Double Day Squats & Heavy Weights
13 weeks | $29 | Web, Text, Excel
This is a 12-week cycle (with a first week that acts as a rest or transition week, making it 13 weeks total). You will be squatting heavy every day - often twice a day. It will use weight selections based on feel for most sets. This first week will be a transition week to prepare you for very frequent squatting and heavy lifts. Try completing all workouts without sitting down. Rest only as long as needed. This cycle should only be used by athletes who are conditioned for frequent, heavy lifting - it is not a good beginning program.
"Back squat went from 235-250kg, front squat from 190-217kg, snatch 115-127kg, and clean & jerk from 150-160kg." - Nick H.
"The double day squat program by Greg Everett was the hardest program I've done. But my back squat went from 405 to 485 and my front squat went from 325 to 395." - Ryan K.
"Following the Double-Day squat program in my garage, my front squat went from 315 to 375. My clean and jerk went from a struggling, pressed-out 235 to a solid and easy 286. My snatch went from an ugly power/muscle snatch of only 165 to a snatch of 196." - Brian P.
"Put 50lbs on my BS, 40lbs on my FS, 20lbs on my C&J, 30lbs on my Snatch. In week 9 now and still improving. Strongest I have ever been." - Jeff H.
"I made 40 lbs of gains on my back squat in the first 5 weeks." - Adam K.
"Back squat and front squat have gone up by 15kg and i'm only just starting week 4!!" - Craig A.
"After the first 4 weeks, back squat went from 330 lbs. to 365 lbs. and front squat went from 285 lbs. to 310 lbs." - Jason M.
"
Squat went from 120kg to 155kg, Front squat went from 100kg to 135kg, Snatch went from 70kg to 102kg, Clean and jerk went from 85kg to 116kg, All by the end of week 9." - Jordan L.
"LOVED this program! I went from 195# FS to 215# and 225# BS to 240#." - Joanne M.
"Back Squat: 157 kg -->184 kg (+27 kg), Front Squat: 124 kg --> 145 kg (+21 kg), *Clean and Jerk: 100 kg --> 110kg (+10 kg), Snatch: 72 kg --> 83 kg (+11 kg) *I injured my wrist about 8 weeks into the cycle which limited my ability to clean" - Marlon H.
Volume: Moderate
Intensity: Very High (but adjustable)
Good For:
- Leg strength
- Max and near-max classic lift experience
- More experienced lifters with good training foundations
Notes:
- This program does not need to be done in two workouts per day - "double day squats" refers to the two squat sessions per workout. However, it can be split in two if you want.
- This program can beat you up badly if you're not smart about choosing weights and recovering.
- Push the weights hard, but generally try to avoid actual failure - this will allow more long term progress and prevent becoming totally destroyed.
Determining Weights:
- Sets with no weights need to be determined by feel. The idea is to work as heavy as possible each day and try to beat what you've done previously whenever possible.
- Sets that follow an HS or RM should be done with a lighter weight and then pushed as heavy as possible by the final set
- %s that follow HS or RM are of that HS or RM, not your PR; e.g., HS; 80%x1x2 means you work up to a heavy single, then do 2 singles with 80% of that heavy single
- Each workout, make the goal to beat the best weight you've done to date on that exercise in this program by at least 1kg - do this by setting it up in your warm-up sets, e.g. warm-up with 1-2 kg more on each set than you did on the day you're trying to beat. Don't keep warming up with identical weights and continually do the exact same weight each day.
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Steve Pan
Greg Everett
From week 9-12 you have a lot of prescribed percentages at heavy weights for example 90 and 95% after prescribing a heavy single. Should the heavy single be above or below that, or should the 90 and 95% be of that heavy single?
I made 40 lbs of gains on my back squat in the first 5 weeks, but week 6 and 7 I've slowed down significantly and haven't PRed in a few weeks. Is this normal?
Also, my clean and jerk went up 20 lbs in the first two weeks, but no improvement since and no improvement on the snatch? Is this normal due to the high volume of squatting?
Thanks Greg! Again great programming, I've decided to follow two cycles each of three different programs of yours for the next year, the results have already been great.
It's normal to get some quick progress right away and then slow down. Make sure you're getting enough sleep and food. And some people will simply not be able to make it all the way through the entire duration.
Greg Everett
Many thanks !
Greg Everett
1) You say to avoid failure on HS, but if you are feeling good, is it ok to go for a PR if the singles just keep going up and you feel like you have more left in the tank?
2) Similarly, should you be pushing yourself AHAP everyday? Meaning the HS should end up being grinders/semi-grinders everyday?
3) If we overestimate the drop sets and say only get 3 reps instead of 4, what should we do to compensate?
2) As heavy as you feel good for. If you feel like shit, don't push it extremely hard, but keep it challenging.
3) If it's not the last set, reduce the weight for the next sets to get the RXed reps.
4) It will help you recover from the reduced volume. Intensity will still likely be pretty high.
5) Yes, you're trying to always beat what you've done previously. It won't happen every day, but that's the goal.
Greg Everett
Greg Everett
Steve Pan
Steve Pan
Been doing the program for 4 weeks, and am seeing good results especially in the snatch. The squats are having good carry-over into the lifts. I had a question about a notation in the second cycle. On Thursdays, you program jerks as:
Jerk - (3,2,1) x 3
I read the help page, and can't figure out what this means. Could you clarify? Thanks!
Steve Pan
Steve Pan
Steve Pan
Steve Pan
Steve Pan
Fantastic program!
Steve Pan
I am on the second week now and I have one question:
I have felt really beaten up the last few days and the reason is that I have pushed the weights too hard. Is it really smart to try and push for a PR in Squat every day? Should I go for technical PRs instead?
Steve Pan
Steve Pan
Steve Pan
Steve Pan
Greg Everett
Some days I have less time in the morning, others I have less time in the evening. Is it ok to break off either the first or last squat portion and complete the rest of the lifts in the longer session? Or is there a way you would advise doing it differently?
Thanks
Alyssa Sulay
Thanks for the great work!
Greg Everett
Alyssa Sulay
For this program, are we allowed to use working maxes for percentages? Thank You
Alyssa Sulay
Thank you.
Alyssa Sulay
For example normally Power Jerk + Power Clean is 1+2 x 5. But in the book it is denoted as 5 x 1+2 (Week 1 Tuesday non-transition day), does this mean this program is backwards?
So I am just wondering for example
Week 2 Day 1 Monday
Front Squat - HS
Snatch : HS; 3 x 2 (I am thinking this is supposed to be 2 snatches x 3 sets instead of 3 snatches for 2 sets)
Just double checking because the notation seems to be flipflopped.
Alyssa Sulay
Front squat went from 100kg to 135kg
Snatch went from 70kg to 102kg
Clean and jerk went from 85kg to 116kg
All by the end of week 9
Alyssa Sulay
Thanks and I look forward to starting this program!
Alyssa Sulay
Greg Everett
Should I update the spreadsheet (Notes & PRs tab) with my new maxes so that the percentages that drive wk 8 through wk 12 reflect this increased strength?
Greg Everett
Greg Everett
Greg Everett
Back Squat: 157 kg -->184 kg (+27 kg)
Front Squat: 124 kg --> 145 kg (+21 kg)
*Clean and Jerk: 100 kg --> 110kg (+10 kg)
Snatch: 72 kg --> 83 kg (+11 kg)
* I injured my wrist about 8 weeks into the cycle which limited my ability to clean
My plan is to redo the cycle and let you know how it goes. You put together such an incredible program, Greg. I am truly grateful.