4-Day Upper/Lower Split Workout for Hypertrophy

Of all the training programs I’ve used over the years, the 4-day upper lower split is one of my favorites.

It’s simple, it’s flexible, and can be used by beginner, intermediate or advanced lifters alike to achieve many different goals – building muscle, getting stronger, or even just retaining muscle while you drop fat.

Here’s what’s covered:

• What is an Upper/Lower Split?
• 4-Day Upper/Lower Split Routine
• Workout 1: Upper Body A
• Workout 2: Lower Body A
• Workout 3: Upper Body B
• Workout 4: Lower Body B
• 4-Day Upper/Lower Split: The Short Version
• 4-Day Upper/Lower Split for Strength
• Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Upper Lower Split?

With an upper lower split, you train the muscles in your lower body and upper body on separate days.

An upper body workout will normally hit your chest, back, shoulders, biceps and triceps, while the lower body workout works your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and calves.

Technically, the lower back is part of your upper body. However, because the lower back is heavily involved in exercises like the squat and deadlift, which fall on lower body day, I’ve grouped the lower back in with the lower body.

4-Day Upper/Lower Split Routine for Hypertrophy

The 4-day workout split is the default version of the upper lower split. You hit the upper body on Monday, lower body on Tuesday, then take Wednesday off.

Thursday is another upper day, Friday is a lower day and you have the weekend off. Each group of muscles is trained twice a week.

• Monday: Upper Body
• Tuesday: Lower Body
• Wednesday: Off
• Thursday: Upper Body
• Friday: Lower Body
• Saturday: Off
• Sunday: Off

The days that you train aren’t set in stone. If you miss a workout, you can move it to the following day. Skip the Friday lower body workout, for example, and you can just push it back to Saturday.

• Monday: Upper Body
• Tuesday: Lower Body
• Wednesday: Off
• Thursday: Upper Body
• Friday: Off
• Saturday: Lower Body
• Sunday: Off

Or, if you prefer to train at the weekends, your week might look like this.

• Monday: Off
• Tuesday: Upper Body
• Wednesday: Off
• Thursday: Lower Body
• Friday: Off
• Saturday: Upper Body
• Sunday: Lower Body

Here’s what each training day looks like. The numbers in brackets tell you how long to rest between each set.

Workout 1: Upper Body A

• Bench Press 3 sets x 5-8 reps [3 mins]
• Wide Grip Front Lat Pulldown 3 sets x 12-15 reps [2 mins]
• Incline Dumbbell Press 3 sets x 8-12 reps [2 mins]
• Seated Row 3 sets x 8-12 reps [2 mins]
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 sets x 8-12 reps [2 mins]
• Incline Curl 3 sets x 8-12 reps [90 seconds]
• Triceps Pressdown 3 sets x 8-12 reps [90 seconds]

Workout 2: Lower Body A

• Squat 3 sets x 5-8 reps [3-5 mins]
• Romanian Deadlift 3 sets x 8-12 reps [2-3 mins]
• Leg Extension 3 sets x 12-15 reps [90 seconds]
• Seated Leg Curl 3 sets x 8-12 reps [2 mins]
• Standing Calf Raise 4 sets x 5-8 reps [2 mins]

Workout 3: Upper Body B

• Dumbbell Bench Press 3 sets x 8-12 reps [2 mins]
• Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown 3 sets x 8-12 reps [2 mins] *
• Dumbbell Flyes 3 sets x 12-15 reps [90 seconds]
• Dumbbell Row 3 sets x 5-8 reps [2 mins]
• Lateral Raise 3 sets x 12-15 reps [90 seconds]
• Dumbbell Preacher Curl 3 sets x 12-15 reps [90 seconds]
• Lying EZ Bar Triceps Extension 3 sets x 12-15 reps [90 seconds]

Workout 4: Lower Body B

• Deadlift 3 sets x 5-8 reps [3-5 mins]
• Leg Press 3 sets x 8-12 reps [2-3 mins]
• Bulgarian Split Squat 3 sets x 8-12 reps [2 mins]
• Lying/Seated Leg Curl 3 sets x 12-15 reps [2 mins]
• Seated Calf Raise 4 sets x 12-15 reps [2 mins]

Upper Body A

Bench Press

Sets 3 Reps 5-8

The first exercise is the bench press, which is a highly effective way to build size and strength in your chest, shoulders and arms. If all you have is a flat bench and a couple of dumbbells, the dumbbell bench press works fine as an alternative.

