Postpartum Foundation (Wk 1-3)
Pelvic floor + breath + core stability foundation. Diaphragmatic breathing, dead bug, bird dog, glute bridge, side-lying clamshell. Bodyweight only. ~20 min, 5 movements. NO axial loading.
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 | Diaphragmatic Breathing Lie on back, knees bent. Hand on belly. Inhale 4s expanding belly + ribcage 360°. Exhale 6-8s drawing navel toward spine. Foundational drill for pelvic-floor coordination. 2 × 1:00 · rest 30s | 2 | 1:00 | 30s |
| 02 | Dead Bug Anti-rotation core. Don't let the lower back arch off the floor as you lower opposite arm + leg. Quality > reps. 3 × 8 · rest 45s | 3 | 8 | 45s |
| 03 | Bird Dog Quadruped. Reach opposite arm + leg, hold 1-2 s. Brace core; keep hips level — don't rotate. 2 × 8 · rest 45s | 2 | 8 | 45s |
| 04 | Single Leg Glute Bridge Lie on back, knee bent. Drive through heel to lift hips. Squeeze glutes hard at top. Single-leg version progressively challenges hip stability. 2 × 10 · rest 45s | 2 | 10 | 45s |
| 05 | Side-Lying Clamshell Hip-stability rebuild. Knees stacked, feet together; rotate top knee up. Don't roll the hip back. 2 × 12 · rest 45s | 2 | 12 | 45s |
The coach sets the loads and moves them up — these are the schemes
When to reach for this template
Bodyweight only — never add load or weighted variants; progress by ROM and exhale-timed pelvic-floor engagement, not weight. Run the breathing drill first; it gates the other four. Sets ramp RPE6→7 within each movement — hold that ceiling, do not chase reps past it. Terminate a set on back-off-floor, hip rotation, or abdominal doming; log reps completed, no compensated reps. OK subs: bird dog↔dead bug if either provokes doming. Hard stop the session on incontinence, pelvic pressure, doming, or pain — these are contraindication triggers, not RPE.
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 Postpartum Foundation (Wk 1-3) template?
Bodyweight only — never add load or weighted variants; progress by ROM and exhale-timed pelvic-floor engagement, not weight. 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 Postpartum Foundation (Wk 1-3), and how long does it take?
Postpartum Foundation (Wk 1-3) runs 5 movements and about 11 working sets, roughly 32 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 Wk 1-3 version different?
Postpartum Foundation (Wk 1-3) is the wk 1-3 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