The 100 squats a day challenge is a popular fitness trend aimed at building strength, endurance, and discipline. By committing to performing 100 squats daily, you can target key lower-body muscles, such as the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. 

This simple yet effective exercise promotes improved mobility, better posture, and activities of daily living. This makes it a great option for those looking to boost overall fitness or jumpstart a healthy routine. I could feel the ease in completing those daily tasks.

This challenge is adaptable to all fitness levels. Beginners can break it into smaller sets throughout the day, performing mostly bodyweight squats. More advanced participants can add weights or variations, such as jump squats, for increased intensity. 

Consistency is key, as even bodyweight squats can lead to noticeable strength and endurance improvements over time. However, proper form and recovery between sets are essential to avoid injuries. I made sure to incorporate regular stretching and active recovery to support my recovery. 

This challenge is an excellent way for me to stay active, motivated, and develop a new exercise habit and routine.

How I Do The 100 Squats A Day Challenge

Below, I have described my four-week plan on how to safely and effectively incorporate 100 squats a day for a month. I have included some variations that can be made for different experience levels as well. If you are a beginner, you may need to lower the intensity or split the repetitions into more sets. Repetition guidelines that I used are based on loading recommendations with the maximum weight you can lift for one repetition or 1RM. Weeks one and two focus on hypertrophy training, or increased muscle growth. Weeks three and four focus on strength building.

Week 1

• Days 1, 4, and 7: Hypertrophy. Perform 6 sets of 12 repetitions at 70% of your 1RM of barbell back squat. Rest 60–90 seconds between sets. Then, perform one set of 28 bodyweight squats as a finisher. 
• Days 2, 3, 5, and 6: Active Recovery. Perform 5 sets of 20 bodyweight squats with 60–90 seconds of rest between sets. Break these sets up throughout your day.

Week 2

• Days 1, 4, and 7: Hypertrophy. Perform 5 sets of 10 repetitions at 70% of your 1RM of barbell back squat. Rest  60–90 seconds between sets. Perform 5 sets of 10 repetitions at 70% of your 1RM of Bulgarian split squat (each leg). Rest 60–90 seconds between sets. 
• Days 2, 3, 5, and 6: Active Recovery. Perform 5 sets of 20 bodyweight squats with 60–90 seconds of rest between sets. Break these sets up throughout your day.

Week 3

• Days 1, 4, and 7: Strength. Perform 6 sets of 6 repetitions at 85% of your 1RM of barbell back squat. Rest 60–90 seconds between sets. Perform 4 sets of 6 repetitions at 85% of your 1RM of the goblet squat. Rest 60–90 seconds between sets. Perform 4 sets of 6 repetitions at 85% of your 1RM of the dumbbell goblet squat. Rest 60–90 seconds between sets. Perform 4 sets of 10 repetitions of bodyweight squats, with 60–90 seconds of rest between sets. 
• Days 2, 3, 5, and 6: Active Recovery. Perform 5 sets of 20 bodyweight squats with 60–90 seconds of rest between sets. Break these sets up throughout your day.

Week 4

• Days 1, 4, and 7: Strength. Perform 6 sets of 6 repetitions at 85% of your 1RM of barbell back squat. Rest 60–90 seconds between sets. Perform 4 sets of 6 repetitions at 85% of your 1RM of front squat, with 60–90 seconds of rest between sets. Perform two sets of 10 repetitions of each superset exercise with bodyweight squats and jump squats, with 60–90 seconds of rest between sets. 
• Days 2, 3, 5, and 6: Active Recovery. Perform 5 sets of 20 bodyweight squats with 60–90 seconds of rest between sets. Break these sets up throughout your day.

What You Can Expect After Doing 100 Squats Everyday For A Month

Squats are a versatile exercise that helped me to improve lower body strength, muscle activation, and performance. They also helped to enhance activities of daily living, balance, and bone density. Plus, this benefits all age groups, including elderly and untrained individuals. 

Incorporating squats into your daily routine for a month will help to support motor skills, functional strength, and fall prevention. This daily exercise builds habits, enhances fitness, and fosters long-term consistency, promoting health, well-being, and a sustainable lifestyle.

Improved Strength

I was able to see my squat strength improve over the course of this month-long challenge. Squats can help build lower body muscles and strength, which can help with overall life and performance.

The muscle activation rate of the quadriceps muscles during the full barbell squat during the ascending (lifting) phase is approximately 78%–110%. The activation rate for the gluteus maximus during the full barbell squat is about 55%. Therefore, performing the squat exercise is great for lower-body muscle development. This is important for anyone who wants to improve strength in the quadriceps or glute muscles. 

Additionally, increasing strength has also been shown to positively impact sprint performance for athletes, as I noticed for myself. The squat is one of the most beneficial exercises for training lower body strength. Therefore, incorporating squats into your workout routine will likely help your general sports performance. 

Squats are low-impact, so they can be feasible for individuals of various fitness levels to help build strength. Many elderly or untrained individuals may perform bodyweight squats due to lower beginning levels of strength. These bodyweight exercises have also been shown to increase overall muscle strength in overweight and obese populations. Therefore, untrained and/or elderly individuals can still get large benefits from squats. 

