Thoughts on Ivan Djuric?

[EliKoehn]

I recently started keeping up with his content on YouTube. This guy has apparently squatted literally every day for almost two consecutive years now.

That is immense dedication and highly respectable, but strikes me as less than ideal for his stated goal of chasing strength. Also seems like a subpar way to gain size, as well. Even if you worship the squat, it's no skin off the bar's nose to program rest and other exercises.

Thoughts?

[air2fakie]

I'm not familiar but I generally don't assume that content creators really do the things they promote on their videos - whether squatting every day, 30 day workout to gain 3" on your biceps, etc. That being said, you certainly can squat every day.

[EliKoehn]

I'm not familiar but I generally don't assume that content creators really do the things they promote on their videos - whether squatting every day, 30 day workout to gain 3" on your biceps, etc. That being said, you certainly can squat every day.

Only seen the ones from the past couple weeks, but he literally comments over footage of him going through his entire squat workout in each video.

I know it's not impossible, but seems inefficient and that you'll hit a low ceiling of potential going about it that way. I'm still in the <4 plate club though so I can't talk down on any of this stuff.

[air2fakie]

Only seen the ones from the past couple weeks, but he literally comments over footage of him going through his entire squat workout in each video.

I know it's not impossible, but seems inefficient and that you'll hit a low ceiling of potential going about it that way. I'm still in the <4 plate club though so I can't talk down on any of this stuff.

Well it doesn't sound like a great (or fun) program to me, but if he seems to be someone whose legs/strength you'd like to emulate and he gives sound reasoning for whatever's in his videos, you could consider it. If he's actually doing a full squat workout every single day, it sounds like it'd be an unproductive amount of volume.

[EliKoehn]

Well it doesn't sound like a great (or fun) program to me, but if he seems to be someone whose legs/strength you'd like to emulate and he gives sound reasoning for whatever's in his videos, you could consider it. If he's actually doing a full squat workout every single day, it sounds like it'd be an unproductive amount of volume.

Oh I'm not at all interested in doing it myself. Honestly, while the dedication and mental toughness of that is impressive, he has kind of a lanky physique with somewhat slender legs, and I wouldn't expect someone would achieve a lot of quality size doing that much consecutive volume - so not looking to emulate him, but curious if the forum has observed success from this kind of thing, or has an opinion on the guy himself.

[air2fakie]

Oh I'm not at all interested in doing it myself. Honestly, while the dedication and mental toughness of that is impressive, he has kind of a lanky physique with somewhat slender legs, and I wouldn't expect someone would achieve a lot of quality size doing that much consecutive volume - so not looking to emulate him, but curious if the forum has observed success from this kind of thing, or has an opinion on the guy himself.

Well the bolded sounds about right. No opinion since I'm too lazy to look him up, but I know people who've done squats and other lifts every day for periods of time with similar results as other programs, but it was literally like 1 or 2 working sets/day. Really was just volume management, nothing revolutionary.

[ECGordyn]

Ivan seems like an ok enough guy, but that programming is whack. Haven't watched him in several months, so I don't know if he's even testing maxes or measuring progression, or just grinding away until he feels that method stops working. He seems reflective on this method but it seems like an experiment more than a steady way of getting stronger.

[WolfRose7]

It's fine.
Most decent weightlifter have squatted 12x a week for decades.

[WolfRose7]

With top genetics for weightlifting while on many sauces and juices.

Not sure what any of that has to do with frequency

[EliKoehn]

Well the reason I am piqued enough to post a thread about it, is having listened to his commentary on a few of his videos, he seems to say routinely things like "rest is bad" and "reps are strength" then once he made a comment about how it's not "natural" to lift extreme loadings. Sounds like a bias to reinforce the type of intensity he prefers, since there's nothing technically natural about lifting a bar with circular weights on it for fun, in the first place.

[WolfRose7]

A juiced guy with great genetics for lifting could recover much faster than a natural with average genetics.

It doesn't really matter. High frequency is possible for anyone if you program correctly.

[EliKoehn]

It's fine.
Most decent weightlifter have squatted 12x a week for decades.

...

It doesn't really matter. High frequency is possible for anyone if you program correctly.

"Anyone" and Olympic lifters aren't in the same category. His comment was in response to your claim regarding the latter.

[EliKoehn]

^^ Yeah, I don't think he's trying to intelligently manage volume... instead just doing a whole lot for the sake of it. His 1RM is 455 so intensity is pretty high, as well. In a lot of these he's doing like paused 10x10 with 100KG.

