20 Rep Squat Program

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  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
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    Thanks @ovidnine I really don't feel like I'm punishing myself that bad. I'm sure I'll feel that way after going heavier.

    The dichotomy of strength vs aesthetics is real for us guys too @kelly_e_montana lol. I feel so much stronger at 190 than 170, but look so much leaner and defined at 170.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    kelly_e_montana wrote: »
    Re doing a cut...

    Well there is that. While my squat numbers are WAY better than last year, I have put on 15 pounds and I was much happier with my body comp 15 pounds ago. I'd say the gain is about half muscle, half fat. I do envy those who can have optimal body comp and optimal lift numbers, but I am not that person. *sigh* I always want to get stronger (addicted!) and I have a hard time doing that in a deficit. I looked at my 255# video and was like "wow, my squat was loosey goosey and sad but my bod looked good!" *pout*

    all I can say to that is
    #thestruggleisreal

    I usually can float in the 160-180 range and look pretty good and life solid- but under that and I have *kitten* lifts- I'm hoping I can maintain some of this down to 150 and build back up my base at a lower weight class. I need bigger lifts. BECAUSE. damnit.
  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
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    Week 4 - Day 11

    Squat: 170x20, 225x5, 275x3, 335xfail
    Pullover: 25x20
    IBP: 160 5x5
    Weighted Pull ups: 50 5x5

    Felt fairly good this morning and so I thought I'd try a heavy single for the squat...should have just gone for 300-315...miserable fail. Pleased that my other lifts still haven't stalled yet. Calories are up to 1800+exercise so~ 2100-2200 gross. Weight is holding pretty steady at 182.
  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
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    Week 4 - Day 12

    Squat: 175x5
    OHP: 120 5x5
    DL: 320x5, 335x3

    Didn't make it to the gym yesterday, but finished out my week this morning. Also did a 6 mile run on thursday and a 4+mile hike with the kids yesterday. Only 2 more weeks before my big race, and then I get to start progressing my squat after every workout.

    Did measurements but no change from two weeks ago.
  • BhangraPrince
    BhangraPrince Posts: 123 Member
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    @McCloud33 I'm surprised that your calorie intake is only around 2000.. I would have figured you would be around 3000 to be putting up those kind of #''s on your lifts..
    Eat big to get big
  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
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    BhangraPrince wrote: »
    @McCloud33 I'm surprised that your calorie intake is only around 2000.. I would have figured you would be around 3000 to be putting up those kind of #''s on your lifts..
    Eat big to get big

    @BhangraPrince 3000 is considerably above my tdee. By the end of the program I'll be up closer to that though. For now I'm good with increasing by 100cals per week.
  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
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    Week 5 - Day 13

    Squat: 175x20
    pullover: 25x20
    weighted pullups: 55lbs 5,5,5,4,4
    IBP: 165 5x5

    Rough soccer game last night combined with not enough sleep. First time not making my reps on anything and even the squat felt heavy. Looking forward to not doing as much running after my race. Never really took a full rest day this last week as I went on a hike Friday, worked out Saturday and then had the soccer game Sunday. Live and learn.
  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
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    Week 5 - Day 14

    Squat: 175x20
    pullover: 25x20
    OHP: 125 5,5,4,3,3
    DL: 325x5

    Hopefully it's just a down week as this is the second time I failed on my reps. I didn't run at all yesterday either and got a full night's sleep. Actually too much sleep, as I hit the snooze a couple too many times and didn't have time to do any extra sets/reps for squat or DL. 20 rep squats are definitely starting to feel routine though which is good. I'm feeling confident and looking forward to really starting to add weight in a couple more weeks.
  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
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    Week 5 - Day 15

    Squat: 175x20, 225x5, 275x5
    pullover: 25x20
    IBP: 170 5x5
    Weighted Pullups: 55 5,5,5,4,2 BWx10

    Didn't run at all this week, but played volleyball last night. I was wiped after my soccer game last Sunday and just felt like I needed the break. Squat felt really strong this morning and even the 275 went up pretty easy. Felt like I could have ground out another 3-5 reps, but stopped while I was ahead. No need to try and get injured just over a week out from my Spartan race. Incline Bench still feels tough and has felt like the next time I added 5 lbs would be the time I failed since about 155, so I'm pleased to still be progressing and hitting all of the reps. Weighted pullups were rough today though and I got even fewer reps that I had on Monday. I was frustrated with the last set of 2 and so I just did some BW ones to finish off at the end. BW definitely feels easier than it did 6 weeks ago though. I'll give it another shot next week, but am anticipating that I'll have to deload. Probably down to 35lbs if I do.
  • ShodanPrime
    ShodanPrime Posts: 226 Member
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    DavPul wrote: »
    Why does no one is the blog feature?

    Been using the mobile app for a while. Still can't find the blog. That might be a reason, poor ux.
  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
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    Week 6 - Day 16

    Squat: 180x20, 225x5, 275x3
    pullover: 25x20
    OHP: 125 5,5,5,5,3
    DL: 335x5

    https://youtu.be/GRcszcF2jHc

    Upped calories again so now I should be just about at TDEE at 2,000. Workout felt good for the most part. Could have done another couple at 275 on squat, but with the race this weekend, I'm just going to be in prevent mode to make sure I don't injure anything this week. OHP was the second time failing, although it was on the last set this time. DL was ok. Form in video looks like back is rounded a little bit. Just started DL with belt again a week or two ago and still trying to figure out just how tight/loose to wear it. Seems like for me, tighter is better for DL.

