Integrating the 20 rep squat

[El Rojo]

Hello everyone,

I want to give a try at the perennial method of the 20 rep squats for my new bulk.

M - 20 rep SQ + DL 5RM/3RM/1RM + 2 or 3 backoffs.
W - Front SQ density block + Power Cleans triples.
F - 20 rep SQ + SGDL 3x8/3x5/3x3.

(After the very first weeks, I'd swap fridays 20 rep squats for a 10RM or something. Eventually when I stall if I'm not dead, injured or bored I'll simply keep adding weight and run down the number of reps on both M and F).

How does this template look? Is it too much? I always start training sessions with squats but would it be savvy to alter the order of the exercises?

Thanks in advance.

[Brian Sloan]

I would do the 20 rep squats on Friday so I could rest the whole weekend. If I scheduled them on Monday, I'd be uncomfortable the whole weekend anticipating the shit show.

[Chebass88]

Hello everyone,

I want to give a try at the perennial method of the 20 rep squats for my new bulk.

M - 20 rep SQ + DL 5RM/3RM/1RM + 2 or 3 backoffs.
W - Front SQ density block + Power Cleans triples.
F - 20 rep SQ + SGDL 3x8/3x5/3x3.

.

This is ambitious. If you do the 20 reppers correctly, you won't be able to *think* of deadlifts, much less pull a maximum of any kind.

Personally, I would drop snatch grip deads, power cleans, and front squats. If you feel the need to squat twice per week, I'd reduce the Friday squats to maybe a set of 10, and do some light deads after (maybe a set of 10-12?). Your low back and hips will get plenty of work from the squats. A 20 rep program multiple times per week is only to last a few weeks, maybe 6 weeks. You can omit deads for a short period and still be okay.

Lastly - if you do your program as written (or even if you cut it down), the only things you should do outside the gym are eat & sleep. As much of both as possible.

[El Rojo]

How light will these sets be? ~50% of your 1RM?

You don't know the classic program? It's been around since the 30s I think. It's an LP with a single max effort rest pause set of 20 breathing squats.

I would do the 20 rep squats on Friday so I could rest the whole weekend. If I scheduled them on Monday, I'd be uncomfortable the whole weekend anticipating the shit show.

This is ambitious. If you do the 20 reppers correctly, you won't be able to *think* of deadlifts, much less pull a maximum of any kind.

Personally, I would drop snatch grip deads, power cleans, and front squats. If you feel the need to squat twice per week, I'd reduce the Friday squats to maybe a set of 10, and do some light deads after (maybe a set of 10-12?). Your low back and hips will get plenty of work from the squats. A 20 rep program multiple times per week is only to last a few weeks, maybe 6 weeks. You can omit deads for a short period and still be okay.

Lastly - if you do your program as written (or even if you cut it down), the only things you should do outside the gym are eat & sleep. As much of both as possible.

Great advice, thanks. I will only do the 20 rep sets twice a week for the very first weeks, then I'll drop it to just the friday session.

As I said I plan that to be a 12-16 week run so I'm wary of leaving out too much DL, hamstring and upper back work. One of the things I like about doing a single all-out set is freeing training time for extra upper body training. Wednesday FSQ I think more like a recovery session, and power cleans or high pulls of some sort are a must for the yoke.

Does this look better?

M - 10 rep SQ + DL 5RM/3RM/1RM & backoffs
W - FSQ density block + Power Clean
F - 20 rep SQ + GHR + Rows.

[greywar]

It's an LP with a single max effort rest pause set of 20 breathing squats.

Dude, WTF are those words supposed to mean?

[Kregna]

Why don't you do deadlifts on the wednesday instead of squats?

As Chebass said, this is ambitious lol. I tried 20 rep squats a couple of years ago but only got 3 workouts in when I had horrendous headaches/migraines towards the end of the set

I also had to go lighter than I thought as I wasn't conditioned to 20 reps. If you've only done 5s and lower so far, I'd recommend doing a couple of sessions with 10-15 reps just to condition yourself to it (strength won't be your limiting factor - ability to breathe and mentally endure the set will be)

[Mark E. Hurling]

You don't know the classic program? It's been around since the 30s I think. It's an LP with a single max effort rest pause set of 20 breathing squats.

I do, and I did it at age 39. I don't know what your source of inspiration was for the program you first proposed or secondarily proposed, but both are HUGE over-reaches. Kind of what I think Chebass was saying.

Especially the 6 week part. If you are hitting those 20 rep squats as hard as Rader, Eells, Hise, McCallum, etc. advocated the original program will be plenty and you will not want to do more than 6 weeks of it. Let alone 12 weeks.

[poser]

I'll add that 20 reppers with a LBBS is hell as the lower back stress really starts to build on the last 5-10 reps. I did 20 reps with just 135# earlier this week as I can't squat Heavy right now and the last 5 reps were harder than I'd like to admit. I believe I'd ramp up to starting a cycle rather than going balls deep. What length density block are we talking here for front squats?

All this being said, a completed 20 rep cycle, be it 6 weeks or 12, shows character.

[Chris McCarthy]

Eating your own Gonads with a Spoon shows "Character"...but there's a very limited set of circumstances I'd want to reserve that for.

As the OP mentioned doing 20-reppers for his "new bulk" I'd say there were plenty of other more effective approaches than 20-reppers - not that 20-reppers don't work, just that they aren't the best return on your investment IMO.

[Sean Stangl]

All this being said, a completed 20 rep cycle, be it 6 weeks or 12, shows character.

Shows need for validation overtaking good judgment.