Training · 6 min read ·
4 Day Upper Lower Split: A Sample Plan for Muscle Growth
A 4 day upper lower split explained: the weekly schedule, two upper and two lower workouts with sets and reps, volume per muscle, and how to progress.
A 4 day upper lower split means two upper body days and two lower body days each week, usually Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Every muscle gets trained twice, sessions stay around an hour, and you still get three full rest days. For a lot of people coming off a beginner program, it's the most practical next step.
It sits right between full body and a six day push pull legs plan. You get more room for volume than three full body days, without needing to live in the gym. Below is a complete week, how much work each muscle gets, and how to keep it moving forward.
How the week is laid out
The classic schedule is Upper A Monday, Lower A Tuesday, rest Wednesday, Upper B Thursday, Lower B Friday, and the weekend off. If weekends are easier for you, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday works too. The only rule is to avoid putting both lower days back to back, since squats and deadlifts on consecutive days rarely go well.
The A and B days aren't just repeats. A days lean heavier, with compound lifts in the 5-8 rep range. B days use different exercises and a bit more volume in the 8-15 range. That way you practice the big lifts heavy once a week and still get plenty of growth work on the second day.
Sample 4 day upper lower split
Rest 2-3 minutes on the first two exercises of each day and 60-90 seconds on the rest. Stop most sets with 1-3 reps left in the tank.
- Upper A (Monday): bench press 4x5-7, barbell row 4x6-8, overhead press 3x6-8, pull-ups or pulldown 3x6-10, lateral raise 3x12-15, barbell curl 2x8-10, skull crusher 2x8-10.
- Lower A (Tuesday): back squat 4x5-7, Romanian deadlift 3x6-8, leg press 3x10-12, lying leg curl 3x10-12, standing calf raise 4x8-12, hanging knee raise 3x10-15.
- Upper B (Thursday): incline dumbbell press 4x8-12, chest-supported row 4x10-12, single-arm pulldown 3x10-12, cable fly 3x12-15, lateral raise 3x15-20, incline curl 3x10-12, overhead triceps extension 3x10-12.
- Lower B (Friday): hack squat or front squat 3x8-10, hip thrust 4x8-12, Bulgarian split squat 3x10 per leg, seated leg curl 3x12-15, seated calf raise 4x12-20, cable crunch 3x12-15.
How much volume each muscle gets
Counting hard sets on that week: chest gets 11 direct sets plus overhead press overlap, back gets 14, side delts 6 direct, quads around 13, hamstrings 9 plus hip thrust overlap, and glutes are well covered by squats, hip thrusts and split squats. Biceps and triceps each get 5 direct sets on top of all the rows and presses.
That puts most muscles inside the 10-20 sets per week range that works for most natural lifters. If you want the reasoning behind that number, how many sets per muscle per week breaks it down. For a lagging area, add 2-3 sets split across both days rather than piling them on one.
Upper lower vs push pull legs vs full body
Full body three days a week is hard to beat for beginners, but each session has to cover everything, so adding volume makes workouts long. The full body 3 days a week plan tops out around 10 sets per muscle before sessions start dragging.
A six day push pull legs split gives the most room for volume, but it asks for six gym visits a week. Miss two and the whole week falls apart.
Upper lower hits every muscle twice a week on four days. Upper days do run longer than lower days, because you're fitting chest, back, shoulders and arms into one session. If an upper day regularly passes 75 minutes, cut the arm work to one exercise each and move the second to the other upper day.
How to progress on an upper lower split
Use double progression on everything. On Upper A bench, for example, work in 5-7 reps. Once you get 4 sets of 7 at 185 lb (84 kg), go to 190 lb (86 kg) next week and build back up from 5. Lower body lifts can usually take bigger jumps: 10 lb (5 kg) on squats and Romanian deadlifts while they're still moving.
B day accessories progress slower. Adding one rep per set per week on lateral raises or leg curls is a good pace. When you hit the top of the range on every set, go up to the next dumbbell or plate. Keep a log, because with four different workouts you won't remember last week's numbers.
Every 6-8 weeks, or when two or three lifts stall at the same time, take a lighter week with about half the sets. That's usually enough to start progressing again.
Who should run it, and common mistakes
It's a great fit for anyone with six months to a few years of training who can reliably get to the gym four days a week. It also works well during a cut, since four moderate sessions are easier to recover from than six on fewer calories.
The most common mistake is treating lower days as an afterthought. Lower A and B should be just as hard as the upper days, and they'll leave you more tired. The second is copying Upper A onto Upper B. Changing the angle (flat to incline, rows to pulldowns) spreads the work across more of each muscle and is easier on your joints. The third is adding a fifth day of arms or shoulders because the plan feels too easy. Give it eight weeks first. If your lifts are going up, it's working.
FAQ
Is a 4 day upper lower split good for building muscle?
Yes. It trains each muscle twice a week with enough volume for most natural lifters, which is what research supports for growth. Many people build muscle on it for years.
Is upper lower better than push pull legs?
Neither is better on its own. Upper lower fits four days a week, while push pull legs needs six to hit everything twice. Pick the one that matches how often you can actually train.
Can beginners do an upper lower split?
They can, but full body three days a week is usually better for the first few months because you practice each lift more often. Switch to upper lower when full body sessions start running long.
Where do abs go on an upper lower split?
Most people add two or three ab sets to the end of each lower day, since lower sessions tend to be a bit shorter. Two to four ab exercises a week is plenty.