I’m moving onto a mass/strength phase. I’m going to start w/ 20 rep squats for about 6-8 weeks, then move on to more strength based programming. I was wondering if anybody had any input on 20 rep squat routines.
TBT x 3 days a week is the approach I am used to. I’m thinking, I need to change it up and switch to an upper lower.
This is what I have come up w/ for TBT/Shotgun:
Monday - P. Clean
Squats x 20
Horizontal Push/Horizontal Pull
Abs
Tues - Arms
Shoulders
Single Leg Stuff
Back Extensions
Short Conditioning
…Maybe some snatch pulls, light snatch dl’s + shrug
Wed - Rest
Thurs - P. Snatch
Squats x 20
Vertical Push/Vertical Pull
Abs
SLDL or RDL
Fri - Rest
Sat - Squat Cleans
Deadlift
Ring Dips + Ring Rows
Short Conditioning
…Don’t really know. Upper lower might be better and I can get some more quality leg work in. Input would be appreciated.
Another question, just warmup then go after the 20 or maybe hit a heavy triple or set of five, then rest up and go for the 20.
Call me a traditionalist, but I’ve always thought 20-rep squats worked best as the sole, numero uno focus of a mesocycle designed for size. Keep it basic, revolve the workouts around the squat, and let that do the work. No need to get funky, try to improve it, or make it better.
[i]"…trainees are advised to eat a lot of wholesome food, drink at least two quarts of milk a day, and to get plenty of rest in between the twice- or thrice-weekly workouts. That’s it: one set of 20-rep squats, a couple of other basic exercises, plenty of good food, milk and rest. But, oh, those squats!
The specific approach to the 20-rep squats is nearly as simple as the overall program. First, load the bar to what you normally use for ten reps. Now, do twenty reps - no kidding. Second, every single workout, add at least five pounds to the bar. These two elements are what separate the men from the boys and produce results, by simultaneously embracing the two cardinal principles of weight training: overload and progressive resistance."[/i]
Also, check out Mahler’s article today, that talked about another take on high-rep squats:
[quote]theuofh wrote:
Another question, just warmup then go after the 20 or maybe hit a heavy triple or set of five, then rest up and go for the 20. [/quote]
I’d do a general warm-up, maybe one or two light, low-rep sets of squats, and then go for it. Based on the program you laid out, I feel you’re either underestimating the intensity of 20-rep squats or you (unintentionally) plan on not going as heavy as you should to reap the most benefit.
Just for fun, here’s Rippetoe’s input on the 20-rep squat routine:
[i]Rippetoe: This isn’t something I dreamed up. Strossen’s written about it. Perry Rader’s old programs from the '40s and '50s involved 20-rep squats. 20-rep squats are not a beginner’s thing, because beginners can’t possibly do them correctly. But for an intermediate lifter who wants to take six or eight weeks and grow some legs, 20-rep squats do a marvelous job.
It does make you tough. But most people can’t stand to do the damn thing. If you’re doing it right, you won’t go more than six or eight weeks. You just can’t. At least I couldn’t, and I’m kind of stupid about that kind of stuff.
For an actual, no shit, set of 20 squats, you’re going to pick a weight that you previously thought was your 10-rep max. And you’re going to do 10 reps with it. Then you’re going to do the 11th rep, and you’re gonna breathe a little bit. And finally, you’re gonna finish the 19th rep, and Jesus is gonna be talking to you about this time.
Then you’re gonna finish the 20th rep, and you’ll somehow get it back in the rack, and then you collapse. You’ll get tunnel vision and your hearing will change while you’re trying to catch your breath. All kinds of weird peripheral central nervous system effects will take place.
What you normally find is that you’re laying on the ground, and you think, “Oh my God, I’m so glad that’s over with.” And then after about five minutes, the realization occurs, “I gotta do this again next week with another ten pounds. Oh shit.”
Most people can’t deal with that for a long period of time. But it’s terribly useful for short periods of time.[/i]
My goal out of this is to grow a pair of legs. I did a lot of upper body work in high school, and my lower body doesn’t match my upper body in terms of size. I would like to even this out.
I’ve also been doing a lot of dieting, and I want to experiment w/ eating for size as an experiment. I’m going to take at least the next 6-8 weeks, and say fat be damned. I’m still working on my menu for that time period.
I tested maxes the other day, backed down and got 225 for ten reps. I can remember and even look up the dates in my log where I was doing 10x3 or 5x5 w/ 225 and happy to finish sets across.
Now that I am considering getting it for 20 reps w/i a couple of weeks, hit me pretty hard, and I’m kinda suprised I’m getting stronger. I shouldn’t be but I am.
I have strossen’s super squats book and rippetoe’s strong enough (great book by the way) and he talks about 20 reppers a lot in the last chapter. I also want to see if I have what it takes to actually do this for an extended amount of time without quitting. I haven’t done it yet so I don’t know.
Thanks for the replies. I want to read today’s article, and I’ll probably lower my workload at first and focus on just getting into the gym and squatting before I get too crazy w/ the program.
My goal is just to work up to as heavy 20 rep squats as I can before progress genuinely falls off on them. I’m going to start at 205 on Monday, which is about 67% of my 1 rm.
[quote]theuofh wrote:
The one thing I have noticed is warming up to the theoretical 20 rm weight, I’m thinking there is no way I’m going to get this.
Warming up w/ some lower rep sets heavier, then coming back down to it makes it feel a whole lot lighter. [/quote]
I have the same … problem. My warm-ups always feel heavier then my working set. So I do some single and doubles, heavier then my working set. It seems to really get everything ready and less of a mental block.