Squatober

by Jodie Lawston.

Squatober didn’t just make me stronger—it reminded me why I fell in love with lifting in the first place. From rebuilding muscle to balancing strength with endurance, this month of lifting reignited my fire for training.

Finding My Strength: How Squatober Rekindled My Love for Lifting

I’ve been an athlete for as long as I can remember, from my early days in gymnastics to basketball, track and field, competitive cheerleading, and now cycling. I even had a short-lived but highly entertaining kickball and inner-tube water polo career along the way. The sports have changed over the years, but one thing has never wavered: my love of fitness and the feeling of being strong, especially as a woman.

Some of my earliest memories of strength training date back to around fifth grade, doing my mom’s Buns of Steel and Abs of Steel workouts in the living room (shoutout to Tamilee Webb, who’s still going strong!). By my late teens, I was lifting weights regularly for cheerleading, and I was hooked. There’s just something about feeling your body grow stronger that builds a different kind of confidence, one that, in my experience, carries into everything else you do.

Discovering Squatober

Fast forward to 2023. While on a group cycling trip in the Eastern Sierras, someone mentioned Squatober. The name alone caught my attention. Once I learned it was an entire month dedicated to building strength through squats, I knew I had to do it.

Squatober is a fitness challenge built around barbell back squats. It happens five days a week, for the full month of October, with the goal of getting stronger and improving form. It started in 2015, organized by Sorinex and the Pen & Paper Strength App, and the workouts are posted daily on social media. It all leads up to a “PR Party” at the end of the month, where participants celebrate new personal records or reflect on how far they’ve come.

Although squats are the foundation, the program includes a full lineup of lifts: deadlifts, overhead presses, pull-ups, and accessory work that hits just about every muscle group. It’s a total-body reset for anyone who loves to train hard.

My First Squatober

My first Squatober was in 2023, and as is my style, I went all in. I have osteoarthritis in both knees (a mix of genetics and years of jumping, sprinting, and general impact sports), so I had to stay mindful about recovery. But I completed the full month, and by the end, my squat PR had climbed from 115 to 150 pounds. My upper body was noticeably stronger as well.

Round Two: Strength Meets Endurance

This year marked my second Squatober. After months of long rides and mountain biking, my upper body had lost some muscle as I had not been training it as much, but within a couple of weeks of Squatober workouts, I started seeing an increase in muscle definition. My pull-ups improved dramatically; my body stayed straight, my form tighter. In addition, my glutes, quads, and back grew noticeably stronger. I did not go after a squat PR this time, only because I did not want to further injure my knees, but I did consistently lift heavy.

The trade-off? In the first half of October, my cycling took a hit. My legs were heavier, my rides slower, and I was honestly too tired for long weekend efforts. But that’s part of the balance of being a multisport athlete; you can’t necessarily be at peak strength and peak endurance simultaneously. Toward the end of the month, however, I attempted a mountain bike ride and I felt strong and fast. I felt like I had developed strength and stability gains from my lifting efforts.

The Bigger Picture

Squatober reminded me why I fell in love with strength training in the first place: the discipline, the focus, and the feeling of progress and strength. It’s not just about the numbers on the bar; it’s about showing up, doing the work, and realizing the full potential of your body. Even if it meant slowing down on the bike for a bit, the trade-off was worth it. I came out of it stronger, more balanced, and more connected to my body.

And yes, I’ll absolutely be back for Squatober 2026!

Nutrition and Sleep Notes: Fueling and Recovering for Strength + Recovery

As with cycling, during Squatober, recovery was very important. My lifting sessions were longer and heavier than usual, so I made a conscious effort to stay fueled and recover well. I stayed hydrated, prioritized quality protein (I tried to take in about 1g of protein per pound of body weight each day), and made sure I ate enough (which can be easy to overlook when you’re cycling less). I continued to use creatine daily (something I have been doing for about 2 years now), and I supplemented with Beta Red before workouts to get the most out of each session. I also made sure I got enough sleep. As someone who needs at least 9 hours of sleep to feel good anyway, I was getting 9 to 10.5 hours per night during Squatober, and I intend to continue this.

If you’re taking on a challenge like Squatober—or if you are balancing endurance and strength training—don’t underestimate recovery, nutrition, and sleep. The stronger your training gets, the more your body needs real, clean fuel to keep adapting, and the more rest it needs.

Happy training!

Dr. Jodie Lawston is a tenured professor at California State University, San Marcos. She has published articles and books in the field of sociology and gender studies. A lifetime athlete, she started cycling in 2010, quickly entered the world of ultra cycling and raced both the Silver State 508 and Hoodoo 500. She now rides road and the mountain bike for fitness and fun.