Women's Balanced Upper A
Horizontal-press + horizontal-pull upper day for women. Bench, one-arm row, incline DB press, seated cable row, lateral raises, biceps and triceps — all 8-12 reps at ~2 RIR. Balanced chest:back. ~55 min, 7 exercises.
Estimated session
- Movements 7
- 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 Retract the scapulae, pause briefly at the chest, drive up. Slightly forward bar path; no bounce off the ribs. 2 warm-up sets first 3 × 10–8 · rest 2:30 | 3 | 10–8 | 2:30 |
| 02 | One-Arm Dumbbell Row Pull the elbow back and up, not out. Squeeze the lat at the top, lower to a full stretch. 1 warm-up set first 3 × 12–10 · rest 2 min | 3 | 12–10 | 2 min |
| 03 | Incline Dumbbell Press Bench at ~30°. Drive the dumbbells up and slightly together; lower under control to a full stretch. 3 × 12–10 · rest 1:30 | 3 | 12–10 | 1:30 |
| 04 | Seated Cable Rows Tall chest, pull to the lower ribs, squeeze the mid-back. No body english on the way back. 3 × 12–10 · rest 1:30 | 3 | 12–10 | 1:30 |
| 05 | Side Lateral Raise Lead with the elbows, slight forward lean. Stop at shoulder height, pause 1 s, control all the way down. 3 × 15–AMRAP · rest 1 min | 3 | 15–AMRAP | 1 min |
| 06 | Dumbbell Bicep Curl Full supination at the top, no swing. Control the eccentric. 2 × 12–10 · rest 1 min | 2 | 12–10 | 1 min |
| 07 | Triceps Pushdown Elbows pinned, full lockout, control back to a deep stretch. 3 × 15–AMRAP · rest 1 min | 3 | 15–AMRAP | 1 min |
The coach sets the loads and moves them up — these are the schemes
When to reach for this template
Press and row first while fresh — full rest, chase clean load progression in the 8-12 zone at RPE 8 (~2 RIR). +1.25 kg upper / next DB increment when all sets hit the top of the range at ≤RPE 8, else repeat. Keep bench strict: retracted scapulae, brief chest pause, no bounce. Isolations (laterals, curls, pushdown) ramp RPE not weight; take the last set to RPE 9-9.5. Sub machine chest press or pec deck for DB work at matched reps. Do not superset the press and row — antagonist recovery protects top-set quality.
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 Women's Balanced Upper A template?
Press and row first while fresh — full rest, chase clean load progression in the 8-12 zone at RPE 8 (~2 RIR). 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 Women's Balanced Upper A, and how long does it take?
Women's Balanced Upper A runs 7 movements and about 20 working sets, roughly 79 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.
iOS · Works offline
Aleks · Coach
Proposal — add weight