20 Rep Finale, Friday, Week 6

It's complete! The first 20 rep program is in the bag. While not the greatest finish I could have had, I'll take it. After warm ups up to 195lbs, I threw on the extra 5lbs and went for my 20 rep. I made it to 12. After a breather, I finished the last 8. I feel pretty good. 6 weeks ago, I could barely put up 115lbs for 20 reps. Tonight I put up 200lbs for 12 reps! I am thrilled; with the number, but also with my size gains. My legs are much bigger than before. I figure another couple rounds and I'll be right where I want to be.

Next up will be upper body for the next few weeks. I think military press and bench with rows and pull ups as the counterparts. Maybe a 4 week program of M/F with a W light leg day to keep them in shape.

18 down, 0 to go! It's done!

20 Rep Satisifed, Wednesday, Week 6

Down to the last two and I can't say that I am ecstatic about my performance. After doing normal warm ups up to 135lbs, I put on 200lbs (5lbs over) and did 5 like I wanted to after realizing Monday that it was easier to do heavy weight after doing heavy weight. Those 5 went ok and I thought my 20 rep would be good especially with 5lbs less (195lbs). That didn't happen. I made 10, but then stopped. After a break, I did the last 5 which weren't too bad.

Now even though I didn't make 20 (and haven't in a while), I was happy because I looked back over all of my progress over these 6 weeks. I started with 115lbs and it was rough! Now I'm putting up 195lbs for 10 reps, less than 6 weeks later! I am pretty pleased with the 80lb gain even if the 20 rep isn't happening. I think for my next round in a couple weeks, I will only do twice a week and see how the extra rest benefits me. Maybe doing twice a week will allow for 20 reps every time and maybe even adding 10lbs instead of 5lbs each time. Who knows.

Last one is Friday and I am going to try and make it count. 200lbs, here I come.

17 down, 1 to go!

20 Rep Discovery, Monday, Week 6

Final week and I just realized something that I think I've known all along. First off, I was only able to knock off 10 at 190lbs before doing the other 10. When I realized how much easier the second set of 10 was, a light bulb went off! Doing a small set of the weight for the day or even more than the weight for the day will allow for an easier 20 rep set. I had been warming up with 10 bodyweight, 5 bar, 5 95lb, and 5 135lb, before going for the weight of the day (in this case 190lbs). But having done 190lbs for 10, the second 10 was much easier and so for the future, I will do 5 of the weight for the day before going for the 20 rep.

After doing the 2 sets of 10, I decided to tack on 10lbs and "warm up" for my 200lb goal on Friday. I figured I would just do a set of 2 and call it a day. When I first shouldered it, I could definitely feel the 10lb increase. But reps weren't as hard as I thought they'd be after doing 20 reps at 190lbs. I actually did 5 reps with 200lbs before racking.

So for Wednesday, I plan on doing 195lbs and attempting the 20 rep only after doing 5 reps with 195lbs or even 200lbs for the warm up. I am thinking going for more weight will be better and then "dropping down" a few pounds will help with the mental part as well as the physical. We'll see how that goes.

16 down, 2 to go!

20 Rep Drop, Friday, Week 5

Well, not as bad as I had been doing, but didn't make 20 again. I added the 5lbs and did 185lbs for 12 reps before calling it quits. I went to finish off the last 8 and something happened on rep 5. I don't know if I lost concentration or if I actually had a real muscle failure, but as soon as I started to try and come out of the hole, I just dropped. Hopefully this final week will be fruitful and I'll hit 200lbs on Friday.

Weighed in at close to 170lbs. Still won't make 175lbs by this Friday, but I am happy with the gains, even if there is a bit of fat to lose. That's not hard for me and the size increase in my legs and lower back has been awesome.

15 down, 3 to go!

20 Rep Disappointment, Wednesday, Week 5

Another poor performance last night as I attempted 180lbs. I was not in the mood to lift; actually, I had been asleep for a few minutes before needing to go refill John's bottle. After getting up, I felt awake enough to go put in my workout since I am almost done with this 6-week program. My head wasn't really in it though and it showed.

After warming up, I loaded up 180lbs. It felt ok shouldered and for the first couple of reps. But by 3 or 4 I was feeling very tired. Nothing was really hurting, but I was really tired. I made it to 10 reps and re-racked. After a breathing session where I contemplated calling it a night, I got up and did 10 more.

The fact that I stopped at 10 was almost as bad as me contemplating not finishing. I know I was tired and didn't feel like doing it, but part of this process is mental toughness to persevere during those times.

I am going to continue with the progression and go for 185lbs on Friday. Hopefully I can pull that off so that Week 6 starts with 190lbs. I'll be on track for 200lbs by the end of the week and the end of this 6-week round.

14 down, 4 to go!

