Heavy First — Heavy Upper
The heaviest upper session of the block. Bench press and barbell row at four sets of five to six with three minutes' rest, then military press, pulldown and lateral raises at moderate reps.
Estimated session
- Movements 5
- 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 Bench Press - Medium Grip Shoulder blades pinned, feet planted, bar to the lower chest under control. Anchor lift — log the heaviest working set every session. 2 warm-up sets first 4 × 5 · rest 3 min | 4 | 5 | 3 min |
| 02 | Bent Over Barbell Row Torso around 45 degrees and fixed there, bar to the lower ribs, lower under control. Anchor lift — log the heaviest working set. 1 warm-up set first 4 × 6 · rest 3 min | 4 | 6 | 3 min |
| 03 | Standing Military Press Bar off the rack at chest height, ribs down, press in a straight line and finish with the head through. No layback. 3 × 6 · rest 2:30 | 3 | 6 | 2:30 |
| 04 | Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown Chest tall, pull the bar to the collarbone with the elbows driving down, control the return to a full stretch. 3 × 8 · rest 1:30 | 3 | 8 | 1:30 |
| 05 | Side Lateral Raise Slight elbow bend, lead with the elbow, stop at shoulder height. Keep the torso still — no swing to move a heavier dumbbell. 3 × 12 · rest 1 min | 3 | 12 | 1 min |
The coach sets the loads and moves them up — these are the schemes
When to reach for this template
Written order, full rest, no supersets — the two barbell lifts are the session and everything else is support. Log the heaviest bench and row set every time; those are the week-eight re-test target. Row strictly — if the torso rises to move the bar, the set is over. Equipment swaps. No cable stack: Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown becomes chin-ups if you have a bar, otherwise Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row at 12 reps. Military press comes out of the rack at chest height, never cleaned from the floor at these loads.
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 Upper template?
Written order, full rest, no supersets — the two barbell lifts are the session and everything else is support. 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 Upper, and how long does it take?
Heavy First — Heavy Upper runs 5 movements and about 17 working sets, roughly 76 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 Upper version different?
Heavy First — Heavy Upper is the heavy upper 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