Best Squat Programs for Powerlifting & Strength

A squat program is built to raise your squat max. Some are short peaking cycles you run before a meet or a max test, and others are longer blocks for building up the squat in the off-season.

Every program below has a free spreadsheet that works out your weights from your current max. Most of them only program the squat, so you'll pair them with your own bench and deadlift work.

Russian Squat Routine: intermediate, 6 weeks, squat 3 days a week (8 week, 2 day masters version included)
Greg Nuckols 28 Programs: beginner to advanced, 4 week cycles, squat 1, 2, or 3 days a week
Candito Advanced Squat Program: intermediate to advanced, 9 weeks, for lifters who've plateaued on the squat
Hatch Squat Program: intermediate, 12 weeks, front and back squats twice a week
Tim Swords 7 Week Squat Program: intermediate, 7 weeks, 3 days a week, front squat focused
Greg Everett 10 Week Squat Program: intermediate to advanced, 10 weeks, 6 days a week, tons of volume
Gene Bell Jr. Squat Peaking Program: intermediate to advanced, 12 weeks, squat once a week
Brad Gillingham 16 Week Squat + Deadlift Program: intermediate, 16 weeks, each lift once a week
USSR Yearbook Squat Routines: intermediate, 3 or 6 weeks, competition prep only
Smolov and Smolov Jr: advanced, 13 weeks (3 for Jr), up to 4 squat days a week
nSuns 5/3/1: beginner to intermediate, a full program with squat focused variants

How to Pick a Squat Program

Newer lifters: stick with a full body program or the beginner Greg Nuckols squat program. Squat specialization makes more sense once simple progress slows down.
Meet or max test coming up: the Russian Squat Routine, Gene Bell, the USSR routines, and Smolov all build to a max. More options are on the peaking programs page.
How often to squat: once a week (Gene Bell, Gillingham) is easy to recover from. Three or more days (Russian, Smolov, Everett) moves the squat faster but takes much more recovery. Browse programs that squat 1 day, 2 days, or 3 days a week.
Be warned: Smolov and the Everett program are very hard on your legs. Don't run them during a cut or alongside a heavy deadlift block.

You can also filter every program on the site by days per week, experience level, and length in the Lift Vault Program Library.

Squat Resources

Other lift-specific programs: Bench Press Programs, Deadlift Programs, Powerlifting Programs

Smolov Program and Smolov Jr Bench and Squat Program Spreadsheets

By Kyle Risley
Last updated June 28, 2026

Experience level: Advanced
Weeks: 13, 3
Periodization: Block Periodization, Undulating Periodization
Meet prep program: Yes
Program goal: High Volume, Peaking
Uses RPE: No
Uses 1RM Percentage(%): Yes

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Smolov is a Russian squat specialization and peaking cycle created by Sergey Smolov, a Soviet-era weightlifting coach. The full program runs 13 weeks and is built around four phases: a 2-week Introductory Microcycle, a 4-week Base Mesocycle (4 days per week of squatting), a 2-week Switching phase, and a 5-week Intense Mesocycle that ends with a 1RM test. There’s also a separate 3-week version called Smolov Jr that you can run for squat or bench press.

The idea behind Smolov is extreme squat frequency and volume at high percentages. The Base Mesocycle alone has you squatting 4 days per week with loads between 70% and 85% of your 1RM. Your body adapts to a level of squat volume most programs don’t approach. You need to eat, sleep, and recover around the program, not alongside it.

Smolov is for intermediate to advanced lifters with a solid squat base and a specific reason to peak, like a meet or a record attempt. If you’re a beginner, running a caloric deficit, or short on recovery time, skip it. For a less aggressive squat-focused peaking option, check out the Russian Squat Routine or the Hatch Squat Program.

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