Keep What You Built — Lower Anchor A
Hip-thrust and RDL lower day. Two heavy anchors, a split squat, calves and a plank — the session that holds the program's biggest numbers.
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 Hip Thrust Anchor lift, 8-10 reps. Upper back on the bench, feet flat, shins vertical at lockout. Drive through the heels, squeeze one second at the top, lower under control. Beginner branch: Machine Hip Thrust, or Barbell Glute Bridge from the floor if there is no machine, at the same reps until the technique criterion is met. 2 warm-up sets first 2 × 8 · rest 2:30 | 2 | 8 | 2:30 |
| 02 | Romanian Deadlift Anchor lift, 8-10 reps. Soft knees, shins vertical, hips travel back. Bar stays against the legs. Stop the descent where the hamstrings stop lengthening, not where the floor is. 1 warm-up set first 2 × 8 · rest 2:30 | 2 | 8 | 2:30 |
| 03 | Split Squat with Dumbbells Front foot on a low plate, step or box two to four inches high, rear foot on the floor — the front-foot-elevated version, chosen for hip loading at a lower balance and spinal cost than the rear-foot-elevated variant. Dumbbells at the sides, front shin vertical, slight forward torso lean for the hip. Eight to ten reps per leg. Beginner branch, weeks one to two: Goblet Squat with one dumbbell held vertical against the chest, same reps and RPE, until the front shin stays vertical and the pelvis level for every rep. 2 × 8 · rest 1:30 | 2 | 8 | 1:30 |
| 04 | Standing Calf Raises Accessory, 10-12 reps — first candidate for removal on this day. Full stretch at the bottom, one-second hold at the top. Machine optional; Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise off a low box or stair edge is the swap. 2 × 10 · rest 1 min | 2 | 10 | 1 min |
| 05 | Plank Ribs down, glutes on, neutral neck. Stop the set when the low back starts to sag, not when the clock runs out. 2 × 40s · rest 45s | 2 | 40s | 45s |
The coach sets the loads and moves them up — these are the schemes
When to reach for this template
Run the order as written; the anchors go first and everything after them is expendable under the removal rule. Hip thrust: ribs down, one-second squeeze, no arch to fake range. Anchors 8-10 reps, accessories 8-12. Beginner branch: hip-thrust machine until the rib cage stays flat, and Goblet Squat instead of the loaded split squat until the front shin stays vertical and the pelvis level. Equipment swaps. No hip-thrust machine: run the beginner branch on Barbell Glute Bridge from the floor, same reps and RPE, then graduate on the same rib-down criterion. No calf machine: Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise off a low box or stair edge. Nothing to elevate the front foot: split squat flat-footed, or rear foot on the bench at a lighter load.
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 Keep What You Built — Lower Anchor A template?
Run the order as written; the anchors go first and everything after them is expendable under the removal rule. 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 Keep What You Built — Lower Anchor A, and how long does it take?
Keep What You Built — Lower Anchor A runs 5 movements and about 10 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 Lower Anchor A version different?
Keep What You Built — Lower Anchor A is the lower anchor a 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