Anyone else do 20 rep squats

[MetalFortress]

After a long layoff from lifting I decided to do a headfirst dive back into lifting and try this out. So far I'm up from 197 to 212 pounds and my 20 repper is up from 135 to 185. This is from Dec 1 to 19 as I've been off base for the holidays. My goal is to twenty rep 300 pounds eventually, then cut off whatever fat I happen to gain in the process of doing so. I'll keep posting progress here for accountability purposes. Lifting resumes on the third of January. Anyone else doing or wanna do this with me?

So far my best gains, aside from legs, have been in my back and shoulders.

 

[samezoobi]

Though you have taken a break for a while from lifting,you are going very prominently with such high weights.

 

[Davezz]

nonono break!!! the body can take som weights.. 5x5 is better ofc..

 

[MetalFortress]

Just back from the 2 week break, and my better judgment told me to ease my way back in.

So I did an upside down cannonball instead.

195 x 21

Hardest set yet of course. I do nothing on break, then dive in with ten pounds more, of course I'm gonna struggle. After rep thirteen I stood there with the bar on my shoulders for almost a minute before fourteen. I closed the workout with some pulldowns and machinated chest presses to failure. Next workout: the big 200!

 

[RMM]

After a long layoff from lifting I decided to do a headfirst dive back into lifting and try this out. So far I'm up from 197 to 212 pounds and my 20 repper is up from 135 to 185. This is from Dec 1 to 19 as I've been off base for the holidays. My goal is to twenty rep 300 pounds eventually, then cut off whatever fat I happen to gain in the process of doing so. I'll keep posting progress here for accountability purposes. Lifting resumes on the third of January. Anyone else doing or wanna do this with me?

So far my best gains, aside from legs, have been in my back and shoulders.

That sounds like the "Squats and Milk" workout?

http://www.leehayward.com/squats.htm

I got the link from the Sherdog forums. I have to say that the workout intrigues me due to its beautiful simplicity, so I've contemplated starting it myself.

 

[MetalFortress]

Exactly, it is indeed the same thing, with the exception that neither of his routines in the book are my precise routine. I skip the pullovers too because the Marines detachment is always using every area I would otherwise do them on. I also do over 20 reps for the purpose of making sure I didn't accidentily skip a rep or two.

So far I can say it works precisely as advertised. Will I gain thirty lbs total? Maybe but if not I still love this routine. At the beginning of the break my wife did not recognize me when I got off the plane, literally.

 

[Just a Shot Away]

Haha, more power to you on those, man.

20 rep squats once a week or so sounds MISERABLE. I'll take mediocre/slightly above average legs over doing those all the time.

 

[MetalFortress]

Delayed my workout a day due to excessive doms from doing the first squat day in 2 weeks. So today...

200 x 22

Finally hit the big dual century mark. Some situational depression and earlier moving of very heavy furniture hindered me, and rep 5 almost pinned me. How I gutted out 22, I have NO idea. Finished off with some failure sets of dips and machine rows.

 

[ThreeStorms]

that's quite impressive man, even after years of (inconsistent) training I probably could only do 3 reps with 200 atm. Yeah i am weak

 

[MetalFortress]

that's quite impressive man, even after years of (inconsistent) training I probably could only do 3 reps with 200 atm. Yeah i am weak

I could do 175 x 4 before I started this. My squatting sucked. You'd be surprised how quickly you improve.

 

[MetalFortress]

Crap, another avoidance of disaster.

205 x 20

I nearly got pinned on reps 6 and 8 due to rolling forward onto my toes. Obviously I'm losing some concentration somewhere in that rep range because I kicked out the last 12 reps with fine form. If I have the same issue next time though I may need to drop weight in order to work on form and concentration.

Normally I top 20 but today after getting pinned twice and somehow recovering twice, 20 was all I could muster.

 

[Drum&Bass]

Why are squatting outside of a cage or squat rack ??

Ive decided its time I started focusing on my squat as well, Im gonna post a video of me doing 245 ATG squats for 20 or more hopefully*

 

[Fuglydude]

I personally think you guys are all sick twisted individuals w/ your crazy 20 rep squats!!! I have tons of respect for people who do them though... My best is only 155 x 20. DnB... 245 x 20 ATG is absolutely disgusting! You'll have to post a vid once you do it! Good luck mang.

 

[Jitterbug]

Did Jesus talk to you during the 20 reps?

I'm gonna try 20 reps in my next squat session. Maybe 80kg x20 (my current max is 115kg x5 and 120kg x1 ATG). I normally do 80kg x10 as part of the warmups.

 

[MetalFortress]

Why are squatting outside of a cage or squat rack ??

Ive decided its time I started focusing on my squat as well, Im gonna post a video of me doing 245 ATG squats for 20 or more hopefully*

I squat in a rack but there was no way in hell I was gonna get shorted on reps unless I absolutely had no choice.

Keep us updated on your squat progress if you start regularly hitting them again.

 

[MetalFortress]

Did Jesus talk to you during the 20 reps?

I'm gonna try 20 reps in my next squat session. Maybe 80kg x20 (my current max is 115kg x5 and 120kg x1 ATG). I normally do 80kg x10 as part of the warmups.

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.

 

[Furyguy]

That's ****ing awesome dude I would love to try this, good job on the progress!

 

[MetalFortress]

Thanks bro. I'm now a believer that even if they aren't your whole routine, they definitely make a great addition to any routine.

 

[Mex]

I dont mean to hijack the thread, but I just read about the "20 rep squat" program online. Of course there are various versions regarding what exercises to include AFTER the squat set. But all had in common the pullovers. The justification for including these seem to be to stretch out the ribcage. One result of this is supposed to be a larger chest. If this is true, then why do we not see this in other routines such as Stronglift's 5x5 or Rippetoe's Starting Strength. Both of these are based on squats and a few extra compound exercises.

 

[MetalFortress]

I don't know where the original thought of 'stretching your ribcage' came from, as you can't stretch your bones. Or cartilage for that matter. Pullovers are just a good cooldown after the annihilation of doing the squats. Not to mention, I already have a giant ribcage from growing up obese, and trust me, I do NOT need to grow it anymore.

I never do pullovers though. I close workouts with other upper body work