November 30, 2014

The Soviet Lifting Cycle, And How You Can Modify It To Increase Your Strength And Size!

SOVIET LIFTING CYCLE

Week
Monday
Wednesday
Friday
Week 1
80% (6x2)
80% (6x3)
80% (6x2)
Week 2
80% (6x4)
80% (6x2)
80% (6x5)
Week 3
80% (6x2)
80% (6x6)
80% (6x2)
Week 4
85% (5x5)
80% (6x2)
90% (4x4)
Week 5
80% (6x2)
95% (3x3)
80% (6x2)
Week 6
100% (2x2)
80% (6x2)
102-105% (new max)

The table above is a copy of an old Soviet cycle which was originally used to gradually build raw strength in the Olympic lifts, and also the squat – depending on the lifter’s needs.


The cycle is a form of pre-planned progression (meaning the weights that will be used are already decided upon long before they are lifted) based on 80% of one’s one rep max being the minimal effective dose when training for strength, hence the frequency in which that number appears on the chart above.

The cycle begins with the main lift being performed for 6 sets of 2 with 80% of the maximum amount of weight that can be lifted at the beginning of the cycle – in fact, all percentages are based on the maximum that can be lifted at the onset of the cycle, they are NOT adjusted as the cycle progresses and strength increases.

The program is designed to increase the overall volume the body is exposed to during the 80% phase (although it’s not presented as a phase, it’s clearly used a preparatory period for the work to come), as each day alternates between days in which only 2 reps are performed (‘light’ days), and days in which 3, 4, and 5 reps are performed respectively (‘heavy’ days), ultimately working up to 6 sets of 6 with 80%.

Upon reaching 6 by 6 for the heavy days, the progression takes on a linear approach by inversely increasing the intensity while decreasing the volume until reaching a new peak level of strength – 5 by 5 with 85%, 4 by 4 with 90%, 3 by 3 with 95%, and 2 by 2 with 100%.

The purpose of the days in which 80% is consistently performed for only 2 reps is to reinforce motor pattern development, and hone in on perfecting technique, while avoiding overworking the body’s ability to recover from the previous session (which is what would happen if you omitted these days and solely focused on the days which indicate progression), and also increase the rate of recovery going into the next workout.

Originally this cycle was designed for making improvements in one lift at a time, and all other assistance work was to be performed as needed, as long as it didn’t interfere with the planned progression. However, this cycle can be adapted to allow for multiple lifts to be targeted at once.

ADAPTED SOVIET CYCLE

The cycle above is not unlike a traditional powerlifting cycle in which heavy days aimed at increasing strength (known as ‘max effort’ days), and light days aimed at improving technique (known as ‘dynamic effort’ days), are alternated back and forth for the same lift – the only difference is in powerlifting cycles, there are more main lifts than just the squat, or one of the Olympic lifts, as powerlifter’s generally aim to concurrently improve their bench press, and deadlift numbers.

As a result of focusing on more than one lift at a time, it’s not possible to perform 3 weekly workouts per lift, but rather the frequency (and volume – by reducing the amount of sets from 6 to 5 for the main lift) ought to be brought down on a lift per week basis, to allow for more lifts to be performed. This is where the Soviet periodization model meets the powerlifting weekly training split – the bench press is paired with the squat, since the two are completely unrelated and will likely not affect the performance of each other, and the deadlift is given its own day since it’s the most physically demanding lift, and each performs both the heavy day, as well as the light day to reinforce technique each week.

Training Split

Day 1 Bench Press Heavy + Squat Light

Day 2 Deadlift Heavy

Day 3 Squat Heavy + Bench Press Light

Day 4 Deadlift Light – OR Power Clean (since it’s pretty much an explosive deadlift anyway, and the gains made are transferable, while lower loads must be used, thus facilitating recovery as deadlifting twice a week can lead to overtraining quicker than any other lift performed at that frequency)

*Assistance work, based on improving the main lift, is performed for whichever lift was performed FIRST/HEAVY on each respective day – for example, using the split above, only assistance work for the bench press is performed on ‘Day 1’. Assistance work for the squat would be performed on ‘Day 3’ in this example.

