Anyone else do 20 rep squats

[Fuglydude]

Not til I got to the 195 twenty repper. Ever since then I get a clear glimpse of hell halfway through, and then a clear glimpse of heaven when I finish.

I highly recommend the addition of these. My weight is getting closer to 220 and I just keep getting bigger and more muscular. I notice carryover elsewhere too - my one minute pushup test came up on tuesday and I've gone from 52 to 63 since beginning this. Run time is still in the 11:30-40 range for 1.8 miles, but all my runs seem to fall on the day after squatting, so who knows what they would be otherwise.

Fantastic progress dude! Keep up the good work!

 

[MetalFortress]

Hooah!!!

210 x 21

This went up easier than any of the ones I've done after the new year, easier than any since I did 185. I didn't get pinned once, the first ten reps flew, and I kept my heels on the ground the whole time.

Warmed up with overhead squats, sots presses, snatches and cleans, all bar-only. Used to warm up with only OH squats so maybe that helped. Either way, this was 'the motivator'. Finished with three sets of dips and three sets of machine rows.

 

[EFFORT]

Good job with your progress this is the hardest routine I know of. Stallion was doing this last year check http://www.sosuave.net/forum/showthread.php?t=138363&page=10 here's his experience from it


"I'm pretty wiped out from these super squats and milk. To sum up my progress


Squats 1x20 ---------Began at 170lbs----------ended at 230 lbs +60 lb gain
Dips -----------------Began at 17 reps---------ended at 38 reps +21 r gain
Pullups---------------Began at 10 reps---------ended at 16 reps +6 r gain

I started at around 215ish at the start of this routine. I ended at 228 lbs. So those numbers could have been more dramatic if it wasn't for the weight gain. Plus the cardio stopped that apparent 30 lb gain thank God.

Apperance changes---I've noticed a huge difference in my chest, legs, arms...and belly haha damn milk. And a couple little stretch marks on my arms.

If anyone wants a hardcore routine that will kick your a$$ and send you straight into the pits of hell and test everything you got...well start loading up the barbell at the squat rack with some heavy metal...snarllll...and be ready to put some weight on you."

 

[Jitterbug]

OK I tried the 20 rep super squat just then.

Not feeling too strong as I didn't sleep well for two nights due to the heat down here (yesterday was 44 deg C).

Squat

Bar x20
60kg x10
80kg x5
100kg x5
110kg x5

Then I tried to do the 20 rep squat thing. At first I went for 90kg...

90kg x10

but after 10, I didn't feel too good so I stopped. Dropped 10kg off the weights:

80kg x20 (178lbs for you Americans)

At some point during the last 5 reps, I think I was touched by His Noodly Appendage.

My goal next week is 85kg x20 (~ BW x20).

 

[MetalFortress]

Nice job jitterbug, I bet you'll be limping for a few days after that! You should hit 85k easily next week. Btw where do you live? I wish it was hald that hot here!

Thanks for the link Effort. Pretty badass stuff. I'm glad to see this old routine is gaining new popularity!

 

[Jitterbug]

I'm down in Australia, it's the middle of summer here. Cooling down tonight though with a big thunderstorm coming up right now, AWESOME!

Yeah I think I'll walk funny tomorrow!

After doing this 20 rep super squat, I'm feeling every word that Rippetoe said about the squat:

There is simply no other exercise, and certainly no machine, that produces the level of central nervous system activity, improved balance and coordination, skeletal loading and bone density enhancement, muscular stimulation and growth, connective tissue stress and strength, psychological demand and toughness, and overall systemic conditioning than the correctly performed full squat.

It's a great feeling after you've finished the set and racked the weights.

 

[RMM]

Well, I'm taking 3 weeks off in February so I don't want to start with this, but afterwards (and probably an extra week or so to get back to the swing of things) I think I'll go for the 20 squats. What's the worst that could happen?

...

 

[MetalFortress]

I started in December, did two weeks, then had two weeks off cuz I went back home, then came back and cannonballed right back in (that's where the beginning of this thread left off). It can be done but it ain't easy.

 

[MetalFortress]

Dear diary; mood, apathetic.

215 x 22

Just kidding about the apathetic part, as today was a VERY good day! I lifted my toes up during my squats, forcing me farther back onto my heels. As a result, my back took way less of a beating than usual today. Rest pauses between reps were significantly shorter, and the set seemed to fly by.

Crazy stuff. In early december 215 would have pinned me on the first rep. Now I'm 22-repping it.

Finished with 2 sets pulldowns and 2 sets DB bench presses, and a nice DC style extreme chest stretch

 

[MetalFortress]

220 x 20

Didn't feel so hot today, due to missing dinner last night, as well as playing a bit too much Dance Dance Revolution last night. Hadn't played in years, couldn't resist the opportunity.

The workout is getting more and more physically taxing, even though the reps aren't really getting any tougher overall to put up. Rep 5 to 10 sucked again, rep 15 to 20 went up the easiest. Yes I am weird. I was so done after 20 though, I had no more energy for rep 21.

