B E N S M I T H P R E S E N T S

BE STRONG - SQUAT STRONG

CrossFit Krypton
11-Time CrossFit 2015 Crossfit
and Krypton
Games Athletes Games Champion
Athletics Founder
 Ben Smith Presents

ABOUT
B E N S M I T H

Give me one movement to do for the rest of my life and it would be

the squat. It is the foundation of a great strength program and instru-
mental for growth and strength in other areas. I have followed many
squat programs and experimented with different ideas and concepts to
build squat strength and this 12 week program has been the most effec-
tive combination of sets, reps, and weights for maximizing my strength
gains  This program took me from a 480 squat to my best back squat
ever of 520 at a bodyweight of 190lbs.  For me, the program’s effective-
ness lies in the focused intensity brought into specific sets throughout
each training session.  With targeted goals for each squat session, and
slight progressive overload week to week, this program should keep you
feeling progress throughout the entire 12 week period.

This is my time tested and PROVEN program and I’m fired up for you
to give it a GO!!

PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Sometimes, the weight may not increase,
Weeks 1-6
but the bar speed or the quality of the reps
might increase, and keep in mind this is just as
During the first 6 weeks, we spend time
much an improvement as the slight increase
establishing a good foundation by performing
in weight. You can always go heavier next
a stable base of sets and reps to build capaci-
session, but you should always chase quality
ty and prepare ourselves to really ramp up the
and speed before increased load.
intensity during weeks 6-12 where we will be
consistently working with  heavy loads.  You
GETTING STARTED
will notice that the first week or two may be
tough to grind through, but as you approach
Selecting the right starting weight (1RM).
weeks 3-6 you will find that you start “feeling
All of our weights go off of percentages, but
the groove” of your squat and start to notice
this percentage should be flexible based off
your ability to add speed into reps and feel
of how high your 1RM is. Generally an athlete
more muscle endurance at the higher rep
with a more advanced squat and a higher
ranges as well as higher power for those first
weight lifted to bodyweight ratio will not be
1-3 reps.
able to sustain the same percentages as an
athlete who is heavier or has a lower squat
Weeks 6-12
weight to bodyweight ratio. The other thing
to keep in mind, is the quality of your reps
Weeks 6-12 is where it gets fun and you
throughout each session. Loading should be
get to test your ability to push more weight. 
challenging, but not maximal. It should stress
This is also where you need to be smart as
your system, but not leave you wrecked for
an athlete and know your body well.  Each
days after. It is imperative that you select the
session and each weight you select should
correct starting weight. My recommendation
matter and have a purpose and reason for
is to err on the lighter side. You can always
picking.  You want to set yourself up for
go up in weight as you feel good, but I don’t
success each session! The program focuses on
want you to have to drop down in weight.
triples, doubles and singles for the top sets
along with drop sets afterward.  Each week
you should progressively build upon the prior
week’s and see a SLIGHT improvement in
your 3’s, 2’s, and singles during each session. 
 Ben Smith Presents

Tips & Tricks

01
SQUAT TIPS FOR THE FIRST 6 WEEKS
I firmly believe that the most important aspect of a good
squat is bar speed. The goal is always to accelerate the
bar out of the hole and stand up as quickly as possible.
This will produce the maximum force and in return, the
highest and quickest strength adaptations.

During these first 6 weeks of sets and reps, you should

focus on working through your “sticking point” in your
squat. This is the point where you usually fail your squat
and is also the weakest point of your lift. It is where the
barbell dramatically loses its speed and consequently you
fail the lift. Set your focus on this point in your squat
each rep, and keep the bar speed as consistent as you
p o s s i b l y c a n t h r o u g h o u t t h i s p o i n t o f y o u r l i f t . Yo u m a y
need to use a few cues to do this, I like to think “push
through the middle” where I’m pushing through the feet
i n t o t h e f l o o r a n d s t a y i n g u p r i g h t a n d t i g h t i n t h e b e l l y.
Find what works for you. Stay at a weight light enough
that you can accelerate the bar through at least the first
couple of your reps each set. If the weights are too high,
you won’t be able to produce the right amount of speed.
As you get better at this skill (producing speed in your
squat) and stronger you will be able to keep this speed
for more reps throughout each set. Speed is KEY!!

