Tag: gym

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

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The internet is flooded with health and fitness tips. You can’t escape it. It’s everywhere. The fitness industry is a 30 billion dollar industry. Search for a new diet or exercise plan, and thousands will come funneling into your computer.

But none of it will help you.

In fact, nothing will help you unless you change your mindset. It’s the root of all behavior change and what drives every one of your decisions, and this particular mindset will help you take control of your health:

Continue reading “The Mindset You Need To Take Control Of Your Health”

3 More Exercises to Bulletproof Your Legs: The Posterior Chain

If you missed the first part of this series, check it out here: 3 Exercises To Bulletproof Your Legs. In that article, we briefly talked about some principles of injury and how to prevent them as well as Nordic hamstring curls, Bulgarian split squats, and hill sprints.

Continue reading “3 More Exercises to Bulletproof Your Legs: The Posterior Chain”

3 Exercises To Bulletproof Your Legs

Lower extremity injuries are all too common from the average person to the elite athlete. Often, these injuries are predictable and thus preventable through proper training and maintenance.

Before we run through the exercises, we need to establish a few principles to work with.

Continue reading “3 Exercises To Bulletproof Your Legs”
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