Name: Playbook - Caroline Drury - W2/D1 Quad Focused (RPE 8)
Uploaded: 2025-10-13T05:44:54.982Z
Duration: 45 min
Description: W2/D1 Quad Focused (RPE 8)

Holy cow! Sissy squats… need I say more?!?! 🔥

Lisa

Amanda

Great!  I love the 6 rep slow tempo before the 12 reps for squats.  I feel like it helps get my mind right for the high rep sets.👍🏼

Kimberly Yamamoto

A workout dedicated to the front of the legs, the quadriceps.

2 sets
10-12 reps
controlled tempo
45 seconds rest

- Hold the plate near your chest
- As you squat down, press the plate forward, making sure to keep your chest broad, open and proud; do not let your shoulders round forward
- As you stand, bring the plate back to your chest

Weight Plate - Squat with Press

2 sets
6 reps- pause for 2 FULL seconds at the bottom position at parallel
tempo 2211
rest 90 seconds

-Warm up to a working weight, but your working weight will be approximately 30% less than your standard squat weight

-This is NOT an exercise on which to aim for PRs. This is a technical exercise designed to work on a specific part of the squat > The purpose of this is to get you trained to sit tight in the "hole" of the squat (parallel), and build up strength and confidence getting out of the bottom of the squat.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTION:
- Place the bar across your upper back
- Get your body very tight under the bar
- "Kiss" the elbows behind your back
- With the core and glutes tight, take 2-3 short steps backwards
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart
- take a big brace breath in at the top, tighten your core and squat - keep holding your breath! 
- Lower into the bottom of a squat pushing your hips back and down
-PAUSE for one to two seconds
- stand up, let go of your breath. This is one rep.

**For more thorough guidance on the squat, please watch the expanded explanation in the Strength Training 101 course. 

A list of substitutions is below if the barbell paused squat is not available to you or too advanced for your current abilities:

1. Barbell paused box squat
2. Smith Machine paused back squat
3. Smith Machine paused box squat
4. Low bar paused cable squat 
5. Cable belt paused squat
6. Hack paused squat
7. Dumbbell paused squat
8. Dumbbell paused box squat
9. Goblet paused squat
10. Goblet paused box squat 
11. Paused leg press
12. Smith machine paused adapted leg press

Barbell - Paused Back Squat

3 sets
10-12 reps
controlled tempo
60 seconds rest

WARM-UPs:
-Warm up to a working weight, then perform the prescribed reps and sets

-Warm-up sets do not count towards your working sets

-Warm-ups at this range can follow this protocol:
1. Warm-up set 1: 5 reps at 50% of your working load
2. Warm-up set 2: 3 reps at 70% of your working load
3. Warm-up set 3: 1-2 reps at 90% of your working load

EXERCISE DESCRIPTION:
- Place the bar across your upper back
- Get your body very tight under the bar
- "Kiss" the elbows behind your back
- With the core and glutes tight, take 2-3 short steps backwards
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart
- Lower into the bottom of a squat pushing your hips back and down
- Stand up out of the squat to full hip extension keeping your chest up
- Your knees should be in line with your second toe; watch that your knees don't collapse inwards 

🚨 For more thorough guidance on the squat, please watch the expanded explanation in the Strength Training 101 course. 

A list of substitutions is below if the barbell back squat is not available to you or too advanced for your current abilities:

1. Barbell box squat
2. Smith Machine back squat
3. Smith Machine box squat
4. Low bar cable squat 
5. Cable belt squat
6. Hack squat
7. Dumbbell squat
8. Dumbbell box squat
9. Goblet squat
10. Goblet box squat 
11. Leg press
12. Smith machine-adapted leg press

Barbell - Back Squat

3-4 sets
10-12 reps
controlled tempo
60 seconds rest

- Sit down on the machine and place your legs on the platform directly in front of you at a narrow foot stance
- Lower the safety bars holding the weighted platform in place and press the platform all the way up until your legs are fully extended in front of you 
- Make sure that you do not lock your knees; keep "soft" knees 
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions and ensure to lock the safety pins properly once you are done

MACHINE NOTE: this exercise can be done on any leg press machine. Some machines have you seated as opposed to lying on your back like I am here. This is totally ok! Any leg press will do.

Leg Press - Narrow Stance

3 sets
10-12 reps each side = 20-24 reps total
controlled tempo
60 seconds rest

The kickstand squat is a unilateral lower-body exercise that targets the quads, glutes, and hamstrings while improving balance and stability.

How to Perform:

1.	Stand with feet hip-width apart, then step one foot slightly back, keeping the toes on the ground and heel raised.

2.	Distribute most of your weight on the front leg; the back leg provides light support.

3.	Lower into a squat by bending your front knee while keeping your chest upright and core engaged.

4.	Descend until your front thigh is parallel to the ground, then push through the front foot to return to standing.

5.	Repeat for reps, then switch sides.

Maintain control throughout and avoid shifting too much weight onto the back leg.