Improved Activities Of Daily Living

Squats are an effective exercise for improving activities of daily living, or ADLs, such as sitting and walking. Although this is typically not an area of low function for me, I still noticed an improved ability to do some daily tasks. This is especially important for individuals with poor muscle mass, strength, and functional performance. By targeting large muscle groups, squats enhance strength through neuromuscular adaptations first, meaning improved coordination. This particularly benefits those new to exercise who seek to improve everyday functionality.

Improving ADLs often involves developing motor skills. Resistance training exercises like squats promote motor skill improvements and strength gains, making them ideal for enhancing balance and stability.

Balance, a key aspect of fall prevention, significantly improves with resistance training. My balance clearly improved over this 30-day squat challenge. Squat variations help older adults reduce fall risk by strengthening muscles and improving gait (walking). Additionally, squats are weight-bearing, aiding in bone density improvement, an essential factor for combating frailty in aging populations.

Overall, squats serve as a versatile, functional exercise that enhances strength, balance, and bone health. This makes them essential for improving ADLs and quality of life across all age groups.

Improved New Habits And Consistency

The most impactful areas that I felt improved for myself were my habits and consistency. Working out daily for a month is a powerful way to build a consistent routine and develop long-term habits. Repeating a behavior regularly in a structured schedule reinforces it, turning exercise into an automatic part of your day. During the initial month, you’re not only improving fitness but also creating mental cues that help anchor the habit. This was important for my overall motivation as well.

Daily workouts also provide immediate rewards, like decreased fatigue and better mood, which reinforce the desire to continue. Over time, the consistent effort reduces resistance to starting, making exercise feel natural rather than a chore. This builds self-discipline and a sense of accomplishment, motivating further adherence. I could feel my desire and motivation to do this daily challenge become easier as the challenge went on. 

By the end of the month, the routine becomes ingrained, setting a foundation for long-term success. This commitment transforms working out from a short-term goal into a sustainable lifestyle habit. This promotes ongoing health, well-being, and potentially a better outlook on the meaning of life.

How To Squat Properly

There are many benefits of squats if they are done properly and in good form. It’s also important to use appropriate modifications as necessary, such as bodyweight squats. You can also incorporate a variety of squats variations as you become more advanced. 

How To Do

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed slightly out.
2. Extend your arms straight forward in front of you. Engage your core. 
3. Bend at your knees while hinging at your hips, pushing them back as if sitting in a chair. 
4. Lower down until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Your knees should track slightly over your toes with your weight on your heels.
5. Briefly hold the bottom position with your thighs parallel to the ground. 
6. Push through the floor with both feet to return to the starting position under control.

Some Tips If You Want To Try This Challenge 

• Inhale on the downward motion and exhale on the upward motion. 
• Push your buttocks downward and backward to prevent excessive knee and hip flexion. Too much hip flexion can cause your chest to lean too far forward, straining your neck. 
• Always begin your workout with a minimum of 5–10 minutes of warm-up and end it with a 5–10 minute cool-down. Warm-ups help to minimize the risk of injury. 
• Allow approximately 24–48 hours of recovery between your moderate to higher resistance training squat days. These are listed as the active recovery days in the 30-day program.
• During this recovery time, focus on non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT, and active recovery. NEAT is the energy that you expend throughout the day that is not sleeping, eating, or structured exercise. 
• Additionally, during active recovery, focus on consuming adequate protein. Consume approximately 1.4–2.0 grams of protein per kg of body weight per day to maintain lean mass.
• Incorporate the Valsalva maneuver if you are an advanced athlete. This is when you hold your breath and strain to increase pressure in your chest cavity. It helps to stabilize your core during your lifts and allows you to lift more weight. It should not be performed by novice individuals. 
• Listen to your body. If you are in pain during any of these days of this challenge, stop the squat routine. During this time, focus on stretching, mobility, and NEAT activity only. Focusing on these variables when your body needs it will allow you to recover and resume exercising when you are pain-free.

Can You Do 100 Squats A Day Forever?

Performing 100 squats daily can be sustainable long-term if approached safely, but it depends on individual fitness levels, goals, and recovery. Squats enhance lower body strength, endurance, and functional fitness. 

However, doing the same routine indefinitely may lead to overuse injuries, plateaus, or muscle imbalances without proper variation or progressive overload. To maintain effectiveness after your thirty-day squat challenge, incorporate rest days, adjust the intensity, and potentially add variations. Listening to your body and prioritizing recovery is crucial. 

Doing 100 squats daily can benefit beginners or serve as part of a larger routine. However, a balanced workout program is essential for long-term success.

Conclusion

The 100 squats a day challenge is a versatile fitness trend designed to build strength, endurance, and discipline. This challenge helped me to target lower-body muscles like the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. It improved strength, activities of daily living, and routine structure. 

This challenge is suitable for all experience levels and can be adjusted as necessary. Consistency is crucial, as even basic squats can enhance strength over time. Proper form, recovery, and stretching are essential to prevent injuries. This challenge is a motivating way to boost fitness, develop a routine, and establish healthy exercise habits.

Frequently Asked Questions