"20 Rep Squats for a Lean Body - Your 20 Rep Routine Iron Man Style"

Want an Iron Man fat burning routine that can't be beat?

20 rep squats shows the way.

20 Reps For Fat Loss?

20 repetition squats are nothing new. In fact, this way of training is old school as championed by the bodybuilders and strongmen of yesteryear.

Back in the day, some remarkable physiques were built using heavy, flat-footed squats including such names as Doug Hepburn and Marvin Eder - two of the strongest men who ever walked the planet.

Indeed, so effective is this regimen, it transformed a once 128 lbs weakling into a weight lifting champion.

Iron Man - A True Story

Peary Rader, the founder of Iron Man, knew the value of ultra abbreviated training. Back in the 1930s, Rader was one of the chief proponents of abbreviated routines, and high repetitions squats in particular. It was this approach, and Rader's advocacy of squatting with maximum poundages, which saw him transform his body from almost 6 foot tall and 128 lbs.How effective was this 20 rep squatting protocol?After more than 10 years frustration with other exercise systems, Rader went from squatting 35 lbs for ten repetitions, to squatting over 300 lbs for 20 repetitions. Inside a year, Rader gained some 80 lbs. By his second year, Rader became a lifting champion.Moreover, Peary Rader's transformation wasn't an isolated case, and it drove him to promote the 20 repetition squatting message to all who would listen.

20 Repetition Squats Today

Sadly, this way of exercising - while super-productive - soon fell out of favor. Why? Compared to your typical gym membership workout, high-rep squat routines are tough.

Yet like all great ideas, 20 repetition squats didn't disappear altogether and have recently enjoyed a well-earned resurgence.

But what does this mean for the typical trainee wanting to get lean?

While history shows the 20 repetition squat builds mass, this training regimen also hides a little mentioned secret: so effective is this regimen, you can expect to lose fat, boost metabolism, get fit, and achieve better health - all key factors for anyone wanting to get lean.


Photo courtesy of kudumomo

20 Rep Squats for a Lean Body - Iron Man Style

1. 20 rep squat routine.

The protocol is deceptively simple. The classic squats and milk method proposes the following:


• 20 repetition squats
• 3 deep breaths between each repetition
• Add 5-10 lbs to your exercise bar each workout
• Drink 2 quarts of milk daily
• Rest.

However, please don't let the program fool you into believing it will only build your body.

In the 1940s the benefits of squats would pluck 109 lbs Vim magazine editor Roger Eells from his deathbed and transform him into one of the world's best built men.

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2. How the 20 repetition squat works.

20 repetition squats work by exercising the largest muscle groups vigorously, thereby triggering a muscle building response. Since the hips and thighs are the largest muscle groups, any effective training routine MUST exercise these body parts.

How does this help the typical trainee get lean?

Simply, more muscle = a raised metabolism. This muscle building benefit means you get to reduce body fat fast.

Further muscle building magic is achieved by:

• Deep breathing (this oxygenates the blood while inflating the lungs)...
• 5-10 lbs added to your bar (weight progression signals an adaptive muscle building response)...
• The consumption of milk (an excellent source of muscle building protein); and...
• Recovery (recuperation allows the body to grow).

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3. 20 rep squats for fat loss.

However, sometimes this style of training is too intense for the ordinary Jane and Joe. But there is good news. By adopting small changes into your 20 rep routine, terrific gains can still be made.

Try this:

• Begin your 20 rep workout at 12 repetitions
• Add 2 more repetitions to your next workout
• Continue adding 2 more repetitions to your squat exercise until you reach 20
• Add 2-5 lbs to your bar
• Resume your workout at 12 repetitions.

Since fatigue is the 20 rep routine's enemy, these small but significant changes can make the difference between failure and success. And if your recovery is still an issue? Try restricting your 20 rep routine to every 7-10 days.

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For your in-depth appraisal of this behemoth builder, see 20 Rep Squat Routine Review

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In Summary

For sure, 20 rep squats are the secret sauce to stellar gains. But they're not the ONLY way to build muscle. To OPTIMALLY maximise mass you need to combine ALL of the rep ranges.

And how can you do that?

To learn more, check out Mind to Muscle Fitness's must-read guide: The BEST Workout Rep Range

Now here's something for every Iron-Man fan...

20 Rep Squats to Muscle Building