What I Think of 20 Rep Squats

Training Bodybuilding
41

[quote]anthropocentric wrote:
Twenty Rep Milk to Mouth Routine by anthropocentric

Liquid, white, texture and silk
Protein, creme, its my whole milk.
Calories. Calories, easy and fast
Growing thighs is quite the blast.

Out of history came a plan
Six weeks set and I’m the man!
Growing pain, 20 Rep Squats
But muscle gain, got the hots.

T-Men, Take Your 10 Rep Max
Then Do 20 and pay the tax.
All the way to the limit,
your muscles have been stressed.
Chug milk for a minute,
and now your quads have been blessed.

Simple statement resonates true,
Among each and every single ‘moo.’
You Shall Drink, MILK, BRO!
Then grow, Grow, and GROW.

[/quote]

brilliant.

42

[quote]That One Guy wrote:
spadesofaces wrote:

If I do this routine, I swear to you I will yell this right before I step into the power rack to get pumped for the set.

So out of curiosity then- if 20 rep squats build your legs like crazy, has anyone ever thought to experiment with 20 rep pullups or 20 rep bench? Same loading parameters, but for the upper body instead.

the general consensus is that it wouldn’t work, it can work for squat because you are using so much more muscle mass compared to a bench press or any upper body movement for that matter. try doing it on an isolation move, aint gonna happen b/c you’re using less muscle mass, they get fatigued and have nothing to back them up, unlike the squat. Deadlift, well the jury is out on that one, if someone wants to try that, it’d be a nice experiment.[/quote]

Plus, theres tons of anabolic horomone secretion with a 3 minute set of squats. Plus, this program will make you insanely mentally tough. Also, there’s the whole “well, if I collapse with this weight on my back… I’m fucked.”

43

I did these once with front squats and stupidly at the beginning of my workout. I didn’t do anything else that day.

44

Did them for years. I always did mine piston-style (no stops between reps) to failure.

But my best gains came from 30-rep squats.

45

[quote]Iron Dwarf wrote:
Did them for years. I always did mine piston-style (no stops between reps) to failure.

But my best gains came from 30-rep squats.[/quote]

That’s not the same thing we’re talking about. With “20 rep squats” you can’t avoid stopping between reps, or you’re doing something wrong. If 20 reps, not stopping, is “to failure” for you, then you’re using your 20RM, not your 10RM. What you’re talking about is a set of 20 squats, not “20 rep squats,” a term which refers to this particular style of squatting.

I’m not saying it isn’t effective; it just isn’t what we’re talking about.

Anyway, back to the discussion. My best set I think was 265 a few years ago. I did them a lot in my first year of lifting but haven’t returned to them. But I’ve been considering it lately, and this thread helped me make up my mind. I’m starting tomorrow.

[quote]k8thegr8 wrote:
Question- with 20 rep squats, are you do ANY heavy lifting in addition? Like in the 5-10 rep range? Or do you just do the 20 rep squats a few times a week?[/quote]

Yeah, you add in other lifts too. The programs vary, but most of them have you do a few sets of pressing and pulling before the squats, and maybe some SLDLs after, followed by some isolation stuff. Strossen’s program in Super Squats was:

3x10 Behind the Neck Press
3x12 Bench
2x15 Bent Over Row
2x10 Curl
1x20 Squat
1x20 Pullover
1x15 SLDL
1x20 Pullover
3x20 Calf Raise
1x25 Crunch

And he had an abbreviated program too:

2x12 Bench
1x20 Squat
1x20 Pullover
2x15 Bent Over Row

He recommended alternating 6 weeks of 20 rep squats with 6 weeks of this 5x5 program:

5x5 Power Cleans
5x5 Alternate DB Press
5x5 Incline Bench
5x5 Upright Rows
5x5 Alternate DB Curls
5x5 Squat (superset with light pullovers)
2x25 Leg Raises

Here’s another good one, from WildBoarMan at the Power and Bulk board (mine will probably be something along these lines):

[i]Q: Wah! I need a routine! What can I do WildBoarMan?
A: Quit being a (all together now) PUSSY! Here is a routine that will make you a
fucking man.

Session 1:
a. Standing overhead press: 5x5 a la 2 warmup sets and 3 hard fucking sets of 5. When you get all 3, move the weight up.
b. Standing curls: Do 5 sets of 5, just like above, supersetted with the presses. Maury did these and he was definitely not a pussy, even though he got plenty.
c. Squats: 1-3 warmups the 1x20. Yes, these are breathing squats done with a weight you can only do 10 with. Trust me, you will be able to do this if you are not a pussy.
d. Stiff leg Dead: 2x15. Yes girls, this does hurt. But keep at it.
e. Ab work: Work it hard, don’t be a _____. (fill in the fucking blank, numbnuts!)

Session 2:
a. Deadlifts: 5x5, see the guidelines above
b. Bench press or dips: 5x5, see above
c. Dumbbell Rows: 3x10-15
d. Chins: 3 sets for maximum reps. I know, too much back work…well, you need this much goddamn back work if you don’t want to look like a pussy! Plus, chins help to decompress the spine after heavy lifting a bit.
e. Ab work…as above.

