30 DAY SQUAT CHALLENGES DO NOT WORK!

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Jacqson84
Jacqson84 Posts: 189 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
What's the deal with these 30 day squat challenges?Do they even work? If so, what happens on day 31, 32, 33...?! And surely, 290 squats a day can only lead to injury!

I was always under the impression that fitness is a lifestyle, not something you do over a course of a few days and expect to see results. Please don't fall for these passing fads. Devise an effective workout plan that targets all your muscle groups, learn the right form and eat right. It's a lifestyle, people!;)
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Replies

  • ronitigre
    ronitigre Posts: 16 Member
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    I was just about to post a question about these 30 day challenges!

    Honestly, I'm about to start
    http://bretcontreras.com/wp-content/uploads/30DayChallenge.jpg

    To try and ease myself into working out again before I join a gym. Having something like a "squat challenge" seems like a good way to start from nothing, no?
  • LaColombicana
    LaColombicana Posts: 63 Member
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    I'm so glad you posited this topic!!!! These 30 day squat challenges do not work because in order to grow strong muscles you need to tear them down while working them out. This is where you feel sore and then they need time to rest and repair which makes them grow and get stronger. You get do squats, but you need to have rest days in between. I agree with @Jacqson84! I see injury in someone's future. I would rather do 8 to 12 proper squats that target those muscles (The slower the better) than pound out 290 in one day. I'm no PT, but I'm a nurse and it just doesn't make sense. It's not safe and I think it's not teaching or establishing any healthy habits for the long term!!!
  • Wrxsti23
    Wrxsti23 Posts: 62
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    I'm so glad you posited this topic!!!! These 30 day squat challenges do not work because in order to grow strong muscles you need to tear them down while working them out. This is where you feel sore and then they need time to rest and repair which makes them grow and get stronger. You get do squats, but you need to have rest days in between. I agree with @Jacqson84! I see injury in someone's future. I would rather do 8 to 12 proper squats that target those muscles (The slower the better) than pound out 290 in one day. I'm no PT, but I'm a nurse and it just doesn't make sense. It's not safe and I think it's not teaching or establishing any healthy habits for the long term!!!



    The 30 day squat challenge does allow for rest days and the actual challenge allows for about 5 days of rest per month. You can also split them up which would reduce the likelihood of bad form. It's a great thing to add to a current workout and it's no different than following a video workout regimen as it is just repetitive moves.
  • yogicarl
    yogicarl Posts: 1,260 Member
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    Those 30-day quat/100 press-ups/100 anything challenges really give bodyweight strength training a bad name.

    Any bodyweight exercise should ideally follow the same overload principles as weight lifting; that is, as soon as you can perform for example 3 sets of 6, or whatever number of sets and reps you are using (within sensible ranges), you find a more intense, more challenging movement.

    So you may start with 3x10 BW squats, work up to 3x20 BW squats, then use those sets as a warm up and include something like single leg squats or Pistol Squats starting from a chair seat and work gradually up from those within your strength training range of set and reps.

    One thing that I often said about BW exercises is that sooner or later you have to progress onto weights when your body becomes strong enough to do the most intense bodyweight exercises so why not use weights from the start, but Pistol Squats from the floor up as a long term target will keep most people busy in BW training for some considerable time and will be strength enough for most folk and hey - its fun seeing how far you can take your own bodyweight limits.

    So, no, not necessarily ineffective or a recipe for injury so long as proper strength training principles are observed and yes, as the OP said, it is a lifetime thing, not something you do for 100 days then throw it out.
  • Fitfully_me
    Fitfully_me Posts: 647 Member
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    I suppose you have to consider what one is looking for it to do. I love a good challenge, but what it does for me is offer me something to work toward. These "challenges" are generally incorporated into my existing routine. So for me, they do work, in that they give me one more thing to work on and in some cases something to share in with other fitness minded people in my life.

