Category: Programs

I’m Squatting Every Workout For 100 Days | The Program

Getting better at anything usually requires you to do more of the thing. I wanted to test out this theory and see how many pounds I can add to my squat if I squatted every training session for 100 days.

To be clear, I’m not squatting everyday for 100 days. I’m squatting every time I train, which is typically 3 or 4 days per week depending on the program.

Getting strong typically requires 3 things:

  • Increasing absolute strength/skill via circa-max training (max effort training).
  • Improving speed-strength and power (dynamic effort training).
  • Appropriate training volume (hypertrophy training).

These elements are usually periodized and divided into distinct training phases (ie, having a volume phase, power phase, and strength phase), but I have never been a believer that different elements of fitness need to be separated. Each of these elements will be trained each week.

Because of the high frequency of training the squat, volume will typically be conservative, even during hypertrophy days to prevent premature burnout.

Will something like this actually work? We shall see, but as of yesterday, I started week 7 and 95% of my max moved like it was 80%. I’m only halfway through the program and haven’t even fully realized all of the gains.

On weeks that have 3 training days, I recommend training on Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

On weeks that have 4 training days, I recommend training Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday OR Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

Do NOT exceed the stated training intensities or volumes. Upper body work such as bench pressing and overhead pressing is addressed twice a week with limited volume designed to maintain upper body strength. Remember that when we add intensity and volume in one area of our training, we MUST decrease it from somewhere else.

Let’s dive in.

Week 1:

3 training days

Day 1 max effort

  1. Squat: 2×3-5 @70%, 3×1-3 @80%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 5×5-8
  3. Quads: 3×5-8
  4. Abs: 2×5-10

Day 2 volume, upper body

  1. Squat: 3×5-8 @60%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Bench press: 3×4-6
  4. Upper back: 3×5-8
  5. Lats: 2×5-8

Day 3 dynamic effort, mix

  1. Squat: 6×3 @70%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Hamstrings: 2×5-8
  4. Press: 3×4-6
  5. Row: 3×5-8

Week 2:

4 training days

Day 1 max effort

  1. Squat: 2×3-5 @75%, 3×1-3 @85%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 5×5-8
  3. Quads: 3×5-8
  4. Abs (optional): 2×5-10

Day 2 volume, upper body

  1. Squat: 3×5-8 @65%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Bench press: 3×4-6
  4. Upper back: 3×5-8
  5. Lats: 2×5-8

Day 3 dynamic effort

  1. Jump variation: 5×3
  2. Squat: 6×3 @75%
  3. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  4. Unilateral variation: 2×5-8

Day 4 mix

  1. Squat variation: 3×3 @~65%
  2. Hamstrings: 3×5-8
  3. Press: 3×4-6
  4. Row: 3×5-8

Week 3:

3 training days

Day 1 max effort

  1. Squat: 2×3-5 @80%, 2×1-3 @90%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 5×5-8
  3. Quads: 3×5-8
  4. Abs: 2×5-10

Day 2 volume, upper body

  1. Squat: 3×5-8 @70%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Bench press: 2×4-6
  4. Upper back: 3×5-8
  5. Lats: 2×5-8

Day 3 dynamic effort, mix

  1. Squat: 6×3 @80%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Hamstrings: 2×5-8
  4. Press: 2×4-6
  5. Row: 3×5-8

Week 4: deload

3 training days

Day 1 max effort

  1. Squat: 3×3-5 @70%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Quads: 3×5-8

Day 2 volume, upper body

  1. Squat variation: 3×5 @50%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Bench press: 2×4-6
  4. Upper back: 3×5-8
  5. Lats: 2×5-8

Day 3 dynamic effort, mix

  1. Squat: 6×3 @60%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Hamstrings: 2×5-8
  4. Press: 2×4-6
  5. Row: 3×5-8

Week 5:

3 training days

Day 1 max effort

  1. Squat: 2×3-5 @77%, 3×1-3 @87%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 5×5-8
  3. Quads: 3×5-8
  4. Abs: 2×5-10

Day 2 volume, upper body

  1. Squat: 3×5-8 @65%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Bench press: 3×4-6
  4. Upper back: 3×5-8
  5. Lats: 2×5-8

Day 3 dynamic effort, mix

  1. Jump: 5×2
  2. Squat: 6×3 @70%
  3. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  4. Hamstrings: 2×5-8
  5. Press: 3×4-6
  6. Row: 3×5-8

Week 6:

4 training days

Day 1 max effort

  1. Squat: 2×3-5 @82%, 3×1-3 @92%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 5×5-8
  3. Quads: 3×5-8
  4. Abs (optional): 2×5-10

Day 2 volume, upper body

  1. Squat: 3×5-8 @70%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Bench press: 3×4-6
  4. Upper back: 3×5-8
  5. Lats: 2×5-8

Day 3 dynamic effort

  1. Jump variation: 5×3
  2. Squat: 6×3 @75%
  3. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  4. Unilateral variation: 2×5-8

Day 4 mix

  1. Squat variation: 3×3 @~68%
  2. Hamstrings: 2×5-8
  3. Press: 3×4-6
  4. Row: 3×5-8

Week 7:

3 training days

Day 1 max effort

  1. Squat: 2×3-5 @87%, 2×1-3 @95%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 5×5-8
  3. Quads: 3×5-8
  4. Abs: 2×5-10

Day 2 volume, upper body

  1. Squat: 3×4-6 @75%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Bench press: 2×4-6
  4. Upper back: 3×5-8
  5. Lats: 2×5-8

Day 3 dynamic effort, mix

  1. Squat: 6×3 @80%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Hamstrings: 2×5-8
  4. Press: 2×4-6
  5. Row: 3×5-8

