Advanced Cut Legs — Intensity-Retention
RPE-capped leg day for an aggressive cut. Heavy squat and RDL hold lower-body strength; leg press, seated curl and calves carry the autoregulated volume. Quad and hamstring mass defended on a deficit. ~60 min, 5 exercises.
Estimated session
- Movements 5
- Loads Coach-filled
- Progresses Every session
Every movement, in order
Each lift with its working sets and target, in the order you run them. The coach sets the loads from your training and moves them up as the work gets easier.
| Order | Exercise | Sets | Target | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Barbell Squat Full depth, braced, controlled descent. This is the lift you are protecting — keep it heavy, stop 2 reps short. 3 warm-up sets first 3 × 5 · rest 3:30 | 3 | 5 | 3:30 |
| 02 | Romanian Deadlift Soft knees, hinge back, bar against the legs. Stop at the bottom of the hamstring stretch — do not round to chase range. 1 warm-up set first 3 × 8 · rest 2:30 | 3 | 8 | 2:30 |
| 03 | Leg Press Mid-foot stance, full controlled ROM, no knee lockout slam. A quad-volume movement — push the reps, keep it clean. 3 × 12 · rest 2 min | 3 | 12 | 2 min |
| 04 | Seated Leg Curl Full stretch at the top, squeeze hard at peak flexion, slow eccentric. Hamstring isolation volume. 3 × 12, last AMRAP · rest 1:15 | 3 | 12–AMRAP | 1:15 |
| 05 | Standing Calf Raises Full stretch at the bottom, pause one second at the top. Slow and strict — calves respond to time under tension. 3 × 15, last AMRAP · rest 1 min | 3 | 15–AMRAP | 1 min |
The coach sets the loads and moves them up — these are the schemes
When to reach for this template
Retention day — squat and RDL are sacred, trim everything else first. Barbell squat and RDL capped at RPE 8; hold week-1 loads while reps stay in range and never grind a squat to failure underfed — leave 2 in the tank. Leg press, seated curl and calves run to RPE 9 and are the sets the per-week instructions drop as recovery shortens. RDL is a hamstring stretch, not a max pull — stop at mid-shin. Sub hack squat for leg press; sub lying curl for seated curl.
Every workout
The coach reads your log, tunes the loads and volume to where you are today, and tells you when to add weight.
Programs that use this template
This session is scheduled across a week and progressed over the mesocycle in the programs below.
Common questions
The facts most people check before they drop this session into a week.
01When should I use the Advanced Cut Legs — Intensity-Retention template?
Retention day — squat and RDL are sacred, trim everything else first. Add it to your week in Squatly and the coach schedules it, sets the loads from your training, and tells you when to move up.
02How many working sets is Advanced Cut Legs — Intensity-Retention, and how long does it take?
Advanced Cut Legs — Intensity-Retention runs 5 movements and about 15 working sets, roughly 73 minutes once warm-ups are in. The full per-exercise scheme — sets, reps or RPE, and rest — is in the session table above.
03What makes the Intensity-Retention version different?
Advanced Cut Legs — Intensity-Retention is the intensity-retention cut of this family — same method, but the movement order, set scheme, and emphasis are tuned for it. The session table shows exactly what changes; the coach sets the loads and drives the progression either way.
Built on the Squatly method
Every set count, rep target, and rest period here comes from how the coach weighs volume, intensity, and fatigue. See where the numbers come from.
Read the methodVolume, intensity, and fatigue — read per lift, every session.
Last updated: June 2026
Keep moving forward.
Add this template to your week. The coach reads your training, sets the loads, and tells you when to push.
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Aleks · Coach
Proposal — add weight