Russian Masters Squat Routine

Russian Masters Squat Routine with Calculator at end of page

Many people will be familiar with the Russian Squat Routine as a specialised squat routine to improve leg strength. A high volume of squats performed both heavy and frequently with progressive loading result in an improvement of squat 1rm. However, for most people, squatting three times a week, as required by the original template published by Zeinalov in the Russian journal Tiazhelya Atletika in 1976, is not easy to implement into your training and is rather demanding and detrimental to other lower body work. The original article, "Methods of developing Leg Strength" can be read on sportivny press (which is itself an excellent resource).

Luckily, I was introduced to the so called masters version of this program on a forum. The simple premise is you reduce the frequency of squat workouts to twice a week, and extend the program to 9 weeks rather than the original 6.

Russian Squat Routine (Original)

All prescriptions are in sets x reps format

Session:	1	2	3
Week 1.	6x2@80%	6x3@80%	6x2@80%
Week 2.	6x4@80%	6x2@80%	6x5@80%
Week 3.	6x2@80%	6x6@80%	6x2@80%
Week 4.	5x5@85%	6x2@80%	4x4@90%
Week 5.	6x2@80%	3x3@95%	6x2@80%
Week 6.	2x2@100%	6x2@80%	1x1@105%

In order to alter this to the masters version, we perform two sessions per week instead and it is highly recommended to use a training maximum rather than an absolute maximum:

Russian Masters Squat Routine

All prescriptions are in sets x reps format

Session:	1	2
Week 1.	6x2@80%	6x3@80%
Week 2.	6x2@80%	6x4@80%
Week 3.	6x2@80%	6x5@80%
Week 4.	6x2@80%	6x6@80%
Week 5.	6x2@80%	5x5@85%
Week 6.	6x2@80%	4x4@90%
Week 7.	6x2@80%	3x3@95%
Week 8.	6x2@80%	2x2@100%
Week 9.	6x2@80%	1x1@105%

I prefer to reorganise the days to have the harder squat session first in the week, and this allows me to deadlift after the 6x2@80% of the second squat session.

Russian Masters Squat Routine (Modified 10 Weeks)

All prescriptions are in sets x reps format. The final maximum session can be completed at any time in the tenth week; ideal for a weekend competition.

Session:	1	2
Week 1.	6x3@75%	6x2@80%
Week 2.	6x3@80%	6x2@80%
Week 3.	6x4@80%	6x2@80%
Week 4.	6x5@80%	6x2@80%
Week 5.	6x6@80%	6x2@80%
Week 6.	5x5@85%	6x2@80%
Week 7.	4x4@90%	6x2@80%
Week 8.	3x3@95%	6x2@80%
Week 9.	2x2@100%	6x2@80%
Week 10.	1x1@105%

The masters version of this allows you to train other lifts while still performing a good squat cycle. I have ran it utilising four training days; squat, bench, squat + dealift, press. If you are a powerlifter there is ample opportunity to train the bench and deadlift around this template. If you are a weightlifter, I would expect the heavier day to significantly impact the training of the classic lifts. I would organise the heaviest day to be a separate squat day. Even 6x2@80% may be challenging in conjunction with olympic lifting in the same session. If you intend to do this as a weightlifter, there must be a good incentive for you to prioritise squatting this much, as discussed in the original article and this critique by Bud Charniga "Concerning the Russian Squat Routine".

Still, its a great cycle and an example of very sound programming. Personally, I failed a 160kg squat before running this cycle and achieved a 180kg maximum after the ten weeks. +20kg in ten weeks is not bad at all!

Russian Masters Squat Routine Gen (Modified 10 Weeks)

Enter your Max:

Session:	1	2
Week 1.	6x3x	6x2x
Week 2.	6x3x	6x2x
Week 3.	6x4x	6x2x
Week 4.	6x5x	6x2x
Week 5.	6x6x	6x2x
Week 6.	5x5x	6x2x
Week 7.	4x4x	6x2x
Week 8.	3x3x	6x2x
Week 9.	2x2x	6x2x
Week 10.	1x1x