Proven program, faithfully implemented
Smolov Jr (Bench)
Smolov Jr (Bench) applies the Smolov Jr specialization block to the bench press: four bench sessions in one week, each a different percentage scheme, for about three weeks before a new max. Its weekly step is smaller than the squat version's — around +5-10 lb — because the upper body does not absorb the frequency the same way.
About the program
Created by: Sergey Smolov — Smolov Jr (bench press routine).
Who it's for
- Best for: One goal: breaking a stalled bench. It is a specialization block, not a training programme.
- Experience: Advanced. Very high frequency on one lift, from a true current max, and not to be run back-to-back.
- Time: About three weeks, four bench days a week, then a re-test.
How it's built
The shape of the program — sessions, sets and rep scheme. Iron Forge fills in the exact weights for you from your maxes.
Week
Day 1 — 6×6
- Barbell Bench Press — 6×6
Day 2 — 7×5
- Barbell Bench Press — 7×5
Day 3 — 8×4
- Barbell Bench Press — 8×4
Day 4 — 10×3 (top)
- Barbell Bench Press — 9×3, 1×3+
How Iron Forge runs it
How it works
Smolov Jr is a short, intense peaking block that leans on very high frequency, and the bench press is what it is most often run on. You bench FOUR days in one week, each day a different high-volume percentage scheme — 6×6, 7×5, 8×4, 10×3 — at 70–85% of your 1-rep max. It runs about 3 weeks, adding weight each week. The frequency and volume are brutal but produce fast gains on the bench.
The weekly scheme
Each of the four training days hits the bench at a different sets×reps and intensity — higher reps at lower percentages early in the week, lower reps at higher percentages later — so you accumulate a lot of quality volume across the week. Because you're benching four times a week, space the days out and keep everything else in your training minimal to recover. Watch your shoulders and elbows: the volume is where this programme bites.
Progression and cautions
You add a small amount of weight to the whole scheme each week for the ~3 weeks, then test a new max. The bench step is smaller than the squat's — about +5-10 lb2.5-5 kg a week rather than +10-15 — because upper-body strength moves in smaller jumps. It's a specialisation peak, not a general programme: run it when you can devote recovery to one lift, keep assistance and other pressing light, and don't repeat it back-to-back.
Smolov Jr (Bench) in Iron Forge
FAQ
- Why is there a separate squat version?
Because the two differ in more than the exercise: the bench version reads your BENCH 1RM and climbs about +5-10 lb2.5-5 kg a week, while the squat version reads your squat 1RM and climbs +10-15 lb5-7.5 kg. Pick the lift you want to specialise in — Smolov Jr is a one-lift block either way.
- How many days a week do I bench?
Four — that high frequency is the whole point. Each day uses a different sets×reps/percentage scheme (6×6, 7×5, 8×4, 10×3) at 70–85% 1RM.
- How long is the program?
About three weeks of adding weight each week, then you test a new max. It's a short peaking block, not a long-term routine.
- How do I progress?
The whole week's weights step up automatically each week. Keep the percentages honest — starting from an inflated 1RM makes the volume unrecoverable by week two.
- Should I do other training alongside it?
Keep everything else minimal, and especially trim other pressing. Benching four times a week is already at the edge of recovery, so drop overhead work and heavy triceps volume while you run it.
- Is Smolov Jr safe to repeat?
Don't run it back-to-back. Deload and return to balanced training afterward; it's a demanding peak best used occasionally by intermediates/advanced lifters with a solid base.
- What number do I enter?
Your bench one-rep max as it stands today — not a training max and not the weight you hope to hit. All four schemes are percentages of that number directly, so starting from an inflated one puts week three out of reach.
- Does the weight go up even if I miss reps?
Yes, by design. Smolov Jr steps the whole week up every week whether or not the last session went well — it is a three-week intensification block, not something that autoregulates. Missing sets in week two is a signal to end the block, not to wait for it to ease off.
- Why does the last day's top set show a +?
It marks the set the app reads to carry your max into the next week, and it is the only one marked in the programme. The source asks for ten straight triples with no rep-out, so take the three and rack it.
Start Smolov Jr (Bench) for free today.
Real programs, done right. Log your lifts — Iron Forge handles the maths.