The 20-Rep squat workout is your secret weapon for building legs like oak tree trunks.
It’s a high-intensity, full-body workout that creates amazing muscle mass gains in a short period of time. The workout is designed to hyper-shock muscles into new growth. It’s unbelievably effective and equally difficult.
For years we’ve known high-rep squats are extremely effective.
20-Rep squats were popular with the 1970’s bodybuilders like Tom Platz, who had probably the most impressive thighs of any man on Earth to ever live.
It works like this:
You do one hard set of 20 squats. This set unleashes a flood of growth hormone throughout your body.
You then perform a full body workout to cash in on this growth hormones and maximize the muscle building effect.
Old School ‘Breathing Squats’ Routine (Full Workout)
You can watch it in action by clicking the video below.
Why Do 20-Rep Squats?
The 20-rep squat workout is a total body exercise designed to grow as much muscle as possible in the shortest amount of time.
20-rep squat workouts provide a myriad of benefits:
Healthy weight gain, muscle strength and endurance, improved health are all built through high-rep squat workouts.
Gain Muscle Mass
Trainers can add many muscular pounds in a very short time when doing 20-rep squats.
A 190 pounds man gaining 5-10 pounds in 4-8 weeks is not unusual.
The gains are throughout the entire body, not just the legs. Although, the legs will experience the greatest gains proportionally to the rest of your body.
Break through Mental Barriers
20-rep squats make you tough. They will callus your mind to push through pain.
This tolerance carries over into your work and family life to keep pushing through, with poise, when times get tough.
Burn Fat
There’s no better fat burner on planet Earth than hard leg training.
Legs are your biggest muscles. Training legs burns many, many calories during training, after training, and beyond.
The high reps and high intensity of this training program.
Improved Conditioning
20-Rep Squats trains your body from the inside out. Your heart and lungs will get an incredible workout as well.
Circulation will improve, oxygen intake and delivery will improve and your entire body will get stronger and more efficient.
What to Expect with the 20-Rep Squat Workout
One single rep of 20 full-depth squats will make the toughest man cry like a baby.
The 20-rep squat workout is also known as the “Breathing Squats” workout.
They’re called “Breathing Squats” because by the 15th or 16th rep you will be gasping for air.
On the back half of the set, you will need pause between reps to compose yourself.
I spend this time between reps taking 2-4 huge breaths of air and reassuring myself I won’t die. The I plunge down again for another rep.
Your big legs require huge amounts of oxygen to perform with such incredible intensity.
Not only that but your legs will shake, your lungs will burn and your chest will feel like it’s about to collapse.
Sometimes the only thing you can do is just stand there with a heavy-loaded bar on your back, sucking wind and trying to not fall over.
Seriously, 20-rep squats are no joke. I could feel the lactic acid build up in my entire body. Even my arms and shoulders burned like crazy by the last 5 reps.
You’ll find yourself in agony while you fight through the final reps. This is normal. It’s going to be intense, painful and uncomfortable. But if you hang in there and finish the job, you’ll get the payday you seek.
Why else would anyone submit themselves to self-torture like this?
How to Perform 20-Rep Squats
When performing 20-Rep Squats, I find that there are two important factors to keep in mind:
The technical factor and the mental factor.
Technical Factors
The technical aspects include squat setup, stance, form, lifting tempo and weight selection.
Squat Type
Back squats provide the most benefit. In fact, I would not consider front squats or over-head squats as a candidate for the 20-Rep squat workout. They just don’t provide the same results.
Squat Stance
Choose your preferred squat stance. What ever you are most comfortable with is best.
I find a neutral width, of slightly wider than normal stance is best for 20-Rep Squats.
A slightly wider stance helps me keep my weight back on my heels, which gets more difficult as fatigue sets in.
Squat Tempo
Don’t worry too much about tempo.
Range of motion is the more important here.
Squat Depth
Each rep needs to be performed through the full range of motion or else it doesn’t count.
If you put a level on your thigh at the bottom position the bubble would be dead center.
Go low to grow! Deep squat build the largest muscles in your glutes and back out the thigh.
You need to engage these muscles for the best results.
