I was not going to write anything about the 20 Rep Death Squats experience here since it has been some time since I tried it, and I have never actually completed a full run of it. I started it on two occasions. Both times, I got pregnant and had to stop.
That was just probably just a coincidence, though I can’t help but wonder…
Anyone who has tried this old school routine will probably agree that it is one of the most mentally and physically challenging things that you can experience.
How It Works
Take your 10 rep squat max, but do 20 reps with it.
You might be wondering how on earth that is supposed to happen.
Well, you’re not just going to blast through all 20 reps in a row. You will stay under the bar, hyperventilating and crying taking several deep breaths between squat reps until you finish. It might take a while.
Next session, add 5lbs.
I think you can get a lot out of this even with a more conservative progression approach. Either way, it ends up being quite the ordeal to get through.
The original program dates back to the 1930’s. A classic 20 Rep Squat template usually looks something like this:
Behind the Neck Press 3×12
Squat 1×20
Pullovers 1×20
Bench 3×12
Bent Over Row 3×15
SLDL 1×15
Pullovers 1×20
John McCallum’s 20 Rep Squat
That can be modified as you wish. Or, just do your own thing around the squats (or ‘deep knee bends’, as they used to call them).
There are a few other setups floating around out there with frequency varying from 1-3x per week. You can pick whichever frequency suits your recovery and preferences.
If you elect to do your own thing around the squats (and want to be nice to yourself), the inclusion of pullovers is heavenly. It feels great to lie down, decompress and recoup right after the breathing squats.
I also like Peary Rader’s suggestion of doing the squat last instead of first (article link at bottom of post). He also reminds that when setting up your program, the squat is the main exercise. Everything else should be considered an accessory.
The program generally lasts for 6 weeks, though you could adjust it to be a little longer or shorter if you’d like. In the book Super Squats, it is suggested that if you do want to go beyond the 6 weeks, you can try some variations such as alternating 2×15 and 3×10, or even doing something like 1×30. Experimentation is encouraged.
My Experience
My first session with this didn’t go too well.
I grabbed the bar, stuck it on my shoulders, and when I wanted to quit, I did.
Seconds later, I’d realize what I had done and quickly get back under the bar. This happened several times during a single set. I just wasn’t mentally prepared.
At each subsequent session, I had to remind myself that no matter what happened, I was not going to put the bar down. Even if I had to take 50 breaths or stand for 10 minutes before I could do another rep – the bar would not be released until I was finished.
I pictured myself getting down in the hole, feeling like I couldn’t push through, but doing it anyway.
The pre-squat ritual helped. The first half of the set usually wasn’t too miserable. When I got around half-way through, the struggle really began. Everything in me would be screaming loudly to rack the bar. Around 3/4 of the way through I seriously was on a different plane of consciousness. When I finally finished the set, was no way in hell I could have done another rep- that was it.
I’d spend the next few days both dreading and looking forward to the next session.
Then, I found out that I was pregnant. That concluded my first run of this. I tried to complete another run of 20 Rep Squats a couple of years later but got pregnant again.
Notes
Counting down can feel a bit less daunting than counting up.
I think that this could still serve it’s purpose if you stay conservative with the both the starting weight and the rate of progression.
As far as how many breaths to take between reps, a minimum of 2-3 for each squat is suggested in Super Squats. However, there is also a footnote indicating that a lifter might feel compelled to take only a single breath in the beginning, but might be closer to ten breaths toward the end, and that the general recommendation is an average of three deep breaths per rep.
If you occasionally get winded on normal squat sets, this should raise the ceiling on that. If you are way off and dry heaving on 5’s, you might want to improve conditioning a bit before trying this out. Obviously, you’d want to be at a point where you can pull this off without getting overly wiped and defaulting to sketchy mechanics.
Why Would Anyone Do This
This type of training has so many physical and mental benefits, which is probably why it has been highly regarded for so long.
It takes you to a level of intensity that you most likely do not need to reach on a regular basis.
Anything you do after this will feel like a breeze by comparison. Whatever your next phase is, you’ll most likely work harder and be thankful to be there. This extends out of the gym and into daily life.
Aesthetically, it supposedly hits every last muscle fiber in the legs.
It’s nice for those of us who are short on time and looking for a big training effect. One and done.
Overall, this method does amazing things for mental tenacity.
Side note: One of the lures of 20 Rep Squats has always been that it sparks a massive release of hormones (GH and testosterone), leading to all-over growth. These days, it seems that the magnitude of hormonal activity (following squats in general, not just 20 reppers) is debated in research. Do what you will with that. Most who actually participate in this type of training probably lean more toward the work hard mentality than the debate over research papers end of things and do not give a crap either way. I just don’t want to misrepresent anything regarding hormones that might not be 100% accurate.
Nutrition
This is program is also known as Squats and Milk and GOMAD (Gallon of Milk a Day). The idea of combining high intensity squat training with lots of milk/calories was from Strength magazine writer Mark Berry. It is credited for packing muscle onto underweight young men.
A decent calorie surplus is a necessary complement to this type of training. If you are fueled well, you’ll probably feel pretty incredible.
This probably goes without saying, but it is not a great option for cutting weight.
Final Words
Personally, I thrive on contrast and love the idea of ‘push’ and ‘coast’ modes, in varying extremes. I do find these temporary gut check phases to be instrumental in pushing through plateaus and continuing to progress in strength.
I’ve been toying with the idea of giving this another go, though I am a bit hesitant this time around because:
1. Brooks Kubik brings up some common sense points as to why this probably isn’t the greatest idea for older lifters (I’m in my mid-forties now).
2. It seems that every time I get started on this I get pregnant, and I am done having kids.
If you are training in your basement or garage with barebones equipment, you can probably see the appeal of things like this. This is old school, time-tested, simple training that pushes the limits – and it works.
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