I did that 20 rep (at times 25, or so, reps when I got into the zone) heavy squat program the first time at 16 years old. The straight arm pullover (light..20 to 25 reps) is followed right after the squats. After the hard set of squats the chest feels like it is going to burst wide open at any time from the heavy breathing. Idea was to help expand the cartilage, between the ribs, while it was still in a somewhat elastic state at that younger age (cartilage begins to mature and become fixed around 22 to 24 years of age...mean average) between the rib box to increase the size of the rib box it's self. Some think the bones increase in size, not so. Got the idea from my uncles who were ultra old school.
All this worked very well for me. Followed it for 6 weeks if I remember correctly. Also helped my stamina greatly (endurance plus strength). Gained between 20 to 25 good lbs, if I remember correctly. My pants were a little looser around the waist after the program was over with, so I was in a muscular gain position. Most improvement was the rib box which gave a higher uplift, larger and deeper chest. This was followed by legs and back.
By my uncles rules I drank at least a gallon of whole milk a day. Sometimes replacing it with buttermilk, which was very tasty indeed. The trick is to take little sips of the milk/buttermilk throughout the day, mostly between regular meals. No extra protein supplements just food like ground chuck, meatloaf, whole grains, etc. Time to time I put cottage cheese in a blender and added water. That also taste like buttermilk. Extra protein that way.
Great program, but not meant for everyone. It is a very, very demanding workout in which you must add 5lbs to the squat bar every workout. It becomes more of a mental effort, than a physical one, once breaking into the more heavier aspects of it. But the flip side is that you will get very big and strong in a hurry. At 16 I did this program 3 times a week during summer. It helped greatly when football season can around. Your stamina goes through the roof. Good Luck.
Side Bar: That cartilage ideas could be applied to the shoulder area, I have been told. In theory expanding the shoulder area overall by stretching the in-between cartilage it's self may help increase shoulder width. If approached before the cartilage becomes too fixed (22-24 years mean average), that is. Looking at gymnist and college rowers for example, with the excessive shoulder girdle stretch, might be true. These guy's, on the average, seem to have very wide shoulders and upper bodies.
