Advanced Cut Pull — Intensity-Retention
RPE-capped pull day for an aggressive cut. Heavy barbell rows and weighted pulldowns hold back strength; T-bar, face pulls and curls carry the autoregulated volume. Back thickness and width preserved on a deficit. ~55 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 | Bent Over Barbell Row Fixed ~15° torso, pull to the lower ribs, squeeze the lats. Keep this heavy and strict — it is the strength anchor of the cut. 3 warm-up sets first 3 × 7 · rest 2:30 | 3 | 7 | 2:30 |
| 02 | Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown Drive elbows down and back, pull to the upper chest, full stretch at the top. Weighted — second-heaviest movement of the day. 3 × 10 · rest 2 min | 3 | 10 | 2 min |
| 03 | T-Bar Row with Handle Close neutral grip, drive elbows past the torso, full stretch each rep. A thickness-volume movement — controlled, not heaved. 3 × 12 · rest 1:30 | 3 | 12 | 1:30 |
| 04 | Face Pull Pull rope to the forehead, external-rotate at the end, elbows high. Rear-delt and rotator health work — keep strict. 3 × 15 · rest 1 min | 3 | 15 | 1 min |
| 05 | Barbell Curl Elbows pinned, no swing, full stretch and squeeze. EZ-bar fine if wrists complain. 3 × 10, last AMRAP · rest 1 min | 3 | 10–AMRAP | 1 min |
The coach sets the loads and moves them up — these are the schemes
When to reach for this template
Retention day — defend back load, autoregulate volume. Bent row and lat pulldown are capped at RPE 8 and hold week-1 load while reps stay in range; on rows, brace and keep a fixed torso angle — no body-english to beat the deficit. T-bar, face pulls and curls run to RPE 9 and are the first sets the per-week instructions drop as fatigue accumulates. Pull from a dead stop on the floor row variations. Sub seated cable row for T-bar; sub neutral-grip pulldown for pull-ups if bodyweight reps fade.
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 Pull — Intensity-Retention template?
Retention day — defend back load, autoregulate volume. 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 Pull — Intensity-Retention, and how long does it take?
Advanced Cut Pull — Intensity-Retention runs 5 movements and about 15 working sets, roughly 63 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 Pull — 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