What’s life without a challenge? Nothing! Are you ready for your next great challenge? If so, we present you with one that is sure to keep you in shape: The Gym Junkies squat challenge!

Who doesn’t just love a good challenge?

They’re fun, motivating and can change your body for the better. Sometimes repetition isn’t that much fun, though, and that is why we have taken our squat challenge, mixed it up and packed it full of variety, instead of just one type of squat. So you won’t get tired of the same old routine every single day.

The whole point of this new challenge is to give you just that, a squat challenge! Also, you’ll be adding squat variations and focusing on increasing muscle and strength in your lower body. Every time you do this challenge, you’ll be advancing and kicking your muscle growth into high speed.

Sometimes it’s a good idea to throw something just like our squat challenge into your routine.

Why?

The body does not take that much time to adjust to the same routine that you have been doing for a while. Then it becomes less of a challenge and, when that happens, you might see your gains slow down a bit, and maybe even level off.

You do not want that to happen!

After all, you are in this to keep improving, not to stay the same. And, we are here to help!

Let’s Talk About Squats

There’s a reason that squats are one of the most popular exercises you can find.

Why?

The reason is simple: They work!

Squats are thought by some to be just for building your glutes, but they actually work your entire lower body from the butt down. They engage your quads, hamstrings and the muscles of your calves and shins.

Squats are known as a compound exercise, which means that they work more than one muscle group at a time. And these multi-joint, multi-muscle exercises burn way more calories than isolation exercises such as hamstring curls, which only target one muscle.

When you throw some variations on squats, you can even turn them into a full body exercise. For instance, adding a dumbbell shoulder press at the top of your squat will engage so many muscles of your upper body, including the abs because they will act as stabilizers. That is why we love squats because they are the superman of exercises.

It’s Time To Make A Commitment To The Squat Challenge 

In order to see results with this challenge, you have to stick with it. Don’t bail just because you are not getting fast results. These things take time. Challenges are gaining popularity fast and the reason is because they work. They allow you to keep progressing and keep things interesting.

Each week you will do something different with this challenge. That includes such things as adding weight, increasing the number of squats or mixing up the order of things. This will keep you from getting bored and it’ll keep your muscles from guessing what’s next. They will respond positively this way. Be sure to complete every exercise in the challenge and pay close attention to the amount of sets, reps, and cues to increase the weight.

Types Of Squats You’ll Be Doing In This Challenge

We’ve got a good variety of squats for you to be doing and we give you the details on precisely how each of them should be performed. Don’t forget: You’ll be working your lower body from every angle and with many challenging squat variations.

Traditional Squat 

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Keep your back straight, chest out and head facing forward. Bend at the knees and push your hips back as if you are sitting back onto a chair. Lower yourself into the squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold for a second then push off with your heels to come back to standing.

Goblet Squat

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold either a kettlebell or a dumbbell with both of your hands and at chest level. Sink down into your squat as low as you can get and try to bring your elbows just between your knees. Push off with your heels and come back to standing.

More information on Goblet Squat here.

Sumo Squat

Widen your stance and point your feet outward. Keep your back straight and your chest out. Make a fist with your right hand and hold it with your left in front of you so your hands are in front of your chest, but not touching your chest. Sink low into your squat by bending at the knees. Push off with your heels and come back up to standing.

Barbell Squat

Start with a weight you can lift with proper form for the recommended number of reps. Position the barbell behind your neck and rested on the traps. Your feet should be hip-width apart. Bend at the knees, push your hips back and lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Push off with your heels and come back up to standing.

Squat With Dumbbell Overhead Press

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward and held just outside the shoulders. Keep the dumbbells in this position and squat. As you come to the top of your squat, press the dumbbells overhead.

Pistol Squat

This is more of an advanced exercise, but you can use assistance by holding onto a stable object until you become stronger with it. Stand firmly on the right leg and place your hands together to mimic holding a pistol. Your left leg should be straight out in front of you and parallel to the floor. Lower yourself by bending the right knee until your right thigh is parallel to the floor. Push off and come back to standing as you drop your left leg down.

The Squat Challenge Let’s Get Started!

With this program, you are going to progress every week.

We’re not just doing basic traditional squats here!

We are going to add some weight, add some variation and increase the weight over time so that you will keep advancing in this challenge.

This Is Week 1

Monday

Traditional Squat 3 Sets X 10 Reps

Goblet Squat 3 Sets X 12 Reps

Barbell Squat 3 Sets X 6-8 Reps

Tuesday Is A Rest Day.

Wednesday

Traditional Squat 3 Sets X 12 Reps

Squat With Overhead Press 3 Sets X 10 Reps

Sumo Squat 3 Sets X 10 Reps

Thursday Is A Rest Day.

Friday

Traditional Squat 3 Sets X 12-15 Reps

Goblet Squat 3 Sets X 12-15 Reps

Barbell Squat 3 Sets X 6-8 Reps

Saturday Is A Rest Day.

