Heavy First — Heavy Lower
The heaviest lower session of the block. Back squat and Romanian deadlift at four sets of five to six with three full minutes between sets, then leg press, leg curl and calves at moderate reps.
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 | Barbell Squat Bar on the upper back, brace before the unrack, sit between the hips to at least parallel. Anchor lift — log the heaviest working set every session. 2 warm-up sets first 4 × 5 · rest 3 min | 4 | 5 | 3 min |
| 02 | Romanian Deadlift Knees softly fixed, bar tracking the thighs, descend until the hamstrings stop lengthening without the back rounding. Anchor lift — log the heaviest working set. 1 warm-up set first 4 × 6 · rest 3 min | 4 | 6 | 3 min |
| 03 | Leg Press Feet shoulder width, mid-platform. Lower until the hips are about to tuck, drive through the whole foot, never lock the knees hard. 3 × 8 · rest 2 min | 3 | 8 | 2 min |
| 04 | Lying Leg Curls Hips flat on the pad, curl to full shortening and lower under control. Do not lift the hips to finish a rep. 3 × 10 · rest 1:30 | 3 | 10 | 1:30 |
| 05 | Standing Calf Raises Full stretch at the bottom, brief pause at the top. Reps are slow; bouncing the tendon is not the exercise. 3 × 12 · rest 1 min | 3 | 12 | 1 min |
| 06 | Plank Forearms under the shoulders, ribs down, glutes on. Stop the set when the hips start to sag, not when the clock says so. 2 × 45s · rest 45s | 2 | 45s | 45s |
The coach sets the loads and moves them up — these are the schemes
When to reach for this template
Strict written order, no supersets, full rest. Squat and Romanian deadlift are the loads this program is measured against — log the top set of each and take the listed warmup sets. If the rest clock feels excessive, that is the block working. Equipment swaps. No leg press: Split Squat with Dumbbells at 10 reps per leg. No lying leg curl: Romanian deadlift back-off, two sets of 12 at 60 percent. No calf machine: standing dumbbell calf raise, same reps.
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 Heavy First — Heavy Lower template?
Strict written order, no supersets, full rest. 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 Heavy First — Heavy Lower, and how long does it take?
Heavy First — Heavy Lower runs 6 movements and about 19 working sets, roughly 80 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 Heavy Lower version different?
Heavy First — Heavy Lower is the heavy lower 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.
iOS · Works offline
Aleks · Coach
Proposal — add weight