Phase 1 – the 80% phase

*The parameters for the heavy day are no different than the original Soviet cycle, with the only difference being to the light day for the power clean, should it be chosen as the lift of choice to be paired with the deadlift

Week 1 HEAVY = 80% 5 x 4, LIGHT = 80% 5 x 2

Week 2 HEAVY = 80% 5 x 5, LIGHT = 80% 5 x 2 (5 x 3 for clean)

Week 3 HEAVY = 80% 5 x 6, LIGHT = 80% 5 x 2 (5 x 4 for clean)

Phase 1 can be condensed into 3 weeks in a similar fashion to how the Soviet cycle is, by simply starting with 5 by 4 as opposed to 5 by 2 and 3, like the original Soviet cycle would suggest. This is not an absolute, it’s simply a modification to condense the program so it doesn’t get dragged out for too long (which is what may happen by starting as low as 5 by 2, or 5 by 3 since each lift is being trained less frequently than the sole lift that would be trained in the conventional Soviet cycle as it was originally laid out).

*After the main lift for the day (whichever was performed first/heavy), pick 2 assistance exercises based on the part of the lift that you need to focus on most, which would best strengthen the entire movement using 5 sets of 5 for the first exercise selected, and 4 sets of 6-8 reps for the second one selected – assistance exercise options are presented below.

Phase 2 – the above 80% phase

There are a few options in terms of loading parameters to limit this phase to only 3 weeks just like the first phase – start heavier and build volume, or start lighter and build intensity. If starting heavier, begin week 4 at 90%, and if starting lighter, begin with 85%, ex:
*The light day can remain at 5 x 2 with 80%, or for variation you could marginally increase the load by 2.5%, or add a rep and perform 5 x 3 with 80%

Starting Heavy

Week 4 HEAVY = 90% 3 x 2, LIGHT = 82.5% 5 x 2

Week 5 HEAVY = 90% 3 x 3, LIGHT = 82.5% 5 x 2

Week 6 HEAVY = 95% 3 x 2-3, LIGHT = 82.5% 5 x 2

Starting Light

Week 4 HEAVY = 85% 5 x 3, LIGHT = 80% 5 x 3 (5 x 5 w/80% for clean – picking up the progression where phase 1 left off)

Week 5 HEAVY = 90% 3 x 3, LIGHT = 80% 5 x 3 (5 x 2 w/90% for clean)

Week 6 HEAVY = 90% 5 x 3, LIGHT = 80% 5 x 3 (5 x 3 w/90% for clean)

*After the main lift for the day, pick 1 assistance exercise (select a different option than that which was chosen for the first phase), and 1 overload exercise (partials, eccentric, isometric), both based on the part of the lift that you need to focus on most, to best strengthen the entire movement using 5 sets of 3 for the first exercise selected, and 3 sets of 3 reps for the second one selected.

Phase 3 – reaching a new peak

This phase is similar to phase 2 in that you can either choose to start heavy, and try to build volume from there, or start more conservatively and increase intensity gradually. If starting heavier, begin week 7 at 100%, and if starting lighter, begin with 95%, ex:
*The light day can remain at 5 x 2 with 80%, or either variations used in phase 2 can be used as well

Starting Heavy

Week 7 HEAVY = 100% 3 x 2, LIGHT = 82.5% 5 x 2

Week 8 HEAVY = 105% 3 x 2, LIGHT = 80% 5 x 2

*Starting Light
*9th week is added if choosing the more conservative approach

Week 7 HEAVY = 95% 3 x 3, LIGHT = 80% 5 x 3 (3 x 2 w/95% for clean – picking up the progression from where phase 2 left off)

Week 8 HEAVY = 100% 3 x 2, LIGHT = 80% 5 x 3 (3 x 3 w/95% for clean)

Week 9 HEAVY = 100% 3 x 3, LIGHT = 80% 5 x 3

*After the main lift for the day, pick 1 assistance exercise targeting the range in which you are STRONGEST, not weakest like the last two phases, and 1 overload exercise (partials, eccentric, isometric – select a different option than that which was chosen for the last phase), both based on the part of the lift that you need to focus on most, to best strengthen the entire movement using 3 sets of 3 for the first exercise selected, and 3 sets of 2 reps for the second one selected.