Do one of these programs every 3 days or so. Work it hard, and don’t be a big fucking pussy, and maybe you’re 175 lb skinny-fat asses will fill out into a nice manly physique.[/i]

46

AHHH I HATE THESE TOO. IT’s not that I don’t like doing them, it’s just that I always either feel like I’m gonna pass out afterwards or puke

47

I’m adding this phenomenon of 20 rest pause breathing squats into my program, I admit, i couldn’t do it yesterday =(. But i will not give up! believe me! Next time…

48

20 rep squats are without a doubt the most brutal thing I’ve ever done.

It always seems that around the 12th or 13th rep, I have to start digging deep to move on. Reps 15-18 are when my mental resolve really starts being tested. All sorts of reasons to terminate the set go through my head.

The last two or three reps are absolutely the worst imaginable and I’m wondering why the hell anyone would do this to themselves. The room gets blurry and all I want to do is get this damn bar off my shoulders.

When the set is complete and the bar is racked, I get a tremendous sense of accomplishment - but only after I pick my ass up off the floor.

If you think you train hard and have never tried this routine, you’re in for a bitchslap once you do attempt it.

49

I think that they are just about the best thing someone who is used to training heavy in the squat can do, especially if he’s been training heavy for a long time. After 6 months-1 year training in the 4-6 rep range or even 6-8 range, going for 20 rep squat sessions for a month or so would probably get that person more gains than he got in the 2-3 months prior.

50

Just out of curiousity, has anyone actually ever passed out doing them?

51

[quote]Stength4life wrote:
Just out of curiousity, has anyone actually ever passed out doing them?[/quote]

Almost. I got to the point of seeing stars, then seeing grey, so I just dropped the weight to the safeties and knelt down for a minute.

I think I pushed it too hard…

52

This is one of the best and worst things ever!
I actually look forward to doing this though. And the only reason is that I had an occasion to be party to a workout that had Casey Viator a lllooonnnggg time ago. The lesson stuck. And nothing has done anything like this to kickstart a routine, break a plateau.

I’ve spent almost 30 years as an MMA trainer, and have always kept this as part of my routine for the sheer mental challenge and anaerobic training of it. Nothings better.

I’ve just come back to working out a few weeks ago, after having been off for over a year because I destroyed all of the tendons in my left arm, business, death in the family; blah blah blah…

First day back, 20 reps. Felt amazing, invigorated and challenged. I’ve been back in the gym for only three weeks, but I my conditioning is coming back, I can see my serratus and 4 of ye old six pack. I totally give credit for that to jumpstarting my metabolism with the 20 rep scheme.

I’m also a fan of 20 rep deads. So on back day, hit those too… Granted, after being off a while, my poundages suck! But I was still destroyed afterwards, and have been feeling great since.

53

Is it just me…or does anyone else like seeing stars. I see em whenever i deadlift heavy in particular…and i enjoy it. Am i just a sick fuck?

54

I’m on week 3 of a 20 rep squat program right now. I started at a squat weight of 185lbs @ 185lbs or so of body weight. Today I try for a squat weight of 260lbs @ 192 body weight. This program is brutal, no doubt about it. Brutal but effective. I started at 3 days a week, but am dropping to twice a week for the last 2 weeks.

My capacity to recover is taking a beating, not to mention I am not too fond of the screaming headaches I get doing them.

I highly recommend this program, but make sure you have a base level of fitness. Make sure your squat technique is on point. Make sure you get adequate food and rest. Most of all, listen to your body. If you are not recovering well 3 days a week, drop a day.

55

Haha, that’s it. I’m doing them friday. After 5x3 squats.

56

I threw them in on DE day instead of speed work(i run a modified westside program) and have gotten great results. adding 10 lbs every week or so for about a month and a half. I do some LIGHT accessory work afterwards.

57

[quote]Artem wrote:
sjoconn wrote:
Artem wrote:
How many reps do you guys normally do squats for?

I do 4 sets of 14 for them usually. Then the same for leg press and lying leg curls.

The 20 rep squat program is 1 working set of 20 reps. It is usually done with your 10 rep max. You can take a break (stop between reps and take a breath or 2), but cannot set the bar down until the set is complete.

This is MUCH different than 4 sets of 14. It is a complete physical and mental ass beating.

Not to sound ignorant, but do those extra 6 reps really make all the difference?[/quote]

NO

58

Can you expect to gain alot of strength from doing 20 rep squats. I am about to start week 2

59

my twenty rep program goes like this

20 rep squats
Weighted 45 hypers 1x20-25
Military press 1-2x10
Incline DB press 1-2x10
DB “kroc” Rows 1x20-25
Barbell curls 1-2x10
Reverse flyes 2x15
Face pulls 2x15

thats it. repeat every 2-3 days depending on how you feel. for the 1 or 2 set exerecises: day 1 do 1 set, day 2 do 2 sets, day 3 add weight and do one set, day 4 do two sets of previous weight, etc. etc. until you plateau then find another program. it works for me.

60

[quote]ProfessorCHAOS96 wrote:

I find the last 5 to be just hell. My arms and wrists go dead from holding the bar so long, I shake, I get severely out of breath, and when the bar finally gets racked i could just drop right there underneath it. It’s really something…

[/quote]

This is the second time around I’ve been on the “20s” program, and believe me, the mental scars still haven’t disappeared from a year ago. This time, however, I’ve changed my grip to one that is much further in and my arms become so numb after racking the weight. I didn’t experience this great arm fatigue when I used the much wider grip more than a year ago, and it makes for hell when I’m around the 13th rep. I also must say, you really learn how mentally tough you are pushing yourself through this type of workout. Cheers everyone!