Lower B Workout: Full Session Walkthrough

What Lower B is for

Lower B flips the order from Lower A: the hinge pattern leads instead of the squat. A deadlift variation goes first while you're fresh, then single-leg squat work, then a hip-focused accessory, then hamstrings and calves.

Structure doesn't change: warm-ups on the first lift only, two working sets to failure with a drop set after the second, log every set, 40-60 minutes.

Trap bar deadlift or conventional deadlift — 6-8 reps

First lift, so take one or two warm-up sets — light weight, building toward your working load, feeling the setup before it counts. A hinge is less forgiving than a squat if your first working rep is also your first rep of the day at that position.

Working sets: two, to failure, 6-8 reps. Bar or handles over your midfoot, shins close, chest up, and pull the slack out of the bar before you actually pull — you should feel tension before the plates leave the floor. Drive through your heels, hips and shoulders rising together, not your hips shooting up first.

Drop 20-30% off right after set two, no rest, go again. If your grip gives out before your legs do on the drop set, use straps — the point of the drop set is leg and back fatigue, not a grip test.

Picking your starting weight on deadlifts

Start lighter than you think on week one, especially with conventional deadlift where setup precision matters more than raw effort. A working weight that feels like a solid 8-out-of-10 effort for 6-8 reps is the right target — you're not trying to find a one-rep max on a Tuesday morning before work.

Trap bar deadlift tends to let you load a bit heavier than conventional for the same effort level, since the handles put the weight closer to your center of mass. Don't be surprised if your trap bar number and conventional number aren't close — they're different lifts wearing the same name.

Bulgarian split squat — 6-8 reps each leg

No warm-up needed. Two working sets per leg, to failure, 6-8 reps. Rear foot up on a bench, front foot far enough forward that your front knee doesn't drive past your toes, torso mostly upright.

Drop 20-30% after set two on each leg, no rest, immediately into the drop set. This one burns — that's the point.

Hip thrust — 8-12 reps

Two working sets, 8-12 reps, to failure. Upper back braced on the bench, bar or dumbbell across your hips, drive through your heels and squeeze your glutes hard at the top for a full second rather than bouncing through the rep.

Chin tucked, not looking up at the ceiling — that small cue keeps your lower back from taking over at the top of the movement. Drop set right after set two.

Leg curl — 8-12 reps

Two working sets to failure, 8-12 reps. Same execution as Lower A — full range, pause at the squeeze, controlled on the way back — but by this point in the session your hamstrings are already worked from the deadlift, so expect the working weight to feel harder for the same numbers.

Drop set after set two.

Calf raise — 8-12 reps

Two working sets to failure, 8-12 reps, drop set after set two. Full stretch at the bottom, full pause at the top. Last exercise of the week's lower work — leave nothing in the tank.

Common mistakes on this session

Rounding the lower back on the deadlift to squeeze out the last rep of a working set is the mistake that actually matters here — everything else on this list is a minor form tweak, but a rounded back under a near-max load is how backs get hurt. If your form breaks down, that rep didn't happen; rack it and take the drop set from there.

On Bulgarian split squats, letting the front knee cave inward under fatigue is the other one to watch — it's subtle and easy to miss without a mirror, so if you've got one nearby, use it, especially on the drop set when your legs are already smoked.

If the equipment you want is taken

If someone's on the platform for deadlifts, a dumbbell Romanian deadlift can stand in as your opener — just make sure it still gets the warm-up sets since it's now your first lift of the day.

If there's no bench free for the split squat, a reverse lunge without the elevated rear foot works as a direct swap — slightly less range of motion, same muscles, same rep and set scheme.

Pacing and the log

Five exercises, warm-ups only on the deadlift, two working sets and a drop set on the rest. Rest 2-3 minutes on the deadlift and split squat, 60-90 seconds on hip thrust, leg curl, and calves — that's a 40-60 minute session.

Log weight and reps every working set. The deadlift number gets the attention, but the split squat and hip thrust numbers are what actually tell you if your hips and hamstrings are keeping up with your back. If you're logging on paper, jot the drop set weight too — it's a quick way to tell whether you're actually pushing to failure or leaving a rep or two in reserve out of habit.

One honest note on your back

Deadlift form is worth getting genuinely right before you chase weight on it — a session with a physical therapist or a coach who can watch your setup in person is worth more than another article. If you feel sharp pain rather than muscle fatigue on any hinge, stop and see a professional.