20 Squat Plan

Greetings all, newbie poster and long time anonymous floater!

Just wondering if anyone has ever attempted or completed the 20 Squat routine?

Basically for anyone who hasn't heard of it, it is a 6 week cycle where you squat 3 times a week and supplement your squatting with several other exercises(bench press, deadlift, pullup etc). You take your 5 rep max and scale it down so by the last workout in the 6 week routine, you are squatting your old 5 rep max for 20 reps.

I've attempted it and only ever got to about week 3 before having to pull out because of other commitments(poor excuse to stop, I know).

I found that I was able to increase my strength substantially over this period which carried over into other areas such as my deadlift and bench but have no idea what week 4 week 5 and week 6 feels like.

Can anyone share any experiences and or advice on how to push through as I'm contemplating doing it all the way for real!

Thanks, appreciate your time

Btw, you squat for 20 reps per workout 3 times a week

Maybe i'm being a bit dumb here but, are you squatting for 20 reps in one set 3 times a week?

Hi Silentban,

Yes you workout three times a week, at the beginning of each workout, you do 20 weighted squats scaled down in conjunction to your 5 rep max so by the time you are at the end of the 6 week cycle, you are squatting the 5 rep max you had at the beginning of the 6 weeks for 20 reps.

For example, if your 5 rep max is 100kg, you do 18 workouts in total over 6 weeks so your starting weight on the bar would be 57.5kg and each workout you add 2.5kg to the bar so by workout 18, week 6, you are squatting 100kg for 20 reps.

Interesting post 22-2, i've never heard of it. 

Over how many sets do you squat 20 times?

Hi Blue, I believe it was originally called the Squat & Milk Routine, it has been around for a while but I've never met or spoken to anyone who has completed it.

You literally do the 20 squats straight off in one set, it gets extremely tough around 15/16 reps when you are trembling all over trying to squeeze the last reps out but it's a great feeling and gives you a really great work out.

I'm interested in bodybuilding and achieving the best physique I can.......Hence I won't be doing any of this crap....

With my back problems I tend to do smith machine hack squats instead of squats......I do three sets of 10-15 with 75 kg each side of the bar......Not sure what the smith machine bar weighs as they are all different...

Add in a little leg press and curls and I can hardly walk properly..

How the heck anybody could or would want to do Squats three times a week is alien to me..

You can't be working your legs properly.

Hey Truss, thanks for the comments, much appreciated!

Those are some impressive numbers especially as you say you have a bad back!

I agree the whole premise of the routine is strange but I enjoy it because it is a real challenge but unfortunately, I haven't met it completely just yet. I find it more of a full body workout, it's physical and mental especially as the weight increases and your body and mind are screaming at you to stop.

My legs are in a perpetual world of hurt but I play a lot of football alongside my gym visits. My team would probably tell you that my defensive contribution leaves a little to be desired so perhaps that could be why my walking doesn't suffer!

The reason I do smith hacks is to take the back out of it......Usually have my feet at least a foot in front of the bar...........Keeps the back straight and also it tends to just work the legs instead of a normal squat which spreads the load...

If it works for you..........Then carry on.....No size fits all in bodybuilding.....Regular bench never did much for my chest.

Ain't for me though..

22-2 wrote:Hi Blue, I believe it was originally called the Squat & Milk Routine, it has been around for a while but I've never met or spoken to anyone who has completed it.

You literally do the 20 squats straight off in one set, it gets extremely tough around 15/16 reps when you are trembling all over trying to squeeze the last reps out but it's a great feeling and gives you a really great work out.

I might give it a go 22-2 once I change things up. 

Anything similar for dead lifts, bench, or pressing?

I've not heard of anything similar for the exercises you mentioned but I still do them alongside the squats.

Good luck if you give the 20 Squat Challenge a go, let us know how you get on, I'm thinking of starting back up on that this Monday!

Doing squats 3 times a week seems like overkill to me. Would rather have a 3 good sets, push out the last rep in each and give my legs enough time to recover. Everyone's different but I know I couldn't do squats again a day or two after leg day. Would end up with an injuring myself. However as Truss says "No size fits all in bodybuilding." and if it works for you then happy days. Not for me.

Sounds a lot like a fad to me and would surely work if you are relatively new to squatting and can make fast gains. No way could am experienced squatter push out 20 reps of his 5 rep max in that short a space of time, or indeed ever.

You might see initial gains but long term I would keep well clear.

It has been around for quite some time but I have genuinely never come across anyone who has done it from beginning to end.

Maybe I will do it and document how well it did or didn't go, for the sake of science and love of squats!

From my own attempts, I was pleased with my strength gains and I don't seem to have suffered any ill effects besides the odd niggle.

Now and again I do a 20 rep workout
3 sets of 20 at 120kg. But not 3 times a week...that's too much for my training which includes boxing not bodybuilding.

Its a good workout though now and again.

Back in the day as a track and field athlete I tried the 20 rep squat routine based on Randy Strossen's book (Super Squats...). You basically do one set of squats for 20 reps at a weight you would usually find 10 - 12 challenging then do pullovers to "expand your chest". It is extremely hard, if done properly you will literally be blowing like a steam train at the end, experienced spotters who you would trust with your life are essential if not using a Smith's/rack (still a good idea anyway). IIRC the idea is to increase the weight each week, I finished on 180kg for 20 (Smith's), I cannot tell you how exhausting this is, I did this once per week, 3 times per week I cannot begin to imagine with a full time job and drug free. The book is pretty old as mentioned, you might be able to read it somewhere on the net for free, if you try this I would advise some caution and as mentioned serious serious spotters.