Because this is your first upper body exercise, and you’re training in the 5-8 rep range, make sure to do several progressively heavier warm-up sets before your first work set.

Wide Grip Front Lat Pulldown

Sets 3 Reps 12-15

The wide grip front lat pulldown hits the back and biceps. Most people aren’t strong enough to do many pull-ups with their own body weight, which is why I normally recommend lat pulldowns instead. But if you prefer pull-ups, and you’re able to do 3 sets of 5-10 reps using good form, then do pull-ups instead.

Incline Dumbbell Press

Sets 3 Reps 8-12

With the incline dumbbell press, set the angle of the bench at around 30 degrees. You’re still targeting the chest, shoulders and triceps, but going from a flat to an incline bench shifts the emphasis to the upper part of the chest.

Seated Row

Sets 3 Reps 8-12

Next is the seated cable row. Use a regular V handle, keep the elbows close to the body, and pull your hands towards the lower part of the stomach. If you don’t have access to a cable machine, the single-arm row, barbell row or one of these seated cable row alternatives will serve as an effective substitute.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Sets 3 Reps 8-12

The dumbbell shoulder press targets the shoulders and triceps, with most of the work being done by the front part of the shoulder, known as the anterior deltoid. You can also do this exercise with a barbell if you prefer, or even a shoulder press machine.

Incline Dumbbell Curl

Sets 3 Reps 8-12

Next, we have some isolation work for your biceps. Doing curls on an incline bench, with your elbows behind your back, helps to target the long head of the biceps.

Triceps Pressdown

Sets 3 Reps 8-12

You can do pressdowns with a rope, V bar or straight bar. Although your triceps have done some work earlier in the workout, a few sets of direct work will give them a nice boost in growth.

Lower Body A

Squat

Sets 3 Reps 5-8

Next up is the barbell squat, which hits the quadriceps, glutes and lower back. How deep should you squat? Studies show that squatting to 90 degrees of knee flexion, which is slightly above parallel, is deep enough to make your quads grow. If you can’t do squats for whatever reason, take your pick from one of the squat alternatives listed here.

Romanian Deadlift

Sets 3 Reps 8-12

The Romanian deadlift targets the hamstrings, glutes and lower back. The exercise is initiated with a backward movement of the hips, the barbell is kept close to the body, and the movement stops roughly at the midpoint of the shin (or at the point where you reach the end of your hamstring flexibility). If your hamstrings are very tight, and you can only lower the dumbbells just below the level of your knees, that’s fine.

Leg Extension

Sets 3 Reps 12-15

The leg extension is an isolation exercise for your quadriceps. It’s an effective way to target rectus femoris, the large muscle that runs down the front of your thighs.

Seated Leg Curl

Sets 3 Reps 8-12

The seated leg curl targets your hamstrings. Research shows that the seated leg curl works better than the lying leg curl for hamstring growth. However, both are still very effective, so just use whatever machine is available. If you don’t have access to a leg curl machine, try one of these leg curl alternatives.

Standing Calf Raise

Sets 4 Reps 5-8

If you don’t have access to a calf raise machine, you can do single-leg calf raises while holding a dumbbell and/or wearing a weighted vest to add resistance. Compared to standing on the floor, doing calf raises while standing on a raised platform challenges your calves with a high level of tension while they’re in a lengthened position, which is an important stimulus for growth.

Upper Body B

Dumbbell Bench Press

Sets 3 Reps 8-12

Although it hits the same muscles as the barbell bench press, some people find that the dumbbell bench press feels easier on their wrists and shoulders. But if you prefer benching with barbells rather than dumbbells, go with the barbell bench press.

Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown

Sets 3 Reps 8-12

The reverse grip lat pulldown is done with a narrow grip and your palms facing you. Most people aren’t strong enough to do many chin-ups with their own body weight, which is why I normally recommend pulldowns instead. But if you prefer chin-ups, and you’re able to do 3 sets of 5-10 reps using good form, then do chin-ups instead.

Dumbbell Flyes

Sets 3 Reps 12-15

One of the functions of the pecs is to draw the arms across the body in a hugging-type movement, which is exactly what you get with dumbbell flyes. If you prefer cable crossovers or the pec deck machine, both are suitable alternatives.

Dumbbell Row

Sets 3 Reps 5-8

The single-arm dumbbell row is one of my favorite horizontal pulling exercises for training the back. Because your body weight is supported on the bench, you won’t end up having to terminate a set because of fatigue in the spinal erectors, which can sometimes happen with the bent-over barbell row.