    I recently completed a push-up "challenge" in which I was able to increase the number of pushups I can do without taking a knee, from 17 to 30. I'd say that worked. Same with a plank "challenge" I completed. I got better. So, for me, that challenge also worked.
  • Jacqson84
    Jacqson84 Posts: 189 Member
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    Pardon me, but you don't see working your way up to 290 squats a day a recipe for injury? I hear what you're saying, but I doubt if many of the people who do these challenges observe these strength training principles. That's not how these fads are marketed. It's all about "fit in those jeans by the end of the month!".

    @ Fitfully_me: Kudos to you on sticking with those challenges and making progress!:) I don't know of that many that have successfully completed them, much less seen jaw-dropping results.

    @Wrsxtl23: I've incorporated a few videos in my workout routine and I've yet to see one where I have to do an excessive amount of squats, push ups, pull ups etc.

    @TorinLexx: This! Rest days are just as important. Resting 5 days per month is great if you want to whittle away your muscle tissue.

    @ronintigre: Doing BW squats is a good way to ease yourself into exercising. However, I'd suggest you do them in conjunction with other BW exercises. Remember to pay close attention to your form.

    Those 30-day quat/100 press-ups/100 anything challenges really give bodyweight strength training a bad name.

    Any bodyweight exercise should ideally follow the same overload principles as weight lifting; that is, as soon as you can perform for example 3 sets of 6, or whatever number of sets and reps you are using (within sensible ranges), you find a more intense, more challenging movement.

    So you may start with 3x10 BW squats, work up to 3x20 BW squats, then use those sets as a warm up and include something like single leg squats or Pistol Squats starting from a chair seat and work gradually up from those within your strength training range of set and reps.

    One thing that I often said about BW exercises is that sooner or later you have to progress onto weights when your body becomes strong enough to do the most intense bodyweight exercises so why not use weights from the start, but Pistol Squats from the floor up as a long term target will keep most people busy in BW training for some considerable time and will be strength enough for most folk and hey - its fun seeing how far you can take your own bodyweight limits.

    So, no, not necessarily ineffective or a recipe for injury so long as proper strength training principles are observed and yes, as the OP said, it is a lifetime thing, not something you do for 100 days then throw it out.
  • Wrxsti23
    Wrxsti23 Posts: 62
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    P90x requires a repetitive and large number of squats, lunches, pull-ups push-ups and many more things. This is what I compare it to.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    If you progress gradually and appropriately, doing a ton of body weight squats is not going to have any higher risk than running or cycling or any other activity that you repeat hundreds of times during a workout.

    If one is only doing body weight squats, by the time you get to those numbers, you are essentially doing cardio anyway, so, no, strength training "rules" do not apply.

    I'm not a big fan of these types of "challenges" and I don't think they are that effective but, from the standpoint of injury, they are no more risky than anything else.
  • yogicarl
    yogicarl Posts: 1,260 Member
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    If one is only doing body weight squats, by the time you get to those numbers, you are essentially doing cardio anyway, so, no, strength training "rules" do not apply.

    I agree, but if the person taking up the challenge is hoping to gain strength rather than cardio or stamina from the squats then it makes sense to apply strength training "rules" - that is, making sure you choose a movement that you can only do within the strength range; whatever you consider that to be. I usually aim for 3 or 5 sets of 6-8 reps for strength, so I wouldn't be looking to take up a 100 squat challenge.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,659 Member
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    The 30 day squat challenge does allow for rest days and the actual challenge allows for about 5 days of rest per month. You can also split them up which would reduce the likelihood of bad form. It's a great thing to add to a current workout and it's no different than following a video workout regimen as it is just repetitive moves.
    There isn't a need to do up to 290 squats in a day (unless one is trying to just build muscle endurance in the leg). Better off doing a good leg resistance program with multiple exercises and rep ranges between 6-20 for 3-4 sets.
    As mentioned using time to do 290 squats in a day could be more efficient if applied to other body parts.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,659 Member
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    I suppose you have to consider what one is looking for it to do. I love a good challenge, but what it does for me is offer me something to work toward. These "challenges" are generally incorporated into my existing routine. So for me, they do work, in that they give me one more thing to work on and in some cases something to share in with other fitness minded people in my life.

