Upper A
Chest + horizontal-pull anchor. Bench press, unilateral row, incline DB, pulldown, side raises, overhead triceps. ~10 chest / 7 back sets when paired with Upper B. ~60 min, 6 exercises.
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 | Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip Control the eccentric, pause briefly at the chest, drive up. Keep shoulder blades retracted and the bar path slightly forward. 3 warm-up sets first 4 × 6 · rest 3 min | 4 | 6 | 3 min |
| 02 | One-Arm Dumbbell Row Pull the elbow back and up, not out. Squeeze the lat at the top, control down to a full stretch. 1 warm-up set first 4 × 8 · rest 2 min | 4 | 8 | 2 min |
| 03 | Incline Dumbbell Press Set the bench to ~30°. Drive the dumbbells up and slightly together without clanking. Lower under control to a full stretch. 3 × 10 · rest 2 min | 3 | 10 | 2 min |
| 04 | Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown Initiate from the lats — pull the bar to the upper chest. Mid-back squeeze at the bottom; control the bar back up under tension. 3 × 10 · rest 1:30 | 3 | 10 | 1:30 |
| 05 | Side Lateral Raise Lead with the elbows, slight forward lean. Stop at shoulder height — no need to go higher. Pause 1 s at the top, control all the way down. 3 × 12 · rest 1 min | 3 | 12 | 1 min |
| 06 | Cable Rope Overhead Triceps Extension Stretch the long head fully overhead — elbows in close to the ears. Squeeze hard at lockout, control back to a deep stretch. 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
Hit the heavy compounds first: bench and the one-arm row set the tone while you're fresh, so spend real rest there and chase clean load progression. Keep bench reps strict — retracted scapulae, brief pause at the chest, no bouncing — since sloppy reps inflate load and stall the press. The incline press, pulldown, raises, and triceps work are accessory: hold the listed reps and ramp RPE rather than grinding weight. Within-pattern swaps at matched reps are fine. Don't superset; antagonist recovery keeps top-set quality high.
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 Upper A template?
Hit the heavy compounds first: bench and the one-arm row set the tone while you're fresh, so spend real rest there and chase clean load progression. 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 Upper A, and how long does it take?
Upper A runs 6 movements and about 20 working sets, roughly 84 minutes once warm-ups are in. The full per-exercise scheme — sets, reps or RPE, and rest — is in the session table above.
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