I have added 20 rep squats to my routine. I am interested in how many sets most of you do and how often. I am currntly squatting 3 x’s a week. I have noticed what I think is good visual gains doing about 3 sets of 20 rep squats. So, what do ya’ll do and how often?
i do squats once a week
1 do 7 sets of 4 reps (quads for the quads)
but i also do deadlifts and clean & presses on another day to work the legs
i tried the higher rep range and my legs would not grow i used to do 12 16 and 20 reps before. none of that worked for me, 8 worked decent, but 4 reps i have seen the most mass gains
i also have legs that are naturally skinny and won’t budge unless i go extemely heavy…keep that in mind
try 5 4 3 20 or a variation.
So do you think 3 sets of 20 reps is to much?
So we’re on the same page, the Super Squats technique typically requires you to take your 10RM for squats and do it for 20 reps. You would do one set, followed by a light set of pullovers for 20 reps. That would be your only set of squats, though you’d probably want to do some glute-dominant work, maybe RDLs.
I do squats 2 days a week, on the 20-rep day(I just startee a few weeks ago…but I like it) I only do 1 set of 20, followed by some leg presses.
The 2nd squat day, several days later, is 5x5, or 6x4 or something else heavy.
All numbers are on the way up, so it looks to be a good combo.
[quote]colonelquack wrote:
So we’re on the same page, the Super Squats technique typically requires you to take your 10RM for squats and do it for 20 reps. You would do one set, followed by a light set of pullovers for 20 reps. That would be your only set of squats, though you’d probably want to do some glute-dominant work, maybe RDLs.[/quote]
Yer, the Supersquats plan talks about the 20 reps, but towards the last reps, you are pausing between reps much longer, in a way its like a cluster of small sets, hence the only need to do 1 set.
Like RJS says, after one set you should be knackered, and thats how you will be if you push it.
do Charles Poliquin 10 0f 10
I gained a lot with that - just give it a try
IMHO if you do 1 real killer set of 20 rep squats that’s enough. I mean the type of set that after the first ten reps you are gulping air for the next 5 reps and then seriously gulping air for the last 5 reps. The last 5 reps are really singles that you don’t put the bar down between.
Then, after all 20 reps, when you put the bar back, you have to hold the side of the squat cage for minute or so - if it’s that kind of set I think that one is enough per week.
If you feel like doing another set of 20 after you complete a set of 20, again, IMHO the first set wasn’t nearly brutal enough.
Of course you can include some other types of squats during the week to work on higher weight \ lower rep movements.
Romanian Deadlifts are a great lift later on in workout with a 20 rep squat.
[quote]Kal-El wrote:
So do you think 3 sets of 20 reps is to much?[/quote]
If you can do 3 sets of 20 you are not using enough weight. 1 set should just about make you puke.
Alright fellas thanks alot for the direction. Now I can get to work. Good Luck to you all!!
[quote]PGJ wrote:
Kal-El wrote:
So do you think 3 sets of 20 reps is to much?
If you can do 3 sets of 20 you are not using enough weight. 1 set should just about make you puke.[/quote]
No one has mentioned progression. If you are to gain from the one-set protocol, you’ll want to look at increasing the weight 10 lbs every week for a 6-8 week cycle.
The first time you do it, start with a weight that will have you sucking eggs just a bit when the set is done. After 6 weeks and 50 lbs more, you should definitely be breathing like a racehorse when the set’s done.
For maximum conditioning, try single breaths for the first 12 reps and double breaths for the last 8. Don’t stretch it out any more than that.
Dude, if you can do anything else after a true max set of 20 reps, you are a superman. I can only do these for 2-3 weeks in a row before I’m so sick of the mental anguish that I need to move on to something else. I usually do them in place of my max effort movement.
Anyone performing more than one set of 20 rep squats in one workout is not going to their full potential in the first set!
P E R I O D.
[quote]ZEB wrote:
Anyone performing more than one set of 20 rep squats in one workout is not going to their full potential in the first set!
P E R I O D.[/quote]
agreed. i do one heavy set of 4-8 and then one (slightly) lighter set of 20 for quads a la doggcrapp and i’m toast! but it works.
Its not like a normal set, just happening to have 20 reps. When people here the ‘take the maximum you do for 10 then do 20’, they just mock, they don’t understand.
You do 10 reps then you pace yourself and do another 10, in essence its like a set of 10 then several smaller sets, I mean typically you might take 30 secs to do the first 10 then a minute or more to do the last.
If it was literally, trying to do 20 when you normally only do 10 that would be impossible.
Furthermore, nevermind anyone actually foing a proper set of ‘supersquats’ could quite easily overtrain without sufficient rest and recovery let alone not going to any particular potential.
Obviously most people have not tried it or used insufficient weight and not understood the loading parameters. You can overtrain, in many ways particularly taxing the endocrine system making recovery without long rest and adequate nutrition prolonged.
Super squats the book by RJS is devoid of science, but the basic principle works on you being under load and performing a lot of work. You can do variances with less weight by not coming up fully.
In essence if you can do a set of 20 rep squats, in the manner I describe above, where the first 10 represents your usual max, then pacing yourself grind out 10 more, even if it takes an age, then all you will want to do is go home to bed.