20 Rep Squat Program

The 20 rep squat program is one of the oldest lifting programs there is. It was introduced by John McCallum in 1968 and was originally coined “Squats and Milk” because old school lifters would drink a gallon of milk a day (GOMAD) while on it. Tom Platz used 20 rep squats as a staple in his routine and had some of the biggest and strongest legs on the planet.

For this routine you will be squatting 3 times a week with one set of 20 repetitions each workout. Your goal is to add five pounds to your 20 rep max each training session. This program is only 6 weeks long so you have to go all out every training session. To determine your starting weight, figure out your 5RM(5 rep max) and subtract 5lb from every workout from the 6-week period. If your 5RM is 300lb and you train three times a week for the six weeks, your starting weight would be 210lb. The difference is 90lb, so your goal after 6 weeks will be to squat 20 reps with the 300lb. It sounds made up, but a lot of elite lifters and strength coaches can vouch for it’s authenticity, including Mark Rippetoe.

“Trust me, if you do an honest 20 rep program, at some point Jesus will talk to you. On the last day of the program, he asked if he could work in.”- Mark Rippetoe

This routine is not for the mentally weak individual. It will test your will power and bring you to a threshold that will either make or break you. One of the reasons why this routine works so well is the “breathing squats”. Generally around rep 15 or so you’ll be out of breath, legs burning, telling yourself this was a horrible idea while you stand there with the weight on your back. At this point the reps come few and far between as you muster up the strength to squat out another rep. These last few reps result in the strength and hypertrophy that make this routine legendary.

There are many variations of this routine to choose from, pick one that fits your skill level. Remember you are going to be doing this three times a week. The classic Monday, Wednesday, Friday works good with this, but if you feel you simply cannot recover lower it down to two days a week using something like Tuesday, Friday. Beginners may also want to use the “scaled down” version and start off lifting only twice a week from the get go.

You can make your own variation of this routine as long as you leave the squat untouched, the reason being it is the foundation of this program. A good variation should include at least one pushing, pulling, and stretching movement. You should stick with basic movements such as the bench press, pull-ups, military press, pull-overs ect. A good approach if you’re starting out is to do one set of each three times a week. Once the six weeks are up you should switch over to a heavier program such as a basic 5×5 routine. The high rep work will leave your body primed for a low rep program due to the increased muscular endurance and the break away from heavy weights.

Gomad, or gallon of milk a day, has been a method used by weightlifters for decades. It is a technique used to gain vast amounts weight and strength quickly. It fits with the 20 rep squat program so well because all of the extra protein and calories make it ideal for recovery. If you can manage to do gomad for six weeks you will definitely reap the full benefits of the 20 rep squat program. You are still fully capable of making progress without it as long as you are eating enough and meeting your protein requirements (at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight everyday).

-High Protein. You need protein to build muscle & prevent muscle loss. 1 gallon of whole milk contains 120g protein. 80% casein, 20% whey.

-High calories. You can eat as healthy as you want, but if you’re not giving your body the tools it needs to grow stronger then it can’t no matter how much protein you consume. Could you build a house of cards without any cards?

-High Carb. The dextrose in whole milk spikes insulin, a muscle building hormone which tells your body to move the proteins into your muscles.

-Saturated Fat. Increases testosterone levels, which means more muscle & strength. Don’t believe the cholesterol myths: saturated fat is healthy. Contrary to popular belief dietary cholesterol doesn’t effect blood cholesterol.

You can read more about the benefits of milk here.

What happens if I fail to get my set of 20 reps?
Don’t worry about it just rest up and throw on the same weight as last time and go for 20 again.

What happens if I miss it a second time?
You will want to consider only using a 2 day split instead of three at this point.

Is there a variation I can use for circuit training?
Yes there is all you really have to do is fit in your one set of 20 rep squats. You will most likely want to do these first. You can try something like the example below:

-Squat: 1×20
-Pull-Overs: 1×20
-Circuit training:
-3 rounds of bodyweight Chin-ups, Dips, and Sit-ups.
-Everything is taken to failure and 1 min rest is taken between exercises.

Can I go longer than 6 weeks
If you feel you can and are still making progress than yes. The 6 week limit is there because that’s how long most people last both mentally and physically.

How long until I can do this program again?
The rule of thumb is to wait another six weeks.

Can I add in more upperbody work?
If your recovery ability permits you to then by all means add what you want. The squats themselves will also work your upperbody.

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