20Rep Squats - The Results

[scotts]

I just completed my first 20-rep squat cycle, and thought it might be of some interest to the board. I alternated bench/press each workout and then did chins, power cleans, or db-rows to finish the workout. I'm 35, 5-10", starting weight 190, ending weight 200 (as of today).

Date Squat BW Bench/Press
11/03 230x20 190 Press: 120 3x10
11/05 235x21 191 Bench: 180 3x10
11/07 240x20 192 Press: 122 3x10
11/09 245x20 192 Bench: 182 3x10
11/12 250x20 193 Press: 125 3x10
11/15 255x20 194 Bench: 185 3x10
11/17 260x20 195 Press: 127 3x10
11/19 270x20 196 Bench: 187 3x10
11/22 280x18 196 Press: 130 3x10
11/25 280x20 197 Bench: 190 3x10
11/28 285x20 197 Press: 132 3x10
12/01 290x20 198 Bench: 192 3x10
12/05 300x20 199 Press: 135 3x10

I was doing 5# increases at first, and the sets were unnecessarily hard because I was breathing too much between each rep. This just increased my total time under the bar, making me hyperventilate too soon (around rep 12). By 11/15 I had a better pattern: Reps 1-5, no breaths. 5 breaths. Reps 6-8 no breaths. 5 breaths. Reps 9-10 no breaths. 5 breaths. Reps 11-15 with 1-3 breaths between reps. Reps 16-20, 5 or more breaths between each rep (but always as few breaths as possible). This pattern so much improved my performance that I was able to pull off a couple of 10# jumps.

I only missed one workout (11/22 with 280), and I felt so terrible about it afterwards that it was a good motivator for not giving up again in later workouts. The final jump from 290 to 300 was fueled by my desire to just GET DONE.

[nisora33]

Impressive. You are a brave and determined man, Scotts, and I would follow you into battle any day, good sir.

-Stacey

[StLRPh]

Any idea of what your 20RM was before the cycle?

Any carryover to your 1RM?

[stronger]

you're insane

[h k]

Did you test your 1rm before and after?

[coldfire]

you're insane

What he said.

[banthafodder]

To echo the others, what were you doing before? What program? What was your work weight? Etc.?

[JCavin]

Wow.

Just. WoW.

Makes me feel like i'm still waiting on my balls to drop...

[pbjorge12]

What was the rational behind the 20 rep squats? Also the 10rep Pressing?

Were your goals for this cycle?

[scotts]

Any idea of what your 20RM was before the cycle?
Well, I started with 230, but I probably could've started with 240, definitely more if I had the breathing down from the beginning. I'm not really sure, but I remember that 230 was far from easy, so 230 is close enough. A 20RM breathing squat is not the same as a 1-5RM squat, so I'm not sure how to compare them. a 1-5RM is a test of strength, but a 20RM is a test of will power.


Any carryover to your 1RM?

Did you test your 1rm before and after?
I haven't tested yet, but I don't think 20-rep squats did much for my 1-5RM. In fact, it will take me some time to just get used to getting under really heavy bars again.


To echo the others, what were you doing before? What program? What was your work weight? Etc.?
Basically doing advanced SS. Squatting heavy twice a week with light squats in between. Deadlifting 1x5 on light squat day (once a week) and alternating bench and press. I did power cleans and chins once or twice a week too. Before starting 20-reps, I squatted 335 3x5, benched 225 3x5, PC 210 5x3, pressed 160 3x5, and deadlifted 395 1x5, all at 190 BW. Yesterday I pressed 190 for a PR.


What was the rational behind the 20 rep squats? Also the 10rep Pressing? Were your goals for this cycle?
The rational behind 20-rep squats is that they are brutally brutally hard, and I wanted to see if I could actually do them and work up to 300x20. I'd been wanting to try them for a couple years, but also wanted to be able to start with a respectable weight. Higher reps on the bench and press were really just a change of pace, I guess.