Dumbbell - Kickstand Squat

W2/D1 Quad Focused (RPE 8)

Lydie

W1/D0 🎉 Welcome to Block 9!

W1/D1 Cardio

Back at it…had to step away for a couple of days…feel much better getting it done!💪🏼 Have a great day ladies!

Tina

Back un rthe saddle for real training 😁

Sarah

Wishing for some text about an alternative, if there is no leg press machine. I always what I can do and it’s hard to look up while working out.

W1/D1 Quad Focused (RPE 7)

W1/D2 Cardio

The cues on the stability ball finally clicked!  Thank you Caroline!

Diamond pushups are no joke! That was a tough workout but I feel great!

Remedios

Good.  I need to work on push ups.😰😰😰

W1/D2 Chest, Triceps & Core (RPE 7)

I had a wonderful run, sun is shining, endorphins running and life is good!
😍

W1/D3 Cardio

Barbell paused squat says to do three sets, and also two sets in the same page. I’m getting back on the train here and really enjoyed the gift of time series, though it was hard to participate as I was traveling

I’m definitely not hating repeating lifts & working on form.  THANK YOU!!🤗

W1/D3 Glutes & Shoulders (RPE 7)

W1/D4 Active Rest Day

W1/D5 Back, Biceps & Core (RPE 7)

W1/D5 Cardio

W1/D6 Cardio

Great!  I took it a little lighter today…still a little sore from earlier this week.  Felt good!!😎

W1/D6 Hamstrings & Glutes (RPE 7)

W1/D7 Active Rest Day

W2/D1 Cardio

W2/D2 Cardio

Good.  Only because I knew what I was doing…I’m pathetic with upper body, but determined to progress.😤😤😤

W2/D2 Chest, Triceps & Core (RPE 8)

W2/D3 Cardio

W2/D3 Glutes & Shoulders (RPE 8)

W2/D4 Active Rest Day

W2/D5 Back, Biceps & Core (RPE 8)

W2/D5 Cardio

W2/D6 Cardio

Did this workout at the gym and really loved it!  I could even handle the back extensions!! Thank you Caroline!! 🏋️‍♀️💪💗

Doris

Rough, but got it done.  So glad that I know the lifts & I only have to focus on execution.  Even 8 months in, I’m still feeling the challenge.

W2/D6 Hamstrings & Glutes (RPE 8)

W2/D7 Active Rest Day

W3/D1 Cardio

Awesome! First time doing the gym circuit.

Jamie

It’s been 5 months and I’m back. This quad workout was TOUGH but reminds me how strong I am and can be. 🦵🏽🙂

W3/D1 Quad Focused (RPE 8.5)

W3/D2 Cardio

Had to adjust for R shoulder, but excellent workout!! 💗

Good…if only my upper body would just catch up with my lower body.🫠

W3/D2 Chest, Triceps & Core (RPE 8.5)

Bike ride in the warm Arizona weather🤗

W3/D3 Cardio

Good!  Love the focus on form in this workout with squats & hip thrusts.  Haven’t progressed with upper body weight, but I have with tempo/reps.👍🏼.

W3/D3 Glutes & Shoulders (RPE 8.5)

W3/D4 Active Rest Day

I found this to be a bit smoother today…week 3, I’ll take it as progress.👍🏼

W3/D5 Back, Biceps & Core (RPE 8.5)

W3/D5 Cardio

W3/D6 Cardio

My favorite workout of the week! 🦵🏽

W3/D6 Hamstrings & Glutes (RPE 8.5)

W3/D7 Active Rest Day

W4/D1 Cardio

Sweaty!!  Progressed with most!
Leg day just hits different.😎

W4/D1 Quad Focused (RPE 9)

W4/D2 Cardio

W4/D2 Chest, Triceps & Core (RPE 9)

W4/D3 Cardio

Challenging…even on week 4. I made small progress with barbell hip thrusts with more weight, but I’ve learned that progression comes in various forms, not just adding weight.  My barbell squats didn’t have extra lbs, but I could squat deeper & really focus on the pause.
😁

W4/D3 Glutes & Shoulders (RPE 9)

W4/D4 Active Rest Day

An inch of progress, but progress nonetheless.😂

W4/D5 Back, Biceps & Core (RPE 9)

W4/D5 Cardio

1st steep hike in 2025, 4 hours, 2300 ft elevation gain in 1.25 miles 😳

W4/D6 Cardio

Leslie

Wowza! This was a great block! Made some great progress with increasing weights.

I PR’d with my deadlifts today.😳
This Block 9 had me really digging deep. All the years I’ve spent the gym trying to figure it out on my own, I’ve never put more than 20 pounds on an Olympic bar because I convinced myself I wasn’t strong enough.  I’ve surprised myself often in the last 9 months & I love surprises.🙃🤭

W2/D1 Quad Focused (RPE 8)

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