Off-Season Engine — Hinge + Pull
The hinge day. Romanian deadlift as the force movement, a barbell row for the postural back an endurance athlete actually needs, then loaded step-ups and a plank paired with a bird dog.
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 | Romanian Deadlift Soft knees, bar tracking the thighs, hips back until the hamstrings stop the movement. Warmup sets ramp; working sets set the week's load. 2 warm-up sets first 3 × 10 · rest 2:30 | 3 | 10 | 2:30 |
| 02 | Bent Over Barbell Row Torso near parallel, back flat, bar to the lower ribs. Stop the set the moment the torso starts rising to move the bar. 1 warm-up set first 3 × 10 · rest 2 min | 3 | 10 | 2 min |
| 03 | Step-up with Knee Raise Box or bench at about knee height, dumbbells at the sides. Drive through the top foot without pushing off the trailing one. Per side. 3 × 10 · rest 1:15 | 3 | 10 | 1:15 |
| 04 | Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise Knees straight, full range, no bouncing out of the bottom. This slot is never the one you cut when the session runs long. 2 × 15 · rest 45s | 2 | 15 | 45s |
| 05 | Plank Forearms under the shoulders, ribs down, glutes on. Stop the hold when the hips drop, not when the clock does. 2 × 40s · rest 30s | 2 | 40s | 30s |
| 06 | Bird Dog Opposite arm and leg, hips level throughout — a glass of water on the low back should not spill. Reps are per side. 2 × 8 · rest 30s | 2 | 8 | 30s |
The coach sets the loads and moves them up — these are the schemes
When to reach for this template
Hinge first while the back is fresh, row second, single-leg work third — never reorder, because the step-up is far less useful on fatigued hips. Keep the bar close to the legs on the Romanian deadlift and stop each rep at the end of the hamstring stretch. Superset the plank with the bird dog. Swaps with load cues: no box or bench, step onto a stair or run reverse lunges at the same dumbbell load; if the row bothers a stiff low back, take it chest-supported at matched effort. Sets, reps and RPE printed here are the phase-one baseline — the current week's coaching instructions override them, including the fourth working set in the force block and the box jumps added after the hinge in the speed block.
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 Off-Season Engine — Hinge + Pull template?
Hinge first while the back is fresh, row second, single-leg work third — never reorder, because the step-up is far less useful on fatigued hips. 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 Off-Season Engine — Hinge + Pull, and how long does it take?
Off-Season Engine — Hinge + Pull runs 6 movements and about 15 working sets, roughly 58 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 Hinge + Pull version different?
Off-Season Engine — Hinge + Pull is the hinge + pull 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
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