Since I have been asked several times about the program Super Squat, as well as pushing it pretty hard to trainees struggling to gain weight and size; So here is a write-up of my run of Super Squats earlier this year. Enjoy my torture.
I just finished up 6 weeks of Super Squat, as a part of Gainit's Program Party, as well as my mass-block of training. Previously I have done 9 weeks of 531 Beefcake and 9 weeks of Building the Monolith.This post is a summary of my results and lessons learned from my run of Super Squat (SS). I am (still) a 32-year-old male, with a full-time job in the Navy and a family including two kids. Having a family means I cant afford to train for hours on end, so I afford no more than around 1 hour in the gym at a time.
The program
Super squat is a mass-building program written by Randal J. Strossen in his book Super Squat. The basic of the program is you make a weight you'd normally squat for 10 reps, and do 20 reps with it, by taking at least three deep breaths between each reps. This causes you to be under the bar for >2 minutes and signals your body to grow. He also suggest several other high rep compound movements to be used in conjunction with the breathing squats, but these movements are secondary to the breathing-squats.
I LP all exercises, increasing with 2.5 kg each session. I increased the weight if i at least managed 2/3 sets at the prescribed weight.
To try to keep time in the gym to under 1 hour, I employed the same tactics as during my 531 cycles, which is superset everything. My general layout became (warm-up sets not included):
By week 3-4, it became harder and harder to get everything done, so if needed I cut out the DL and Calf Raises for most sessions, which is similar to the “hardgainer” template in SS. My reasoning was that my posterior chain got plenty of stimulus from the Low-Bar Breathing Squats.
Conditioning and Recovery
The author recommends that the trainee does nothing in between the sessions, except for eating. My experience from BtM told me that easy conditioning in between heavy sessions are key for recovery. I stuck to easy conditioning like airdyne, walking and cycling (not the fun anabolic type). I did some stretching and foam-rolling, but to be honest: 20 minutes on the airdyne is ten times better then 20 minutes rolling on a foam-roller. Other than that, see “diet”.
Diet
I continued following the diet from my run of Building the Monolith during Super Squat, only adding more milk, fruit and nuts every time I had issues recovering and/or gaining weight.
Meal 1: 6 eggs on toast, with ham.
Meal 2: Overnight oats with protein powder, Greek yogurt, berries, nuts, chia-seeds and honey.
Meal 3: 300 grams of meat (chicken, beef, etc.), rice/pasta and vegetables.
Snack: Protein-shake
Meal 4: Family dinner (approx 300 grams of meat, potatoes and vegetables)
Snack: Fruit and milk
Meal 5: 6 eggs on toast, with ham, cottage cheese and milk
How it went and Lessons learned
Week 1
My goal was getting 140 kg for 20 reps, but missed this goal by 5 kg. But regardless, these are my starting weights and what my best set were:
First session
Last session
Weight
99.5 kg
105.1 kg
Squat
20x100 kg
20x135 kg, 14x140 kg
Behind the Neck Press
10x30 kg
10x47.5 kg
Row
15x60 kg
12x80 kg
Bench Press
12x60 kg
12x85 kg
Curls
10x30 kg
10x47.5
RDL
15x50 kg
15x120 kg
Standing Calf Raise
20x40 kg
20x65 kg
Last successful session, 20x135kg (20x300 freedom-units)
I have gained a significantly amount of muscle, especially in the legs and back. I now have few pants that actually fit me, and I am "wider" over the back, my arms grew as well. Of the three bulking programs I have ran these last months, SS has been the most effective, especially at butting size on the legs. I will run this again, aiming for that elusive 20x140 kg, but next time I will stay true to the books diet recommendations.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this program to all trainees looking to challenge themselves , both mental and physical, and especially to trainees struggling to gain weight and size. If you follow the book AS WRITTEN, you will gain weight, size and muscle.
I just finished up 6 weeks of Super Squat, as a part of Gainit's Program Party, as well as my mass-block of training. Previously I have done 9 weeks of 531 Beefcake and 9 weeks of Building the Monolith.This post is a summary of my results and lessons learned from my run of Super Squat (SS). I am (still) a 32-year-old male, with a full-time job in the Navy and a family including two kids. Having a family means I cant afford to train for hours on end, so I afford no more than around 1 hour in the gym at a time.
The program
Super squat is a mass-building program written by Randal J. Strossen in his book Super Squat. The basic of the program is you make a weight you'd normally squat for 10 reps, and do 20 reps with it, by taking at least three deep breaths between each reps. This causes you to be under the bar for >2 minutes and signals your body to grow. He also suggest several other high rep compound movements to be used in conjunction with the breathing squats, but these movements are secondary to the breathing-squats.
I LP all exercises, increasing with 2.5 kg each session. I increased the weight if i at least managed 2/3 sets at the prescribed weight.
To try to keep time in the gym to under 1 hour, I employed the same tactics as during my 531 cycles, which is superset everything. My general layout became (warm-up sets not included):
By week 3-4, it became harder and harder to get everything done, so if needed I cut out the DL and Calf Raises for most sessions, which is similar to the “hardgainer” template in SS. My reasoning was that my posterior chain got plenty of stimulus from the Low-Bar Breathing Squats.