Lateral Raise

Sets 3 Reps 12-15

The lateral raise targets the side delts, helping to make your shoulders broader. The anterior and posterior delts have been worked earlier in the workout, so the lateral raise ensures that your side delts don’t miss out.

Dumbbell Preacher Curl

Sets 3 Reps 12-15

Unlike the incline curl, which emphasizes the long head of the biceps, the preacher curl works better for recruiting the short head of the muscle. If you don’t have access to a preacher bench, you can also do preacher curls using a regular incline bench.

Lying EZ Bar Triceps Extension

Sets 3 Reps 12-15

While you can do these with a straight bar, the EZ bar is a little easier on your elbows. Instead of lowering the bar to your forehead, you can work your triceps a little harder by bringing the bar down behind your head.

Lower Body B

Deadlift

Sets 3 Reps 5-8

The deadlift hits the muscles in your thighs, hips and lower back. Make sure the bar stays close to your shins, focus on keeping the weight back on your heels (rather than your toes) and think about pulling the weight towards you on the way up. The barbell should come to a dead stop between each rep before you start the next one.

Leg Press

Sets 3 Reps 8-12

Exercise number two is the leg press. Like the squat, the leg press hits the quads and glutes, but with less involvement from the muscles in your lower back. If you don’t have access to a leg press machine, there are some effective leg press alternatives listed here.

Bulgarian Split Squat

Sets 3 Reps 8-12

The Bulgarian split squat targets the quads, glutes, and even hamstrings to some degree. Compared with the squat, you get less spinal loading, which makes it ideal if a bad back stops you squatting as often as you’d like. Both sides of the body are worked independently, which helps even out any strength imbalances from one side to the other.

Lying/Seated Leg Curl

Sets 3 Reps 12-15

While the squat is a great lower body exercise, it doesn’t hit the hamstrings very hard, which is where the leg curl comes in. Although the seated leg curl has been shown to work better than the lying leg curl for building hamstring size, both are still very effective, so just use whatever machine is available.

Seated Calf Raise

Sets 4 Reps 12-15

If you don’t have access to a seated calf raise machine, you can sit down on a bench and rest a barbell across your thighs (put a folded towel underneath the bar if it hurts your legs).

4-Day Upper/Lower Split: The Short Version

If you’re pushed for time, The Short Version of the 4-day split involves just three exercises in each workout. It’s the type of thing you should be able to get done in your lunch hour, or before you go to work in the morning.

There’s no direct arm work, as the biceps and triceps are involved when you train your back, chest and shoulders.

Your arms won’t grow as quickly had you trained them directly, but you should see some growth in the biceps and triceps nonetheless. You can throw in some work for the abs on your off days, or at the end of a workout if you have the time.

Upper Body Workout 1

A1 – Bench Press 5 sets x 5-8 reps [2-3 mins]
A2 – Wide Grip Lat Pulldown 5 sets x 12-15 reps [2 mins]
Overhead Press 3 sets x 8-12 reps [2 mins]

Lower Body Workout 1

Squat 5 sets x 5-8 reps [3-5 mins]
A1 – Lying/Seated Leg Curl 4 sets x 12-15 reps [2 mins]
A2 – Standing Calf Raise 4 sets x 5-8 reps [2 mins]

Upper Body Workout 2

A1 – Incline Dumbbell Press 5 sets x 8-12 reps [2 mins]
A2 – Seated Cable Row 5 sets x 8-12 reps [2 mins]
Lateral Raise 3 sets x 12-15 reps [2 mins]

Lower Body Workout 2

Leg Press 5 sets x 8-12 reps [3-4 mins]
A1 – Romanian Deadlift 4 sets x 8-12 reps [2-3 mins]
A2 – Seated Calf Raise 4 sets x 12-15 reps [2 mins]

You’ll notice that some of the exercises are labelled with A1 and A2. That means you have the option of pairing those exercises, which in turn saves you time in the gym.

One of the benefits of an upper/lower split is that it allows for agonist-antagonist supersets, where you perform two exercises back to back for opposing muscle groups, with a relatively short amount of rest between each exercise.

What does that mean exactly?

Normally when you’re lifting weights, you do a set… rest for a couple of minutes or so… do the next set… rest for a couple of minutes… do the next set…. rest… and so on.

But with paired sets, also known as supersets, instead of resting between sets, you do an exercise for another set of muscles.

For example, you’d do an exercise for your chest (like the Incline Dumbbell Press), rest for 30-60 seconds, do an exercise for your back (like the Seated Row), rest for 30-60 seconds, then go back to the Incline Dumbbell Press again, and so on.