    I recently completed a push-up "challenge" in which I was able to increase the number of pushups I can do without taking a knee, from 17 to 30. I'd say that worked. Same with a plank "challenge" I completed. I got better. So, for me, that challenge also worked.
    Well you'd also have to look at it objectively. If a person can only do say 5 pushups then in 30 days loses 10lbs and can do 7 pushups, did they really get better or is the 10lbs loss (less weight to push up) attributed to it also? Not that I'm against challenges if they are set up correctly.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • CakeFit21
    CakeFit21 Posts: 2,521 Member
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    Weird, I've done 300 squats in one workout.

    What's the big deal?
  • phjorg1
    phjorg1 Posts: 642 Member
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    as long as you look at the challenge as a compliment to an existing full body template. then go nuts.

    If the challenge IS your workout, then you're dumb.
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
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    I think the idea is to set a goal and challenge yourself to meet it. The challenge needs to be suited to your physical ability. If that means waking up every day and saying "I'm going to do 50 squats and 50 pushups every day for the next month" and break it up into halves or even do ten at a time during different times a day.... it's still including activity.

    You don't have to play by someone else's rules to challenge yourself. The idea is to make a goal, make a plan, mark your progress, achieve goal, feel proud, make a new goal, lather rinse repeat.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    I've always thought of them as to be basically a pointless waste of time. It's good to challenge yourself and set goals, but you can do so without wasting your valuable time. Unweighted squats are basically just a nice calisthenic warm-up exercise anyway...you're not going to really do a whole lot except warm your muscles up.

    One caveat would be that if you're just completely sedentary and don't move much...at least these "challenges" would get you moving a little.
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
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    I've always thought of them as to be basically a pointless waste of time. It's good to challenge yourself and set goals, but you can do so without wasting your valuable time. Unweighted squats are basically just a nice calisthenic warm-up exercise anyway...you're not going to really do a whole lot except warm your muscles up.

    Someone who is not used to doing squats at all - like I was - can benefit from body weight squats and get the form down before adding weight. Especially if you do them prison-style with your hands behind your head. My balance was terrible when I started, but it helped me learn, and now I am comfortable adding the oly bar because I know my form is solid. ATG squats are no joke, especially if you are significantly overweight.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    the 'proper' program (the app based 6 week one) does follow a principle of progressive load increase. you do them alternate days, and you do a self test every third day (single set to failure), which resets the targets for the following week.

    i think it's fine to be critical of the program, but perhaps be familiar with it first.

    i got to about week four doing bodyweight with good form before switching to weighted squats, last year. i have very bad knees and this strategy of increasing volume and focusing on form, then adding weight did enable me to do the lift.
  • magentamorbid
    magentamorbid Posts: 47 Member
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    I think it's more along the line of getting you into a routine. They say it takes you 21 days to make something a habit. A lot of people don't incorporate squats into their workouts, so by trying this they will try it and possibly continue doing these even after the workout. Getting to 290 squats will show people what they are capable of, especially if they add weights. I get to about 40 before I'm worn out, so I have done it to better my endurance with squats. I don't do nearly enough of them in my regular routine.
    That being said, taking these challenges for silly reason like losing weight fast will not work, but most people aren't that silly.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    I personally think it's a good way to work your way up to what it is you really want to do.....

    Sometimes these things movtivate you enough to move onto something tougher. For example....

    I started on January 7th....with 20min walks, moved onto doing just dance and after a bit incorporated the 30 day squat challeneage (as a challenage to myself), I saw a significant change in my butt...encouraged me to move onto something tougher...so I did the 30 day shred, I had great results lost 9 inches in total, so I did it again (goal was to do all exercises non modified) which I acheived. This gave me the motivation to start free weights which is going well.

    Don't dismiss these challenages esp when it comes to helping get your form down, increasing movement and exercise (any exercise is better then sitting on the sofa) as well for some people perhaps that's all they can do at this time (wasn't my case i just needed to move more period and it was a good build up).

    If it gets someone to move more and get active that's a good thing.

    Oh and you don't start with 290 squats in one day you work up to it.
  • smantha32
    smantha32 Posts: 6,990 Member
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    Disagree. I did a 30 day squat challenge (WITH rest days built in), and I dropped a pants size. I'm going to do it again here soon.

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