Conditioning and Recovery
The author recommends that the trainee does nothing in between the sessions, except for eating. My experience from BtM told me that easy conditioning in between heavy sessions are key for recovery. I stuck to easy conditioning like airdyne, walking and cycling (not the fun anabolic type). I did some stretching and foam-rolling, but to be honest: 20 minutes on the airdyne is ten times better then 20 minutes rolling on a foam-roller. Other than that, see “diet”.
Diet
I continued following the diet from my run of Building the Monolith during Super Squat, only adding more milk, fruit and nuts every time I had issues recovering and/or gaining weight.
Meal 1: 6 eggs on toast, with ham.
Meal 2: Overnight oats with protein powder, Greek yogurt, berries, nuts, chia-seeds and honey.
Meal 3: 300 grams of meat (chicken, beef, etc.), rice/pasta and vegetables.
Snack: Protein-shake
Meal 4: Family dinner (approx 300 grams of meat, potatoes and vegetables)
Snack: Fruit and milk
Meal 5: 6 eggs on toast, with ham, cottage cheese and milk
How it went and Lessons learned
Week 1
- The first week of SS I had do “dial” in the breathing squats. My first session I started out way to eager, eg. only breathing between every 2 reps, and trying to get the 20 rep set done quickly. The point is that time under the bar is what makes you grow, and you want the set to be agonizing.
- My second week, the breathing squats were dialed in and I did 2-3 deep breaths between each of the first ten reps, and after that I was basically breathing like a steam engine the last 10.
- Last session of week 2 was the first time I was nervous before the Squats, which were a really weird feeling. I knew that I was capable of squatting the weight for 20 reps, but I still had this lump in my throat.
- The way I get around the nervousness of getting under the bar is convincing myself that “this is something that has to be done”, like everything depends on me getting done with this set. It might be weird, but its what worked for me.
- The agony of 20 rep breathing squats continue. For me, its probably rep 10-15 which are the most mentally taxing. I was only half way at number 10, and now I still have 10 more (no end in sight). This is where you have to shut out everything else and just squat.
- Finding a “mantra” helps a lot when dealing with the last 10 reps. I found Jon Anderssons “burn the ships” from Deep Water to be great (Its an Alexander the Great quote... Look it up).
- After rep 15-16 on the squat, I could not feel my arms anymore. It is normal, just deal with it.
- Last session of the week (20x120 kg) I got one serious case of headache after completing the set.. My head was pounding several hours after the workout. This would continue on and of for the rest of the program, but a banana and some salts imidiatly after the squats did help.
- One of the “fun” things about working in the navy is the short notice 2-week exercises they trow at you. This meant I had to put SS on hold for two weeks, since there were no squat-racks in sight...
- Returning to SS two weeks later, I decided to just jump strait back in, and my first day back (20x125 kg) was by far the most mentally and physically taxing set by far. I started regretting all my life choices by rep 6...
- This week was also the first week I needed “help” keeping count. In my garage gym, I have 5 garage door-hinges, and I used them to keep count by moving my eyes to the next one each set. This was also a great way to push yourself, by always thinking: “I can at least get to the next hinge”.
- The injuries started to pile up by this week. Both my knees were hurting a lot, and shoulders had started “locking” up.
- Missed my first weight this week as well. Started off great, with a huge milestone of 20x130, but I just wouldn't seem to recover for the next session, missing 132.5 kg.
- This was probably due to under eating, which in turn made me doubt my ability to continue. Super Squat is as much a mental program as a physical one, and when you start doubting yourself, you start missing.
- This week continued in the same rut as week 5. I made an ugly 20x135 kg for my first session, but missed 140 kg twice, ending my Super Squat run on a sour note.
My goal was getting 140 kg for 20 reps, but missed this goal by 5 kg. But regardless, these are my starting weights and what my best set were:
First session
Last session
Weight
99.5 kg
105.1 kg
Squat
20x100 kg
20x135 kg, 14x140 kg
Behind the Neck Press
10x30 kg
10x47.5 kg
Row
15x60 kg
12x80 kg
Bench Press
12x60 kg
12x85 kg
Curls
10x30 kg
10x47.5
RDL
15x50 kg
15x120 kg
Standing Calf Raise
20x40 kg
20x65 kg
Last successful session, 20x135kg (20x300 freedom-units)
I have gained a significantly amount of muscle, especially in the legs and back. I now have few pants that actually fit me, and I am "wider" over the back, my arms grew as well. Of the three bulking programs I have ran these last months, SS has been the most effective, especially at butting size on the legs. I will run this again, aiming for that elusive 20x140 kg, but next time I will stay true to the books diet recommendations.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this program to all trainees looking to challenge themselves , both mental and physical, and especially to trainees struggling to gain weight and size. If you follow the book AS WRITTEN, you will gain weight, size and muscle.