Here’s an example of how it might look:

Set 1: Incline Dumbbell Press
Rest for 30-60 seconds
Set 1: Seated Row
Rest for 30-60 seconds
Set 2: Incline Dumbbell Press
Rest for 30-60 seconds
Set 2: Seated Row

And so on.

You don’t need to rush from one exercise to the other. Give yourself a bit of time to catch your breath and set yourself up properly.

If you end up resting longer between sets than the prescribed amount, that’s fine. In most cases, you’re better off with longer rest periods between sets, rather than not getting enough.

Agonist-Antagonist Supersets

Pairing seated rows and incline dumbbell presses is a great example of an agonist-antagonist superset.

As well as saving time, antagonistic paired sets do have the potential to enhance your performance in the gym. In one study, a group of trained men was able to do significantly more reps on the leg extension when they did the leg curl beforehand [10].

In fact, the men were able to crank out, on average, three additional reps on the leg extension machine when they did leg curls immediately, 30 seconds or 60 seconds earlier.

Some body part groupings that work well together include:

• Chest/Back
• Biceps/Triceps
• Quadriceps/Hamstrings

Quadriceps and hamstrings can be paired together, depending on the exercises you’re doing for each muscle group. Exercises like the leg extension and leg curl work fine, because you’re isolating the quadriceps and hamstrings.

However, exercises like the squat and Romanian deadlift wouldn’t be good candidates for an agonist-antagonist superset, mainly because there’s an overlap in terms of the muscles being worked.

That is, the two exercises involve both the spinal erectors and the glutes.

Fatigue from one exercise is going to bleed into the other, which is going to impair rather than improve your performance.

4-Day Upper/Lower Split for Strength

Powerlifters have long used upper/lower split routines to build strength, and it works very well for this purpose.

Pressing exercises (bench press and overhead press) are done on upper body days, as well as any assistance work for the upper back, shoulders and triceps.

On lower body days, it’s the deadlift and squat, along with any assistance exercises for the quads, hamstrings and abs.

Here’s what a 4-day workout split focused on building strength in the bench press, squat, press and deadlift might look like.

Monday

• Bench Press 5 sets x 3-5 reps [3-5 mins]
• Rack Press 4 sets x 6 reps [2-3 mins]
• + Assistance work for upper back/shoulders/triceps

Tuesday

• Squat 5 sets x 3-5 reps [3-5 mins]
• Romanian Deadlift 4 sets x 6 reps [2-3 mins]
• + Assistance work for quads/hamstrings/abs

Thursday

• Press 5 sets x 3-5 reps [3-5 mins]
• Close-Grip Bench Press 4 sets x 6 reps [2-3 mins]
• + Assistance work for upper back/shoulders/triceps

Friday

• Deadlift 4 sets x 3-5 reps [3-5 mins]
• Front Squat 4 sets x 6 reps [2-3 mins]
• + Assistance work for quads/hamstrings/abs

RELATED: The PHUL Workout: Power, Hypertrophy, Upper, Lower

Upper Body Lower Body Split: The Benefits

Flexible training program

One of the reasons I like the upper body lower body split so much is its flexibility

You can set up your training week in various different ways, depending on your goals and the time you have available to train.

For example, on a typical 4-day upper lower split, you can train:

• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
• Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday
• Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday

Maybe you have a demanding job that involves working lots of hours, and doesn’t leave you with much time and energy to train in the week. 

If so, you could crank out a couple of shorter, less demanding workouts on Tuesday and Wednesday, and leave the longer, more taxing training sessions for the weekend.

You can also insert an extra recovery day in the week if you feel unusually frazzled after your first lower body workout of the week, and feel like you need an extra day of rest. 

That is, instead of doing your second upper body and lower body days on Thursday and Friday respectively, you do them on Friday and Saturday instead.

With a workout routine that involves training 5-6 days per week, you don’t have the same degree of flexibility to move a scheduled training session to another day.

The end result being that workouts are either missed altogether, or bleed into the following week. This has the knock-on effect of messing around with training frequency.

The occasional skipped training session here or there isn’t going to put the brakes on your progress. But if you’re missing workouts on a regular basis, your muscles aren’t going to grow as quickly as they otherwise would have done.

An effective training frequency for most lifters

On a standard upper lower split routine, you’ve got two upper days, and two lower days. This means each muscle group is hit twice every seven days, which tends to work well for muscle growth.

Training a muscle once a week can and will make that muscle bigger. However, for most people at least, it’s probably the least effective way to train.

