Hypertrophy · Lower Body

Warm-up 3 min

Do this first. A warm-up done carelessly is just time spent.

1. Bodyweight Squat 45s

   Slow and full depth, hands out in front for balance. Let the hips open up before you add any load.

   Knees track over the toesChest stays up at the bottom

2. 90/90 Hip Switch 40s

   Sit on the floor, knees bent, and rotate both knees side to side without using your hands.

   Sit tall, don't slump backMove slowly, no bouncing

3. Hip Hinge, Unloaded 40s

   Push the hips straight back with a flat back, hands sliding down the thighs. Feel the hamstrings load.

   Back stays flat, not roundedShins near vertical

The session 31 min

1. 1

   Goblet Squat

   4 × 8 Rest 90s · 3s down, 1s up

   Hold a dumbbell at your chest and squat down between your knees, then drive back up.

   Take 3 seconds to lower yourself, stand up smoothly.

   Chest tallKnees outHeels downFeel your quads take the weight

2. 2

   Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

   4 × 10 Rest 75s · 3s down, 1s up

   Holding dumbbells, hinge at the hips with soft knees, lowering the weights along your legs until you feel a hamstring stretch, then stand.

   Take 3 seconds to lower it, stand back up smoothly.

   Hinge at the hipsFlat backBar close to legsFeel it down the back of your legs

3. 3

   Bulgarian Split Squat

   4 × 12 Rest 45s · 2s down, 1s up

   With your rear foot elevated on a bench, lower into a lunge on the front leg, then drive back up.

   Take 2 seconds to lower yourself, stand up smoothly.

   Weight on the front heelTorso slightly forwardKnee tracks the toesFeel your glutes finish the lift

4. 4

   Calf Raise

   4 × 12 Rest 45s · 2s down, 1s up

   Standing, rise onto the balls of your feet as high as possible, then lower under control for a full stretch.

   Take 2 seconds to lower your heels, rise up smoothly.

   Full rangePause at the topSlow negativeFeel it through the calf, not the toes

5. 5

   Side Plank

   3 × 30s Rest 45s · Hold

   Lie on your side and prop up on your forearm, lifting your hips so your body forms a straight line. Hold.

   Hold steady for the whole set.

   Stack the hipsDon't let hips sagBrace the sideFeel it down the side of your waist

Cool-down 4 min

The part that actually marks the session over.

1. Child's Pose 45s

   Knees wide, hips back to the heels, arms long in front.

   Breathe into the ribsLet the shoulders relax

2. Wall Calf Stretch 30s each side

   Hands on a wall, back leg straight, heel down, lean in.

   Back heel stays downBack knee straight

3. Cobra Stretch 30s

   Face down, press the chest up and leave the hips on the floor.

   Hips stay downStop before the low back pinches

4. Slow Breathing 60s

   Four seconds in through the nose, six seconds out. Brings the heart rate down and ends the session on purpose.

   Out longer than inBreathe into the belly

Why this repeats

This is week 1 of 4 in a hypertrophy block, and three blocks make the cycle. Then it starts again, which is what a training block is supposed to do: you repeat the work and add load, rather than doing something different every day and progressing at nothing. How the programming is decided.