My routine for 6 weeks

[VoodooPlata]

Ok, hello guys! I just finished doing a round of 5/3/1 and i learned a lot from it - definitely going to keep doing it. BUT. Right now i can't do any BJJ because of a skin infection in my groin area. It's a bitch to cure, and with some exams coming up i figured i can probably squeeze some n00b gains out of the last six weeks of summer strength-wise instead of doing BJJ.

So i'm gonna do 20 rep squats! Sounds like fun. Here is my routine, and i'd be grateful if anyone has comments or suggestions, however specific they might be.

DAY 1:
Squats 1 * 20
Bench 5 * 5 (Weight progression a la Rippetoe - increase when 5 * 5 can be performed)
Deadlift 5 * 5 (these i will be doing with fairly light weights, since the squat volume is so intense - i just can't have a routine without deadz.)
Rows 5 * 10 (These are assistance, weights will be whatever feels ok)

DAY 2:
Squats 1 * 20
Power cleans 5 * 5 (Again, weight loading a la SS)
Stiff-legged deadlifts 5 * 5 (Same as above)

DAY 3:
Squats 1 * 20
OH Press 5 * 5
Dumbbell bench 5 * 12
Chins in ladder progression as was mentioned here on the forum a couple of days ago IE 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + ... until fail and then repeat until a chin cannot be performed.

Ok, some explanations:
The lifts that i want to focus on are 5 * 5, especially stiff-legged deadlifts because i have neglected my hamstrings. Rows are light because cleans are heavy - dumbbell bench is light because bench is heavy. I have found during the 5/3/1 that training the same muscles on different days but with different intensity is... good.

The overall intensity is very high, at least compared to 5/3/1, but i'm only doing it for six weeks during which time i don't work or anything. I was tempted to go with a real heavy deadlift day without squats, but i felt overtrained just looking at the routine so i took it out. That day would have had deadz, dipz and good mornings.

Thoughts?

 

[thedirtybadger]

LOL at you admitting you have crotch rot on sherdog!

 

[Tosa]

What specifically do you want to achieve with 20 rep squats? What about other routines that emphasize squats?

 

[VoodooPlata]

It's ringworm, actually :icon_sad:

I want to squeeze out some n00b gains with high intensity training, and the 20 squats thing seems to be just that. However, much is curiosity - people swear by it although it doesn't really make sense from a max strength point of view. Which makes me curious to try it.

 

[glennpendlay]

I believe thats too much extra work for a 20 rep squat program.

 

[VoodooPlata]

What do you think would be more appropriate? Have i done the classic n00b mistake of overthinking and should really just be doing the program as written?

It contains pullovers... that's some weird stuff...

 

[DrBdan]

Do a search for "20 rep squats", there have been a number of threads talking about ways to do it, how/why it works etc.

If you want noob gains why not just do SS or something similar? That would be my recommendation.

 

[YetiFeet]

If done properly (meaning as heavy possible) you should feel like a sack of shit when you finish the 20 reps; the last rep should be damn near impossible. 20 rep squats are just as much mental conditioning as strength training, but if you can handle the extra workload then have at it, but I warn you they suck. To roughly quote Ripp, if you complete an honest balls out 20 rep squat program Jesus will descend from heaven on the last day and ask to work in with you haha

 

[Perfect Moo]

I do light snatches and clean and jerks, then I do the 20 rep squats, feel like shit, do pullovers, feel a little better, do bench or SOHP, feel good, grip work.

I don't think it's bad to do other lifts, just don't overdo it.

 

[Bright5086200]

20 rep squats work but i would do some heavy work before doing them. I always tried to increase my 20 rep squat and it wouldn't work because the weight would just get tooo heavy. I just did 245 like 3 weeks ago for 20 and it wasn't to bad. I actually got 21. But heres what i would do.

Warm up and hit your 3 rep max for only 1.

Then what you do is drop the weight to the 20 rep squat weight so when you pick it up it will feel light and you will have more confidence and youll be able to pull the reps out.

Do this and continuously add weight to your 20 rep squat but not to much weight to your 3 rep max.

This is what worked for me and i swear by it. Also doing deadlift, HIGH REP FAILURE DEADLIFTS in the 16 rep range shot my 20 rep from 205 to 245. So deadlift are great. Just keep good form. And rest and recover.:icon_twis

 

[Bennayboi]

Ive had ringworm for like 3 months. Dont stop treating it when it appears to have gone away. Its waiting for you to let your guard down then it comes back.

 

[DEVILsSON]

DAY 1:
Squats 1 * 20
Bench 5 * 5 (Weight progression a la Rippetoe - increase when 5 * 5 can be performed)
Deadlift 5 * 5 (these i will be doing with fairly light weights, since the squat volume is so intense - i just can't have a routine without deadz.)
Rows 5 * 10 (These are assistance, weights will be whatever feels ok)

DAY 2:
Squats 1 * 20
Power cleans 5 * 5 (Again, weight loading a la SS)
Stiff-legged deadlifts 5 * 5 (Same as above)

DAY 3:
Squats 1 * 20
OH Press 5 * 5
Dumbbell bench 5 * 12
Chins in ladder progression as was mentioned here on the forum a couple of days ago IE 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + ... until fail and then repeat until a chin cannot be performed.

I do not think what you're proposing is very realistic in terms of how a true 20 rep squat program works. If you're doing 20 rep program for mass gains then keep in mind you're going to bust your ass with a ~10 rep set for a set of 20 with rest/pause which is brutally difficult. If you think you'll do 5x5 of deadlifts afterwards then that's just not going to happen.

I highly recommend you abandon the '20 rep squat' idea as it doesnt appear you have any idea of what you're doing.

Do a simple 1-3 day program, the simpler the better. Pick 3 big exercises per workout that cover your entire body and do them heavy, steadily adding a little bit each workout. If you want to add some lighter isolation exercises for biceps, core, etc then do so but again keep it to a minimum (1-3 additional such exercises).

 

[VoodooPlata]

Doesn't it appear that I have -any- idea what i'm doing? That's harsh - I'm asking first, aren't I? As stated, the idea with the deadlifts are to do them 5 * 5 but at a light weight - maybe my 10RM or something.

I am now considering doing the program as written, but without the pullovers. I did it as written for two sessions since creating the thread and it was fine - starting at my 10RM for the 20.

EDIT: You really think that a program that has 20 squats, one heavy upper body lift (5*5) which is replaced every third time with light deadlifts and then one or two hi-rep assistance lifts is too high intensity for a person who has six weeks to do naught but train, eat and sleep? Maybe I'm underestimating these squats, but damn. The program as written seems to be about as intense IMO.

 

[Gary Peters]

Is it bad that I skim all of the new threads just to see if Glen posts a response to them? lol

And 2nd on the ringworm thing. Even if it looks like it went away continue to treat it for at least a month. If you don't and it comes back, it comes back WORSE.