The majority of research out there shows that the major muscles should be trained at least twice a week in order to maximize growth [1].

Why does training a muscle twice a week or more work better than training it once a week?

The key driving force behind muscle growth is muscle protein synthesis, which refers to the creation of new muscle protein. And it’s the gradual accumulation of these proteins that makes your muscles bigger [2].

After you train, your body gets busy synthesizing new muscle protein. However, this process doesn’t continue indefinitely, and the rate of protein synthesis soon drops back to normal [3].

More interesting still, the rise in protein synthesis after a workout peaks earlier and returns to normal more quickly the longer you’ve been training [4]. That’s one reason why working a muscle just once a week becomes less effective over time.

In other words, a muscle might spend a day or so “growing” after a workout. But leaving a full seven days before you train that muscle again (which is often what happens with a body part split routine) means that several additional opportunities to stimulate hypertrophy have passed you by.

Assuming you’re not overdoing it in the gym, eating the right food and recovering properly, your muscles don’t need a full week before they’re ready for action again.

Effective for beginner, intermediate and advanced lifters

It’s also effective for lifters of all levels, and can be adjusted based on how long you’ve been training.

Beginners will often see impressive results lifting weights three times a week, as their muscles can be made to grow with a relatively small amount of work.

But as you accumulate more training miles on the clock, you’ll likely need a larger stimulus to spark continued growth. 

And by a larger stimulus, I’m talking about the total number of work sets you do for each muscle group over the course of a week. 

In most cases, that’s going to require more than three weekly workouts. Intermediate and advanced lifters will typically benefit from some kind of split routine that involves training 4, 5 or even 6 times a week.

The workouts are more enjoyable and satisfying

A lot of people prefer splitting their body into different areas, where they focus on 3-5 muscle groups in a given workout. 

Training your upper and lower body separately means you can do more total sets for each muscle group. This gives you much more of a pump – your muscles blow up and feel full, your skin feels tight, and you look a whole lot bigger than you actually are. 

The pump is relatively short-lived, and getting one isn’t essential for muscle growth. But it certainly feels good while it’s happening.

A higher volume of training also tends to generate more delayed-onset muscle soreness. 

Just like getting a pump, experiencing a degree of muscle soreness the day after a workout is no guarantee that muscle is going to be built any faster. But it’s an oddly satisfying sensation nevertheless.

Compared to full-body workouts, some folks find that an upper/lower split is just a more enjoyable and satisfying way to train, which is a major benefit. If you enjoy a particular training program, you’re far more likely to stick with it than one you don’t.

Focus and energy distributed across fewer muscle groups

While full-body workouts can be an effective way to train, especially when you’re just getting started, one of the downsides is that you’re working your entire body – chest, back, legs, shoulders and arms – in every workout.

Some people will run out of steam towards the end of a full-body training session. The muscles being trained towards the end of a workout receive less effort than the ones trained at the start. As a result, they’re not going to grow as fast.

Working your upper and lower body separately means that your energy and focus is distributed across fewer muscle groups, which should translate into faster gains.

Good for body recomposition

If you want to improve your body composition by losing fat while simultaneously replacing some of that lost fat with muscle, the upper/lower split is one of the best ways to go about doing so.

The four weekly workouts are burning extra calories, which is going to contribute to the energy deficit required for fat loss.

And because you’re training the upper and lower body separately, you’re able to hit all the major muscle groups with a sufficient amount of volume to stimulate growth.

Upper/Lower Split Template

If you want to set up your own upper/lower workout schedule, here’s the basic template to use.

Upper Body Workout Template

Here’s what a typical upper body workout might look like:

• Chest: 2 exercises (e.g bench press, incline dumbbell press)
• Back: 2 exercises (e.g. pull up, barbell row)
• Shoulders: 1-2 exercises (e.g. overhead press, lateral raise)
• Biceps: 1-2 exercises (e.g. incline curl, hammer curl)
• Triceps: 1-2 exercises (e.g. pressdown, overhead triceps extension)

Lower Body Workout Template

Here’s what a typical lower body workout might involve:

• Quadriceps: 2 exercises (e.g. parallel squat, leg extension)
• Hamstrings: 2 exercises (e.g. Romanian deadlift, leg curls)
• Calves: 1-2 exercises (e.g. standing calf raise, seated calf raise)
• Abs: 1-2 exercises (e.g. rollouts, weighted crunch)

Exercises like squats, leg presses and split squats will hit the glutes as well as the quads. As such, it’s not strictly necessary to do additional exercises for the glutes.

