Head Up — Anchor Day
The week's first neck day. Four-plane resisted holds, band pull-aparts for the upper back, then a three-movement strength base. About 30 minutes, 6 movements, bands and dumbbells.
Estimated session
- Movements 6
- 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 | Isometric Neck Exercise - Front And Back Hand- or towel-resisted. One set = the prescribed hold forward, then the same hold backward. Chin level, effort steady, RPE 6 ceiling. 3 × 10s · rest 45s | 3 | 10s | 45s |
| 02 | Isometric Neck Exercise - Sides One set = the prescribed hold to the left, then the same hold to the right. Head does not travel; the hand does not win. 3 × 10s · rest 45s | 3 | 10s | 45s |
| 03 | Band Pull Apart Arms long, band at chest height. Pull with the shoulder blades, pause one second at full separation. Choose tension so the last rep is clean. 3 × 15 · rest 1 min | 3 | 15 | 1 min |
| 04 | Goblet Squat Hold one dumbbell vertically against the chest, both hands under the top bell. Elbows inside the knees at the bottom, ribs down. 1 warm-up set first 3 × 10 · rest 1:30 | 3 | 10 | 1:30 |
| 05 | Dumbbell Bench Press with Neutral Grip Palms facing each other throughout. No bench — press from the floor with the same dumbbells and touch the upper arm down each rep. 2 × 10 · rest 1:30 | 2 | 10 | 1:30 |
| 06 | Dead Bug Low back stays flat on the floor. Reps count per side. Slow the movement rather than adding range. 2 × 10 · rest 45s | 2 | 10 | 45s |
The coach sets the loads and moves them up — these are the schemes
When to reach for this template
Order is fixed: holds first at full freshness, upper back second, base last. Build tension over two seconds, hold at steady effort, release over two — no jerking into the hand, no bracing the jaw. Chin level, eyes forward, never end-range extension. Stop on the clock, never on failure. No bench: press from the floor with the same dumbbells. With a full gym you may swap pull-aparts for cable rope rear-delt rows at a load that puts 15 reps at RPE 7.
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 Head Up — Anchor Day template?
Order is fixed: holds first at full freshness, upper back second, base 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 Head Up — Anchor Day, and how long does it take?
Head Up — Anchor Day runs 6 movements and about 16 working sets, roughly 46 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 Anchor Day version different?
Head Up — Anchor Day is the anchor day 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