02
DROP SETS (Weeks 6-12)
These are the sets that really get you strong. Going
from a heavy triple, double or single, to your drop
sets should make the bar feel lighter and you can
really focus on staying tight and producing speed on
the bar since your body is primed from the heavy set
before. Most likely (hopefully) you will be able to do
more weight on your drop sets than you could during
your straight sets from weeks 1-6. This is GOOD. We
want these drop sets to be super high intensity and
very focused as these are the sets that really help you
build that “groove” and strength in your squat. That
is why we only do 1-3 of the drop sets, because they
should take a lot out of you if you do them right. Its
ok to be a little shaky after these sets, thats when
you know your central nervous system was taxed a
g o o d a m o u n t a n d y o u w i l l o n l y c o m e b a c k s t r o n g e r.

03 WARMING UP/BUILDING UP IN WEIGHT

Yo u r w a r m u p o r y o u r b u i l d u p s e t s t o y o u r t o p w e i g h t s
should be fairly consistent and in evenly spaced out in-
tervals. I have given my recommendations for each day
on sets and reps and percentages to work up to your
working sets.

H e r e ’s a n e x a m p l e o f h o w I w o u l d w o r k u p f o r a 4 x 6 r e p
@ 70% (lets say this % is 315 for me, for example)
2 sets x 10 reps same weight (135 or 155)
1 x 8 reps @225
1 x 6 reps @275
4 x 6 reps @ 315
 Ben Smith Presents

04
Should I wear a belt?
I didn’t use a belt for the first 6 weeks of
squats to build a stronger core during our
straight sets. Then, from weeks 6-12 I only
used a belt after I got above 75 or 80% and
was going for those heavier lifts and drop
sets. A good rule of thumb is to try and not
wear a belt for all of your sets up to a certain
weight for you. For me that is usually 365.
Above there I will use a belt, or if it is a drop
set I will typically use a belt since I used it
on the heavier sets before.

05
Warm Up Options
Here are a few warm up options I like to do before a heavy
squat session. Find one you like and stick with it. Obvi-
ously add in or sub anything you may need these are just
a few examples that I like! During all the “stretches” I’m
moving around finding tight corners and opening up areas
that are stiff, not just static stretching.

War m up 1 - couch stretch (60 sec), squat hold (60 sec),

pigeon stretch (60 sec), 2 rounds of: 90/90 hip opener
stretch (3-4 reps each side) + 10 air squats + calf/ankle
stair stretch + 10 cossack squats (5 each side)

War m up 2 - couch stretch (30-60 sec), worlds great-

est stretch (3-4 reps each side, squat hold (30-60 sec),
2 rounds of: 5 TEMPO Goblet Squats + 90/90 hip opener
drill (3 reps each side) + 15 air squats (varying stance, 5
narrow/5 regular/5 wide), then ankle/stair calf stretch (60-
90 seconds)

War m up 3 - spiderman stretch w/twist, pigeon stretch,

elevated hamstring stretch (on high box), calf/ankle stair
stretch (all for 30-60 sec each), then 2 rounds of: 10 sin-
gle leg touches (each leg) + 10 air squats + 10 cossack
squats (5 each side) + twisted cross stretch.