But if you do want to train the glutes directly, an exercise like the barbell or banded hip thrust will do the job.

Upper Body Exercises

The upper body workouts involve mainly pressing exercises, such as the bench press (both flat and incline) and overhead press (both barbell and dumbbell), pulling exercises like pulldowns and rows, along with some isolation exercises for the biceps and triceps.

• Bench Press
• Incline Dumbbell Press
• Dumbbell Flyes
• Lat Pulldown
• Pull-Ups
• Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
• T-Bar Row
• Overhead Dumbbell Press
• Lateral Raise
• Triceps Pressdown
• Overhead Triceps Extension
• Incline Curl
• Cross Body Hammer Curl

Lower Body Exercises

The lower body workouts involve exercises like the squat, leg press, leg extension, Bulgarian split squat, leg curl, Romanian deadlift and calf raise. You can throw in ab work whenever you want, normally I like to do it on lower body days.

• Back Squat
• Hack Squat
• Leg Press
• Bulgarian Split Squats
• Leg Extension
• Deadlift
• Romanian Deadlift
• Lying Leg Curl
• Seated Leg Curl
• Standing Calf Raise

Optimal Training Volume on an Upper/Lower Workout Schedule

It is possible to build muscle with a relatively small number of sets. For some, as little as five sets per muscle group per week is enough to make your muscles grow [8].

However, if you want to maximize your rate of muscle growth, chances are you’re going to see better results with 10-20 sets per muscle group per week.

By “muscle group,” I’m not talking about an area of the body like the arms or the legs. Specifically, I’m talking about groups of muscles that work together to create movement at a joint, such as the quadriceps, hamstrings, biceps, triceps and so on.

For example, if you do four sets of squats, three sets of leg presses and three sets of leg curls over the course of a week, you’ve performed a total of 10 sets for the legs. But most of the work has been done by the quadriceps (the muscles on the front of your thigh).

Although the hamstrings are doing some work during the squat, for instance, it’s not equivalent to the work done by the quadriceps. That is, 10 sets of back squats per week wouldn’t count as 10 sets for the quadriceps and 10 sets for the hamstrings.

As far as reps are concerned, anywhere between 5 and 30 reps will get the job done. You can go higher or lower and still build muscle, but I don’t think there’s much point in doing so.

Go too low and it can leave your joints sore and tender. On the flip side, high rep sets tend to last longer and be more painful than lower rep sets. But they haven’t been shown to deliver any additional benefits in the muscle growth department.

With the upper lower split, you can rotate between two different workouts for each set of muscles, rather than just repeat the same workout each time.

For example, the first upper body workout might be a heavy day, where you focus on compound exercises and heavy weights in the 5-8 rep range.

The second upper body workout might involve lighter weights, higher reps, fewer compound lifts and more single-joint exercises.

There’s some interesting research out there to show that this type of approach leads to a (slightly) faster rate of muscle growth compared to sticking with the same weight and reps [9].

The differences between the groups weren’t dramatic – a little extra muscle here and there. But, this study only lasted eight weeks. Over months and years, those small differences may well add up.

You can also alternate between different exercises for each muscle group. For example, if you do deadlifts in your first lower body workout, do something less taxing like leg curls in the second.

How to Progress With Upper/Lower Workouts

You’ll notice that the upper and lower body workouts use rep ranges, such as 5-8 or 8-12, rather than a fixed number of reps in each set.

For example, in the first upper body workout, the prescription for the bench press is 3 sets of 5-8 reps.

The idea is that you select a weight that allows you to perform at least 5 reps in each set, but no more than 8.

Every time you go to the gym, you try to do more reps than you did the workout before. Once you’re able to do 8 reps in every set, increase the weight for the following workout.

It’s a form of progression known as the double progression method. Here’s an example of how it might look in practice:

Upper Body Workout 1

• Set 1: 100 pounds x 8 reps
• Set 2: 100 pounds x 7 reps
• Set 3: 100 pounds x 5 reps

Upper Body Workout 2

• Set 1: 100 pounds x 8 reps
• Set 2: 100 pounds x 7 reps
• Set 3: 100 pounds x 6 reps

Upper Body Workout 3

• Set 1: 100 pounds x 8 reps
• Set 2: 100 pounds x 8 reps
• Set 3: 100 pounds x 7 reps

Upper Body Workout 4

• Set 1: 100 pounds x 8 reps
• Set 2: 100 pounds x 8 reps
• Set 3: 100 pounds x 8 reps

Upper Body Workout 5

• Set 1: 105 pounds x 7 reps
• Set 2: 105 pounds x 6 reps
• Set 3: 105 pounds x 5 reps

As you can see, in workout four, once you’re able to do 8 reps in all 3 sets, you add weight in workout give and repeat the cycle. 

