When the air gets brisk and the leaves change colour, a massive fellowship (figuratively and physically) bust out the sweatpants and hoodies for another Squatober. For those that don’t know, Squatober is a strength month where those who wish to partake will squat every business day for the month of October with a “PR” day on the final day. One man (a previous strength coach in California) writes the plan for free that anyone can follow and on October 1st, we start the bend.
We really got introduced to Squatober back in 2019. Our staff thought it would be a fun challenge, could be great for comradery and accountability. We even decided to make our “PR” day one that we could share with close friends, members and peeps in the community. So we came up with SquatoberFest and we never looked back. After 6 years and countless knee bends, here is my reflection.
The Purpose and Reality of Squatober
First, I think it’s important to point out that the creator of Squatober does the plan for free. He also makes it very clear that you can adjust any of the intensities, exercises and maxes you feel the desire to change. As a simple consumer of the work, I understand what I’m getting myself into and I’m aware that it’s maybe not for everyone. For those playing sports in season or those chasing other specific outcomes, this may not be the thing to do. As a professional, I would agree.
For those chasing specific performance based measures OUTSIDE of a 1RM squat, you’d need a different program to follow. Hell I’d argue even if you’re chasing a squat PR that Squatober might not be the plan for you. The reality is that everyone has unique needs and limitations. Hence why individualized programs catered to YOUR aspirations are the best bet. It would be naive to think that a free program built as a fun community challenge is the optimal thing for you. So before throwing shade, keep in mind what we’re talking about; a free challenge style program built around a few basic compound movements with ZERO specificity. Manage expectations.
Why We Participate
So why do we participate in Squatober? What’s the point? Personally, I feel the positives outweigh the negatives. It’s a month where I don’t have to plan out my routine each week. It’s a month where colleagues who decide to participate reconnect to chat, share struggles and successes. It’s a month where I’m held accountable by a community of pretty strong people. Finally, it’s a month where we get to share a fun bar bending evening with our community, family and friends. It’s as simple as that.
Do I feel it’s the best program? No. Personally, it’s not the best for me. Some of the prescriptions are pretty wild. While challenging, I feel there are plenty of other ways to get the same result. Some days are pretty intense and sometimes they’re stacked back to back. One could imagine the recovery isn’t great. But, I don’t care. I accept Squatober for what it is. I also know my body and its limits. I’m not too proud to adjust as I need to and manage expectations. (If you want to read more on my thoughts about doing the same exercises every day, read this article here).
Why Community Matters More Than the Program
Some are quick to judge, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. After 6 years of participating and throwing down PR attempts at SquatoberFest, I feel we’ve been in the trenches enough to formulate an objective stance. I don’t care about the training program nor is it what we hang our hat on. We love the community it creates, we love the excitement it brings AND we love the inclusivity. We’re able to host an event around celebrating strength training that drives inclusivity to all. At the end of the day, the weight room is about health; drawing positive relations to strength training in a fun fashion only leads to positive impacts.
So cheers to another successful month of knee bending to round off the fall season. Happy Squatober one and all!
Matrixx
PS: If you’re ready to be your best physical self and become a part of a pretty kickass community of people, we’d love to chat more. Click here and let’s set a time to talk!
