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The 2024 Squat Big Plates For Reps Challenge!

Boris Bachmann

Boris Bachmann

Level 8 Valued Member
Year number TWO of The Squat Big Plates For Reps Challenge!

<Cut and Pasted From Last Year>​
Categories are 135lb, 225lb, 315lb, 405lb, 495lb, 585lb, etc. and the goal is to squat as many reps as you can in a single set with the weight. Obviously, be safe and smart and don't hurt yourself.

Squatting can be done high bar, low bar, overhead, Zercher, goblet, pistol, supportive equipment or raw, monolift or walk out the weight, natural or not, a#@ to grass or not - up to you!

The only "guidelines" are:
*squatting depth is preferably (though not necessarily) at least something close to parallel or below
*lifts should be done between 1/1/2024 (12:00am) and 12/31/2024 (11:59:59pm)

Video is nice, but not necessary. This is a friendly and informal affair.

We started a Facebook group last year - feel free to join us there too if you'd like: Log into Facebook
 
Boris Bachmann said:
Year number TWO of The Squat Big Plates For Reps Challenge!

<Cut and Pasted From Last Year>​
Categories are 135lb, 225lb, 315lb, 405lb, 495lb, 585lb, etc. and the goal is to squat as many reps as you can in a single set with the weight. Obviously, be safe and smart and don't hurt yourself.

Squatting can be done high bar, low bar, overhead, Zercher, goblet, pistol, supportive equipment or raw, monolift or walk out the weight, natural or not, a#@ to grass or not - up to you!

The only "guidelines" are:
*squatting depth is preferably (though not necessarily) at least something close to parallel or below
*lifts should be done between 1/1/2024 (12:00am) and 12/31/2024 (11:59:59pm)

Video is nice, but not necessary. This is a friendly and informal affair.

We started a Facebook group last year - feel free to join us there too if you'd like: Log into Facebook
Click to expand...
Tomorrow is squat day, but on 1/1 I did Back Squat 225lbs for 5.
 
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Squat day came early… did an easy 225lbs x 10, low bar, wide (zercher) stance, big push back of the hips, to a box (don’t call it a box squat I don’t want the Box Squat Police after me!), a little high (on purpose). Not sure I liked it, low bar is just uncomfy, but everything was tight and moved really well and felt fine.

Go to the second page to see the squats.
 
Sounds like fun! I almost submitted an entry last year, but due to illness, relocating for the holidays etc. only started a cycle on the 23rd December and didn't peak by the 31st. I got up to 40 reps with 135lbs (back squat, to parallel) a few days later, I'll use that as a baseline for this year. I plan to mostly be focusing on getting 40 reps with bodyweight (ca. 180 lbs currently) on the bar this year, but will see what that does to my max reps with 135 as a byproduct.
 
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As stated above, I am aiming for bodyweight on the bar (175-180 lbs or so) for 40 reps at the end of the year. It's one of the few strength standards in wrestling which have eluded me so far.
To do so, I will be working with sets of 20-40 most of the time. First, I will try to drive up my 40 rep max from the current 135 lbs. After that starts plateauing, I will either drop back down to 135 to work on more reps, or work with 180 lbs for a while, and see how far I can go there. Depends on how I feel at the time. Periodically, I will also take a certain weight, pick a number of reps to aim for, and work with progressive range of motion (same weight, same reps, increasing ROM) for a few weeks. I will most likely go for two squat days (weighted squats) per week, and occasionally go higher. On at least two more days per week, I will keep working my one leg squats (different variations, currently one set of 10 each, but 3-4 variations supersetted back to back).
I should mention I have a fairly decent tolerance to high volumes, due to wrestling. I am also not too strict with my planning these days, if I'm still sore, I usually just have a few rest days (mat work takes priority, always). Works for me most of the time.
 
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