  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
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    Week 6 - Day 17

    Squat: 185x20
    Flat Bench: 185x5, 205x5, 225x2, 235x1, 245- fail, 135x10
    weighted pull-up: 55lb 5,5,3

    https://youtu.be/hvf050A3tXs
    https://youtu.be/HbWc4iZ7ZkI

    Last workout before the race Saturday as I'll be driving up most of the day Friday. Switched to a flat bench for the day just to see where I was at. Not really that different than I was back when I was at 195lb BW so I guess that's a plus that I've at least maintained strength through my cut. Pull-ups were rough after the bench though and as I was running out of times as well, I just called it after the third set.

    Goal for the race is to be around 4 hours. Last year's top finishers were just under 3. 4 should put me in the top 1/3 of finishers I would think.

    I have a family event the following weekend that will go from fri-mon so training might be a little sporadic until I get back from that. Might do a couple of 10lb increases in the 20rep squat just to adjust and keep on track.
  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
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    So my body is absolutely wrecked after that Spartan race. Without question the hardest thing physically that I've ever done in my life. They more than doubled the vertical intensity over what they ran last year (4,800 vert. feet compared to 10k+ this year) and added another couple miles in length as well pushing it to somewhere between 14-15 miles. Overall my brother and I finished in 6:02. I know I didn't train for it as hard as I could have, but reading all of the reviews and comments of the race, I don't even know how much that would have helped. My longest training run was 9.2 miles with just over 1000 feet of vertical climb and I did a few mountain hikes with the wife and kids, but again those were all between 1-4 miles and 800-1400 vertical feet. I'm thinking of going for the trifecta at this point, because...well, why not if the hardest one is out of the way. If I do, I'll do the Wintergreen Super and the DC Sprint in August and September.

    I'm not a "cramper" when I run/exercise usually, but both my brother and I fought them basically starting 3 miles in. My quads are DESTROYED!!! That being said, I will not be squatting this week.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    oiy- congrats on finishing!! essentially half marathon PLUS.

  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
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    JoRocka wrote: »
    oiy- congrats on finishing!! essentially half marathon PLUS.

    SOOOOO much worse than a half marathon. I've done half marathons before and in about 1:45ish. I honestly think I could have gone out and ran a marathon Saturday instead and felt better than I do now LOL. My brother does triathlons and said this was way worse than anything he'd ever done...and he did the 8 mile Spartan at this same location last year.
  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
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    Starting the 6 weeks over today starting with 195lbs and adding 5-10lbs every workout from here on out. Here goes the countdown for 18 workouts and a 275-285lb 20 rep squat :astonished:

    Day 1
    Squat: 195x20
    Pullover: 25x20
    OHP: 125x5,5,5,4,3 (will deload to 110 next time)
    DL: 340x5

    This weeks calories are set to 2100+exercise cals ~ 2300-2400/day

    Quads still reeling from the punishment I gave them on Saturday, but I was anxious to start the program and I knew I was going to be out of town Fri this week and Mon next, so I'll have plenty of recovery time before doing day 2 a week from now. 195 was definitely more of a challenge this morning than it normally would be, but I thought I maintained fairly good form and didn't have much shaking going on either. I meant to record it (and plan on recording all from here on out), but I was a little out of it this morning I guess and took a picture of the squat rack instead of turning the video mode on. Oh well. Looking forward to just how far I can push myself here in the coming weeks.


  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
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    Finally back to the gym routine starting today.

    Day 2 of 18
    Squat 200x20
    pullover: 25x20
    Flat Bench: 175 5x5
    Weighted pull-up: 35 5,5,5,4,3

    Here is my squat video for today
    https://youtu.be/yWWwyO15v9s

    I'm hoping it's just lack of gym time and 2 workouts in the past two weeks, but just felt kinda sluggish today. I also had a twinge of pain in the inner elbow. First showed up when I was just setting up for my squat warmup at 135#. Was able to still do everything, but it was definitely present throughout the workout. Hoping it goes away :tongue:
  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
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    Day 3 of 18
    Squat: 205x20
    pullover: 25x20
    OHP: 110 5x5
    DL: 345 1x5

    Somehow I though I posted this on Friday, but I must have just pushed preview. Workout went ok...still felt the elbow twinge. Deloaded to 110 on OHP after failing three times at 125. Hopefully with the added calories that I'm eating, that will go back up while I'm on this program and the elbow doesn't give me much problem. No issue at all on the DL with the elbow though, so that was nice.
    https://youtu.be/-HluOEG6w68
    https://youtu.be/-Gft2JhZoTQ
  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
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    Day 4 of 18

    Squat: 210x20
    pullover: 25x20
    Flat Bench: 180 5x5
    Weighted pullups: 35# 5,5,5,5,3

    Squat was a felt a little heavy this morning, but I'm guessing that has more to do with playing a full soccer game yesterday. Only one Sunday left for the season though. Twinge in the elbow is still present, but like other workouts, once I get 5-10 reps into the squat, it's stretched out and doesn't bother me. I did feel it for all the reps on the bench though which is annoying. I don't know what is going on with my pull-ups and maybe it has something to do with the elbow as well, but I failed a second workout in a row at 35# after having worked up to 55 just a few weeks ago.

    Anyway, here's my squat.
    https://youtu.be/CA_p4lhoIO0
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    I can't see on my work computer- but how are the squats feeling for you at this point?

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