Use this balanced 4-day upper/lower split to train each major muscle group twice per week, with exercises, sets, reps, rest times, and progression rules.
A 4-day upper/lower split divides training into two upper-body days and two lower-body days. It gives each major muscle group two weekly opportunities to train while leaving three non-lifting days for recovery, conditioning, or normal life.
This guide gives you a complete upper/lower workout plan, exercise substitutions, progression rules, and a simple way to adjust the routine when four days stops fitting your week.
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. If you have an injury, medical condition, or exercise restriction, work with a qualified clinician or coach before starting a new training plan.
Use this weekly layout:
| Day | Workout |
|---|---|
| Monday | Upper A |
| Tuesday | Lower A |
| Wednesday | Rest or light activity |
| Thursday | Upper B |
| Friday | Rest or light activity |
| Saturday | Lower B |
| Sunday | Rest |
The exact weekdays do not matter. Keep at least one rest day between Lower A and Lower B, and avoid placing all four sessions on consecutive days when possible.
Each workout starts with larger compound exercises (movements that train several joints and muscle groups), then moves to smaller accessory work. The plan uses rep ranges instead of one fixed target because a range makes progression easier to manage.
An upper/lower split is a scheduling tool, not a special muscle-building mechanism. Its main advantage is that it distributes weekly training across four manageable sessions.
A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis found similar strength and muscle-growth outcomes between split and full-body routines when weekly training volume was equated. A separate meta-analysis found that training frequency did not meaningfully change hypertrophy (muscle growth) when weekly volume was matched. In practice, frequency helps you distribute the work; it does not rescue a plan with poor exercise selection, inconsistent effort, or inadequate recovery.
This four-day structure gives most major muscle groups two training exposures per week. That also comfortably meets the CDC baseline recommendation to perform muscle-strengthening activity for all major muscle groups on at least two days per week.
The split tends to work well if:
It may not fit if:
The sets below are working sets. Warm-up sets do not count. Before the first large lift of a session, use several gradually heavier practice sets without approaching failure.
Start conservatively. During the first week, choose loads that leave roughly 2-3 reps in reserve (RIR), meaning you could complete 2-3 additional clean reps before failure. Add effort gradually after you learn how the plan affects your recovery.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell bench press | 3 | 5-8 | 2-4 min |
| Barbell or chest-supported row | 3 | 6-10 | 2-3 min |
| Overhead press | 2 | 6-10 | 2-3 min |
| Lat pulldown or assisted pull-up | 2 | 8-12 | 90-180 sec |
| Incline dumbbell press | 2 | 8-12 | 90-180 sec |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 2 | 12-20 | 60-90 sec |
| Triceps pressdown | 2 | 10-15 | 60-90 sec |
Upper A prioritizes the bench press and a row, then adds vertical pushing and pulling. The smaller pressing and shoulder exercises fill gaps without turning the workout into a second chest day.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back squat | 3 | 5-8 | 2-4 min |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 | 6-10 | 2-3 min |
| Bulgarian split squat | 2 | 8-12 per side | 90-180 sec |
| Seated or lying leg curl | 2 | 10-15 | 60-120 sec |
| Standing calf raise | 3 | 8-15 | 60-120 sec |
| Plank | 2 | 30-60 sec | 60-90 sec |
Lower A uses the squat as the main knee-dominant lift and the Romanian deadlift as the main hip hinge. Single-leg work adds useful quad and glute volume without requiring another heavy bilateral lift.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pull-up, assisted pull-up, or lat pulldown | 3 | 6-10 | 2-3 min |
| Incline dumbbell bench press | 3 | 6-10 | 2-3 min |
| Seated cable or machine row | 2 | 8-12 | 90-180 sec |
| Seated dumbbell shoulder press | 2 | 8-12 | 90-180 sec |
| Reverse fly or rear-delt raise | 2 | 12-20 | 60-90 sec |
| Dumbbell or cable curl | 2 | 10-15 | 60-90 sec |
| Overhead triceps extension | 2 | 10-15 | 60-90 sec |
Upper B starts with vertical pulling and incline pressing. It keeps direct arm work modest because the compound exercises already train the biceps and triceps indirectly.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leg press or hack squat | 3 | 8-12 | 2-3 min |
| Hip thrust or glute bridge | 3 | 8-12 | 2-3 min |
| Reverse lunge | 2 | 8-12 per side | 90-180 sec |
| Seated or lying leg curl | 2 | 10-15 | 60-120 sec |
| Leg extension | 2 | 10-15 | 60-120 sec |
| Seated calf raise | 3 | 10-15 | 60-120 sec |
Lower B is deliberately less technical than Lower A. Machines are not mandatory, but stable exercises can make it easier to add useful leg volume without repeating another heavy squat and hinge session.
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| Muscle group | Direct working sets |
|---|---|
| Chest | 8 |
| Back | 10 |
| Quads | 10 |
| Hamstrings | 7 |
| Glutes | 8-10, depending on technique |
| Shoulders | 8 direct sets, plus pressing |
| Biceps | 2 direct sets, plus pulling |
| Triceps | 4 direct sets, plus pressing |
| Calves | 6 |
These totals are starting points, not universal targets. A 2026 meta-regression found that additional weekly volume was associated with greater strength and muscle gains on average, but with diminishing returns. More sets are useful only while you can recover from them and keep performance stable.
Do not add sets just because another program has more. First run the base plan, track your performance, and use the muscle-distribution guide to check whether your actual exercise choices still cover the areas you intend to train.
