I did 100 squats a day for 30 days and this is what happened! Join me as I share how to grow your glutes and my own personal experience with the 30-day squat workout challenge—a transformative month that pushed my limits and reshaped my body. In this post, I’ll reveal my results, the techniques I used, and tips to help you conquer this challenge yourself!
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Inside: My before and after results (and photos) from my 30-Day Squat Workout Challenge, and how to grow your glutes with 100 squats daily.
Squatting is a movement we have to be able to perform well daily to have a good quality of life. Think about how many times you squat a day. It is probably well over 100, getting your shoes on, going to the toilet, picking something off the ground… the list goes on! This is an essential functional movement for our body to be able to perform simply to live. That in and of itself is the best benefit of squatting overall. But here are a few more:
Start the 100 Squat Challenge today! Download your Free 30-Day Squat Challenge Workout Calendar PDF
The ideal perfect squat form is pretty simple. You want to have 2 parallel lines running from your ankles to shoulders and 2 diagonal parallel lines from a side view (shoulders to hips and knees to heels) while maintaining a 90-degree bend at your knees.
However, everyone has different anatomy and the length of your femur bone, shin bone, and ankle joints can affect form as well as hip and spinal mobility and even core strength. Maintaining form from the parallel line perspective is most important versus increasing range of motion.
Yes, squats will help grow your glutes but you need to be using a significant amount of resistance that challenges you and breaks down muscle tissue to build lean muscle tone. Changing up the type of squats you are doing will also help build and lift your booty.
Knee pain during squats is generally correlated with poor form, so make sure you are referencing the form tips above. It can also come from previous injuries or overuse, so make sure you have a well-rounded workout routine to work your glutes, hamstrings, and inner thighs as well.
Mobility can also play a factor in knee pain with squats. It’s recommended to foam roll quads, hips flexors, and glutes frequently to maintain a healthy range of motion in the lower body.
Yes! There are so many different types of squats you can do to keep things new and interesting for your body and mind. Some options are goblet squats, single-leg squats, narrow squats, off-set squats, and split squats. Lunges are also going to work similar and additional muscles that squats will, and a well-rounded workout program should have squats and lunges in the same workout.
Ready to embark on a transformative journey? Introducing the 30-Day 100 Squat Challenge – grow your glutes and get results in just 5 minutes a day!
On Day 1, I did tape measurements on both thighs, hips, and waist. I have had multiple surgeries on my right knee, so there is a pretty significant difference in muscle tone between my right and left quad. This is something I continue to work on improving!
R: 21 1/4”
L: 22”
Hip: 38 1/2”
Waist: 30 1/2”
Weight: #136
During the first week, I started with bodyweight only for a few reasons. One was to simply make it a habit, and secondly, you can squat anywhere using your body weight! During the first 5 days, I frequently found myself squatting everywhere because I would try to get them in whenever and wherever I could. Sometimes this meant I forgot and remembered at 10 pm at night when I was brushing my teeth. So, yep, I started dropping it low in my PJs! After a few days of forgetting till late at night, I asked Siri to “set me a daily reminder everyday at 9 am for 100 squats.” This has worked like a charm!
I broke out the reps by 20 and did 5 sets to reach 100 total. This would sometimes look like 2 sets of 20 squats in the morning and 3 sets of 20 squats in the afternoon or evening. However, breaking them up like this throughout the day was causing me to be more forgetful. I found myself doing the squats right before my head hitting my pillow, which was not ideal. After I set the reminder on my phone, I started doing all 100 squats in a 5-minute period, breaking them up into 5 sets of 20.
Insert 5 lb dumbbells. In week 2, I progressed from body weight to 5 lb dumbbells, for a total of 10lbs. Although this isn’t a significant amount of weight, I thought I would experience more soreness initially since I was just doing bodyweight. But over 7 days you are building strength and endurance, so it is necessary to pick up weights to see more results. Initially on days 8–10, I was still doing 5 sets of 20 and did notice some mild soreness, but it quickly faded. Then I wondered how many squats I could actually do in a row before getting fatigued. So I started working my reps up as high as I could before taking a rest. Initially, this started with 40/40/20 sets, but towards the end of the second week I was able to increase to 2 sets of 50! Changing the amount of sets I was doing also decreased my time to completing the 100 squats in under 5 minutes even though I had added resistance.
Initially, I was planning to progress each week from body weight to 5 lbs, 8 lbs, and 10 lbs, but I felt after Week 2 and being able to increase reps significantly I needed a bigger challenge, so I opted for an increase of weight to 10 lb dumbbells for Week 3. Again, I was mentally preparing for a bit more soreness and challenge or not being able to complete as many reps in a row, so I went back to 5 sets of 20 on the first day and it felt fairly easy. On the second day with the 10 lb dumbbells, I went back to 2 sets of 50 reps and was a bit more fatigued and out of breath. Even so, it was doable, so I stuck with it and a couple days even did a 60/40 split, which would drop my time to under 4 minutes to complete the 100 reps!
In Week 4 I went straight for the 15 lb dumbbells and didn’t look back. My legs and glutes were feeling so strong and I was ready for more! I did 4 sets of 25 reps pretty much all week and maybe once did 2 rounds of 50 reps because I was trying to crank them out before a client arrived for their Pilates private session.
Bring on the 20s! I knew this would be a challenge for me. My endurance was tested and I had to revert back to 4 sets of 25 reps during these two days because it was heavy! Surprisingly, I did not get sore the days after, but I was very fatigued during the sets. My heart rate was very elevated during these days, which added a bit more intensity and cardio to the squats.
I could clearly tell a difference in my muscle definition by my quads. Glutes I wasn’t so sure of, but my husband said my butt looked more lifted, so I was happy to hear that. Overall I felt incredible, accomplished, and I can’t wait to do it again. I think recognizing that it took 3–5 minutes out of my day made it become an easy habit to build into my routine for the 30 days. Once you get on a roll, you don’t want to miss a day because consistency is key!
My quads grew by one inch on each thigh. I had surgery on my right knee and that quad muscle has just never been as strong as my left since, so I was really curious to see how much muscle definition would change. Although I’d like to see the right side have better results, I am proud they both ended up with the same measurement because that means I am not favoring one side. Hip measurement had minor gain, but I wasn’t expecting much since I couldn’t visibly see a difference like I could in my quads. Overall I really enjoyed this challenge. I would highly recommend it if you’re looking for an added quick daily challenge. Stay tuned for an advanced 30-day squat challenge!
Looking back on this 30-day, 100-squat challenge, I’m amazed at how such a simple exercise routine can yield such significant results. From struggling with trying to figure out how to get into a routine in Week 1 to confidently wielding 20-pound dumbbells by the end, this journey has been a testament to the power of consistency and gradual progression. Not only did I notice visible changes in my quads and glutes, but I also experienced a remarkable boost in strength, endurance, and overall confidence.
This challenge taught me valuable lessons about habit formation, the importance of adapting to challenges, and the benefits of pushing beyond comfort zones. Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast or a beginner, I encourage you to take on this squat challenge. Remember, it’s not just about the physical transformation—it’s about proving to yourself that with dedication and perseverance, you can achieve remarkable things in just a few minutes a day. So, are you ready to squat your way to stronger, more defined legs and glutes? Your 30-day journey starts now!
Your Friend & Pilates Expert,
Kayla Brugger
Founder of PILATESBODY by Kayla
Founder of PILATESBODY On-Demand
Hi, I'm Kayla Brugger. Certified Pilates Instructor & Minnesota Mama of 2.