Peak week

This week is laid out different than any prior week with each of the main lifts being performed for 3 sets of 1 with 90%, or 2 sets of 1 with 95-100% on day 1, followed by 2 full days off before attempting to break a personal record for the squat on the third day following day 1, the bench press the day after the squat, and the deadlift two days later. Attempt to perform one rep with 105% of what your max was when you began the program, followed by 1 rep with 110% if you were successful, and 115% if you were successful with that. If 5% jumps seem a bit wishful, aim for 1 rep with 105%, 1 with 107.5%, and 1 with 110% - in either case, the goal is to make at least a 10% increase!

Assistance Exercises

Assistance exercises are broken down based on their transferability – how well the gains made doing them transfer over to the main lift. The various categories of assistance exercises are as such:

Level 1 – variation of main lift
(selecting the same lift but modifying either the grip, stance, or tempo for example) – these have the greatest transferability

Level 2 – partials
(same movement through a limited range of motion – generally used for the purpose of overloading the movement pattern and building confidence for using heavier weights)

Level 3 – free weight compound
(a non-related movement with the purpose of stimulating the muscles directly involved in the main lift to strengthen)

Level 4 – free weight isolation
(same as level 3, only using isolation movements to strengthen the desired muscles)

Level 5 – machine isolation
(same as level 4, only using machines to strengthen the desired muscles) – these have the least transferability

Here are some specific examples for a basic exercise like the deadlift, adhering to the criteria laid out above:

Deadlift Level 1 Options
Sumo Deadlift
Deficit Deadlift
Snatch-Grip Deadlift
High Hip Deadlift
Zercher Deadlift
*Each of the options above can be used with a snatch-grip, or from a deficit, or both

Deadlift Level 2 Options
Rack Pull (above or below knees)
Floor To Knee Deadlift (AKA 1st pull dead – stop at knees)
*Each of the options above can be used with a snatch-grip, from a deficit, with a sumo stance, or all of the above

Deadlift Level 3 Options
RDL (Romanian Deadlift)
Goodmorning
Goodmorning From Pins
*Each of the options above can be used with a wide stance

Deadlift Level 4 Options
Glute-Ham Raise
Back Extensions
Reverse Hyperextensions
Seated Goodmorning
Hip Thrust

Deadlift Level 5 Options
Back Extension Machine
Leg Curl Variations

For a higher coordination lift like the push press (should you choose to use it as a main lift – since the cycle is adaptable and can be used for any major compound lift), there is an extra level since the main lift can be even further broken down. Below is an example of the assistance exercises for the push press – the extra level is after the main lift variations, but before the overload options:

Push Press Level 1 Options
*The push press can be performed behind the neck, with a snatch-grip, a split stance, or with a greater dip (known as a thruster), or with any available combination between them

Push Press Level 2 Options
Strength curve methods – the exact same exercises as level 1 can be used, but pausing at the bottom of the dip

Push Press Level 3 Options
Bottom Half Push Press (from shoulders to top of head)
Half Front Squat/Rising On Toes At Top
Top Half Front Squat
Standing Press From Pins Above Head

Push Press Level 4 Options
Military Press
Behind Neck Military Press
Snatch-Grip Behind Neck Military Press

Push Press Level 5 Options
Seated Shoulder Press
High Incline Press
Incline Press
Bradford Press – overhead press, pressing the bar only high enough to pass it over the head and lower behind the neck, and vice versa
Zavickas Press – overhead press while seated on floor with legs extended
Sots Press – overhead press from bottom of full squat position
*Each level 5 option can be performed with an underhand grip for variation, except for the Sots press

Push Press Level 6 Options
Front Raise
Lateral Raise

Assistance Exercise Examples Based On The Relative Weaknesses That Need To Be Addressed

The range of motion which presents the greatest challenge for completing a full range repetition should dictate what specific assistance exercises are chosen – here are some examples of assistance exercises based on which part of the range of motion is most difficult for you to overcome:

If you’re weak at the bottom of the range of motion (squats, bench press, deadlift), you ideally want to increase the time spent under tension in that range – this means pauses at the bottom of the lift, or double contraction reps, may be your best bet, for example:

