4-Day Upper/Lower Split Workout Plan
Updated
Short answer
An upper/lower split trains the upper body on two days and the lower body on two days each week, for example Monday upper, Tuesday lower, Thursday upper, Friday lower. Every muscle is trained twice a week, and each session can give more sets to fewer muscles than a full-body day. It suits people who have trained consistently for a few months and can commit to four sessions.
Who it suits
If you are new, a 3-day full-body plan is simpler and works just as well. Move to an upper/lower split when full-body sessions are getting long because you want more sets, or when you can reliably train four days a week.
The weekly layout
- Monday: Upper A (strength focus)
- Tuesday: Lower A (strength focus)
- Wednesday: rest or light cardio
- Thursday: Upper B (volume focus)
- Friday: Lower B (volume focus)
- Weekend: rest or activity you enjoy
| Upper A | Upper B |
|---|---|
| Bench press 4 × 5–8 | Incline dumbbell press 3 × 8–12 |
| Barbell or chest-supported row 4 × 6–10 | Pulldown or pull-up 3 × 8–12 |
| Overhead press 3 × 6–10 | Seated cable row 3 × 10–12 |
| Pull-up or pulldown 3 × 6–10 | Lateral raise 3 × 12–15 |
| Triceps extension 2 × 10–15 | Biceps curl 3 × 10–15 |
| Lower A | Lower B |
|---|---|
| Back squat 4 × 5–8 | Deadlift or trap-bar deadlift 3 × 5 |
| Romanian deadlift 3 × 6–10 | Leg press or goblet squat 3 × 10–12 |
| Walking lunge 3 × 10 each leg | Hip thrust 3 × 8–12 |
| Leg curl 3 × 10–12 | Leg extension 2 × 12–15 |
| Calf raise 3 × 10–15 | Hanging knee raise 3 × 10–15 |
Weekly volume and progression
This layout gives most muscle groups roughly 10 or more hard sets a week, the range linked with the largest gains in muscle size in a 2017 meta-analysis.
On the A days, add weight when you complete every set at the top of the rep range. On the B days, add reps first, then weight. Take a lighter week (about half the sets) every 6 to 8 weeks or whenever you feel run down.
Frequently asked questions
Is an upper/lower split better than full body?
Not necessarily. Both train each muscle at least twice a week, which is what the frequency research supports. The split mainly makes it easier to fit more sets per muscle into sessions of a reasonable length.
Can I do upper/lower 3 days a week?
Yes: rotate Upper, Lower, Upper one week and Lower, Upper, Lower the next. Each muscle then gets trained three times every two weeks.
Where does cardio fit?
On the rest days, or after the upper-body sessions so it does not tire your legs before a lower day.
Sources
- Schoenfeld, Ogborn & Krieger (2016). Effects of resistance training frequency on measures of muscle hypertrophy. Sports Med 46(11)
- Schoenfeld, Ogborn & Krieger (2017). Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass. J Sports Sci 35(11)
- American College of Sports Medicine (2009). Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc 41(3)