War m up 4 - couch stretch, elevated pigeon stretch, strad-

dle hamstring stretch, spiderman stretch, 2 rounds of: 10
air squats + 10 walking lunge steps + 10 leg swings (10
forward backward and 10 across body) + calf/ankle stair
stretch

War m up 5 - 20 shoulder rolls, 1-2 min squat hold, couch

stretch (1 min each), 5 minutes foam roll quads, hips,
calves, upper back, pigeon stretch, 2 rounds of: 15 air
squats + ankle/calf stair stretch + worlds greatest stretch
(3 reps each side)

06
On Accessory Work
While I was following this program, I was also training
f o r t h e C r o s s F i t O p e n n e a r l y e v e r y d a y. I j u s t h a d t o m a n -
age not to squat too often outside of these two heavy
sessions that we did so I wouldn’t overdo anything. We
usually did lunges, thrusters, overhead squat, wall ball
or air squats on Wednesday each week as well. These
squat sessions were the first thing I did on Monday and
on Friday to get the most out of them. They were also
always the days after my rest or light days so I could get
the most out of them. If you were to throw in accessory
work for this program, I would suggest some lunges, high
box jumps, front or overhead squats, and definitely GHD
Sit ups. If you only do one other thing, try to get 50-100
GHD sit ups after each time you squat and this will build
your core strength tremendously over the 12 weeks.
 Ben Smith Presents

THE PROGRAM
week one

Note: Keep in mind here if you have a “relatively low” 1RM, or you hav-
en’t been squatting too long, then these percentages can be increased by
5% with no issues. If your 1RM is “relatively high” you may need to drop
5% or more on all these sets. Also, if your form or technique falls apart at
these higher percentages you may need to drop down in percentages until
you find the right combination of intensity (weight lifted) and form. You
want your top sets to be stretching your limits of your personal capacity,
but you also want to feel like you are leaving just a little room for improve-
ment each week for at least weeks 1-6. After this we can start pushing the
envelope some more.

Note: Throughout this program, i’ve included suggested warm ups reps
and sets that I use for how I work up to my working sets here. You can find
out the reps and weights that work best for you after a few weeks of con-
sistent squatting. The idea is to make the same few warm up jumps each
time you squat so you can stay consistent. You don’t want to make too
many jumps, as you may be tired before your top sets. And you don’t want
to make jumps that are too big or you won’t be warmed up and primed for
your working sets. I always like to pyramid down in reps as the weights go
up. OK, LETS GET AFTER IT.

Monday: Back Squats

• 2 x 10 reps @ 30%
• 1 x 8 reps @ 50
• 1 x 4 reps @ 60%
• 4 x 6 reps @ 70%

Friday: Back Squats

2 x 10 reps @ 30%
1 x 8 reps @ 50%
1 x 3 reps @ 65%
4 x 5 reps @ 73%

5
 Ben Smith Presents

THE PROGRAM
week TWO

Monday: Back Squats

• 2 x 10 reps @ 30%
• 1 x 8 reps @ 50%
• 1 x 4 reps @ 60%
• 1 x 2 reps @ 70%
• 4 x 4 reps @ 75%

Friday: Back Squats

• 2 x 10 reps @ 30%
• 1 x 8 reps @ 50%
• 1 x 2 reps @ 65%
• 1 x 2 reps @ 73%
• 4 x 3 reps @ 78%

6
 Ben Smith Presents

THE PROGRAM
week THREE

Monday: Back Squats

• 3 x 6 reps @ 30%
• 1 x 4 reps @ 50%
• 1 x 3 reps @ 60%
• 5 x 6 reps @ 70%

*+5-10# from last time we did 6’s from W1D1*

Friday: Back Squats

• 3 x 5 reps @ 30%
• 1 x 4 reps @ 50%
• 1 x 3 reps @ 65%
• 5 x 5 reps @ 73%

*+5-10# from last time we did 5’s from W1D2*

7
 Ben Smith Presents

THE PROGRAM
week FOUR

Monday: Back Squats

• 3 x 5 reps @ 30%
• 1 x 4 reps @ 50%
• 1 x 3 reps @ 60%
• 1 x 2 reps @ 70%
• 5 x 4 reps @ 75%

