Strength Day
Back Squat
5 x 5
*Rest as needed between sets
General Warm Up
3-5min of Cardio of Choice, then perform the Joint Rotation Warm Up, followed by...
3 ROUNDS
5 World’s Greatest Stretch on Each Leg
Specific Warm Up
The general warm up was very much geared towards getting your legs and glutes fired up for squats. Now, spend some time specifying for your particular kind of squat, be it barbell, double dumbbell, single dumbbell, or air squat. Test out some reps and work your way up to your starting weight for the day!
Workout of the Day
5 x 5
OR...
The following is meant to be completed as one long continuous set, holding double dumbbells for some or for the entirety of the set. (See video for demonstration)
5 ROUNDS of Squat Complex #1
5 Squats with :03 down
6 Reverse Lunges (3 Each Leg)
5 Squats (Regular Tempo)
*Rest 2-3min between rounds
Workout Notes
Last time we did Back Squats was the 5 x 8 in Week 31, the week of 8/2/21 and 5 x 10 in Week 24, the week of 6/14/21.
The idea of this workout is to get in 5 challenging sets of 5 reps. Depending on how you hold up, the weight may stay the same across all of your sets, it may go up, or it will very likely go down! As long as each set is beautiful AND challenging, you’ve nailed it! Ideally, if you’re feeling great, you should aim to squat heavier than you did in Week 31 for the 5 x 8.
This week, we have finally crossed into the area where you may be stronger than the dumbbells you have if you are at home. For that reason, I am recommending swapping out the 5 x 5 with the original Dumbbell Squat Complex #1. This will give your legs much more of a challenge than 5 x 5 if you only have lighter weights at home!
Back Squat Modifications
Whether the back squat is just not for you or you don’t have a squat rack available to you, there are many other ways to get this one done! If you are a barbell kinda person, you can always feel free to change back squats to front squats! I always prefer Front Squats as they fit my body better and help me increase my clean.
There are also many dumbbell squat options in the Dumbbell Squat Variations video. Squatting with one or two dumbbells is one of the safest and most effective ways to get strong! However, if you are a beast and you are too strong for your dumbbells, you can add a tempo to any or all of your reps to make it more challenging. This means that on your way down in the squat, squeeze all of your muscles and descend in slow motion for 3 to 5 seconds. Holding at the bottom will make it more of a challenge as well. If making up your own tempo work is not your jam, go with the second listed option above and do that Dumbbell Squat Complex #1!
Optional Accessory Work
3-5 ROUNDS
5-10 Glute Bridges - R
5-10 Glute Bridges - L
Rest 1:00
*Hold at the top of each glute bridge for one second.
Cool Down
1-2min of Couch Stretch Per Leg
1-2min of Pigeon / Figure 4 Per Leg
1-2min in a Forward Fold
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