Squat Every Day Cures All Ailments

This is the article that I wrote over one year ago. I thought that you guys might want to check it out again. There were some pretty cool results. Enjoy!

Eleven Weeks ago from the day that I am writing this, I embarked upon my #SquatEveryDay Journey. Cory Gregory, Co-Founder of MusclePharm, inspired me to give it a try. Up until this point, I had steered clear of all high frequency squat programs. However, Cory Gregory inspired me on many fronts. Cory was a coal miner before becoming the fitness icon that he is today. He used his savings from his time in the mines to start his first gym. From that moment on, Cory used the same blue-collar work ethic learned in the mines to work his way to the top of the fitness world.

My Grandfather retired from the Coal Mines of West Virginia, so right away I felt a connection to Cory. His family is hard working and strong just like mine, so right away there was a trust established. It is hard to explain this type of trust. Let me explain!

I watched my Grandfather and Father leave the house well before the sun ever shed a grain of light. I also watched them come home after dark with hands and feet bleeding from their daily work. They never complained. They were just happy to provide for their families. They didn’t want anything given to them from anyone. They just wanted outwork everyone around them to provide a better life for their family than they had experienced growing up. They did just that, and still found time to love their families. That’s my image of a real man!

Cory’s story of his own family was much like my own, and all I can say is that I felt connected. It takes a lot for me to trust someone with my training or programming, but he had earned that right. I trusted him, so I decided to give the Squat Every Day a try.

My friend and peer Coach John Broz inspired Cory to try the Squat Every Day Program. Broz has been preaching squat every day for years, and all of his athletes have made major improvements with his Bulgarian Methods. There belief is that to get better at a movement one needs to practice the movement every day. Kinda makes sense!

I will be honest here in saying that I had low expectations going into the program. Remember I have been a world record holder in the squat, so I wasn’t expecting a program to have a major impact on my ability to squat. However, in the second week I was noticing major changes. In the eleven weeks that I have used the Squat Every Day Program I have experienced PRs every single week. That’s not common at all especially at 42-years-old.

Cory put his own spin on the program using the Conjugate Method from Westside Barbell. Cory is a Louie Simmons fan just like me, and he has used the Westside Methods to hit some respectable numbers in the powerlifting world. Conjugate is simply a fancy word for change. The body will sometime plateau when an athlete performs the same movement everyday. If you slightly vary that same movement, then it is perceived as a new movement forcing the body to get stronger and adapt to the new stimulus. Cory has used pauses, bands, chains, and even specialty bars to vary the lifts. I love this concept.

So far, I have only used the Back Squat and the Front Squat with pauses from 1 to 5 seconds in the bottom. I have used a rep scheme from 1-2 reps in the max set, and 3-5 reps in the down sets. Look at all the variations that one can form from these slight variations:

Back Squat
Paused 1 sec for 1 rep
Paused 2 sec for 1 rep
Paused 3 sec for 1 rep
Paused 4 sec for 1 rep
Paused 5 sec for 1 rep
Not Paused for 1 rep
Paused 1 sec for 2 rep
Paused 2 sec for 2 rep
Paused 3 sec for 2 rep
Paused 4 sec for 2 rep
Paused 5 sec for 2 rep
Not Paused for 2 rep
1st rep only Paused 1 sec for 2 rep
1st rep only Paused 2 sec for 2 rep
1st rep onlyPaused 3 sec for 2 rep
1st rep only Paused 4 sec for 2 rep
1st rep only Paused 5 sec for 2 rep

Front Squat
Paused 1 sec for 1 rep
Paused 2 sec for 1 rep
Paused 3 sec for 1 rep
Paused 4 sec for 1 rep
Paused 5 sec for 1 rep
Not Paused for 1 rep
Paused 1 sec for 2 rep
Paused 2 sec for 2 rep
Paused 3 sec for 2 rep
Paused 4 sec for 2 rep
Paused 5 sec for 2 rep
Not Paused for 2 rep
1st rep only Paused 1 sec for 2 rep
1st rep only Paused 2 sec for 2 rep
1st rep onlyPaused 3 sec for 2 rep
1st rep only Paused 4 sec for 2 rep
1st rep only Paused 5 sec for 2 rep

From just the Back Squat and Front Squat you can get 34 variations from the pauses and the two different rep schemes. This doesn’t even take into consideration the volume manipulations that one can form from varying the down sets. Normally I try to increase volume for 3 weeks, and then deload volume on the fourth week while maintaining intensity. Slowly increasing volume over the months and years of training is another necessity for increasing strength. Increased workload forces the body to adapt and become stronger.