This simple double progression method can work well for most exercises, and will produce decent gains in muscle mass over several months, just as long as you stay consistent and work hard.

It’s also important to make sure that your technique remains solid from one workout to the next. Don’t kid yourself into thinking that you’ve gotten stronger, when all you’re doing is cheating on those last few reps to get the weight up.

The exact number of workouts it takes to reach this point will vary from person to person, and from exercise to exercise. It might take 10 workouts or it might take 5. But wait until you can do 3 sets of 8 reps before adding weight.

How and When to Change Your Workout Schedule

None of this means you should stick to the same exercises all the time, and do nothing but add weight and reps. 

In fact, one of the best ways to add variety to your training program without screwing up your progress is to use the same workout template and rotate some of the exercises on a semi-regular basis.

Most of the exercises you do can be put into one of these categories:

• Horizontal push (e.g. bench press, 30° incline bench press)
• Horizontal pull (e.g. dumbbell row, )
• Vertical pull (e.g. lat pulldown, pull-ups)
• Vertical push (e.g. barbell press, dumbbell shoulder press)
• Squat (e.g. back squat, leg press, lunges)
• Hip hinge (e.g. deadlift, stiff-leg deadlift)

Rotating exercises involves taking an exercise from one category and replacing it with another exercise from the very same category.

You might start out using the seated row as your main horizontal pulling exercise. Then you can switch to dumbbell rows, inverted bodyweight rows or any horizontal rowing movement that provides a sufficient level of resistance.

With the deadlift, you might begin with a regular deadlift. Then you switch to a Romaniean deadlift. Then you replace the Romanian deadlift with rack pulls. Although you’re still doing a deadlift, each variation will shift the emphasis to a different set of muscles.

The same principle holds true with the other primary exercises. Dumbbells can take the place of barbells in both the bench press and overhead press. The leg press, rear foot elevated split squat (or any suitable squat alternative) can replace the back squat.

For best results, there should be some kind of semi-regular variation in your selection of exercises.

Many of the training programs used by members of the Westside Barbell club, which has produced some of the biggest, strongest men on the planet, involve rotating exercises on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

This gives you the consistency of a structured plan but with enough variety to stop you getting bored.

More Upper/Lower Split Routines

• 3 Day Upper/Lower Split
• 3-Day Upper/Lower/Full Body
• 5-Day Upper/Lower Split
• 6-Day Upper/Lower Split

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I do upper body then lower body?

You can do it either way. There’s nothing to stop you switching the order of the workouts so that you train your lower body first, turning it into a lower/upper split.

In fact, I prefer doing my lower body workouts first. Training the legs is hard work, much harder than training the upper body. I like coming into a lower body workout fresh from a day or two of complete rest.

Is the upper/lower workout split good for beginners?

The upper/lower split is a great choice for beginners wanting to build muscle and get stronger.

In one Baylor University study, a group of beginners gained 12 pounds (5.6 kilograms) of muscle in just 10 weeks using a 4-day upper/lower split routine [7]. That’s an impressive rate of progress, even taking into account the fact they were beginners.

You’re not necessarily going to see the same kind of dramatic gains in muscle mass, especially if you’re not an untrained beginner in your late teens or early twenties.

However, the results do show that a simple upper/lower split can be used by beginners to achieve some impressive gains in muscle mass.

Which is better, a push/pull or upper/lower workout split?

Both the push/pull and upper/lower split do have a number of things in common. The default version of both routines involve training four days a week, with each muscle group being trained twice a week.

Where they differ is the way you split your body up. With the push/pull split, you have two different workouts: a push workout and a pull workout.

The push workout revolves around pushing movements for the upper body, which involve the chest, shoulders and triceps. The pull workout centers on pulling movements for the upper body, which involve the back and biceps.

In addition, the push workouts also involve exercises that focus on your quads, while the pull day workouts will include some work for your hamstrings.

This makes the push/pull split ideal if you don’t like leg days. Rather than devote an entire workout to your lower body, you do a little bit of leg work every time you train.

Both are also ideal for intermediate lifters looking to move on from a full-body workout done three days a week.

What splits do bodybuilders use?

While there’s no single training split used by all bodybuilders all of the time, most of their training programs do have a few things in common.

