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Thread: 20 rep breathing squats for older athletes

  1. #31
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    • starting strength seminar april 2024
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    I did 20 rep squats at age 39 and celebrated my 40th birthday with 20 reps under a 315 bar. Of course my depth was suspect at best. This was nearly 29 years ago.

    Were they productive? Eh, yeah, a little. I put on 10 pounds of bodyweight from 185 to 195 and got a little stronger all over. Not a lot, but some. My bench press at the time was a 275 single with something other than a pause on the chest. Nothing to write home about, but not too bad for a middle aged fart.

    The purpose of 20 rep squats were to put bodyweight on underweight young guys. The hoary old trainers of the early and later 20th Century, like Berry, Eells, Hise, and Rader had great success with those they advised to do them. But then, those they advised were mostly young guys who had been training with a bunch of ineffective (what could be called Weider-like) nonsense. Given their youth and beginner gains, coupled with a lot of milk, they gained and got bigger and stronger.

    You might too. But don't be too disappointed if your results fall short of your expectations.

  2. #32
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    Oct 2014
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    What would Dr. Ken say?

  3. #33
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    Jul 2016
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    well..i mean...the montana method id high volume and people are getting dwole and stronger without always having to grind or be beat up all the time so yeah 20 rep squats properly programmed will increase strength

  4. #34
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    What is this gibberish you are attempting to type?

  5. #35
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    Sep 2019
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    I’m in my 30s and have done the 20 rep routine a few times. It is a ferocious routine and I fully understand the OP's concerns about doing them in his 50s. People have done them well into their 50s and there is a video on youtube of Ken Liestner doing the routine. Also, there is a discussion of the 20 rep squats for older trainees on Brooks Kubik’s page (who they call dinos)
    Dinosaur Training: Are 20 Rep Squats a Good Idea for Older Trainees -- The Dinos Weigh In!
    which has the cautionary comment
    “One older Dino who is a medical doctor bluntly
    noted that 20 rep squats can be dangerous for an
    older trainee -- and can even trigger a heart attack
    if you over-estimate your level of conditioning and
    try to go too hard or too heavy.”

    but it seems that this advice is directed at an older trainee trying the routine for the first time.

  6. #36
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    Jul 2017
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    adelaide, south australia
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    Hi Khhuws, with reference to your question if oldies can do 20 rep squats without dying from the stress :
    I'm nearing 79 and doing 20s. When I first trained, I was fortunate enough to read Iron Man, and got into 20 rep breathing squats.
    Over the years I have done the 20s more than any other rep range.
    Sure nuff the cycles quickly become torture & you dread the next workout, but they do give results when reapplied with breaks.
    Those guys back then were pretty strong. Someone weighing less than 190 lbs would handle 300 lb squats for 20, clean and press 200, BP 300, Sq 400 (high bar of course), and deadlift 500. I was never near that good, and my work in the country stopped me training for countless years.
    After I retired I got back into lifting weights without breaks, and compete in olympic weightlifting nowadays. When I first ran into the 2 minute rest allowance between lifts in competition, it was Custer's Last Stand.
    But when I got back into the 20s, it was no longer a problem to snap back ready for another max in that time.
    Interestingly, I have been doing a 20 rep cycle since Mar 2017. Possible because I started light and do not increase the weight until the reps are perfect, and the frequency is comfortable. The only interruptions to the cycle were 2 three month blocks of lighter respite – one doing 10 x 10s, the other 15 sets of each exercise once a week.
    At the moment I am 50 lb above bodyweight, and hope to push it up another 10 lbs before quitting at years end.

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