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Thread: 20 rep breathing squats for older athletes

  1. #1
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    Default 20 rep breathing squats for older athletes

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    While I enjoy doing the 3x5 squat routine, my favourite has always been heavy 20 rep breathing squats. I don't think anything comes close to matching this routine for building muscle and, maybe less importantly, mental toughness. I'm now getting passed 50 years old and, trying not to sound too pansy, am a bit concerned about the potential of a heart attack or stroke from 20 rep squats, especially when using around 175% bodyweight. Doe anyone have any views on this?

  2. #2
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    If you do actual 20-rep squats with enough weight, you can only do them for about 6 weeks. How much muscle can you build in 6 weeks, as opposed to 5s for several years?

  3. #3
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    20 reps with 175% BW is impressive. If more usefull in real life then, say, 5x 225% BW? Well, de gustibus non est disputandum.
    If you like them do them, but looking for applause here....

  4. #4
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    Not looking for applause, just is it safe to do 20 rep squats over 50 years of age.

    I typically plan to do them for around 8-10 weeks and would probably do this program twice a year, the rest would be the typical 3x5 routine. I used to weightrain in the 90s and was an avid follower of Stuart McRobert's Brawn and Dr Ken Liestner's articles in 'Hardgainer', then after a 20 year break due to family, career etc I got back into barbell training around 5 years ago and discovered starting strength (wished it had been around in the 90s) and have followed this closely and have been impressed with my progress. However, after a few months of a 3x5 routine, I always start yearning for the 20 rep routine.

  5. #5
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    They are perfectly safe, with good form. They are merely unproductive, especially at your age. You'll have to prove this to yourself, so go ahead.

  6. #6
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    I have always considered the grind of fives to be the real arbiter of mental toughness. I always want to do something different, whether singles or my random attempts at 20’s. Dont discount the mental toughness and self discipline required to keep grinding out the unsexy three sets of five, especially when it gets hard.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe View Post
    They are perfectly safe, with good form. They are merely unproductive, especially at your age. You'll have to prove this to yourself, so go ahead.
    Unproductive how?

    Do you think that doing 20 rep squats, and progressively overloading them over time, won't produce some sort of strength / hypertrophy adaption? If so, that would seem contrary to the studies out there as well as the experience of some pretty respected coaches like Dan John and Stuart McRobert.

    Is it optimal? Maybe, maybe not. But people get bored with doing the same thing all the time whether it be fives or twelves or whatever. Sometimes a bit of variety helps with motivation and adherence, too.

  8. #8
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    Have you done them, Ben?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe View Post
    Have you done them, Ben?
    I have, but not for long enough to see results. But we're not talking about me here, Rip.

    I asked a direct question, do you not think that they would cause some sort of adaption, if done at a high enough intensity, and overloaded over time? And that depending on someone's goals, that adaption could be progress towards those goals?

  10. #10
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    starting strength coach development program
    Quote Originally Posted by BenM View Post
    But people get bored with doing the same thing all the time whether it be fives or twelves or whatever. Sometimes a bit of variety helps with motivation and adherence, too.
    Why not stay in the 5 rep max rep range and do singles, doubles, triples, quadruples, or go slightly beyond and do sextuples, heptuples, or octuples instead? The jump from 5 to 3 or 7 seems a lot more reasonable than from 5 to 20.

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