That's honestly a pretty good level of strength even if he was only squatting once or twice a week, especially for a taller guy. Just makes me think he's holding himself down plateaued by doing it literally every day just for the sake of it.

Interesting experiment though; certainly memorable and original amid the world of trendy fitness stuff.

[air2fakie]

^^ Yeah, I don't think he's trying to intelligently manage volume... instead just doing a whole lot for the sake of it. His 1RM is 455 so intensity is pretty high, as well. In a lot of these he's doing like paused 10x10 with 100KG.

That's honestly a pretty good level of strength even if he was only squatting once or twice a week, especially for a taller guy. Just makes me think he's holding himself down plateaued by doing it literally every day just for the sake of it.

Interesting experiment though; certainly memorable and original amid the world of trendy fitness stuff.

Well you're watching his vids and sitting here posting about him, and we're debating it, so mission accomplished. I think that's the real purpose.

[WolfRose7]

Are we talking about Ivan Djuric or about another guy who really programed it correctly and who was brought into this just for the sake of the argument? because from what I see on Djuric's channel:

Squat everyday Day 564: “2000 Squats a day”
Squat everyday Day 549: “A sports hernia is a coach’s blunder”
Squat everyday Day 560: Stop resting, it’s bad for you man
Squat everyday Day 556: You are NOT Over-Training

Was just commenting on squat every day/hf.

This guy might well be a muppet, no comment on that.

[EliKoehn]

Was just commenting on squat every day/hf.

This guy might well be a muppet, no comment on that.

What is a "muppet"?

I'd like the no-strings-attached definition please.

[ECGordyn]

What is a "muppet"?

I'd like the no-strings-attached definition please.

Muppet = talking head?

Sometimes when I watched him he seemed to think out loud a lot and try to explain/understand his method just by going on about it. Like there wasn't a clear overall plan or goal, just something to do and talk about.

[EliKoehn]

Muppet = talking head?

Sometimes when I watched him he seemed to think out loud a lot and try to explain/understand his method just by going on about it. Like there wasn't a clear overall plan or goal, just something to do and talk about.

Yeah that's the impression I got as well. A respectable dedication but also a little bit of an air of superiority and lack of reflection on aim.

At least he does do the work, though. Not a keyboard lifter or someone whose only appearances are highly tailored and embellished. When people like me entertain the thought that they're strong gym guys for years without seriously squatting at all, the guy wearing his knees thin under the bar has some immunity to criticism.

[supramax]

Long live high frequency training.

https://mennohenselmans.com/high-res...e-trained-men/

[MyEgoProblem]

I'm neither joocey nor blessed...
I ran a Bulgarian derivative for months, twice.
Put inches on my legs and my e1 sky rocketed and didn't tank afterwards.

I swear people just don't understand how to balance programming and don't know the difference between what abadjiev did and lifting daily

Daily training maxes and backoffs are kinda hard. But most people who complain are just lazy or ignorant tbh

Even just squatting every day with some random stuff! If that's what's he does... Is better than what 95% of people do most weeks anyway xD

Most of the time "it's all about the tunes baby" or just read nuckols Bulgarian manual for why stuff just works.

[Ironface]

Been following him for ~6 months. For a natty who doesn’t bulk and is relatively lean (not shredded), a 205kg squat is pretty impressive lettuce beef.

He’s done a few different routines with his squat everyday program. I think he’s done a few cycles of Smolov, something called “pig squat” which is basically pyramid training taken to the extreme. Guy wants to reach 300kg/661lbs natty without bloatmaxxing. Do I think he’ll achieve it? Hell fukking no. But he might reach 250kg. Aim for the stars, land on the moon

[EliKoehn]

@Ego, is the Nuckols Bulgarian manual one of his "how to" articles or a program?

Been following him for ~6 months. For a natty who doesn’t bulk and is relatively lean (not shredded), a 205kg squat is pretty impressive lettuce beef.

He’s done a few different routines with his squat everyday program. I think he’s done a few cycles of Smolov, something called “pig squat” which is basically pyramid training taken to the extreme. Guy wants to reach 300kg/661lbs natty without bloatmaxxing. Do I think he’ll achieve it? Hell fukking no. But he might reach 250kg. Aim for the stars, land on the moon

Yeah but if he's training for a 1RM, is that the best way to go about it? Again, lots of respect for the amount of discipline and work it takes to squat every day, just seems way inefficient. I've got like 40 pounds of fat on him at least and still a much lower 1RM, but the road from 455 to 660 is going to be unrealistic with daily squatting.