It's been such a strange journey. I'm seeing stacks of plates pile up sideways on the barbell that would have been difficult if not impossible to max out on a month ago. Even as I post it here I still have to take a second glance. Like did I really just do 220? I remember when 155 nearly nailed me. Now it would seem light as hell. The more bend I notice in the barbell as I progress, the more awesome I feel.

Phew. Just 5 pounds away from two plates. 2 plates here I come!!!

 

[MetalFortress]

Just FTR, I only squat ass to grass. Saw some clown squatting to just above parallel the other day. Actually, I'm the only ATG squatter in this gym that I know of.

Gym's closed for the holiday. Tomorrow: the two plater!

 

[Drum&Bass]

thats good that you have the mobility to squat ATG, but squatting ATG is like any other exercise that serves a purpose.

If your an advanced lifter trying to develop size and strength, squatting to parallel or slightly above will get you better results than squatting ATG.

you really shouldnt insult other people and the way they do things. You dont know what they are trying to achieve and you dont know if they are happy with the results they are making through their own efforts.

 

[MetalFortress]

For powerlifting it makes sense to me, as the different form and stance of the pl squat is more conducive to stopping around that point. However, he was squatting with a stance as narrow as my more olympic-styled atg squats, with weight not anywhere near conducive to being an advanced lifter, stopping far above the natural stopping point. It looks to me like a good way to ruin the knees. Maybe I'm wrong. I just know if I tried to do a narrower olympic lifting style squat and stopped at parallel, the knees would be barking.

 

[TizZle]

I couldn't think of doing a set of 20. I do 2 sets of 5-6. Did 295 x 5 , 300 x 5 today. Just doing that many takes a lot out of me.

 

[Quiksilver]

Most I ever did was 20x245lb.... Arms and hands went numb and vision started going white by rep 17. Forced it out and collapsed, haven't done that heavy since.

 

[Jitterbug]

Failed at 85kg (BW) twice today: 85kg x14 and 85kg x12 :/

I could've gone on but I felt really tight around my tail bone and stopped to avoid a potential injury. Been changing my squat to Rippetoe's style after I got SS:BBT 2nd ed, but maybe my form isn't solid yet. I think I'm on the right track though as I'm using hip drive and my hip is sore.

Will try again with 85kg x20 on Sat after my deadlifts.

 

[Jitterbug]

If your an advanced lifter trying to develop size and strength, squatting to parallel or slightly above will get you better results than squatting ATG.

I can't say much about advanced lifters. When we're talking squat numbers in the 100s and 200s of pounds, it's safe to say that we are talking about novice lifters.

In my gym, most people are novice to intermediate lifters. I consider myself a novice lifter and I squat ATG (my max is 120kg or 267lbs x2). Most guys here do partial or parallel squats. My squat is better than most of them and so are my legs (26.5"). Last year I bulked up and I think most of the extra weights went to my legs as I squatted a lot!

A friend of mine at the gym loads up almost the same weight as I do for squats (minus about 10kg), but he only does partial (not even parallel). His legs are half mine.

 

[MetalFortress]

225 x 21

It was great fun loading up those two plates per side. It just looks like such a substantial weight compared to my old training weights. Reps kicked my ass but form felt very solid today and I didn't have any 'doubter' reps. Solid day, finished with dips and pulldowns.

 

[MetalFortress]

Failed at 85kg (BW) twice today: 85kg x14 and 85kg x12 :/

I could've gone on but I felt really tight around my tail bone and stopped to avoid a potential injury. Been changing my squat to Rippetoe's style after I got SS:BBT 2nd ed, but maybe my form isn't solid yet. I think I'm on the right track though as I'm using hip drive and my hip is sore.

Will try again with 85kg x20 on Sat after my deadlifts.

Man, I wouldn't dream of trying a 20 rep squat and deadlifts on the same day. If you did that in this workout too, that could explain your tightness.

What is Rippetoe's style? I would youtube it except I post off of my BlackBerry and youtube is a pain in the @ss on it.

 

[Jitterbug]

Rippetoe's style is using the hip drive.

My tightness around the hip is fine as I was using my hip more in this style whereas before I was mostly leg pressing up. I just wasn't sure what it was.

I did a couple of things wrong though: my back angle was changing during the squat, I didn't correctly bounce off the bottom and I went down far too deep (arse touching calves) which tightens up my lumbar too much and changes my back angle. Rip says go deep past parallel but not at the expense of those two.

I had a technique only session at the gym today and I think I corrected that.

Man, I wouldn't dream of trying a 20 rep squat and deadlifts on the same day. If you did that in this workout too, that could explain your tightness.

There's a performance gym in my city where guys do crazier **** and they get stronger rapidly too!

What I did before that last 20 rep squat attempt:

Squat

Bar x20
60kg x10
80kg x10
100kg x8
110kg x5
115kg x5