Upper/Lower Split: The 4-Day Plan

The full-body plan has carried you through the first months: weights have gone up, technique is solid and training has become a habit. But at some point things get tight. If you want to train squats, deadlifts, bench presses, rows and shoulder presses heavy in one session, you are exhausted after 90 minutes before the last exercises come round.

The upper/lower split solves this problem elegantly: you divide the body into two halves, train each twice a week and have more energy per session for fewer exercises. It belongs to the Training Plans topic. If you haven't completed a full-body plan yet, start with the 3-day full-body plan.

Why this split works so well

• Every muscle twice a week. The frequency that has proven effective for muscle building – more in How often should you train?.
• More volume per muscle. Because each session trains only half the body, more sets per muscle fit in without quality suffering.
• Clear structure. A heavy and a volume-focused day for each half of the body combine strength and muscle growth.
• Fits everyday life. Four days are manageable for most people with jobs.

The weekly rhythm

Other combinations also work, as long as there are at least two days between the two sessions for the same half of the body.

The plan

Upper A (heavy)

Lower A (heavy)

Upper B (volume)

Lower B (volume)

The deadlift is deliberately on the volume day – with moderate reps, because high rep counts in the deadlift tire grip and core tension more than the target muscles. The technique is explained in How to deadlift properly.

Starting the upper/lower split

1. 1

   Step 1

   Set the weekly rhythm

   Choose four days with at least two days between the two sessions for each half of the body, for example Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Carry over weights from your full-body plan

   On heavy days, start with about 85–90 percent of the weights you last moved for 5 reps, and on volume days with weights for 10–12 reps.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Track progression per day

   On heavy days, increase the weight once all sets reach 6 reps; on volume days, once you reach 12 reps.

4. 4

   Step 4

   Deload after 6–8 weeks

   After six to eight weeks, plan a lighter week with half the volume before the next block begins.

Volume at a glance

• Back13 sets
• Quads12 sets
• Hamstrings9 sets
• Chest+ indirect7 sets
• Shoulders+ indirect6 sets
• Glutes+ indirect6 sets
• Arms (per muscle)+ indirect4 sets

›Show data as table

Category	Sets per week
Back	13 sets
Quads	12 sets
Hamstrings	9 sets
Chest	7 sets	+ indirect
Shoulders	6 sets	+ indirect
Glutes	6 sets	+ indirect
Arms (per muscle)	4 sets	+ indirect

That is within the 10–20 sets per muscle range that has proven effective for muscle building. How to count sets correctly is explained in Training volume: how many sets per week?.

Progression: two days, two rules

Heavy days (4–6 reps): when you manage 6 clean reps in all sets, increase the weight by 2.5 kg (upper body) or 5 kg (lower body).

Volume days (8–12 reps): double progression – first increase reps up to 12, then increase the weight and start again at 8.

All working sets end with about one to two reps in reserve. How to judge that is described in RIR and RPE. The basics of progression are in Progressive overload.

Deloads and block planning

After six to eight weeks, fatigue accumulates even if you still feel good. A deload week with about half the volume and slightly reduced weight lets your body catch up. Then you start a new block, ideally with slightly changed exercises. When and how to deload is explained in Deload week.

Adjustments for your situation

Goal strength: 5 × 3–5 on heavy days, slightly fewer isolation exercises on volume days.

Goal cutting: reduce volume by about a third, keep the weights as far as possible. More in Training plan for a cutting phase.

Only three days available: rotating plan – U/L/U in week 1, L/U/L in week 2.

Focus on one muscle group: add two to four sets per week for a weak point and cut elsewhere instead.

Steering with recovery data: on days with poor recovery, swap the heavy and volume day. How that works is shown in Training plan with recovery-based adjustments.

When the next step comes

The upper/lower split carries many people for years. If you want to train six days a week and want more volume per session for individual muscle groups, you can switch to push-pull-legs later. For building muscle, however, that isn't necessary.

Conclusion: the plan for the next few years

For many people, the upper/lower split is the sweet spot: enough frequency, enough volume, fits everyday life and is flexible. With clear progression and regular deload weeks, it takes you well beyond the beginner phase. If you can only keep two slots a week free, the right alternative is the training plan for 2 days a week.