I have used the Squat Every Day Program to formulate Olympic Weightlifting, Powerlifting, and a Powerlifting/Weightlifting Combo that I am using to prepare for a Super Total Meet in November. Super Total simply means the competition of the Snatch, Clean & Jerk, Squat, Press, and Deadlift, or as I call it, the Big 5! I have successfully taken all five lifts higher than they have been for over 12 years. I’ll call it the fountain of youth. At 42-years-old competing in five events makes training more exciting, but controlling the volume becomes tricky. The key is to push the body’s threshold without crushing the immune system. Believe me, I am pushing that threshold.

So far, here are the PRs that I have set in the last 11 weeks:

Snatch 135k/297lb up from 115k/253lb
Clean & Jerk 166k/365lb up from 150k/330lb
Clean 170k/374lb up from 150k/330lb
Jerk from Blocks 182k/400lb up from 160k/352lb
High Bar Back Squat no wraps 285k/627lb up from 250k/550lb
Bench Press 400lb up from 315lb
Deadlift 700lb up from 630lb
Front Squat 242k/532lb up from 205k/451lb
Paused Front Squat 230k/506lb up from 190k/418lb

I have also developed a Squat Every Day Program for Bodybuilding. If you are that guy or gal that can’t seem to get the wheels to grow, this program is for you. Not to mention that we all know that heavy squats are great for the endocrine system. There is not other lift on the planet better for spiking natural growth hormone and testosterone levels than the almighty squat.

The last eleven weeks I have spent most of my time researching all about the program and talking to the experts like John Broz and Cory. I have also unleashed the program on my athletes with phenomenal results. I have found that newer athletes need a little more volume, so I am using the repetition method with them. Rookies need more of a base. We still squat every day, but I am using a higher rep scheme on some days.

I am just excited to bring all of these detailed plans to all of my readers. There is nothing better than passing on information, and helping people reach their goals. Cory did it for me, and now I am doing it for you.

Here is the way Super Total Squat Every Day Plan looks now:

Week 1-4
Day 1 Week 1
Warm Up with OH Squat Variations 2 Snatch Grip Push Presses & 1 OH Squat work up to 75% of Snatch
Front Squat Paused 3 sec no belt Max, then -20% for 3 not paused
Snatch Start at 70% 8 sets x 1 rep working up heavy but no misses
Bench Press Paused 3 sec Work up to a max, then -20% for 3
Upper Muscular Imbalance Work 1

Conditioning
200M Lunges BW Only

Day 2
Front Squat Paused 3 sec with Belt max
Clean & Jerk Start at 70% 8 sets x 1 rep working up heavy but no misses
Snatch Pulls 95% for 3×3 with a 6 sec eccentric
Core Muscular Imbalance 1 This is normally a carry
Optional Cardio, GPP, HIIT

Day 3
High Bar Back Squat Paused 3 sec with Belt Max, then -20% for 3 no pause
Jerk from Block work Paused 3 sec in dip and catch 1RM, then -20% for 2×2
Bench Press Pause all Reps Start at 60% 8 sets x 3 rep working up heavy but no misses
Deadlift EMOMs Paused 2 sec 2 inches off Floor 70% 6×1 work up but not past 90%
Upper Muscular Imbalance 2

Day 4
Warm Up with OH Squat Variations Work up to 70% for 3 reps with 1st rep paused 5 sec
Front Squat with Belt no pause Max
Snatch Max Effort Snatch to Hang Snatch Max, then -10% for one down set
Optional Cardio, GPP, HIIT

Day 5
Low or High Bar Back Squat no pause with Belt Max
Clean & Jerk Max Effort Clean, 2 Front Squats, and Jerk Max, then -15% for 1 down set
Clean Pulls 95% 3×3
Core Muscular Imbalance 2

Day 6
OH Squat Variation Max Effort 1RM with 5 sec pause, then -20% for 3 reps not paused
Bench Max Effort 3RM 3 Board, then work up to 90% of Max Bench to Chest for 1 pause
Deadlift Max Effort 5RM from Blocks with Bar at Knees
RDLs 3×8
Lower Muscular Imbalance

Lunges 200-400m

Day 7 Optional Day
Thruster or Cluster 3RM, then -15% for 3
Optional Cardio, GPP, HIIT
Mobility

This will give you an idea of what the full plans will look like. This is just week 1. My detailed plans will explain the muscular balance work, mobility, recovery, general physical preparedness, and much more. The full versions will be out in November, so make sure that you are signed up for the Newsletter list to receive notification that the completed versions are out.

Please ask any and all questions in the comments section. I will answer all questions. Thanks for reading and enjoy squatting every day!

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The Mash Elite “No Weaknesses” E-Book