Weight Selection
When you’re ready to give 20-rep squats a go, the first thing you have to do is find your starting weight.
Use a weight that is between 65-75% of your 5 rep max.
The weight used should make it challenging to complete 12-15 reps.
Remember, we want to push ourselves beyond what we think we can do.
Use your two warm up sets as a gauge to determine an appropriate weight.
Mental Factors
Mental factors should never be ignored. your mind is a powerful tool.
Accessing certain parts of your mind help you accomplish things you didn’t think you could.
The 40% Rule
Your body wants to stop after it reaches 40% capacity. You know better. Use your body to COMMAND your body to keep going.
Your body doesn’t want to grow. You need to make it grow by pushing past your comfort zone.
Mindset
You need to have an unbreakable mindset.
You need to be determined to complete your set. Focus on each rep and have NO DOUBT IN YOUR MIND THAT YOU WILL SUCCEED.
Power Mantra
It is hard to eliminate doubt. I’ve found repeating a mantra helpful to stay positive and avoid self-sabotaging negative thoughts.
There’s a psychological aspect to 20 rep squats that you can’t over look. This routine will push you to the limit. If you doubt yourself for even 1/10 of a second you’re f**ked. Press on.
Nature hates a vacuum. If you don’t think positive thoughts, negative throughs can creep in and wreak havoc on your progress.
It helps to repeat an affirmation like, “I’m going to kill this set, I’m going to kill this set…”
Or, pull a Tony Robbins by saying “I’m fucking unstoppable! I’m fucking unstoppable!” over and over and over again.
Repeating a mantra helps you focus on something else instead of the pain and discomfort that’s getting progressively worse each rep.
Your body will scream for you to stop. You need to scream louder to drown it out!
As you step up to the bar, you need to lock in. You need to commit to completing the set no matter what. And reassure yourself the whole way. Resolve helps you evolve!
The 20-Rep Squat Workout and Program
Note: There is a 20-Rep Squat Workout and a 20-Rep Squat Program.
The 20-Rep Squat Workout is a stand alone, single workout that can be added to your current routine.
The 20-Rep Squat Program takes several weeks to complete and requires calculated advancement in weight lifted each week.
This post focuses on the 20-Rep Squat Workout.
A few key points about the 20-rep squat workouts:
The workout starts with one working set of squats.
Squats are followed by accessory lifts.
The accessory lifts are strategically selected to train your entire body in the most effective way possible. Each exercises is purposefully selected.
The additional lifts help you cash in on the growth hormone released from squatting.
I’ll explain why in the next section…
The 20-Rep Squat Workout Routine
Like I said before, 20-rep squats is part of a total body workout.
The lifts are strategically selected to elicit growth throughout your entire body.
Perform these exercises in this exact order for the best effect.
Start your workout with 2-3 warmup sets of squats.
Use your warm up sets to determine the right weight to use for your working set of squats.
Use those warm up sets to prepare mentally for the carnage to come.
Now you’ve got your weight. You’ve got your mantra. You’re ready as you’ll ever be for 20-rep squats.
What you’re about to endure will be very intense… 馃檪
Barbell Squat – 1 Set of 20 Reps
Here’s the main event.
Dig in and get pumped because this shit will rock your world. Don’t cheat on the reps either.
Go full depth each rep. The top of your thighs should be parallel with the ground while in the bottom position.
Back squats are what you perform here. Subbing back squats with front squat or overhead squat will not give you the same results.
Dumbbell or Barbell Pullovers – 1 Set of 20 Reps
These are used as a recovery mechanism to stimulate and expand the chest and back muscles.
Pullovers are my favorite exercises for building a wide upper body.
They also expand the rib cage which helps bring in much needed oxygen.
Pullovers are an active recovery to prepare you for the rest of this workout.
Barbell Deadlift – 1 set of 15 Rep
Deadlifts train your legs and back. High-rep deadlifts are totally underrated.
It’s the perfect supplement to the squats. The squats already taxed your legs and back and these deadlifts take over to finish the job.
Only one set is required here.
