Upper/Lower Split: 4-Day Workout Plan to Build Muscle
Outgrown your beginner program? The upper/lower split is the natural next step. You train 4 days a week, hit every muscle twice, and get more volume per muscle without marathon sessions. Here's the full plan.
More training, more fuel
Four hard sessions a week need enough calories and protein. Get your numbers from the free Fit Gorillas Macro Calculator.
Who it's for
- Guys who've done a beginner full-body program for 6–12 months and are progressing more slowly.
- Anyone who can train 4 days a week and wants more sets per muscle.
- Guys whose full-body sessions are getting too long.
It matches the American College of Sports Medicine guideline for intermediate lifters: a split routine, about 4 days a week, training each major muscle twice.
Your weekly schedule
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper A | Lower A | Rest | Upper B | Lower B | Rest | Rest |
Can't do back-to-back days? Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat or similar works too. Just keep the order Upper A, Lower A, Upper B, Lower B. See rest days.
Upper A: heavier
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest | Swap if needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bench press | 3 × 6–10 | 2–3 min | Dumbbell bench press |
| Barbell or chest-supported row | 3 × 6–10 | 2–3 min | Seated cable row |
| Overhead press | 3 × 6–10 | 2 min | Seated dumbbell press |
| Lat pulldown | 3 × 8–12 | 1–2 min | Pull-ups |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 2 × 12–15 | 1 min | Cable lateral raise |
| Barbell or EZ-bar curl | 2 × 8–12 | 1 min | Dumbbell curl |
| Triceps pushdown | 2 × 10–15 | 1 min | Dips (assisted if needed) |
Lower A: heavier
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest | Swap if needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back squat | 3 × 6–10 | 2–3 min | Hack squat, leg press |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 × 8–10 | 2–3 min | Dumbbell Romanian deadlift |
| Leg press | 2 × 10–12 | 2 min | Walking lunges |
| Lying leg curl | 3 × 10–12 | 1–2 min | Seated leg curl |
| Standing calf raise | 3 × 10–15 | 1 min | Leg press calf raise |
| Cable crunch | 2 × 10–15 | 1 min | Hanging knee raise |
Upper B: more volume
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest | Swap if needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 × 8–12 | 2 min | Incline machine press |
| Pull-ups or chin-ups | 3 × 6–12 | 2 min | Lat pulldown |
| Seated cable row | 3 × 10–12 | 1–2 min | Single-arm dumbbell row |
| Seated dumbbell shoulder press | 2 × 8–12 | 1–2 min | Machine shoulder press |
| Cable or pec-deck fly | 2 × 12–15 | 1 min | Dumbbell fly |
| Cable lateral raise | 2 × 12–20 | 1 min | Dumbbell lateral raise |
| Hammer curl | 2 × 10–12 | 1 min | Cable curl |
| Overhead triceps extension | 2 × 10–15 | 1 min | Skull crushers |
Lower B: more volume
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest | Swap if needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trap-bar or conventional deadlift | 3 × 5–8 | 3 min | Hip thrust |
| Bulgarian split squat | 3 × 8–12 each leg | 2 min | Reverse lunge |
| Leg extension | 2 × 12–15 | 1 min | Goblet squat |
| Seated leg curl | 3 × 10–15 | 1–2 min | Swiss-ball hamstring curl |
| Seated calf raise | 3 × 12–15 | 1 min | Standing calf raise |
| Hanging knee raise | 2 × 10–15 | 1 min | Ab wheel rollout |
Weekly sets per muscle
| Muscle | Direct hard sets per week |
|---|---|
| Chest | 8, plus help from shoulder pressing |
| Back (lats and upper back) | 12 |
| Shoulders (front and side) | 9, plus help from bench pressing |
| Quads | 10, plus help from deadlifts |
| Hamstrings and glutes | 12 |
| Biceps | 4, plus plenty from rows and pull-ups |
| Triceps | 4, plus plenty from pressing |
| Calves | 6 |
That lands most muscles around the 10 or more sets per week that research links with better growth. If a muscle is lagging and you're recovering well, add 1–2 sets to it.
How to progress
- Double progression: add reps until you hit the top of the range on every set, then add weight. See progressive overload.
- Heavier days (A): push the weight on the main lifts, staying 1–3 reps short of failure.
- Volume days (B): chase reps and a strong muscle squeeze; it's fine to take the last set of smaller exercises close to failure.
- Deload: every 6–8 weeks, or when you feel run down, do a week with about half the sets.
Common mistakes
- Adding lots of extra exercises. More isn't better if you can't recover from it.
- Rushing rest on big lifts. Longer rest (2–3 minutes) on compound lifts has been linked to better strength and muscle gains than very short rest.
- Treating Lower B as optional. It's half your leg training.
- Not eating more. More training needs more food. See how many calories to build muscle.
Frequently asked questions
Is an upper/lower split good for building muscle?
Yes. It trains each muscle twice a week, which research links to better growth than once a week, and lets you fit 10 or more hard sets per muscle into manageable sessions.
Is upper/lower better than full body?
Not automatically. Full body is usually better for beginners. Upper/lower suits intermediates who need more volume per muscle and can train 4 days a week.
Can I do an upper/lower split 3 days a week?
Yes, by rotating through the four workouts over the week, but each muscle then gets trained less than twice a week on average. If you can only train 3 days, a full-body plan is usually better.
Should upper/lower days be back to back?
They can be. Upper then lower on consecutive days works well because different muscles are trained. Just keep a rest day after each pair.
How many sets per muscle on an upper/lower split?
Around 10 to 16 hard sets per muscle per week works for most intermediates. This plan gives most muscles 8 to 12 direct sets plus extra from compound lifts.
How long should I run an upper/lower split?
As long as you keep progressing, often many months. Swap a few exercises every 8 to 12 weeks if you get bored or stall, and take a deload every 6 to 8 weeks.
Level up your training. Fuel it right.
Two steps to stop guessing and start growing.
Macro Calculator
Get the calories and protein to support 4 hard sessions a week.
Calculate my macros →Macro Tracker
Plan your meals in grams and hit your numbers every day, so your training keeps paying off.
Get the Macro Tracker →Want the full training and eating plan in one place? See the Muscle-Building Gorilla Guide
Not Born. It's Built.
This article is general information for healthy adults and isn't medical advice. If you have an injury or medical condition, check with your doctor or a physio first. Sources: American College of Sports Medicine (2009), "Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults", Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Schoenfeld et al. (2016), "Effects of resistance training frequency on measures of muscle hypertrophy", Sports Medicine. Schoenfeld et al. (2017), "Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass", Journal of Sports Sciences. Schoenfeld et al. (2016), "Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men", Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Related reading: Beginner gym workout routine · Progressive overload · Rest days · How fast can you build muscle?