Paused squats at bottom range
Paused wide-grip bench presses at the chest
1 ½ squats/bench presses
Dumbell bench press
Deficit deadlifts
Floating deadlifts (standing on podium/blocks, pausing at range where weight would normally be resting on floor)
Sumo deadlifts

If the mid-range presents the greatest challenge than pauses at that range, or simply selecting an exercise that directs more tension onto the muscles which are generally responsible for handling the load at that range may be ideal, for example:

Paused squats at mid-range
Front squats
Push presses
Incline presses
Rack pulls below knees (regular grip or snatch-grip)
RDL (Romanian deadlifts)

If your ability to complete a full range repetition is limited by your ability to lockout at the top range, then pauses at the weak range are once again an option, but in this case, since greater loads can be handled through a very limited range of motion, it may be a better idea to take what your body gives you and perform movements which overload the top range – which is the range in which the muscles are under the least relative tension since the amount of weight used is limited by how much can be lifted through the range in which you are weakest, therefore this range is generally under stimulated. Some examples are:

Top half squat (with chains, bands, or reverse bands)
Top half bench presses (with chains, bands, or reverse bands)
Decline presses (regular or close-grip)
Floor presses
Rack pulls above knees (regular grip or snatch-grip)
Deadlifts with chains, bands, or reverse bands
Rack pulls with chains, bands, or reverse bands

If position is lost throughout the range of motion then performing the full range lift with a slow tempo, focusing on maintaining proper positioning is ideal, for example:

Slow squats/bench presses/deadlifts (4 seconds up and down)
Squat morning (bend forward, drop to full squat, squat up)

The same parameters can be used for selecting assistance exercises for an explosive, high coordination lift like the push press, although due to the explosive nature of the movement, it’s not ideal to pause midway through the lift – instead break the movement down, and focus on the range in which improvement is needed, and work on developing the strength quality needed at that range with the appropriate exercises, for example:

If the explosiveness of the lower body is a limiting factor, select one of the following:
Explosive top ¼ range front squat, going up on toes
Top ½ - ¼ range jump squat with the same weight used for the push press
Paused incline press

If the ability to impart acceleration onto the bar after the explosive leg drive is limited, select one of the following:

Strict overhead press from mid-range
Dumbell shoulder presses
Slow eccentric (5 seconds) military presses

If the ability to lockout is a limiting factor, select one of the following:

Close-grip incline presses
Strict overhead press lockouts
Incline Tate presses (AKA ‘W’ presses, due to the pattern in which the dumbells travel resembling a ‘W’)

And to overload the movement pattern, select one of the following

Bottom half push press (jerk drive – driving the weight from shoulder to just above head)
Overhead supports (pressing 2-3” and holding the lockout)

For an explosive, high coordination lift like the power clean, the hang clean, or clean from blocks are the only real assistance exercises, unless there is a very specific issue that needs to be addressed – in which case finding a good coach to help teach the lift is ideal. As for overloading the clean, high pulls or low pulls from the hang, or off blocks are the best choices.

SOVIET SIZE

While the adapted cycle above is geared towards increasing ones strength (primarily their one rep max), by manipulating the parameters towards performing a higher volume of localized work, with the goal of increasing ones three rep max, the Soviet cycle can be used to build a decent amount of size along with strength – to facilitate size gains, one must be in a caloric surplus as well, with roughly 10% above daily BMR being suffice.

The major difference between this variation and the first adaptation above is that the four weekly training days focus on one primary lift, as opposed to two (in reference to the bench press and the squat being placed on the same day). The four primary lifts should not overlap, meaning that if you choose to deadlift you should not also choose squat, but rather front squat as there is less carryover between the two – at least as it relates to the workload being placed upon the erectors. Assistance exercises still follow the same parameters (2 assistance exercises per main movement, which should be chosen based on the same criteria as listed above). Each lift will also follow the same parameters, which are pre-planned, and adjusted weekly, looking like this:

Week 1: 80%, 5 x 3
Week 2: 80%, 5 x 4
Week 3: 80%, 5 x 5
Week 4: 80%, 5 x 6

Week 5: 85%, 3 x 3
Week 6: 85%, 5 x 3
Week 7: 90%, 3 x 3

Week 8: 95%, 3 x 2
Week 9: 100%, 3 x 2
Week 10: 100%, 3 x 3

Training Split

Day 1 Front Squat (or squat if choosing Sumo deadlift)

