Court Athlete — Load & Cuff
The mandatory strength day. One-leg loading, a hinge, straight-knee and bent-knee calf work, then posterior cuff and scapular volume and a loaded carry. Nine movements, about seventy minutes.
Estimated session
- Movements 9
- 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 | Split Squat with Dumbbells Rear foot on a bench, box, stair or curb. Front shin close to vertical, knee tracking over the second toe. Reps are per side; the front leg should burn before the back one does. 3 × 10 · rest 1:30 | 3 | 10 | 1:30 |
| 02 | Stiff-Legged Dumbbell Deadlift Soft knees, dumbbells tracking the shins, hinge until the hamstrings pull and stop there. Chest stays proud — this is not a toe-touch. 3 × 10 · rest 1:30 | 3 | 10 | 1:30 |
| 03 | Calf Raise On A Dumbbell Straight knee and one leg at a time, so this is the calf half of the Achilles pair. Ball of the working foot on the dumbbell handle or a step edge, fingertips on a wall for balance only. Full stretch at the bottom, one second squeeze at the top. Reps are per side; add load by holding a dumbbell in the free hand. The last set is the test set — in weeks 1 and 8 only, run it to technical failure per side and log the number. 4 × 12–— · rest 1 min–1:30 | 4 | 12–— | 1 min–1:30 |
| 04 | Dumbbell Seated One-Leg Calf Raise Bent knee, so this is the soleus half. Dumbbell on the thigh just above the knee, ball of the foot on a block or thick book. Slow down, no bouncing off the bottom. Reps are per side. 2 × 15 · rest 45s | 2 | 15 | 45s |
| 05 | External Rotation with Band Band anchored at elbow height, elbow pinned to the ribs, rotate the forearm out without letting the shoulder shrug. Light band, slow return. Reps are per side. 3 × 15 · rest 0s | 3 | 15 | 0s |
| 06 | Internal Rotation with Band Same setup, same elbow position, pulling across the body. Half the volume of the external rotation on purpose — the front of the shoulder already gets plenty of work on court. Reps are per side. 2 × 12 · rest 1 min | 2 | 12 | 1 min |
| 07 | Band Pull Apart Arms straight, band to the chest, shoulder blades finishing the rep. If your neck is doing the work the band is too heavy. 2 × 15 · rest 45s | 2 | 15 | 45s |
| 08 | Suitcase Carry One heavy dumbbell, shoulders level, no lean away from the load. This is the anti-side-bend work of the session — resist the lean, do not let the load pull you sideways. Duration is per side; march in place if you are short of floor. 2 × 40s · rest 1 min | 2 | 40s | 1 min |
| 09 | Dead Bug The trunk's anti-rotation slot — the ribs do not twist toward the moving leg. Ribs down, low back flat on the floor for every rep. Slow opposite arm and leg, exhale as they reach. Reps are per side; stop when the back arches. 2 × 10 · rest 30s | 2 | 10 | 30s |
The coach sets the loads and moves them up — these are the schemes
When to reach for this template
Strength before shoulder work, and the calf pair is never what you cut. The cuff block is supersetted so it takes six minutes, not fifteen — light band, elbow pinned, no trunk swing. Both calf slots are single-leg: that is the point of the pair, and it is also the measure week 8 re-takes. Swaps: no bench for the rear foot, use a stair or curb, shin vertical; no block for the seated calf raise, sit on a chair with the foot on a thick book; no band anchor, pull the band apart in both hands. With a cable stack, a half-kneeling Pallof press may replace the carry at matched RPE; the carry is the default.
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 Court Athlete — Load & Cuff template?
Strength before shoulder work, and the calf pair is never what you cut. 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 Court Athlete — Load & Cuff, and how long does it take?
Court Athlete — Load & Cuff runs 9 movements and about 23 working sets, roughly 68 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 Load & Cuff version different?
Court Athlete — Load & Cuff is the load & cuff 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