OnFitness Magazine - November/December 2021 - 51

51 WWW.ONFITNESSMAG.COM | VOL 22 NO 3 | 2021
Sprint option
Sprinting doesn't have
to be all forward to be
productive. For your
next sprint workout,
try adding some
backward, sideways
explosive movements,
and some bounding
up steps.
THE20
SQUATS
ROUTINE
Joan Baxter
The squat is by many accounts the
single best exercise you can perform to
build strength and power. If you have
already been squatting, you're on the
right path. By tweaking your squat
program and incorporating some new
variations, however, you'll discover new
routines that stimulate your body even further.
One tweak to the squat routine is to increase the
required repetitions per set up to twenty. That's
beyond the pale in comparison to most routines, but
it will help challenge your legs to the maximum.
Some people find that lower repetition squat
routines don't stimulate their muscles as much. That's
not true with a twenty-repetition squat set, which also
taxes your entire body.
Performing twenty-repetitions for any exercise can
be productive, but it is even more effective with the
squat. Perhaps the deep fibers of your legs are best
suited to respond to a higher workload. The twentyrepetition
squat has been known to appreciably build
not only your legs but your entire body.
The twenty-repetition squat also elevates your
metabolism to a high degree. The metabolism is pushed
to the wall with the twenty repetition scheme and stays
elevated long after your workout is completed.
It's as much a mental exercise as a physical
challenge. You'll have to strongly engage your
willpower to make it through the twenty repetitions.
After the first twelve repetitions, the burn sets in, and
it takes a good deal of mental fortitude to continue.
One effect of the twenty-repetition squat is to
shock your thighs and other muscle groups into new
growth. If your body hasn't experienced a highrepetition
load as performed in the twenty repetition
squat, it will react by building more muscle to handle
this new stimulation.
You mustn't lose good squatting form as the
repetitions add up. Maintaining good form, which
includes going deep while maintaining balance and
posture, on the final repetitions of the set can prevent
injury while maximizing the effect on muscles.
This routine should be performed in a cycle
fashion to get the best effect. You can perform it yearround,
but the shock effect will be lost in doing so.
Your body will eventually become accustomed to the
twenty repetitions.
The weight load for this exercise will need to be
lighter initially to enable you to become familiar with
handling the increased effort of a high-repetition
range with a challenging full-body movement.
Crank up the weight over time so that you're
eventually using fairly heavy weight loads. A light
load will not have as much effect, and it will not push
your body as far as a heavier load will.
Initially, perform a warm-up set of the standard
eight to ten repetitions and then incorporate just one
set.
The weight load is the controlling factor, a few
sets of twenty-repetition squats with a fairly heavy
weight load will push your body to the wall. If you're
not hurting at the end of a few sets, add more weight
to the barbell.
Always put the twenty repetition squat at the front
of a workout, or use it as the sole exercise in a routine
to prioritize it. This will help you focus better and
maintain good form.
The twenty repetition squat works magic on your
muscles if you use it consistently. Give this unique
exercise priority in the program and watch the results
it sparks. Z
And who says your
sprinting always has to
be in a straight line?
Not too many sports
are played in a straight
line. To that end, add
some sprint action
that changes in
direction during the
run.
Start off sprinting
forward, then veer
sharply in one
direction, then the
other. Do the same
thing when sprinting
backward, shifting
your hips slightly to
make the move
smoothly.
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OnFitness Magazine - November/December 2021

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