Week 8: deload

3 training days

Day 1 max effort

  1. Squat: 3×3-5 @70%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Quads: 3×5-8

Day 2 volume, upper body

  1. Squat variation: 3×5 @50%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Bench press: 2×4-6
  4. Upper back: 3×5-8
  5. Lats: 2×5-8

Day 3 dynamic effort, mix

  1. Squat: 6×3 @60%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Hamstrings: 2×5-8
  4. Press: 2×4-6
  5. Row: 3×5-8

Week 9:

3 training days

Day 1 max effort

  1. Squat: 2×3-5 @85%, 3×1-3 @90%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 5×5-8
  3. Quads: 3×5-8
  4. Abs: 2×5-10

Day 2 volume, upper body

  1. Squat: 3×4-8 @68%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Bench press: 3×4-6
  4. Upper back: 3×5-8
  5. Lats: 2×5-8

Day 3 dynamic effort, mix

  1. Jump: 5×2
  2. Squat: 6×3 @70%
  3. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  4. Hamstrings: 2×5-8
  5. Press: 3×4-6
  6. Row: 3×5-8

Week 10:

4 training days

Day 1 max effort

  1. Squat: 2×2-5 @88%, 2×1-3 @93-100%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 5×5-8
  3. Quads: 3×5-8
  4. Abs (optional): 2×5-10

Day 2 volume, upper body

  1. Squat: 3×4-8 @72%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Bench press: 2×4-6
  4. Upper back: 3×5-8
  5. Lats: 2×5-8

Day 3 dynamic effort

  1. Jump variation: 5×3
  2. Squat: 6×3 @75%
  3. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  4. Unilateral variation: 2×5-8

Day 4 mix

  1. Squat variation: 2-3×3 @~72%
  2. Hamstrings: 2×5-8
  3. Press: 2×4-6
  4. Row: 2×5-8

Week 11:

3 training days

Day 1 max effort

  1. Squat: 2×2-3 @90%, 2×1-3 @90-105%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Quads: 2×5-8

Day 2 volume, upper body

  1. Squat: 3×3-6 @75%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Bench press: 2×4-6
  4. Upper back: 3×5-8

Day 3 dynamic effort, mix

  1. Squat: 6×3 @80%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Hamstrings: 2×5-8
  4. Press: 2×4-6
  5. Row: 3×5-8

Week 12: deload

3 training days

Day 1 max effort

  1. Squat: 3×3-5 @70%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8

Day 2 volume, upper body

  1. Squat variation: 3×5 @50%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Bench press: 2×4-6
  4. Upper back: 3×5-8

Day 3 dynamic effort, mix

  1. Squat: 6×3 @60%
  2. Hamstrings: 2×5-8
  3. Press: 2×4-6
  4. Row: 3×5-8

Week 13: Realization

Day 1 max effort

  1. Squat: 2×2-5 @85%, 2×1-3 @90-105%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Quads: 3×5-8

Day 2 volume, upper body

  1. Squat: 3×4-6 @75%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Bench press: 2×4-6
  4. Upper back: 2×5-8

Day 3 dynamic effort, mix

  1. Squat: 5×3 @70%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Hamstrings: 2×5-8
  4. Press: 2×4-6
  5. Row: 2×5-8

Week 14: Prep

Day 1 max effort

  1. Squat: 3×1-3 85%-95%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Quads: 2×5-8

Day 2 volume

  1. Squat: 3×3-5 @80-90%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Upper back: 3×5-8

Day 3 

  1. Squat: 4×2-3 @85%
  2. Low back/posterior chain: 3×5-8
  3. Hamstrings: 2×5-8

Week 15: Testing

Day 1: Testing

  1. Squat: Work up to 1RM
  2. Bench Press: Work up to 1RM
  3. Deadlift: Work up to 1RM

Your First Day In The Weight Room

The weight room is my happy place. I like to think that it will welcome anyone who has any inkling of interest in lifting.

But… I often forget that for the uninitiated, it can be a bit scary and intimidating. You can feel very vulnerable… You’re doing big movements on display in front of everyone!

This can feel even worse if you feel like you’re unsure of what you’re doing.

So let’s go over some basics to get you through your first day in the weight room.

Continue reading “Your First Day In The Weight Room”

How I Split and Structure Workouts

If you spend enough time in the gym or the fitness realm, you’ll find that there are a lot of things to spend your time doing. Strength, mobility, plyometrics, conditioning… but never cardio. F*** that shit (calm down, this is a joke, people).

You may also figure out that there are a lot of muscles to work. How on earth are we supposed to even begin exercising everything in a feasible and practical way?

One day, you’ll stumble upon training splits. This is essentially the answer to the given problem: How do you address all of the things that a training program is supposed to address?

Continue reading “How I Split and Structure Workouts”

A Simple Workout For Anyone To Try That Doesn’t Require Equipment

A common topic that my dad brings up are the physical problems that his friends are having.

“Bill is having some trouble standing up from a chair. Is there anything he can do?”

“Jack is having some shoulder problems. It’s bad. Can you take a look at him?”

“My friend fell. This is the second time he fell. Are there any exercises you can show him?”

“You were easily the most popular kid in high school. Way more popular than that one captain of the baseball team.”

Continue reading “A Simple Workout For Anyone To Try That Doesn’t Require Equipment”

The 3 Elements Your Program Needs To Get Jacked – Part 1

Human beings are relatively predictable beings, so in general they will have a number of needs in order to achieve something. It is no different in strength training or getting jacked. There are general needs that everyone has, and if they are not addressing it, they are shortchanging their results. Give me any program and I can tell right away what it will do for most people.

There are many elements of training that need to be addressed. For the benefit of your jackedness, let’s go over the big three.

Continue reading “The 3 Elements Your Program Needs To Get Jacked – Part 1”
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