Bulldozer training for squats: 8 techniques

Bulldozer training is a brutal way to build a squat workout: a heavy barbell, short rests and plenty of honest work. Here are 8 squat training variations you can use when the usual 3 sets just don’t cut it anymore.

Why does bulldozer training work for squats at all?

The original talked about a whole system, but honestly, its most practical part is the squat itself. The squat is an exercise where a short pause, one extra repetition or slightly more weight changes how the whole workout feels.

Bulldozer training uses the same idea. You don’t just do one long set or only classic heavy sets. You break the work into small chunks, rack the barbell for a moment, breathe, unrack it and carry on. Your body gets a moment of air, but the muscle isn’t let off the hook yet.

This is not a plan for a beginner’s first month. If your technique falls apart, the method quickly becomes pointless. If your squat is solid and your back doesn’t cave in, these variations can give leg day a fresh push.

Bulldozer training: 8 squat workout variations

20-rep squat. This is an old, well-known leg builder. Choose a weight you would normally use for about 10-12 reps and work up to 20 reps in a single set. If you get all 20, try the same set with a heavier weight next time. A simple truth: this set teaches you to breathe, to suffer and to hold your technique.

Heavy singles. Load the barbell with 80% of your 1RM and do 1 squat. Rack the barbell, take 5 breaths and do the next rep. Keep going until you have done 20 squats in total. Next time, add 10 kg if all the reps were clean.

The Bulldozer method’s standard 20-rep squat set. Do 10 reps with your chosen weight, but don’t go to failure right away. Rack the barbell, take 15 deep breaths and continue. After every chunk the same thing repeats: rack the barbell, 15 breaths, then back to work. The goal is to reach 20 reps in total.

Translator’s note: the original doesn’t give an exact weight. I would suggest a weight you can lift for 3-4 reps. As a variation, the total set can be longer: for example 25, 30 or, on a really brutal day, even 50 reps. Add 10 kg when the 20 reps take fewer than five sets.

Burnouts. The target here is a 50-rep set, but Bulldozer style. Take 50% of your 1RM, squat as many reps as you can, rack the barbell, take 15 breaths and continue. Repeat until you have 50 reps. Afterwards you can quite happily collapse on the floor.

Heavy doubles. Load the barbell with 70% of your record and do 2 reps. Rack the barbell, take 5 breaths and do 2 reps again. Keep going until you have 20 reps in total. If your technique held up, add 10 kg next time.

Descending 8s. Load the barbell with 70% of your record and do 8 reps. Rest 45 seconds, then do 7 reps. Rest another 45 seconds, then do 6 reps. Work your way down to the end: 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. In later sessions you can try the same route with a slightly heavier barbell.

Cycles. In week one, do singles at 80% of your record and rest 5 seconds between reps. Translator’s note: the idea seems to be to work up to 20 reps. In week two, do 10 x 3, but with a barbell 25 kg lighter than in the previous workout. After each triple, take 15 deep breaths. In week three, do 10 x 2, this time with a barbell 15 kg lighter than the week-one weight. Between sets, rest for 10 deep breaths. That makes one three-week cycle.

Progress by adding sets of four. This is a four-week cycle. Start with your chosen weight for 5 x 4: five sets of four reps each. Rest 30 seconds between sets. The following week, use the same weight for 5 sets of four and keep the rest at 30 seconds. In every squat workout, add one more set of four, until by the fourth workout you reach 8 x 4. The rest stays at 30 seconds. When you repeat the cycle, add 5-10 kg to the barbell and start again from 5 x 4.

What to watch for during bulldozer training

The first rule is technique. If your knees cave in, your lower back slips out of control or your depth changes with every repetition, the weight is too heavy. The Bulldozer method doesn’t mean sloppiness. It means a lot of quality work with small pauses.

The second rule is recovery. You shouldn’t cram this kind of leg day into every week just because it feels tough. Use one variation at a time and see how your body responds. If your sleep, appetite and strength in the next workout drop, the dose was too big.

The third rule: don’t put all 8 variations into your plan at once. Pick one. Do it for a couple of weeks, write down your weights and then decide. Squat training is an honest measuring stick as it is; a logbook makes it even more honest.

Bulldozer training FAQ

Is bulldozer training suitable for beginners?

Probably not. Your squat should first be technically solid, and you should have done regular training for some time. A beginner also progresses well on a simpler plan.