*+5-10# from last time we did 4’s from W2D1*

Friday: Back Squats

• 3 x 5 reps @ 30%
• 1 x 4 reps @ 50%
• 1 x 3 reps @ 65%
• 1 x 2 reps @ 73%
• 5 x 3 reps @ 78%

*+5-10# from last time we did 3’s from W2D1*

8
 Ben Smith Presents

THE PROGRAM
week FIVE

Monday: Back Squats

• 2 x 10 reps @ 30%
• 1 x 6 reps @ 50%
• 1 x 4 reps @ 60%
• 5 x 6 reps @ 70%

*+5-10# from last time we did 6’s from W3D1*

Friday: Back Squats

• 2 x 10 reps @ 30%
• 1 x 5 reps @ 50%
• 1 x 5 reps @ 65%
• 5 x 5 reps @ 73%

*+5-10# from last time we did 45’s from W3D2*

9
 Ben Smith Presents

THE PROGRAM
week SIX

Monday: Back Squats

• 2 x 10 reps @ 30%
• 1 x 4 reps @ 50%
• 1 x 4 reps @ 60%
• 1 x 4 reps @ 70%
• 4 x 4 reps @ 75%

*+5-10# from last time we did 4’s from W4D1*

Friday: Back Squats

• 2 x 10 reps @ 30%
• 1 x 5 reps @ 50%
• 1 x 3 reps @ 65%
• 1 x 3 reps @ 73%
• 4 x 3 reps @ 78%

*+5-10# from last time we did 3’s from W4D2*

1 0
 Ben Smith Presents

THE PROGRAM
week SEVEN

Monday: Back Squats

• 3 x 5 reps @ 30%
• 1 x 4 reps @ 50%
• 1 x 3 reps @ 65%
• 1 x 1 reps @ 78%
• 3,3,3

*Build to a heavy set of 3 for the day! I did 3 sets here so

that I could really try and establish a good 3rm and not
just guess today. Start around 85% or so and if it feels
good, work up from there!

Drop Sets
• 6,6 @ 75-80% of your 1RM.

*These two drop sets of 6’s should feel good after drop-
ping weight from your heavy triple, so try and go heavier
than your last time we did 6’s on Week 5 Day 1.

Friday: Back Squats

• 3 x 5 warm up @ 30%
• 1 x 5 reps @ 50%
• 1 x 3 reps @ 70%
• 1 x 1 reps @ 80%
• 2,2,2

*Work up to a heavy double for the day!*

Drop Sets
• 2 x 5 reps @ 80-85% (Heavy, but should feel good after
working up to the heavy double)

*These drop sets should be heavier than the last time we

did week 5 day 2, and heavier than the 6’s on Monday.

1 1
 Ben Smith Presents

THE PROGRAM
week eight

Monday: Back Squats

• 2 x 10 warm up @ 30%
• 1 x 4 reps @ 50%
• 1 x 4 reps @ 70%
• 1 x 2 reps @ 80%
• 1,1,1
*Work up in weight each set to som
ething heavy for the day! NOT a max, but just something
heavy.

Drop Sets
• 2 x 4 reps @ 87-90%

*These should be heavy sets for today! These should be the

heaviest drop sets yet, make them heavier than the 5’s you
did last week.

Friday: Back Squats

• 2 x 10 reps warm up @30%
• 1 x 5 reps @ 50%
• 1 x 3 reps @ 70%
• 1 x 1 reps @ 80%
• 2,2,2

Drop Set
• 1 x 10 @ 70%

*Work up in weight each set first double should start at

85% and make small incremental jumps up from there for all
3 sets to a good double for the day, NOT a max double. If a
set feels really heavy, back off a bit and finish your doubles
at a weight you know you can hit smooth. Your set of 10
should be a big drop set at 70% (This should be around the
weight from W1D1 & you should be able to do it for 10!)

