🏋 Hatch Squat Calculator
Generate your personalized 12-week Hatch Squat cycle based on your 1RM
| Week | Back Squat Sets x Reps | BS % of 1RM | Front Squat Sets x Reps | FS % of 1RM | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 x 10 | 70% | 3 x 8 | 60% | Base Volume |
| 2 | 4 x 10 | 72% | 3 x 8 | 62% | Base Volume |
| 3 | 4 x 8 | 75% | 4 x 6 | 65% | Volume Build |
| 4 | 4 x 6 | 80% | 4 x 6 | 70% | Volume Build |
| 5 | 5 x 5 | 83% | 4 x 5 | 73% | Intensity Build |
| 6 | 5 x 4 | 86% | 4 x 4 | 76% | Intensity Build |
| 7 | 3 x 5 | 70% | 3 x 5 | 60% | 💤 Deload |
| 8 | 4 x 4 | 87% | 4 x 4 | 77% | Peaking |
| 9 | 4 x 3 | 90% | 4 x 3 | 80% | Peaking |
| 10 | 4 x 3 | 92% | 3 x 3 | 82% | Peaking |
| 11 | 5 x 2 | 94% | 3 x 2 | 84% | Max Strength |
| 12 | 5 x 2 + 1RM | 95–100% | 3 x 2 + 1RM | 85–95% | 🏆 Test Week |
| Level | Male BS (x BW) | Female BS (x BW) | Front Squat Ratio | Typical 1RM (70kg M) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 1.0x | 0.75x | ~80% of BS | 70 kg |
| Intermediate | 1.5x | 1.1x | ~83% of BS | 105 kg |
| Advanced | 2.0x | 1.5x | ~85% of BS | 140 kg |
| Elite | 2.5x | 2.0x | ~88% of BS | 175 kg |
| World Class | 3.0x+ | 2.5x+ | ~90% of BS | 210+ kg |
| Reps Performed | % of True 1RM | Multiply Weight By | RPE Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100% | 1.000 | 10 |
| 2 | 97% | 1.033 | 9.5 |
| 3 | 94% | 1.067 | 9 |
| 5 | 87% | 1.167 | 8 |
| 6 | 85% | 1.200 | 7.5 |
| 8 | 80% | 1.267 | 7 |
| 10 | 75% | 1.333 | 6 |
| 12 | 70% | 1.400 | 5.5 |
| Intensity Zone | % of 1RM | Recommended Rest | RPE Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volume (Weeks 1–3) | 70–75% | 2–3 min | 6–7 | Focus on form & volume |
| Moderate (Weeks 4–6) | 76–86% | 3–4 min | 7–8 | Controlled tempo |
| Deload (Week 7) | 60–70% | 2 min | 5–6 | Active recovery |
| Peaking (Weeks 8–11) | 87–94% | 4–5 min | 8–9 | Quality over quantity |
| Test Week (Week 12) | 95–100% | 5–8 min | 9–10 | Full warm-up required |
Olimpia weightlifting teacher Gayle Hatch created this 12-week cycle for Squat and it became the main program for those that want to strengthen their skills in Squat. Its charm lies in the simplicity (nothing too fancy or complex). In every session you do both front Squat and back Squat, twice weekly through the whole 12-week period.
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Structure of the reps follows a downward pyramid, so you start with heavy sets and go down slowly. Everything ranges from 10 reps in the early part to singles in the finish. In the 11th week comes a surprise: you try 103% of your initial max single.
Gayle Hatch 12-Week Squat Program
The most many lifters start with back Squat in the session, then pass to front, although some swap the order and start with front. No extra work for legs.
This is not a program for beginners. You must be intermediate or advanced to benefit fully from it, and honestly, good technique in both lifts is absolutely needed before you start. It was designed by elite teacher for elite lifters, so do not try to get buy with less.
Spacing your sessions with at least two days of rest between them does real difference.
Legs will adapt to the amount after a bit of time. Add extra work after the Squat sessions if entirely in order, but keep the weight mode in those helper moves. The program mainly shines when Squat is your main focus.
If you bother to at the same time push other lifts too strongly, you probably will stop early. Sometimes your usual lifts and other targets simply must recover during the cycle.
Good reason for Hatch over many other programs is that it covers both back and front Squat only with two training days weekly. That frees the rest of your weekly plan for anything else that matters for you. It stands beside other well known options like Smolov and Russian Squat program in popularity.
Some lifters pass from Hatch to Smolov later, even so this won fame for being much more friendly.
Follow it is easy thanks to online calculators and apps done specifically for that program. You enter your max single for both lifts, and the tool cares about the rest. No weekly math troubles.
That saves a lot of time andkeeps everything tidy.
The same plan for reps works surprisingly well for other lifts also. Some lifters swap back Squat with strict presses and front Squat with presses before the chest, building upper strength with the same structure. Through several cycles the progress adds up.
Strongly adding around 3% to your max single per 12-week block is real, if you stay steady. The program Hatch gives firm results without taking your whole training.
