Upper Lower Split: 4-Day Workout Plan for Strength and Muscle

The upper lower split is one of the most effective training setups for beginners moving past full-body programs and for intermediates who want a balanced week. You train your upper body one day and your lower body the next, usually four days per week. Each muscle gets hit twice a week with enough rest in between. Here is how the upper lower split works and a complete plan you can follow.

What Is an Upper Lower Split?

An upper lower split divides your workouts into two types:

• Upper days: chest, back, shoulders and arms.
• Lower days: quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves and often core.

You alternate them across the week. A typical schedule looks like this:

• Monday: Upper A
• Tuesday: Lower A
• Wednesday: Rest
• Thursday: Upper B
• Friday: Lower B
• Saturday and Sunday: Rest

Who Is the Upper Lower Split For?

• Lifters who can train four days a week.
• Beginners who have outgrown a three-day full-body plan.
• Intermediates who want both strength and muscle.
• Anyone who wants training frequency of twice a week per muscle without living in the gym.

The 4-Day Upper Lower Workout Plan

Upper A (Strength Focus)

1. Bench press: 4 sets of 5
2. Barbell row: 4 sets of 6
3. Overhead press: 3 sets of 6 to 8
4. Lat pulldown: 3 sets of 10
5. Dumbbell curl: 2 sets of 12
6. Triceps pushdown: 2 sets of 12

Lower A (Strength Focus)

1. Back squat: 4 sets of 5
2. Romanian deadlift: 3 sets of 8
3. Leg press: 3 sets of 10
4. Leg curl: 3 sets of 12
5. Standing calf raise: 3 sets of 12

Upper B (Muscle Focus)

1. Incline dumbbell press: 4 sets of 8 to 10
2. Pull-ups or assisted pull-ups: 4 sets of 6 to 10
3. Seated dumbbell shoulder press: 3 sets of 10
4. Chest-supported row: 3 sets of 10 to 12
5. Lateral raise: 3 sets of 15
6. Hammer curl and overhead extension superset: 2 sets of 12

Lower B (Muscle Focus)

1. Deadlift: 3 sets of 5
2. Bulgarian split squat: 3 sets of 8 per leg
3. Hip thrust: 3 sets of 10
4. Leg extension: 3 sets of 15
5. Seated calf raise: 3 sets of 15
6. Plank: 3 sets of 30 to 45 seconds

How to Progress

Use simple progressive overload: when you hit the top of your rep range on all sets with good form, add a small amount of weight next session. For the heavy compound lifts, add 5 pounds to upper-body lifts and 5 to 10 pounds to lower-body lifts. For more on this approach, read our guide to progressive overload.

Upper Lower vs Push Pull Legs

• Frequency: both can hit muscles twice a week, but PPL needs six days to do it.
• Time: upper lower works on four days; PPL usually needs five or six.
• Session length: upper days can run longer because they cover more muscle groups.
• Recovery: upper lower gives more rest days.

If you have six days, PPL is a great option. With four, upper lower is usually the better fit. Compare the details in push pull legs split.

What to Bring to Each Day

Upper days

Pressing and pulling both happen on upper days, so pack for both. Wrist wraps help on heavy bench and overhead sets; ours measure 18", and each one has a thumb loop plus hook-and-loop closure at $28.99. Lifting straps help on heavy rows and pulldowns; ours are 24" at $19.99. Our wrist wraps and lifting straps bundle puts both in one bag.

Lower days

Heavy squats and deadlifts are where a belt and sleeves come in. Bay Gear Co. knee sleeves are 7mm and 9.5" long at $59.99. Our lever belt is 10mm and 4.25" wide at $129.99.

Common Upper Lower Mistakes

• Overloading upper days with too many exercises.
• Neglecting hamstrings on lower days.
• Skipping deloads after many weeks of hard training.
• Changing exercises every week, which makes progress hard to track.

Making the Split Your Own

The template above is a starting point. If your bench lags, swap the overhead press on Upper A for a second bench variation such as close-grip bench. If your schedule only allows evenings, a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday rotation works just as well as the one listed. Lifters who want more arm work can add a set or two of curls and extensions on both upper days. Just remember the main idea: train each half of your body twice a week, push the big lifts steadily, and leave enough rest days to recover. When progress slows after several months, change rep ranges or exercise variations instead of the whole structure.

Many lifters also run this split for a full year with only small tweaks, and that kind of consistency tends to beat constant program hopping.

FAQ

Is an upper lower split good for beginners?

Yes, especially after a few months of full-body training.

Can I do an upper lower split 3 days a week?

Yes. Alternate upper and lower across Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so each muscle is trained three times every two weeks.

Is upper lower better than a bro split?

For most natural lifters, training each muscle twice a week tends to work better than once a week.

How long should upper lower workouts be?

Most sessions take 60 to 75 minutes.

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