TL;DR: started with 90kg squats and ended with 125kg x 15 clean reps (~ 275lbs). On my second last workout, I got 19 clean reps with 122.5kg (270lbs). I went from to 80.0kg to 86.3kg. Focus on your posture, breathing, diet, mental fortitude, and shorts.
Background
From 16 Dec 2024 to 24 Jan 2025, I ran the 6-week programme Super Squats by Dr Randall Strossen. This was my 2nd time running super squats, this time round I decided to incorporate milk into my diet, albeit still not GOMAD, but 2 liters a day. The previous run, I wasn't super committed, but I went from 60kg to 100kg for 20 rep squats.
I had previously run several iterations of Jacked & Tan 2.0 to some success, and I was getting bored after my 3rd run of J&T back to back. I did try to lose some weight, but wasn't very successful. Consequently, I was still a little chubby but lethargic from lack of food. This was a classic "Bulk or cut?" scenario, but I think there's no point asking myself that. I needed to put in work. With the festive season coming up, I decided to regain some of my energy and double down on the eating, as well as cure my boredom with some good old fashioned hard work.
My bio: 25 y/o male, 175cm, started at 80kg. I had been lifting since 2018, but admittedly spent the first few years spinning wheels. I have a background in sprinting, so I'm bottom-heavy; my legs are stronger than my arms. 1RM for SBD(and Press): 150kg, 90kg, 180kg, 60kg, between novice to intermediate.
Programme Outline
I did a 3 day week (M, W, F) and did the bare minimum exercises each day (the abbreviated one), consisting of bench, squat, pullovers, rows, and crunches if I was in the mood (in that order). I visited the gym at 7am each day before work on an empty stomach. I did skip one day, which was Christmas, which was naughty of me. Aside from the 20 rep squats, it really wasn't very different from most other fullbody programmes, still centred around compound barbell exercises. Bench and Rows followed a simple progression: start with an appropriate weight, and if I hit max reps consistently on the sets, I increased the weight.
I started with 90kg with 2.5kg increments each day. I was projected to hit 130kg, but I ended with 125kg. Some days I chalked it up to a bad day and incremented my weights, others I felt it was necessary to get a solid set in before I could proceed.
If I were to redo SS, I don't see myself doing anything beyond the abbreviated workout plan. I was sapped of energy after the squats, and I have not much time to spare to fit anything more in, unless I wanted to sacrifice sleep.
Diet
I didn't focus too much on my diet, I usually cook my own high-protein meals 4-5 days a week and I topped it up with 2L of milk a day. To get the milk in, I mixed it with 2 scoops of MyProtein whey and a bowl of cereal with nuts in the morning, then I sipped the remaining milk throughout the day, reusing the protein shaker bottle to dissolve the remaining clumps of whey.
In the last few weeks, I felt the weights were catching up to my diet. I didn't gain the 30 pounds of muscle promised, but I also only drank half the amount of milk. I don't think I would have upped the dosage of milk to 4L (or GOMAD), for both financial and dietary reasons, though I have grown to appreciate the value of $6 for an easy 1300Cal and 68g Protein. Shoutout to Farm Fresh brand milk.
Issues Faced
Because you focus on achieving 20-rep squats, you get a really good sense of where your points of failure lie. For me, it was usually one of the three: lower back, mental, breathing, or legs. In the early few workouts, I felt a lot of strain on my lower back, which indicated my posture wasn't fully upright, so I corrected it. It was really helpful to remind yourself not to do Good Mornings while squatting.
Around the middle of the programme, I started to waver. I couldn't tell if it was all in my head or if my legs really couldn't take it, and I either gave up the set or started doing half-reps that didn't reach 90 degree depth, or rushing the breathing just to speed up and get the bar off my back.
The breathing is important. Do NOT rush the breathing. If your legs can't take it, they can't take it. I did half-reps but didn't count them towards the 20.
Do what you can, otherwise, breathe and tell yourself you got it. I usually looked out for the 10-rep, 15-rep, and 17-rep marks. 10 reps reminded me that I just needed to do what I just did, again, that it was just getting started. 15 reps reminded me that I only needed 5 more. 17 reps reminded me I may as well complete the set. These were very useful guidelines that strengthened my mental. I swear it gets really difficult trying to get past 10, then it gets easier, then hard again.
My gym provides gym attire, but I had to bring my own after I grew out of their largest sizes and I felt they were limiting my flexibility. Some sets, I almost felt like I was going to rip them at the seams, which affected my workout.
Also, I realised I'm somewhat lactose intolerant at high amounts of milk. I was gassy 24/7 and went to the toilet twice as often everyday.
Results and Reflection
I gained about 6kg, from 80 to 86.3. With the weight I gained, I still looked roughly the same, so it helps to get used to gaining weight in the process of gaining strength. My legs and back feel much stronger and my posture has improved. I hit 125kg x 15 clean reps on my final workout, finishing with 5 half-ROM reps because I didn't feel my legs could keep up.
The book encourages trainees to not wear a belt while lifting. I do think that's a good idea, as my belt constrained my breathing, which was damned important to getting the reps in, make sure not to rush it. However, you would need to start with a lower weight and ease yourself in.
Super Squats is one of those routines where the hard work is "priced in". Having done J&T for 3 cycles, I was letting myself off easy, also because I was training fasted in the morning, super tired. SS made sure I was using the appropriate RPE. I will definitely do it again.
I didn't become a monster, but I feel bigger and stronger, even if by a little bit. I recently climbed a really steep mountain (Fansipan, Vietnam) and each step I took, I was just reminding myself how "I did super squats for 6 weeks, this is nothing." I did it in a day, somewhere around 6 hours. It was only later I realised that was pretty impressive, considering most others (like my friends, who told me) do it in 2 days and 1 night.