Upper lower split: 4-day workout plan

An upper lower split alternates upper body and lower body workouts, usually four days a week: two upper days and two lower days. Each muscle gets trained twice a week, which a meta-analysis by Schoenfeld and colleagues (2016) linked to more muscle growth than once a week. It is the natural next step after 3-6 months of full body training.

How the upper lower split works

Splitting the body in half means each session is shorter than a full body workout, and you can do more sets per muscle without exhausting yourself.

Upper A

1. Barbell bench press: 4 × 6-8
2. Barbell Pendlay row: 4 × 6-8
3. Machine shoulder press: 3 × 8-10
4. Lat pulldown: 3 × 8-10
5. Barbell biceps curl: 2 × 10-12
6. Cable pushdown: 2 × 10-12

Lower A

1. Barbell squat: 4 × 6-8
2. Barbell Romanian deadlift: 3 × 8-10
3. Leg press: 3 × 10-12
4. Seated calf raise: 3 × 12-15

Upper B

1. Incline dumbbell chest press: 3 × 10-12
2. Seated cable row: 3 × 10-12
3. Dumbbell lateral raise: 3 × 12-15
4. Assisted wide-grip pull-ups: 3 × 8-10
5. Standing alternating dumbbell curl: 2 × 12
6. Close-grip push-up: 2 × to near failure

Lower B

1. Barbell hip thrust: 4 × 8-10
2. Bulgarian split squat: 3 × 10 per leg
3. Lying leg curl: 3 × 10-12
4. Seated leg extension: 2 × 12-15

Upper lower vs full body vs push pull legs

All three work. Pick the one that fits the days you can actually train. Consistency over months matters more than the split itself.

Volume and progression

Schoenfeld and colleagues (2017) linked 10 or more weekly sets per muscle to clearly more growth than fewer than 5. This plan gives about 10-14 sets for most muscles. Use double progression: add reps until every set hits the top of the range, then add weight. The one-rep max calculator helps set the heavier days.

Bottom line

Four days, each muscle twice a week, one heavier and one lighter session per half of the body. Keep it for a few months, add weight steadily, and it will carry you well past the beginner stage.