Braced Squat & Press
The squat-led loaded day. Breathing and pelvic tilt open, dead bug sets the brace, then goblet squat, floor press, two-dumbbell row and a one-sided carry. Seven entries, straight sets, full rest.
Estimated session
- Movements 7
- 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 | Diaphragmatic Breathing On your back, knees bent. 4 seconds in through the nose expanding the ribs sideways, 6 seconds out. This is the exhale every loaded rep today is timed to. 2 × 1:00 · rest 30s | 2 | 1:00 | 30s |
| 02 | Pelvic Tilt Into Bridge Tailbone first, then the spine, one segment at a time on a slow exhale. Lower on the inhale and let everything soften completely before the next rep. 2 × 10 · rest 30s | 2 | 10 | 30s |
| 03 | Dead Bug Low back flat and kept there. Extend the opposite arm and leg on the exhale, return on the inhale. Shorten the reach if the back lifts. 8 reps per side. 2 × 8 · rest 45s | 2 | 8 | 45s |
| 04 | Goblet Squat One dumbbell held vertically at the chest. Inhale at the top, hold the air on the way down, exhale as you stand. Depth is whatever keeps the exhale and the flat back. 1 warm-up set first 3 × 10 · rest 1:30 | 3 | 10 | 1:30 |
| 05 | Dumbbell Floor Press Knees bent, ribs down, no arch — the floor sets the depth. Exhale as the dumbbells leave the bottom, not before. 3 × 10 · rest 1:30 | 3 | 10 | 1:30 |
| 06 | Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row Hinge to roughly parallel and hold that hip angle for the whole set. Both dumbbells to the hip pockets on the exhale. No bench needed. 3 × 10 · rest 1:15 | 3 | 10 | 1:15 |
| 07 | Suitcase Carry One dumbbell, one side, shoulders level. Breathe normally the whole walk — a held breath is the fault this teaches out. 40 seconds per side. 2 × 40s · rest 1 min | 2 | 40s | 1 min |
The coach sets the loads and moves them up — these are the schemes
When to reach for this template
Order is fixed and load-bearing: breath and trunk work first to set the brace the loaded sets ride on, strength second, carry last. Goblet squat needs no kettlebell — hold one dumbbell vertically at the chest, palms cupping the top head. Row defaults to the two-dumbbell version, which needs no bench; with a flat bench, the one-arm supported row at matched RPE is cleaner on the low back. Carry is any single dumbbell. Exhale on the effort rep, and end a set when the exhale breaks rather than when the reps do.
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 Braced Squat & Press template?
Order is fixed and load-bearing: breath and trunk work first to set the brace the loaded sets ride on, strength second, carry last. 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 Braced Squat & Press, and how long does it take?
Braced Squat & Press runs 7 movements and about 17 working sets, roughly 53 minutes once warm-ups are in. The full per-exercise scheme — sets, reps or RPE, and rest — is in the session table above.
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.
iOS · Works offline
Aleks · Coach
Proposal — add weight