20 Rep Mediocrity, Monday, Week 5

Starting off Week 5 with no great fanfare. Loaded up 175lbs after doing stretching and warmups and was only able to get 15 before racking. I was not too happy about that. I added 10lbs more for 185lbs and did 5 more. Normal pullovers and pullups and dips followed. Will go to 180lbs for Wednesday even though I didn't knock out 20 reps yet at 175lbs. Gotta stay on track for at least 200lbs by end of next week.

While strength gains are progressing, weight gain has not in a while. Weighed in at 165lbs tonight. Not too sure I'll hit 175lbs by the end of next week.

13 down, 5 to go!

20 Rep Stall, Friday, Week 4

Another delay to steady progression. I loaded up 175lbs tonight (10lbs more than Wednesday) and was only able to go for 10, re-rack, and do 10 more. Maybe 10lbs was too big a jump, or maybe being sick and feeling crappier than I have been was a factor. Either way, I am not thrilled at that performance. I'll keep 175lbs for Monday and hopefully weekend rest, time, and no sickness will all make for an outstanding 5th week. We'll see.

12 down, 6 to go!

20 Rep Improvement, Wednesday, Week 4

After the warm up of 5 each(body weight, bar, 95lbs, and 135lbs squats), I loaded up the 165lbs that killed me on Monday and made me stop at 13. Got through 15 and I was dying! But I told myself only a couple more and one by one knocked out the last 5. I literally don't think I could have done one more. Not only was my back screaming, but so was my butt. My legs seemed to be doing ok, but the other two were absolutely finished. I barely was able to come up high enough to re-rack the bar. But I ticked off 20! After huffing and puffing on the floor for a few minutes, I got up and did the normal 20 pullovers and then did 10 pull ups. Hopefully Friday's expected 170lbs won't be as hard.

11 down, 7 to go!

20 Rep Falter, Monday, Week 4

Well, I was hoping to start the week off better than this, but ended up only pulling 13 reps at 165lbs. Maybe this is a sign that it's going to go in cycles and I just need to get used to that. When I was stuck at 135lbs for a week, I thought that was horrible, so maybe this will be a 165lb week (hopefully just 2 days) and then I will make big gains again. I'll keep it at 165lbs for Wednesday and knock out all 20. Hopefully that goes without incident and I can tack on 5 or 10lbs and do another 5 reps to prepare for Friday.

I have come to like squats and their gains. Since this program is only supposed to be done for 6 weeks and then I need to take a break before doing it again, I think I will investigate some other programs that maybe focus more on increasing 1 rep max or maybe increasing endurance. Not sure which way I want to go with this, but certainly this program is great for tacking on mass. Up to 167lbs now!

10 down, 8 to go!

20 Rep Crap, Friday, Week 3

This roller coaster is nuts! Again, I was unable to knock out 20 with 155lbs, instead only ticking off 10 before re-racking and then doing another 10. I was so upset with my performance that I tacked on 10lbs and did 5 more with 165lbs. Today (Monday), I am doing 165lbs again (like I planned) and hopefully the weekend's rest period will have allowed for enough growth and recovery to knock out all 20.

Speaking of "crap", this excessive milk diet is really wreaking havoc on my insides. I started to get really bloated and my stomach was rock hard for a few days. I found out it was just a huge blockage that was no easy task to pass. Let's just say I'd rather do 2 sets of 20 reppers than go through that again! More fiber is in order.

9 down, 9 to go! 1/2 way there.

20 Rep Chugging Along, Wednesday, Week 3

So I started with the 5lb increase and did my 20 reps at 145lbs. That wasn't overly hard, so I tacked on another 5lbs and knocked out another 10. That kicked my butt pretty good, but still didn't make me collapse in agony like I probably should be doing post-20. Still, I am obviously getting stronger and happy with the progress.

Instead of keeping it at 150lbs for Friday (since that would be 5lbs over Wednesday's 20-repper), I think I will bump it up to 155lbs. Then on Monday, I can tack on my 10lbs like I planned and do 165lbs (body weight)!

That'd mean that for the second 1/2 of the program, I'd be starting with body weight. Not too shabby I guess. If I get to 175lbs BW by the end like I should, then a "decent" squat would be about 255-260lbs. That would be 1.5x body weight and I'd be happy with that. But to hit that from 165, I'd need to increase 90lbs, which isn't going to happen unless I tacked on 10lbs each workout. Maybe that's doable now that my back has seemed to catch up and hold the weight and my legs aren't really the limiting factor. We'll see how it goes.

8 down, 10 to go!

20 Rep Stabilizing, Monday, Week 3

Nice to know that progress is continuing. After Friday's very successful workout, Monday followed with 140 for all 20 without issue. It almost wasn't hard enough.

My back is definitely the limiting factor in all of this, but it is growing fast too. By 15, my back was screaming, but my legs were just starting to hurt. 20 certainly wasn't "easy" but I think my legs could have gone for 5 more. I think the weekend recovery with the extra day has a little to do with how "easy" it was, though that was not the case for last week's Monday.