Day 2 Bench Press

Day 3 Deadlift (or Sumo deadlift)

Day 4 Push Press

Assistance Exercises

Whether training for strength or size, the purpose of assistance exercises is to strengthen any glaring weaknesses that may negatively be affecting performance of the primary lift being trained – here are some examples of assistance exercises listed in order from those in which the least amount of weight can be used, to the most amount of weight can be used:

Front squat – paused front squat, split squat, 1 ¼ front squat, top ½ front squat, narrow stance back squat

Deadlift – deficit deadlift, barbell row variant, deficit sumo, rack pull below knee, rack pull above knee

Bench – dumbbell press, close-grip floor press, wide-grip bench press, top ½ bench press, decline press

Push Press – military press, high incline dumbbell press, top ½ pin press, bottom ½ push press, power jerk

Select 2 assistance lifts per phase (lifts should address weak links for weeks 1-4, one weak link and one overload for weeks 5-7, and overload for weeks 8-10). You could also perform one or two exercises specific to the bodypart being trained at the conclusion of the assistance work for 3 sets of 8-10 for phase 1, 6-8 for phase 2, and just one exercise for 3 sets of 6-8 for phase 3.

Assistance Parameters

Week 1: 4 x 8
Week 2: 2 x 8, 2 x 6 (heavier)
Week 3: 4 x 6
Week 4: 2 x 6

Week 5: 4 x 6
Week 6: 2 x 6, 2 x 4 (heavier)
Week 7: 4 x 4

Week 8: 4 x 2
Week 9: 2 x 2
Week 10: None

CONDENSED SOVIET CYCLE

Although the original Soviet cycle was ‘set in stone’ per se, in that all of the scheduled workouts were to be performed (not intending to do so sort of defeats the purpose of starting the program in the first place), the adapted Soviet cycle can be further adapted, or even condensed for those looking for a shorter term ‘blitz’ sort of cycle that will still deliver results. In such a case, the cycle may look like this:

Week 1 HEAVY = 80% 5 x 4, LIGHT = 80% 5 x 2
Week 2 HEAVY = 80% 5 x 5, LIGHT = 80% 5 x 2
Week 3 HEAVY = 80% 5 x 6, LIGHT = 80% 5 x 2
Week 4 HEAVY = 90% 3 x 3, LIGHT = 85% 5 x 2
Week 5 HEAVY = 95% 3 x 3, LIGHT = 90% 3 x 1
Week 6 HEAVY = 100% 3 x 2, LIGHT = 85% 3 x 1
Week 7 peak week

SOVIET SPECIALIZATION

Much like the original version of the Soviet cycle was intended to be used for one lift at a time, the adapted version can be used in the same way. In such cases, simply follow the adapted parameters above for the lift, and muscles involved in the lift in which improvement is sought only, and train the rest of the body how you usually would, based on your goals.

An example of a an overhead press specialization using the adapted Soviet cycle, since overhead press strength is strongly correlated with bench press strength, and most wouldn’t mind have a bigger bench, would look like this:

Day 1 Overhead press + 1 Assistance Exercise (Push Press – which is a combination of a level 1 and level 2 assistance movement as it is a variation of the main lift, as well as a movement that overloads the same movement pattern) – perform 3 sets of however many reps were called for on that specific day for the main lift, using 10-20 lbs. more than that what was used for the main lift that day.

Day 2 Bench press + 2 Assistance Exercises (High Angle Incline Press + High Angle Incline Press w/Close-Grip – both are a combination of level 2 and level 3 exercises as they both allow a movement pattern that closely resembles the overhead pattern to be overloaded, as well as build the muscles involved in the main lift) – perform 3 sets for each assistance exercise, for as many reps as possible, using the same weight as that which was used for the main lift on the PREVIOUS day (the goal is to have the weight for the primary lift being specialized to feel lighter – which is best done by using that weight, and the mechanical advantage provided by the lowered incline is what allows that).

