Back in Mid-September, I wrote how I had started Cory Gregory’s Squat Every Day Program. As you might gather based off the name, it’s where you squat….every day.
We’re not talking body-weight squats either, it was all about heavy barbell work where you hit a max single for most days. Of course, there were some days I strayed from the routine like when I was in Raleigh, NC at the National At-Home Dads Convention where I used the heaviest dumbbells in the hotel gym for split squats, goblet squats and sumo squats. I also performed several sets of heavy triples, used the common 5×5 approach, or even bottom position squats on saw horses some days.
Deviations aside, I still got under the barbell (besides the 3 days of dumbbells) to do heavy squats for 50 consecutive days. I planned to stop at 30 days, but then kept on finding myself starting each workout by doing squats. I’d say this is the last day, but then do the same thing again the following day. Finally, I hit 50 days and the physical and mental aspects simply caught up with me; I was done.
I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I have increased my front squat by 25 pounds and back squat by 15 pounds. For someone who has been lifting for several years, that’s pretty good gains, especially since I still suck at increasing my food intake to make even better gains.
Sunday, November 1st marked my 50th and last consecutive day of squatting, and out of all of the many variations I performed, the squats with a 10 second (yes, 10 full seconds in the bottom part of a heavy squat!) was by far the most difficult both physically and mentally. Doing front-to-back squats (perform a front squat, rack the weight, and then go right into a back squat which makes one rep) is a close second.
No, I don’t expect anyone else to really care about how many days I’ve squatted, but I’m proud of myself for sticking to it and have a new place for squats in my heart. It feels weird to not go right to the squat rack in my garage, but I won’t lie, it’s a little nice too. Actually, I’m taking it somewhat easy this week, but think I’ll commit to a video-based program utilizing dumbbells.
I’ve done it before, and plan on incorporating barbell work in the program because, well, I just love the barbell. I mentioned my injured shoulder about a month and a half ago, and I finally went to a chiropractor who confirmed it’s a strained rotator cuff. He said I can still lift, just focus on light weights and high reps. This is one reason I’m choosing the workout video that use dumbbells to lift in the 8 – 12 rep range.
At least I can still do heavy squats! Hopefully I’m as disciplined about going easy on my shoulder as I am about always exercising (too much if you ask most people) and I’ll make a full recovery.
Sorry for absence of cute toddler pics and blabbing on about my current squatting achievement and new routine. Speaking of our cute little girl, she’s the other reason I’m leaning more towards a workout routine to do inside. Now that it’ll be getting colder and she’s a little lot more vocal about what she likes and dislikes, I expect being inside and not in a cold garage would suit her preferences.
So that’s where I stand in the exercise world for the most part. Still on that quest to gain strength, just taking a new, hopefully smarter, approach.
Have you ever followed a workout video program?
Did you like or despise it?
Care to share details? I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on different programs.