I may try adding 10lbs next Monday instead of just 5lbs. That would mean I do 145lbs on Wednesday, 150lbs on Friday, and Monday would be 160lbs! Almost up to body weight, and would be middle of next week. We'll see how it goes.

7 down, 11 to go!

20 Rep Success!, Friday, Week 2

What a great end to the week! The 135lbs that had destroyed me on Monday to only being able to do 10 and Wednesday, only 15, was easy as pie tonight! Well, almost...

On the relative scale of the 20 rep program, I'd call it pie, but it still rates up there with a good 15 minute roll in BJJ with a guy who has 50lbs on you! But to top it off, after I knocked out the 20, I threw another 5lbs on there and knocked out another 10! That whooped my butt too, but it was doable. I REALLY feel it though.

On another great note, I weighed myself tonight. It was post-poo, right before workout. I tipped the scales at 165lbs! That's quite a jump. Not 2 months ago I bounced between 145lbs and 150lbs and now I'm 15lbs over that range? Crazy gain. OBVIOUSLY a good portion is fat, but for a guy who could put on neither fat nor muscle before, I am ecstatic. I can also tell I am getting quite a bit bigger and stronger. My back really feels it and I feel like I am way more upright (posture). My legs are also looking bigger, which is good for a guy with chicken legs. I am super happy with what's happened so far. I think I'm addicted to the gains/changes. Hopefully this keeps up for the duration of this program and I see 175lbs by the end (with that 5lbs of fat to burn in the following week(s)).

6 down, 12 to go!

20 Rep Progress, Wednesday, Week 2

Not quite there, but I did manage to knock off 15 with 135 before bailing. I felt much better on Wednesday and my legs/butt felt surprisingly good. My back, however, felt like it was close to injury with the pressure on it and so I stopped at 15 when I could just not take it. My legs were shaking like crazy after 12 or 13, but I could still go up and down and my lower back was the limiting factor this time.

In addition to feelings better, I also got Starting Strength and read about 1/2 of the chapter on Squats. Great book with tons of information on each lift. How many books use 50 pages to describe one exercise!?! I feel like I had much better posture and form after reading it and applying some of the information I had gathered.

I guess this is the 135 week. I plan to keep it at 135 for Friday and hopefully hit my 20 reps so that next week I can start off with 140!

5 down, 13 to go!

20 Rep Failure, Monday, Week 2

So Monday was my first failure on the 20 rep program. Not failure in a good way, like I couldn't come up, but failure as in I gave up. I don't know if I was sore or just feeling crappy or what, but after 3 reps with 135, I was really questioning if I'd make even 10. In my past 3 workouts, 10 have been fairly easy and just the last 10 had been rough. This time, I was spent at 3. I made 10 and then re-racked the bar, took a breather, and did the last 10. Poor form. I think I'll keep it at 135 for Wednesday and complete the 20 like it was meant to be done.

4 down, 14 to go!

20 Rep Basics

So I thought I'd explain the basic 20 rep program. You take your 10 rep max squat weight and do one set of 20! You can take as many breaths in between as necessary, but you keep the bar on for all 20. Just one set per workout. You do this 2 or 3 times per week (I am going for 3 MWF) and each time add 5lbs to the bar! While this is all going on, you drink 1/2 to a full gallon of milk each day! The milk hasn't been a problem for me since I love milk and I have been drinking a qt in the morning on the way to work and a qt right before bed each night.

I should have pointed out that my starting weight on Monday 12th was 160lbs. We'll see if I hit my goal of 175 by the end of this. I hope to make 175 and then drop 5lbs (since a fair amount of my gain will be fat). Hopefully 2 weeks out from the end of the 6 weeks of squats, I will be "down" to 170.

20 Rep Squats, Week 1

I started a 20 rep squat routine to pack on some bulk and work my little chicken legs on Monday, October 12th. So far so good. Here is a recap of the week:

10th: Purchased a power cage and olympic weight set from craigslist. Got it all set up in the garage.

12th - Day 1: Did 20 x 115lbs. Was going to start with 135lbs, but since I have not done squats in years and this program is already taxing enough as it is, I dropped 20 lbs (4 workouts difference) to start and get into it. Still, 20 was VERY hard.

14th - Day 2: Did 20 x 125lbs. Upped by 10lbs (instead of 5lbs) since I felt like I could do it and it wouldn't kill me. I also wanted to get closer to my correct starting weight sooner. VERY hard again. Last 10 are rough and last 5 are almost unbearable.

16th - Day 3: Did 20 x 130lbs. Upped 5lbs (as prescribed). I have perfected (correction, advanced) my technique in squatting and although this was also VERY hard, I felt like I had less chance for injury. I used to feel like I was asking for a hernia and now I felt like it was all in my legs and butt. Although it was only 3 workouts in, it seems that it's "easier" knowing that there is an end and the pain is temporary.

I'll try to do daily postings from now on.

3 down, 15 to go!