That said... I went from 275 to 300 in half a year benching 3 or 4 times a week. Recovery on the bench is easier though.

[Ironface]

Yeah but if he's training for a 1RM, is that the best way to go about it?

Probably not. Yes there are top 0.1% genetic freaks out there who get paid to lift weights, have no other job and are on mindboggling amounts of “restoratives” who squat 365 days a year, often multiple times a day. But that is a far cry from the recovery abilities of a genetically average natty with a demanding job, a family, and other obligations. Heck even Bulgarian lite doesn’t have you do that.

My prediction? He might get to around 220-230kg, hit a wall, never get past it, and then revert back to squatting 3x/wk.

That said... I went from 275 to 300 in half a year benching 3 or 4 times a week. Recovery on the bench is easier though.

Benching is definitely easier to recover from than squatting. I would never bench 2 days in a row, but 3 times a week or every other day, sure. My body couldn’t tolerate any more than that if I’m doing any significant volume.

[EliKoehn]

^^ Agreed on both points. I also got my 320 T&G max just this past week ending a program which I thought had way too low bench volume. Whether that's variety or low volume per se is up for debate, but I don't think I would have gotten there in six weeks doing high volume stuff.

[SnortEveryday]

I think his channel is pretty approachable for an intermediate lifter coming from say a 5x5 SS/SL program that has realistic, natural expectations. The main take away I got from a training perspective is frequency. When I was at a 385 lbs squat max I took after him by adopting the frequency mentality. I basically did smolov jr but split a single session over two consecutive days. So 6x6 turned to 3x6, 8x4 to 4x4, etc. I would still rest once a week though. The method helped me push past a 405 squat in two mesocycles. I think he is good motivation if you tune in every now and then but the video format is a long 10 min+ vlog so extracting useful training information from it is way more difficult than it needs to be.

I think more critical people would say he overthinks everything and is stuck in his ways. He'll find many reasons to keep squatting everyday but when he has taken time off work, he tends to push harder and hit PRs probably from getting more rest in general. I personally found he hypes up a lot of "flavor of the week" type accessory exercises and reasons how it is beneficial anatomically but he inevitably seems to drop the movement the next week. Which is fine since he's experimenting and just having his own fun in the gym but I don't think he has ever really mentioned cardio. It is a bit contradictory considering how much he emphasizes lifting for health. I get that his focus is maxing the squat but I can't imagine going that long and not doing at least 150-180 mins of base cardio a week.

I think he mentioned when he goes to the commercial gym he'll spend 2-2.5 hrs there almost daily. And he edits the vids on top of it. It adds up to be a lot of time away from his kids. If I were a betting man I'd say he may stop squatting everyday like he is now by year end, maybe transition to short filler clips where he moves a bit of 30% 1RM weight to keep the day count going, but actually take rest days.

[Ladiessman217]

Hes damn strong for having the Physique of a 47 year old truck driver.

[MyEgoProblem]

Soo much misunderstanding and misinformation still in here.

Even Ivan admits its not optimal for his goals the v way he does it but doesn't care.

[coachcalande]

TLDR entire thread but anyone advocating doing the same lifts, same muscle groups every day is essentially doing this…

Scratching open the same wound every day. Imagine you scratch your palm…it begins to heal but the wound is clearly visible the next morning, you choose to scratch it open every day for the next year….progress? Healing? Or just nutty?

[MyEgoProblem]

https://www.strongerbyscience.com/bulgarian-manual/
For people wanting to read up on the most accessible stuff on the topic..

John bros has a great book too. As does perryman.

Yes it works, yes its brutal, no its not for everyone and no, its probably not a long term plan for most done the 'standard' way.

It may well be 'optimal' for you and your goals and mentality. As if you love it, you will stick to it and put more in than a boring bro setup for example.

TLDR entire thread but anyone advocating doing the same lifts, same muscle groups every day is essentially doing this…

Scratching open the same wound every day. Imagine you scratch your palm…it begins to heal but the wound is clearly visible the next morning, you choose to scratch it open every day for the next year….progress? Healing? Or just nutty?

Not quite what is advocated for in here.y Ivan

Nor depending on workloads and protocols is that even true. Its only daily training maxes, with rotation of lifts.

[BeginnerGainz]

Define squatting.

There are literally a million ways to squat.

And I do none of them lol

If you enjoy it, have at it. If not, scrap it.