Super squats calls for “breathing squats”.
The idea being that between reps - even with a barbell on your back you can rest enough to squeeze out 1 more rep.
Hence you get to the top of the squat. Take a few deep breath’s and go again.
The magic numbers are take your 10 rep max, do it 20 times. You’ll find yourself getting to reps 6-7 quickly before realising you’re in trouble at reps 8-9. Regret for life starts about 12 and it gets worse from there.
The programme then gets you to add to the bar each session.
Of which there are 18 (3 a week, 6 weeks).
If I run Super Squats again this year (and I might) you think I’ll find recovery easier than a newbie?
FYI - the starting weight for the 20 rep squats will be 170-180kg.
You think that’s easier to recover from than say 50-100kg?
I had heard something like that. This sounds more fantasy than anything else. When someone tells me what their 10 rep max is, to me, it means they cannot do an 11th rep with that weight. Maybe there is some realism if the 10 rep max has a short time limit like less than 30 seconds.
In my weekly leg routine I did 2 sets of squats of 10 reps with 495lbs and no rest to psych up for the next rep. I would laugh in your face if you tried to convince me I could do 20 reps with 495lbs.
Though I didn’t realize the benefit of 20 rep squats when I was lifting that weight, I have come to believe I missed a great opportunity to have put a little more size on my quads.
I first heard of breathing squats followed by pullovers since 1972. I gave it a half-ass effort once, and never tried it again. I wanted to get strong. Weight! More weight!
Yes but not in the way I think you’re taking my point, I think you’d be better placed to manage your recovery than a newbie, actually physiologically I’d bet that the DOMS wont kick your ass as hard as a newbie either so either way yes.
Breathing squats are not a normal set of squats. But I can testify that I took what was my 10 rep max and did it for 20 reps.
On a normal set of squats I’d never think about taking a 45 second rest at the top. For breathing squats I would double that if needed. Hell one set took me near enough 10 minutes. As I said above, after rep 8-9 you wonder what the hell you are going to do. You like your legs are going to give out and you can’t see how you’re going to do another 2 reps - let alone 12. But at each time you get to the top and rest you gather just enough to do 1 more rep.
It is honestly the hardest thing I’ve done in the gym. But worth it. Gave me the best growth I’ve ever have. And changed my views on lots of things.
When I ran a version of this programme I brought me to tears. The day after my 13th work out (there are 18 total) I was in the shower and I cried. My legs hurt and my shoulders hurt. I’d had DOMS for 3 weeks running and I was struggling. I hated the work outs. For the first time in years I hated working out. And I was scared of the work out the next day. I had no idea how I’d done the one the day before. And I had one tomorrow heavier and then 4 more after that.
So I do get what you are saying now. Physiologically this is a killer. And I agree, maybe more mature lifters are better placed to deal with that. But be under no illusion. It did kick my arse. The only reason I kept on with the programme is I was logging it on here. I would have quit. But I didn’t want the shame of admitting it on here.
That sounds bad, my worst DOMS was as a newbie though, what im about to describe isnt an exaggeration. After doing leg press and leg extensions on like my 3rd workout in about 8 years before which I never did any legs work (was the 90s and I was a teen the last time id trained) which consisted of around 12-15 reps x 3 sets of each I had to call in sick to my office job the next 3 days, I could not bare to be in any position besides seated with my feet up on another chair even then every ten mins or so it felt like 5,000 tiny razor blades were being pumped through my quads and like you I cried almost as much as when my mother died but not emotionally more like a kid when they get hurt. I couldnt shit till the third day because no way I could get to or sit on the toilet since there was nothing to grab onto to lower myself then on the third day I had to so my ex wife lower me down onto the toilet then she had to drop the kids off to daycare. Next problem? I couldnt wipe my ass leaning forward sent the aforementioned razors through my quads so I gave up on hygiene and stood up with the aid of a towel wrapped around the top of the shower screen.
Then with my (tight) boxers still down around my knees I noticed the dencorub tube in the top draw of the bathroom vanity and in a stroke of genius I started to smother my thighs liberally with it thinking it would give me relief… wrong. Ive pulled my boxers up which spread the dencorub all over my nuts and knob which I didnt notice but would very soon find out about. I tried shuffling out of the bathroom to the safety of my chair down the hallway and both my legs gave way and I collapsed onto the cold bathroom floor again in tears. The razors were back pulsing through my thighs, next problem? the dendorub had now penetrated my pores of my cock and balls plus I could tell my ass was all shitty, I could smell it.
I cried and cried and actually ended up laughing like a mad man and crawled commando style on my elbow like a dog trying to wank using the carpet with my burning cock and balls rubbing on our cheap fake timber floating floor (thank fuck it wasnt actual timber) for what seemed like eternity unit the ex came home and wiped my ass for me (we divorced a year later and im sure this is what made her mind start turning the corner on that). The next Saturday 6 days later I took my son fishing and I was still in pain but could move okayish.
Imagine Id done 20 reps of breathing squats instead of leg press and leg extensions? lol
Oh and I was such a newbie that I thought it would help to get on the piss HARD to “assist” my recover - Beginners please note lifting and drinking is like oil and water for so many reasons. Have a chocolate milk instead it tastes much better.
Anyway back to super squats.
Okay now that makes more sense to me, id imagine your back would also be fucking FRIED, was this lowbar? if so how were your elbows and shoulders?
Were you able to back up with the squats that same week? if so youre a freak.
What you describe sounds like a medical condition lol. Not DOMS.
Mine where not that bad. More like a total lack of energy mixed with lack of feeling. But mixed with pain. Like a numb sort of pain.
Super squats is the same thing 3 times a week. It is brutal. But it works. Read the book.
Having been a beginner I feel his search for the holy grail of bodybuilding. I too searched for the one piece missing that would allow me to make phenomenal gains. I recall believing that the holy grail was Nautilus equipment and principles… horse feathers.
I would guess the OP is in search of that one thing preventing him from an additional 40 pounds of muscle. Eventually he will discover there is no silver bullet, just a number of variables and some of which he has no control (e.g., genetics)
It’s more he posted a thread earlier talking about having very limited equipment and this was the program recommended to maximize the equipment he had. He then made a new thread, neglected to mention context, and here we are.