Most people know that more exercise like squats in their routine can be beneficial. How about doing 100 squats a day, is it a good idea?
If you want to build as much leg muscle mass as possible, doing 100 bodyweight squats and doing them every day is likely not the ideal exercise routine.
You want to go for a leg exercise or use weights where you are able to do fewer repetitions. Additionally, giving your body some rest to repair and grow your muscles tends to be beneficial.
Another popular exercise goal is losing weight. The number of calories you burn during bodyweight squats is not that impressive compared to something like jumping rope.
Leg exercises like squats can be helpful for weight loss if you focus on building a lot of muscle. That means that for a goal like losing weight, 100 squats is again not the fastest way towards your goals.
Lastly, if you want to improve athletic performance you will also mostly benefit from muscle gain. That means this daily goal is again not optimal.
That being said, even if it isn’t the number 1 routine for muscle gain, weight loss, or athletic performance, getting to 100 squats a day and sticking to it can be a fun goal in itself.
If you did not do a lot of resistance training before, 100 squats will likely make a positive difference. Do keep the physical limits of your body in mind.
Will 100 squats a day help you build muscle?
The way you build muscle in places like your legs is by engaging these muscles so that they get damaged enough.
This may sound counterintuitive but this damage makes it so your body repairs these muscles, and adds a bit more to be better prepared to exert similar efforts in the future.
If you stick to exercises with the same weight, as your muscles become stronger this same effort may not damage your muscles enough to promote extra muscle growth.
So if you are able to do 100 squats a day, and you keep doing them in the same quantity with the same weight, you will gradually see less and less leg muscle gain.
100 squats a day is also generally not the ideal number of repetitions for optimal muscle gain.
By adding extra resistance to exercises like a bodyweight squat you are better able to damage the muscles in a shorter amount of time. Making squats harder at the right points in your training journey can also speed up muscle growth.
Even if you don’t have any weights or resistance bands you can switch over to one-legged squat alternatives or jump squats. These are harder for your leg muscles so they can also help you build more muscle faster compared to bodyweight squats.
Another thing is that while doing something every day is a great way to make it a habit, for weight lifting exercises this isn’t always the best idea when it comes to getting the most results.
Your body needs time to repair and grow these muscles. If you damage them again before they are fully repaired you won’t get as many results compared to letting them rest for 48 hours.
In short, to build the most muscle mass you want to do about 4 sets of 10-40 other leg exercises or weighted squats depending on how advanced you are.
Besides that, you generally want to give your body 48 hours to rest and enough nutrients and sleep.
Will 100 squats a day help you lose weight?
Losing weight is about using up body fat, which is basically energy stored. To do this you want to make sure that you require more energy throughout the day than there is coming in from food.
One way to try to make this happen is by doing a workout. By increasing the intensity of your movements for a period of time you use up more energy than usual.
Doing squats can help with weight loss since doing a workout like it generally requires more energy than most of your usual daily activities.
Another way resistance training exercises like squats help you lose weight is by building muscle. This helps you burn more calories with everything that you do.
Keep in mind that other lifestyle habits like what you eat are important when trying to lose weight no matter what exercise you do. You can work out and gain weight at the same time if your other lifestyle habits are not good.
How many calories do 100 squats burn?
The average person will burn 15-25 calories when doing 100 bodyweight squats.
Below you can find a table with more precise estimations for individuals of different weights doing different amounts of squats based on MET values.
Higher speeds may also cause a calorie-burning effect after the workout that is not included in the estimations. The extra calorie burning from muscle gained is also hard to put into exact numbers.
Keep in mind that these are estimations. The calculation method doesn’t take into account certain factors that do influence calories burned with squats.
To put these estimations into perspective, 100 grams of boiled potatoes contains about 87 calories (1).
| Number Of Squats Weight Person | 100 Squats | 200 Squats | 500 Squats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 125 Pounds (56 kg) | 15 calories | 30 calories | 75 calories |
| 155 Pounds (70 kg) | 18 calories | 36 calories | 90 calories |
| 185 Pounds (83 kg) | 22 calories | 44 calories | 110 calories |
| 215 Pounds (97 kg) | 25 calories | 50 calories | 125 calories |
The number of calories you can burn with bodyweight squats during the exercise is not that impressive compared to most other workouts.
That being said, most of the calorie-burning potential from squats comes from the muscle you build. This can make squats a great addition to your weight loss workout routine anyway.
Other benefits of doing 100 squats a day
If your body can deal with it, 100 squats a day can change your body for the better. Doing something every day makes it easier to form a habit. Some benefits of squats you can expect include:
- Improved mood
- Improved cognitive function
- Improved bone density
- Lower LDL
- Improved sleep
- Improved coordination
You can also expect similar benefits from other types of exercise to varying degrees. So if for example your knees can’t handle 100 squats every day you can switch it up with other workouts.
Is it OK to do 100 squats every day?
Whether or not doing 100 squats every day is OK is very hard to predict since it is so different from person to person.
The main thing to keep in mind is that squats can be hard on body parts like your ankle, knees, hips, and back even if you implement the right technique.
If you are weak or sensitive in these body parts you may need to do other strengthening exercises first. You may want to talk to your primary care provider before starting a new workout routine.
If you feel pain in any body parts it may be a sign you are overdoing it. In that case, you may need some rest, better lifestyle habits, a less intense workout schedule, or it may be a sign that doing 100 squats a day is not (yet) for you.
Should you do 100 squats a day?
For most goals implementing some days without squats and implementing cardiovascular training days is helpful. So only doing 100 squats a day is likely not the fastest way towards your goals whatever they are.
At the time of writing the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion recommends the following exercise guidelines to adults (2):
- Moving more and sitting less throughout the day
- Muscle-strengthening activities of moderate or greater intensity and that involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week.
- At least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity a week. Preferably spread throughout the week.
- You can gain additional health benefits by engaging in physical activity beyond the equivalent of 300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week.
That being said working towards 100 squats a day and sticking to it can be a fun goal in itself.
If you feel pain it may be a sign you are overdoing it. In that case, you may need some rest, better lifestyle habits, or a less intense workout schedule.
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