Sunday Is A Rest Day

This Is Week 2

Monday

Traditional Squat 3 Sets X 15 Reps

Squat With Overhead Press 3 Sets X 12 Reps (increase weight)

Sumo Squat 3 Sets X 12 Reps

Tuesday Is A Rest Day.

Wednesday

Sumo Squat 3 Sets X 12 Reps

Traditional Squat 3 Sets X 15 Reps

Squat With Overhead Press 3 Sets X 12 Reps

Barbell Squat 3 Sets X 6-8 Reps

Thursday Is A Rest Day.

Friday

Traditional Squat 3 Sets X 15 Reps

Goblet Squat 3 Sets X 15 Reps

Squat With Overhead Press 3 Sets X 15 Reps

Barbell Squat 3 Sets X 8 Reps

Saturday Is A Rest Day.

Sunday Is A Rest Day.

This Is Week 3

Monday

Weighted Sumo Squat 3 Sets X 15 Reps

Traditional Squat 3 Sets X 20 Reps

Squat With Overhead Press 3 Sets X 15 Reps (increase weight)

Barbell Squat 3 Sets X 8 Reps (increase weight)

Tuesday Is A Rest Day.

Wednesday

Goblet Squat 3 Sets X 15 Reps (increase weight)

Traditional Squat 4 Sets X 15 Reps

Squat With Overhead Press 3 Sets X 15 Reps

Barbell Squat 3 Sets X 8 Reps

Thursday Is A Rest Day.

Friday

Squat With Overhead Press 3 Sets X 15 Reps

Traditional Squat 4 Sets X 15 Reps

Weighted Sumo Squat 4 Sets X 15 Reps

Barbell Squat 3 Sets X 8 Reps

Saturday Is A Rest Day.

Sunday Is A Rest Day.

This Is Week 4

Monday

Squat With Overhead Press 3 Sets X 15 Reps (increase weight)

Traditional Squat 4 Sets X 20 Reps

Weighted Sumo Squat 4 Sets X 15 Reps (increase weight)

Barbell Squat 3 Sets X 8 Reps (increase weight)

Pistol Squat 2 Sets X 6 Reps (per leg)

Tuesday Is A Rest Day.

Wednesday

Traditional Squat 4 Sets X 20 Reps

Weighted Sumo Squat 4 Sets X 15 Reps

Squat With Overhead Press 3 Sets X 15 Reps

Barbell Squat 3 Sets X 8 Reps

Pistol Squat 2 Sets X 6 Reps (per leg)

Thursday Is A Rest Day.

Friday

Pistol Squat 2 Sets X 8 Reps (per leg)

Weighted Sumo Squat 4 Sets X 15 Reps

Squat With Overhead Press 4 Sets X 15 Reps

Traditional Squat 4 Sets X 25 Reps

Barbell Squat 4 Sets X 8 Reps

For the next few weeks, you should try to slowly increase the weight and attempt to end up with all six squat variations in your routine. As you advance, you can switch things up even further by adding in, or replacing some of the squat exercises with any of the following:

Front Squat

This form of squat is much like the regular barbell squat (also called a back squat), except that you will hold the bar with a flipped grip and supported up by the front of your shoulders.

Overhead Squat

This squat variation will not only take it up a notch, it’s going to engage your entire core and shoulders as you perform it. Simply hold the barbell overhead in a locked elbow position as you squat down and come back to standing.

Zercher Squat

This particular squat is performed in a wide stance. The barbell is held at the bend of both of your elbows.

What’s so special about this squat?

It adds core strength and less spinal compression compared to other barbell variations.

More information about Zercher Squats.

Bulgarian Split Squat

If you have any issues with your balance, you might want to practice this particular squat with no barbell at first, as you’ll be squatting with one foot while your other foot is on a bench behind you.

Hack Squat

Some call this one a deadlift squat.

Why?

The reason is because you are pulling the weight off of the ground first. The barbell is held with straight arms behind your back. This can be very difficult to manage, so you might want to practice with an empty bar at first.

Squat Jumps

These are a great challenging substitute for your traditional squats. This is a plyometric move that will blast some calories and give your legs an awesome burn.

Russian Squat Jumps

You may have seen these in cheesy wedding movies where the dancers squat low and kick one foot out to the side and keep alternating. See how long you can do it. One thing is for sure: It’s not that easy.

Wall Squats

People usually have a peaceful look on their faces while performing these, but inside they are generally thinking “how much longer?”

Why?

You likely guessed it. It’s because they can get tough. If you add these to your routine, be sure to increase your time every week.

Farmer Squat

Farmers are tough and that’s the reason why they get to have exercises named after them. Imagine a farmer carrying a bucket of milk in each hand and setting them down. That’s exactly how you would hold your dumbbells when you do this exercise. Take them down with every squat.

Conclusion

No one likes to do the same thing all the time. Keep your routine interesting and full of variety and you will be more likely to stick with it. Doing the same thing day in and day out can get pretty boring, so you need to keep adding new challenging exercises and sticking with it.

You’ll be happy you did!

By Heather Neff, CPT