Readiness Menu — Heavy Lower
The heavy lower menu item. Back squat and Romanian deadlift in the 4-6 zone with long rests, then one unilateral slot at 6-8 per side. Three movements, all bilateral barbell work up front.
Estimated session
- Movements 3
- 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 you unrack, sit between the hips to depth. Top set of the week — log the load every session. 3 warm-up sets first 3 × 6–5 · rest 3:30 | 3 | 6–5 | 3:30 |
| 02 | Romanian Deadlift Soft knees, bar dragging the thighs, hips back until the hamstrings load. Stop the set at the last rep with a flat back. 1 warm-up set first 3 × 6 · rest 3 min | 3 | 6 | 3 min |
| 03 | Split Squat with Dumbbells Rear foot elevated, dumbbells at the sides, front shin travelling forward. Six to eight per side, heavier than the volume day. 2 × 8 · rest 2 min | 2 | 8 | 2 min |
The coach sets the loads and moves them up — these are the schemes
When to reach for this template
Heaviest session in the menu — written order, full rest, no supersets. Squat top sets lead and set the day's fatigue budget; the Romanian deadlift runs behind them at a rep target, never to failure, and stops the moment the lower back rounds. The split squat is the only movement shared with Volume Lower and runs at 6-8 per side here, not 10-12. Equipment swaps. No safety pins for the squat: cut the top-set target one rep. No rear-foot platform: split squat flat-footed at the same effort.
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.
03What makes the Heavy Lower version different?
Readiness Menu — 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.
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Aleks · Coach
Proposal — add weight