I decided to take on the challenge of doing 100 squats a day for 30 consecutive days. Full disclosure, everyone: I am not well-versed in the fitness world. Prior to this challenge, I was going to the gym 4-5 times a week, generally doing aimless cardio and using an app to tell me what exercises to do. When it comes to squats, I often did them, but usually no more than forty or so a per workout. One may wonder why exactly I chose to do this challenge, and one may never know. I suppose I just wanted to see if I, a very undisciplined individual, could!
Here are all of the noteworthy days and observations I made during this challenge:
Day 1:
Day 1 was probably the worst day. That’s because I realized on this day just how hard it actually is to do 100 squats. I watched YouTube videos and read articles to make sure I had the proper form, and then promptly began after finishing my cardio. I thought it would be easy to do them in 4 reps of 25 with 30 second rests in between. The first two sets went well, but by the third, I was struggling. I ended up only doing my first two sets of 25, followed by a set of 15, then 20 more, and then the final 15. I collapsed onto the mat after number 100, exhausted. My legs felt like jellyfish after this, and though I typically only feel muscle soreness a day after a workout, my thighs were hurting only hours later.
Day 2:
The second day was even harder than the first! This day, I once again could not accomplish four sets of 25, only two. Directly beside me in the mirrors at the gym was a woman with absolutely perfect, flawless form, and she was doing jump squats and weighted squats — the whole shebang. I felt incredibly inferior and kind of wished I hadn’t decided to do this challenge. I left the gym that day feeling defeated and with aching quads.
Day 3:
This was the first day I was able to do four sets of 25! I felt like the squats started getting easier on this day, for whatever reason. Day 3 was when the challenge became less of a milestone in my workouts and more of a habit. It was a surprisingly quick turnaround from Day 2, and I was really glad I didn’t give up as I had wanted to.
Day 5:
This was the first day I was doing this challenge on a day I typically didn’t workout. I ended up doing the squats while watching a Youtube video in my apartment late at night. Honestly, this was the part I hated about the challenge the most — there were no rest days, and even on a day that was otherwise spent resting, I had to find the motivation to do 100 squats in my pajamas. The only good part was that after I at least felt like I had accomplished some kind of exercise on a day I would have otherwise just lazed about.
Day 15:
This is jumping ahead quite a bit, but this is the next noteworthy day, as honestly the squats had just become a habit for me, and I was starting not to mind them too much! Actually, I decided they were becoming a bit easy for me around this day, so I added a 4 kg medicine ball as a weight. It’s not much, but honestly this made it challenging for me again and helped work my arms too.
Day 25:
Day 25 was of note, because it was the first day of the entire challenge I didn’t feel self-conscious when doing my squats. Up until this point, throughout my entire gym life (not just this challenge), I’ve been afraid of other people judging my form when I do squats, always a tiny voice in my mind wondering if my back is straight enough, or if I’m going too low or not low enough. But I had none of those thoughts — it had taken 25 days of 100 squats to finally feel comfortable doing them. Maybe it took me longer than it should to stop caring what other people might think and just doing what felt right to me, but it was freeing to have it finally happen.
Day 30 – FINAL DAY:
Honestly, I was kind of sad to finish this challenge. I had liked that it provided a goal for me to complete and celebrate accomplishing each day. I went out with a bang — I did 2 sets of 50 squats, weighted with my medicine ball. It may not be much, but coming from barely being able to accomplish 4 sets of 25 squats at the start of this challenge, I felt really happy with my improvement. It was nice seeing progress so quickly.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, I would definitely recommend this challenge. Do I think doing 100 squats a day is necessary? No, I don’t. Do I think it will help you in creating positive exercise habits and help you to set goals for yourself? Yes, I do! The best thing about this challenge for me was just that; it was a challenge. If you’re a person who thrives in competition and proving things to yourself, then I think creating little challenges for yourself for a certain amount of time is a good way to get started on new habits. Whether it be exercise, healthy eating, organization, or anything you want to begin, I think doing these sorts of challenges are a great way to hold yourself accountable and to make it fun! I will definitely, and am currently, doing more of these.
But did my booty get any bigger? (I have never typed the word booty before and that pained me but I really can’t brainstorm a better word — rump? hindquarters?). My quads definitely became more firm and toned, and I think that’s where the biggest change occured. My butt looks a little perkier and a little larger, but I’m not yet Kim Kardashian.
I had only myself to document this experience, and I really hated taking pictures of myself like this, so as far as before and after goes, this is all I’ve got:
Before:
After:
I know these are from two totally different angles and distances, and I’m wearing completely different clothes, but I’m no photographer, okay? I do think, from these photos, there’s a little change, but nothing crazy or wildly different like I had hoped for. It may be disappointing to say this, but the benefits of this challenge were more about self-discipline and accomplishment, rather than actual results.
Bottom Line: If you’re trying to create new fitness habits, or if you’re a masochist, then I definitely recommend this challenge.
Featured image via Sergio Pedemonte on Unsplash
Squats are an incredibly accessible exercise, which made the challenge much more doable. I didn t need any equipment and could do them anywhere on the go.