Use double progression: build reps inside the listed range, then increase weight.
For an exercise programmed for 3 sets of 6-10 reps:
| Session | Result | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8, 7, 7 | Keep the load and try to add a rep |
| 2 | 8, 8, 7 | Keep the load |
| 3 | 9, 8, 8 | Keep the load |
| 4 | 10, 10, 10 | Add the smallest practical amount of weight |
| 5 | 8, 7, 7 at the new load | Build reps again |
Use these rules:
This is the same basic method explained in the progressive overload guide for beginners. The important part is comparing the same exercise under reasonably similar conditions.
Run the plan for at least 6-8 weeks if performance and recovery are moving in the right direction. You do not need to replace the routine simply because the calendar changed.
Change an exercise when:
Change the whole split when four training days no longer fit your life or when another schedule distributes your work more effectively.
Substitutions should preserve the movement pattern and target muscles, not just use whatever exercise looks interesting that day.
| Planned exercise | Useful substitutions |
|---|---|
| Barbell bench press | Dumbbell bench press, machine chest press, floor press |
| Barbell row | Chest-supported row, cable row, machine row |
| Back squat | Front squat, hack squat, leg press, goblet squat |
| Romanian deadlift | Dumbbell RDL, good morning, cable pull-through |
| Lat pulldown | Pull-up, assisted pull-up, band pulldown |
| Hip thrust | Glute bridge, cable pull-through, 45-degree back extension |
| Bulgarian split squat | Reverse lunge, step-up, split squat |
Keep a substitution for several weeks so you can measure it. Constant exercise rotation makes it difficult to tell whether strength, reps, or technique are improving.
Continue the four-workout sequence across weeks instead of deleting one day:
| Week | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Upper A | Lower A | Upper B |
| 2 | Lower B | Upper A | Lower A |
| 3 | Upper B | Lower B | Upper A |
This rotating approach keeps the plan balanced over time, although each muscle group will be trained slightly less often than in the four-day schedule.
Remove one or two isolation exercises before cutting the main push, pull, squat, or hinge patterns. You can also pair non-competing accessories, such as lateral raises with leg curls, but avoid rushing heavy compound sets.
For a fuller explanation, use the rest-between-sets guide. As a starting point, rest 2-4 minutes after demanding compound sets and about 60-120 seconds after smaller accessory exercises. Take longer when the next set would otherwise lose reps or technique.
Upper A and Upper B should share movement patterns without being identical. The same applies to the lower sessions. Small differences in angle, rep range, and exercise stability can distribute stress while preserving enough consistency to track progress.
Seven useful exercises are better than twelve rushed ones. If your workouts keep expanding, ask whether each accessory solves a real gap or simply adds fatigue.
Training hard matters, but failure on every set can make later exercises worse and recovery harder. Keep most work controlled, then use occasional final-set failure selectively on stable isolation exercises if it fits your experience and recovery.
A split cannot show results if the exercises change every week. Keep the core lifts stable, log weights and reps consistently, and make one small improvement at a time.
The four-day schedule is not universal. Poor sleep, demanding sports, physical work, caregiving, and stress all affect recovery. Reduce optional sets or move to three days when the plan repeatedly exceeds what you can recover from.
It can be, especially after you have learned the main movement patterns and can train four days consistently. A new lifter with an unpredictable schedule may find two or three full-body workouts easier to recover from and repeat.
Yes. An upper/lower split can support hypertrophy when it provides enough challenging weekly sets, exercises cover the major muscle groups, and performance progresses over time. The split itself is less important than training quality, weekly volume, recovery, and consistency.
Neither is universally better. Upper/lower fits naturally into four training days and usually trains each major muscle group twice per week. Push pull legs is often easier to organize across three or six days. Choose the schedule you can repeat.
Most sessions in this plan should take about 60-80 minutes, depending on warm-ups, rest periods, equipment availability, and whether you remove optional accessory work. Do not shorten rest so aggressively that your main lifts suffer.
Do the missed workout on your next available training day and continue the sequence. Avoid squeezing two demanding sessions together just to make the calendar look complete.
Five to seven exercises is a practical range for most sessions. Start with the main compound movements, then add a small amount of accessory work that supports muscles or movement patterns the compounds do not cover well.
The plan maps cleanly to four saved routines: Upper A, Lower A, Upper B, and Lower B.
Bazu Free lets you save up to four routines, log unlimited workouts and history, time rest periods, and track charts, 1RM (one-rep max) estimates, and PRs (personal records). That is enough to run this complete split and see whether reps, load, and estimated strength are moving.
Bazu Pro adds progressive-overload recommendations and next-workout targets when you want the app to suggest what to aim for after reviewing your training history.
Create the four routines once, keep the exercise order stable, and log only completed working sets. Your next session should show the last result you are trying to beat—not make you rebuild the workout from memory.
A 4-day upper/lower split is useful because it makes the week easy to organize: two upper sessions, two lower sessions, and enough room to recover between repeated movement patterns.
Start with the plan as written. Keep 1-3 reps in reserve on most sets, build reps before load, and remove optional accessories if recovery or workout length becomes a problem. The routine does not need to be perfect. It needs to be repeatable and measurable.
Founder of Bazu · 10+ years strength training
I'm the builder and user of Bazu. I've been lifting for over 10 years across strength and hypertrophy work, and I built Bazu to make progress simpler for serious lifters — every feature is designed around how real training actually works.
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