Bench Press – 3 sets of 12 reps
Bench Presses expand the chest and take advantage of added growth hormone released during the squats.
This builds the upper body push muscles. Especially the chest, shoulders and triceps.
Standing Military Press – 3 sets of 12 reps
Emphasis on standing.
Your core, back and legs need to work to keep balance and form.
Your transfer power from the ground to the bar overhead.
These work every muscle from head to toe in order to to balance and transfer power to push the weight overhead.
How Do You Know You’re Doing it Right?
Try 20-rep squats at the gym and you will make a scene.
I grunt, yell, and make all kinds of weird noises hitting those last few brutal reps. (I go to a cosmetic type gym with lots of recreational gym-goers.)
You might whimper, whale, moan, groan, and grunt while hitting your reps.
Super intense training like this scares, disturbs – and in some cases entertains – fellow gym goers. People look at you funny and might even complain to management.
It’s all part of the process. You can’t be embarrassed or ashamed of it. You need to just go for it!
Cross-Fit gyms and Powerlifting, and hardcore body lifting gyms are much more accepting of audible workouts. In fact they encourage and appreciate it. They go hard and have the bodies to show for it.
If you’re the self-conscious type, get a membership to a performance gym, or build your own gym at home.
Breathing Squats will push you to the absolute limit. Often to the verge of fainting or puking and you will approach complete and utter muscle failure.
It should go without saying but I’ll say it anyway – Always perform 20-rep squats in a safety squat rack!
I don’t recommend doing 20-rep squats alone just in case you pass out and hit your head. Plus a spotter comes in handy. Especially during those last few reps.
20-Rep Squats is Perfect for Skinny Guys
Ok, so by now you know that 20-Rep Squats are extremely efficient at building muscle. Not just your leg muscles, but your entire body will grow new muscle as well.
Here’s how it works:
You push your legs (biggest muscle group) to the brink of failure.
Taking your legs to the brink of failure and this will release a wave of growth hormone throughout your body.
Skinny guys whom want to gain weight should squat a lot and drink milk.
Just squat 3 times a week and drink a gallon of milk a day. This will pack meat on your bones. The gallon of milk a day is also called the GOMAD diet.
The lots-of-squats and GOMAD regimen is scientifically proven to build muscle.
One study claims that…
Everyone on these heavy squat programs who drank enough milk gained weight. Yes, everyone we’ve ever heard of. – Dr. Randall J. Strossen
Makes sense. Milk is full of calories – Protein, fat and sugar that your body will convert into lean muscle.
Skinny guys should drink whole milk for the best results.
Squats work for building the most muscle per rep. (MMPR) Never heard of MMPR? That’s because I just made it up. But it’s true. Lift heavy, engage your legs and get enough protein and calories and you will gain muscle.
20-Rep Squats: The Aftermath
After you’ve completed your grueling 20 reps and other compound movements, you’ve now logged an awesome total body workout.
But it’s not over yet.
Go get a good meal and some rest. Make sure you’re hitting you minimum protein requirements and getting enough calories.
You need this fuel to grow.
Drink a protein shake before bed to feed your body overnight.
Rest, Recovery and Nutrition is Paramount
Get enough sleep to be productive tomorrow.
Some people need 6 hours others need 10. It’s up to you to figure this out.
Take the day after this workout off. You can do some cardio and stretching, but I wouldn’t move any weights.
How Often Should You do the 20-Rep Workout?
You can do 20-rep squats as a workout, or you can make it into a routine.
I recommend doing a 20-rep squat workout once every week or two if you do incorporate it into a routine.
I do the 20-rep squat workout every once in a while when I want to get a great leg workout and feel like I need to mix things up.
The actual 20-Rep Squat Program is 4-6 weeks, and you perform 20-rep squat workouts every other day.
If you want to go that route, be my guest.
Suggestions for corrections
I go to a cosmetic type gym with lets —lots
I recommend doing a 20-rep squat workout once every week our two —- or
I look forward to trying this at my next workout. I think I will start with a low weight to minimize injury risk and maximize success.
You can’t go wrong with the 20-Rep Squat workout.
Thank you for the suggestions. I will fix!