In a survey of competitive bodybuilders published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, results showed that most respondents trained 4–7 times per week, hitting the major muscles twice a week, with each workout lasting 60–90 minutes.

Off-season training sessions mostly comprised of targeting 2–3 muscle groups, 2–3 exercises per muscle group, 3–4 sets per exercise, 7–12 reps per set, and 1-3 minutes of recovery between sets and exercises.

Are upper/lower splits good for bodybuilding?

An upper/lower split can certainly be used to make your muscles grow, which is one of the main goals of bodybuilding. However, a 4-day upper/lower split is likely not going to be enough if you want to step on stage in a bodybuilding contest.

Bodybuilders need a relatively high volume of training to ensure that every muscle is developed to its full potential, hence the popularity of the so-called bro split in bodybuilding circles.

But it’s difficult to do that if you’re working the whole of your upper body and lower body in a single workout.

It might be doable with a 6-day upper/lower split, where each workout is focused on a different set of muscles. For example, the first upper body workout might focus on the chest and shoulders, the second on the back and the third on the arms.

You’re still training the upper body three days a week, but each workout focuses more on certain regions with less work for the others.

You’d take the same approach to training your lower body. The first workout would focus on the quads, the second on the hamstrings, and the third on the calves.

Again, you’d still hit the whole of the lower body three times a week, but each workout would be different, with more sets and exercises for some muscles and fewer sets and exercises for others.

How many exercises should I do for each muscle group on an upper/lower split?

As a general rule, I’d suggest doing 2-3 exercises for the chest, back, quadriceps, and hamstrings in each workout. Muscles like the shoulders, biceps, and triceps don’t need quite as much work. In most cases, 1-2 exercises should be sufficient.

Can you do an upper/lower workout split 6 days a week?

Yes, an upper/lower split can be done six days a week. If you want results as fast as humanly possible, and you’ve got the discipline and mental grit to make sure that your training, nutrition and recovery are consistently on target, a 6-day upper/lower split is a viable option.

What’s the best time to do cardio on an upper/lower split?

The best time to do cardio on an upper/lower split depends on how intense that cardio is. If all you’re doing is going for a brisk walk outside, you can do it when you like.

Low-intensity steady state cardio (LISS), such as walking, has only a minor impact on your muscle-building efforts in the gym. As a result, it can be done on a much more regular basis – daily, if that’s what you want to do.

But with high-intensity cardio, such as HIIT, you need to be a lot more careful about how much you do and when you do it. That’s because HIIT has a much greater potential to interfere with your ability to recover from and adapt to your weight training sessions.

The best time to do more intense cardio on an upper/lower split would be on the days you’re not lifting weights. For example, if you trained your upper body on Monday and your lower body on Tuesday, you’d do some cardio on the Wednesday, and then again on the Saturday.

How much volume should you do per muscle group in a 4-day upper/lower split to experience growth when bulking?

Aim for 10-20 weekly sets for the major muscles – chest, back, quads and hamstrings – divided across two workouts. The shoulders and arms are worked alongside the chest and back, so won’t require as much work to stimulate growth.

Would an upper/lower split be better for fat loss than a full body workout?

Neither one is inherently better than the other when it comes to losing fat. What matters most when it comes to fat loss is making sure your diet is set up properly. For an identical volume of training, most people will see similar results with both training programs, and should pick the one they’re most likely to stay consistent with.

Is a 3-day upper/lower split effective?

It’s certainly effective in the sense that it will lead to muscle being gained. But overall, it’s going to be less effective than the 4-day upper/lower split, mainly because you’re only hitting each muscle group 1.5 times per week instead of twice.

Which is better, a full body or upper/lower split?

A lot depends on how often can train, and how much volume your muscles need to grow. If you’re only able to hit the gym 3 times a week, and relatively new to weight training, where volume requirements are typically on the low side, go with a full-body workout performed three days a week.

But if you’ve moved past the novice phase of training, and need more weekly sets to keep the gains coming, you’ll likely see faster muscle growth with an upper/lower split.

Where would ab workouts go in an upper/lower split?

Wherever you can fit them in. You can do them with the upper body workout, the lower body workout, or even on your rest days.

How long should I rest between sets?

For best results, take at least two minutes of rest between sets. Without enough rest from one set to the other, you won’t be able to do as many reps. And it’s this reduction in volume load which has the knock on effect of reducing the stimulus for growth [11].

The majority of studies show that rest periods in the region of 2-3 minutes promote greater gains in size and strength than shorter rest periods lasting 1 minute or less [12].