The Hatch Squat plan supplies 12 weeks of back and front squats, twice per week. It is labeled Advanced and is a squat specialization. This guide covers the practical decisions around that cycle; for its first-week prescriptions and loading overview, read Hatch Squat: Schedule, Scope and Starting Loads.
Decide what the two squat sessions replace
Look at your existing training week before selecting days. Both Hatch sessions contain back squats followed by front squats. If you already squat, pull heavily or train a lower-body sport on several days, the app does not automatically reduce that other work.
Write down where upper-body work, pulling, sport practice and rest will sit. The supplied template does not schedule those for you. Two sessions might look easy to fit on a calendar while still adding more squat work than your current week supports. Inspect the later weeks as well as week one when making the decision.
If you need one general program to organize your training, compare StrongLifts 5×5, 5/3/1 Basic or PHUL according to your experience and available days.
Prepare separate squat references
Back squat and front squat have separate load references. Do not copy one into the other just to complete setup. Guided weights let you find a manageable starting load for each exercise in the first workout, without a tested maximum.
Check that you can use the required front-rack position and have a rack, safeties, barbell and plates available. The first front-squat prescription is three sets of five after the back-squat work; choose a load in that context, rather than judging it from a single fresh rep.
Known-weight setup remains an option if you have useful recent references. Review the calculated working weights before lifting, especially if a reference predates time away from training.
Know what happens after a difficult session
Record actual reps and loads, including misses. The supplied percentages change by week; the app does not add a generic increase after each session or automatically rebuild the rest of the cycle after a missed target. Guided weights remain under your control.
A completed entry is a training record, not proof that the next prescribed load must be attempted unchanged. Review a reference that no longer fits the work. The program also does not fill in a personalized recovery week or prescribe extra sessions to catch up.
Review before repeating
The final supplied week includes back-squat singles up to 100% of your stored reference. If that reference came from guided working weights, the percentage is not evidence of a tested one-rep max. Review completed sets and how the full block fit your week before choosing another cycle.
The supplied sheet has not been independently verified against a creator-published original. Treat these articles as explanations of this implementation, not a promise of a fixed strength gain or exact original-method fidelity.
Open the complete Hatch schedule. If replacing an active plan, make the final decision in setup: remaining scheduled workouts are replaced and completed history is retained.