[Platus]

definitely more if I had the breathing down from the beginningI can vouch for that. Before I started SS I did a 20rep squat program (from 125, and I stopped when I hit 180). Just getting the rhythm of it figured out was challenging. I ended up breaking it down so that it was like doing sets of reps as follows: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 - with about 5-20 seconds of standing around and breathing between the sets with the bar on my back.

I put on some muscular weight, but, in retrospect, I think it was something that I should have waited to do until after SS.

[scotts]

Did you test your 1rm before and after?

I checked my log books tonight. The last time I tested 1RMs was 8/26: I squatted 360, benched 255, and deadlifted 390. Tonight I squatted 385, and it was easy, so I tried 405 and got it without too much trouble. I also benched 275 and dealifted 440 this evening. I don't recall ever maxing out on the press, but tonight I got 195.

[MAD9692]

Damn - that was impressive. Few questions if you don't mind:
1- Why did you do the 20 reps every workout (3x/week) instead of Rips recomended 1x/week?
2. How sore were you everyworkout?
3. How does you feel after the experiment? Meaning how different do you feel from primarily doing 3*5
4. So even though you were doing 20 RM's - it looks like your 1 rm PRs increased?
5. How didn't you gain weight?
Thanks

[scotts]

1- Why did you do the 20 reps every workout (3x/week) instead of Rips recomended 1x/week?
I looked into different 20-rep squats programs The routine goes by different names (Super Squats by R. Strossen, 20-rep squats, breathing squats, squats and milk), but they all generally consist of squatting 20 reps 2x or 3x per week, increasing the weight 5-10 pounds each workout. I started with one day of rest, went to two days when I felt I needed it, and even took three days rest once. I'm not familiar with Rips recommendations on 20-reps... I know he talks about the physiological aspect of 20 rep squats in SS, but I didn't think he outlined any kind of routine in SS or PP for 20-rep squats.


2. How sore were you everyworkout?
I was nice and sore after the first workout, and very sore when I did the second workout. Was never sore again after the second workout. Sometimes felt a bit stiff or tight the morning after, but no different from heavy 3x5 workouts.


3. How does you feel after the experiment? Meaning how different do you feel from primarily doing 3*5
To put it simply, everything is ridiculously easy compared to the 20th rep with 300. 3x5, even with weights that were heavy before, feel much stronger.


4. So even though you were doing 20 RM's - it looks like your 1 rm PRs increased?
Seems so. I squatted 340x5 the workout before I started the 20rep routine, so my estimated 1RM would be about 385, and I was able to do 405 after.


5. How didn't you gain weight?
Well, I went from 190 to 200, so I gained 10 pounds in a month. I'm 35 and had been stuck around 190 for nearly a month, so 10 pounds in a month was fantastic. Didn't get fat either.

[stronger]

verdict: it works
catch: you must love pain

[MAD9692]

Thanks- Sorry I missed the 10lb gain on the first post.
Great experiment - well done.

[Misciagno]

Interesting. I tried the same program in October - goal was to gain weight and strength. Strength happened, but no weight gain. I started the 20-rep program after reading Super Squats and The Complete Keys to Progress.

My previous (and probably current) squat max is about 305. I started the 20-rep program at 175 and went up 10lbs per workout, 3x/week for about two weeks. Then I had to drop to 5lb increases and 2x/week just to recover. I also started breathing way too heavy by rep 14 or 15. Ended the experiment after 30 days with 255, completing all reps.

I'm pretty sure I didn't eat enough, but I don't have good milk or huge amounts of good food where I live (assigned for 2 yrs to Ethiopia...) I like the program though, and even though it's 20 reps, it's only one set, though I still feared it all day until it was over! I even did the light pullovers and Rader pulls emphasized in the old books. I started and finished the program at about 180 lbs BW @ 5'10". My 3x5 squat max right now is about 280-lbs (seems like a 20-rep 255 should give me a better 3x5 or 5x5, but I blame a lot on nutrition).

Overall, it's an exercise in willpower and pain tolerance more than anything.