Strongman Stuff: 12/15/20 Squat Program

I’ve gotten a few requests for Strongman programing over the past few months and I figured I’d toss this out there for your enjoyment, or hate depending on if you do it. This is my infamous 12/15/20 Squat wave that I’ve used and written about many times. Before I go into it and how to do it, let me say that this:

• Is not for beginners

• Is not for cowards

• Is not for meet/contest prep (unless you have a max reps squat)

• Is for building massive strength

• Is for improving local muscular endurance in the legs

• Is for building slabs of beefy mass

• Is for dramatically improving conditioning

• Is great for bodybuilding

• Is so hard you will hate my guts

• Can work for Powerlifters in the off season

• Can work for Crossfitters

OK, with that out of the way, here is a little background into this. Many years ago when I was young, stupid and not injured we used this wave many times with great success to improve conditioning, strength and the ability to do reps in the squat. It works. It looks like it will not work on paper. The original version, and a newer version will be presented here. This squat wave will have you handing a lot of weight for a lot of reps and will increase the amount of weight you can move for reps fast. The cool thing about this is that it will also increase your one rep max too. We did this a number of times over the years in my old training crew and every person who did it saw results they did not believe.   I suggest that if you implement it, it is not to be done more than twice a year, and also, that you pay attention to your recovery. It is very high volume, and it will tax your recovery if you don’t pay attention to how much work you do on other days.   When adding this in for Strongman, it is your PRIMARY squat training session. I suggest that you do no more than 2-3 other exercises on this day and keep them on the lower end of the difficulty scale.   Think things like pullthorughs, GHR’s, and Reverse Hypers for a few sets. I have not tried this with Powerlifters, but I think I am going too.   For a Powerlifter, this is 100% an off-season template.   Maybe try it if you have a meet in 4-6 months, maybe even further. If I do add this to my lifters programs, this will be their primary squat training just like the Strongmen.   If you are a bodybuilder, jump in and give it a shot. You’ll like it. It is brutally hard and you’ll get a huge leg pump, and lung pump too.

How the 12/15/20 Squat Program Works:

This is where it sounds ridiculous. You’ll initially pick a weight that you can do 10 reps with and then grind out 12 reps. We will be doing Old School Breathing Squats. You can Google what these are for a full description, but here is a short one. Breathing Squats are done by hitting a heavy weight for a determined number of reps. Let’s say 12. You begin your set and perform as many as you can normally with excellent form. You should get pretty fatigued around rep 8 or 9. I mean so fatigued that you are done and want to rack it. Don’t. Stand there and take a few deep breaths and then brace and grind out another one. You will be dying to rack it. Don’t. Breathe deep and do another. Keep this up until you are done with the reps. The key is that you do not quit or rack the weight.   Something to remember, is that for most people, the mind quits before the body. Don’t let your mind beat you. Get the reps.   Here is the Old School Template that we used years ago and it is brutal!   For illustration purposes, I’ll add in sample weights so that you can see the progression. This is for Squats only. Other exercise for your session will be chosen by you and will be minimal.   Week 1: 3 sets x12 reps (with a weight you can only do for 10) Weight: 200   Week 2: 3 sets x15 reps add 5%-10% Weight: 220   Week 3: 2 sets x20 reps add 5% Weight: 230   Week 4: 3 sets x 12 reps add 10% Weight: 255   Week 5: 3 sets x 15 reps add 5% Weight: 265   Week 6: 2 sets x 20 reps add 5% Weight: 280   Week 7: 3 sets x 12 reps add 5% Weight: 295   Week 8: 3 sets x 15 reps add 5% Weight: 310   Week 9: 1 set x 20 reps add 5% Weight: 325   Yes, you are seeing that right, you are handling 125 more pounds for 20 reps in 9 weeks.   We’ve done this. It works.   Some pointers.

• Do not quit.
• Do not rack the weight.
• Do not cut reps high.
• You will want to quit.
• Don't
• You will think that you cannot do it.
• You can.
• I did.
• My whole crew did.
• My clients did.

A few more pointers.   When you get to the 15/20 rep weeks, cut assistance work and up your calories.   And, on the 20 rep weeks, I can’t stress enough that you minimize the assistance work. If you are tapped, skip the assistance work on the 20 rep days.   Now, looking back at this I see it is a little insane, so here is a new, updated version that will also work.

New 12/15/20 Squat Program:

  Week 1: 3 sets x12 reps (with a weight you can only do for 10) Weight: 200   Week 2: 3 sets x15 reps add 5’s to the bar (total of 10 pounds) Weight: 210   Week 3: 2 sets x20 reps add 5’s Weight: 220   Week 4: 3 sets x 12 reps same weight as week 3 Weight: 220   Week 5: 3 sets x 15 reps add 5’s Weight: 230   Week 6: 2 sets x 20 reps add 5’s Weight: 240   Week 7: 3 sets x 12 reps same weight as Week 6 Weight: 240   Week 8: 3 sets x 15 reps add 5’s Weight: 250   Week 9: 1 set x 20 reps add 5’s Weight: 260   The new plan is much less insane and has built in “deloads”.   As you can see, Weeks 4 and Weeks 7 have no weight increase.   This is a slight volume deload, not much, but still there.   Run this up your flagpole and get back to me in 9 weeks. I’d love to hear how you did.     And, this photo has nothing to do with the article, I just love Chad Aichs. Here is one of him and I from our "larger" days.  



 

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