the next post though.

I’m not sure what I’ll be doing about cardio work in the near future. I’ll probably have to cut back for a couple of weeks at the very least to readjust to the Smolov squat plan, so that’ll give me time to evaluate what I want to do. I’m open to suggestions though.

That’s my story after 42 weeks. Stay tuned as I near the end of my first full year.