Half-Hour Strength: Day A (Squat Lead)
Squat-led half-hour session. Squat paired with the barbell row, bench paired with the Romanian deadlift, then a short core block. Five movements, three blocks, no dead time between sets.
Estimated session
- Movements 5
- Working sets 13
The session
| Order | Exercise | Sets | Target | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Barbell Squat Priority lift of the session. Brace before unracking, hips below the top of the knee, drive through mid-foot. Ramp with the two templated feeders, then three working fives. 2 warm-up sets first 3 × 5 · rest 40s | 3 | 5 | 40s |
| 02 | Bent Over Barbell Row Pull half of block 1 — it does not compete with the squat. Hinge to near-parallel, neutral spine, bar to the lower ribs, controlled down. Straps allowed. 3 × 8 · rest 40s | 3 | 8 | 40s |
| 03 | Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip Secondary compound. Shoulder blades pinned, feet planted, light touch on the chest. One feeder set, then three working sets of seven. 1 warm-up set first 3 × 7 · rest 35s | 3 | 7 | 35s |
| 04 | Romanian Deadlift Accessory half of block 2 — the first lift cut after the core block if the clock runs out. Soft knees, bar against the legs, chase the hamstring stretch rather than the floor. 2 × 8 · rest 35s | 2 | 8 | 35s |
| 05 | Plank Core block. Forearms under the shoulders, ribs down, glutes squeezed. End the set when the hips sag — time held is the score. 2 × 40s · rest 30s | 2 | 40s | 30s |
Coaching notes
Run blocks 1 and 2 as alternating pairs: squat set, row set, back to the squat. The listed rest is the gap to the paired lift, so each movement still nets about 2:30 of recovery, and nothing in a block shares a limiter. If the clock beats you, drop the plank first, then the Romanian deadlift; never the squat or the bench. Substitutions: chin-ups replace the row for anyone with a pull-up bar, matched sets, stopping two reps shy; dumbbell bench at ~10% less total load replaces the barbell bench.
Programs that use this template
The training principles
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Aleks · Coach
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