1 2
 Ben Smith Presents

THE PROGRAM
week NINE

Monday: Back Squats

• 3 x 6 reps @ 30%
• 1 x 5 reps @ 50%
• 1 x 3 reps @ 70%
• 1 x 2 reps @ 80%
• 1 x 1 reps @ 85%
• 1 x 3 @ 5-10# heavier than last triple you established on
week 7 day 1.

*Make sure your jumps are nice and consistent each time,
starting bigger and decreasing as you get up in weight.

Drop Sets
• 6,6+
*For these drop sets, work at the same weight you
picked from week 7 day 1 (75-80%) and for the second
set go for more than 6 reps if you are able, but don’t go
to failure. Anywhere from 6-10 reps and stop one or two
reps before failure.

Friday: Back Squats

• 3 x 5 reps @ 30%
• 1 x 5 reps @ 50%
• 1 x 3 reps @ 70%
• 1 x 2 reps @ 80%
• 1 x 1 reps @ 85%
• 1 x 2 @ heavier than last double weight! From week 7
day 2.

Drop sets
• 5,5 (Same weight as your last time, but put some more
speed on them!) *From week 7 day 2 was last time we
did 5’s as drop sets.

1 3
 Ben Smith Presents

THE PROGRAM
week TEN

Monday: Back Squats

• 2 x 8 reps @ 30%
• 1 x 4 reps @ 55-60%
• 1 x 4 reps @ 70-75%
• 1 x 2 reps @ 80-85%
• 1,1,1
*Work up in weight each set to something heavy for the
day! Something you know you can hit! Maybe just 5-10#
heavier than your last single! Week 8 day 1 was the last
heavy single.

Drop set
• 1 x 4 reps @ heavier than your last 4’s from week 8 day
1! Leave a little in the tank today on this set of 4. Should
feel strong, like you could do a little more.

Friday: Back Squats

• 10,10,10,10
*Work up in weight, to a heavy set of 10 for today. These
jumps should be a bit bigger, and this last jump requires
a bit of thought and confidence going for a weight you
know will be challenging.

Really get after this last set here! The last set should be
anywhere from 80-90% depending on how you’re feeling
today! Percentages working up for example could be:
35%, 55%, 70%, 80-90%

1 4
 Ben Smith Presents

THE PROGRAM
week ELEVEN

Monday: Back Squats

• 2 x 10 reps @ 30%
• 1 x 5 reps @ 50%
• 1 x 3 reps @ 70%
• 1 x 2 reps @ 80%
• 1 x 1 rep @ 85%
• 1 x 3 @ See if you can improve 5-10# from week 9 day
1!

Drop Set
1 x 5 reps
*PR your set of 5 from week 9 day 2 was the last time we
did 5’s.

Friday: Back Squats

• 2 x 10 reps @ 30%
• 1 x 5 reps @ 55%
• 1 x 3 reps @ 75%
• 1 x 2 reps @ 85%
• 1 x 1 rep @ 90%
• 1 x 2 @ heavier than your last double!
Drop set
• 1 x 4 reps @ same weight or possibly heavier than your
last 4’s from week 10 day 1!

1 5
 Ben Smith Presents

THE PROGRAM
week TWELVE

Monday: Back Squats

Reps I would follow
• 2 x 8 reps @ 30%
• 1 x 5 reps @ 50%
• 1 x 3 reps @ 70%
• 1 x 2 reps @ 80%
• 1,1,1 until you get to your heavy single!
Today’s the day! Get after it. Hit a new PR!!

Friday: Back Squats

If you feel like you have a little more in the tank, or want
to try again go for a heavy single again today! You
earned the shot at it from the 12 weeks of training to get
to this point! Its not unusual to hit another PR this next
session here. Go get it!
*Use the same reps and work up maybe with just 5 or
10# more on the bar each set to get that PR.

1 6
 Ben Smith Presents

THE PROGRAM
SPONSORS AND AFFILIATES

1 7