*In this case, or any specialization case for that matter, you can omit the ‘light’ day which focuses on technique and replace it with another ‘heavy’ day in which the targeted lift is prioritized – in this case the overhead press is prioritized with the goal of increasing bench press performance, so naturally the bench press is prioritized by giving it its own separate day – both primary lifts follow the parameters below.

Week 1 80% 5 x 3
Week 2 80% 5 x 4
Week 3 80% 5 x 5
Week 4 80% 5 x 6
Week 5 90% 3 x 3
Week 6 95% 3 x 2
Week 7 100% 3 x 2
Week 8 100% 3 x 3
*Week 9 100% 2 x 1
*Peak week, and max testing – same as peak week parameters above

This is simply a blueprint demonstrating the versatility of the adapted Soviet cycle. To further demonstrate that the cycle is not ‘fixed’ and is open to interpretation, here’s another example in which you could go about using the Soviet cycle to boost overhead press performance without concurrently prioritizing the bench press:

*In this example, the overhead press is the only lift following the adapted Soviet cycle (although you could use it for all your lifts)

The assistance exercises remain constant for the first two phases, the only change being to the parameters with which they are trained, and they are: top half overhead presses, followed by top quarter overhead presses – both being a combination of level 1 and 2 assistance exercises as they are variations of the main lift, which allow the movement pattern to be overloaded

Week 1 80% 5 x 3
Week 2 80% 5 x 4
Week 3 80% 5 x 5
Week 4 80% 5 x 6

Assistance exercises for the first phase are performed for 3 sets of 4-6 reps for the first assistance exercise, using the same weight which was used for the overhead press, followed by 3 sets of 6-8 reps for the second assistance exercise, also using the same weight

Week 5 85% 5 x 3
Week 6 90% 4 x 3
Week 7 95% 3 x 3

Assistance exercises for the second phase are performed for 3 sets of 3-5 reps for the first assistance exercise, using the same weight which was used for the overhead press, followed by 3 sets of 4-6 reps for the second assistance exercise, also using the same weight

Week 8 100% 3 x 2
Week 9 100% 3 x 3
Week 10 peak week, and max testing – same as peak week parameters above

The push press is the only assistance exercise for the last phase, and is performed for 5 sets of 1-3 reps with the same weight which was used for the overhead press

DEADLIFT MODIFICATION

If one wanted to strictly focus on the deadlift, then it’s in their best interest to modify the parameters slightly, as the deadlift is the most physically and neurologically demanding lift that there is – and performing a high volume of deadlifting can quickly result in overtraining, which is completely counterproductive to what anyone would want. In such a case, the parameters would look like this:

Week 1
Day 1 85% 5 x 2
Day 2 80% 4 x 2

Week 2
Day 1 85% 5 x 3
Day 2 80% 4 x 2

Week 3
Day 1 90% 4 x 1
Day 2 80% 4 x 2

Week 4
Day 1 90% 4 x 2
Day 2 80% 4 x 2

Week 5
Day 1 90% 4 x 3
Day 2 80% 4 x 2

Week 6
Day 1 95% 3 x 1
Day 2 80% 3 x 2

Week 7
Day 1 95% 3 x 2
Day 2 80% 3 x 2

Week 8
Day 1 95% 3 x 3
Day 2 80% 3 x 2

Week 9
Day 1 100% 2 x 1
Day 2 80% 2 x 2

Week 10
Day 1 100% 2 x 2
Day 2 80% 2 x 2

Week 11
Day 1 100% 2 x 3
Day 2 80% 2 x 2

Week 12
Day 1 70% 5 x 1
Day 2 test max

To further prevent overworking the body’s capacity to recover, there should be at least 2 days between each day (day 1 and day 2), and squatting should be kept to a maximum of only once a week (performed on the SECOND deadlift day).

The original Soviet cycle was, and still is, a systematic, algorithmic model, that when combined with hard work, produces a great deal of results – it’s not uncommon to increase your current max by over 10% with such a system, or perform your current max for 3, or more reps, by the end of it.


If you have any questions about any of the strategies presented in this article, feel free to contact me at ben@paramounttraining.ca. I'm available for online consulting and personalized program design, as well as one on one training if you are located in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

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