Upper Lower Split
Four sessions a week, each muscle group trained twice. It is the split most intermediate lifters should run: enough frequency to grow, enough rest days to recover, and it survives a missed session better than a six-day plan.
- Level
- Intermediate
- Goal
- Build muscle
- Days / week
- 4
- Session
- 65m
- Exercises
- 24
Is this the right plan for you?
Run this if
- Included: Lifters past their first six months who want twice-weekly frequency
- Included: Anyone with four reliable training days a week
- Included: People who want one plan that works for both size and strength
Pick something else if
- Not included: Anyone training fewer than three days a week
- Not included: Absolute beginners, who do better on full body
Weekly schedule
Upper, Lower, rest, Upper, Lower, rest, rest
Equipment needed: Barbell, dumbbells, cable stack or machines
The sessions
Session 01
Upper A
Horizontal push and pull emphasis
Barbell Bench Press
Shoulder blades pulled back and down before the bar leaves the rack.
- Sets
- 4
- Reps
- 5-8
- Rest
- 180s
Bent Over Barbell Row
Match your bench volume with rowing volume to keep the shoulders healthy.
- Sets
- 4
- Reps
- 6-10
- Rest
- 150s
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Stop just short of locking out to keep tension on the delts.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 8-12
- Rest
- 120s
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
Drive the elbows down into your pockets rather than pulling with the hands.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 10-12
- Rest
- 90s
Dumbbell Bicep Curl
Control the lowering for two seconds on every rep.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 10-12
- Rest
- 60s
Triceps Pushdown
Elbows stay glued to your ribs.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 10-15
- Rest
- 60s
Session 02
Lower A
Squat pattern emphasis
Barbell Squat
Brace before you unrack, not after.
- Sets
- 4
- Reps
- 5-8
- Rest
- 210s
Romanian Deadlift
Hips back, spine neutral, stop at the end of your hamstring range.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 8-10
- Rest
- 150s
Barbell Lunge
Step far enough that the front shin stays close to vertical.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 8-10 each leg
- Rest
- 120s
Lying Leg Curl
Two seconds down on every rep.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 10-15
- Rest
- 90s
Standing Calf Raise
Full range. Half reps do nothing here.
- Sets
- 4
- Reps
- 12-20
- Rest
- 60s
Plank
Squeeze the glutes to stop the hips sagging.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 45-60 seconds
- Rest
- 60s
Session 03
Upper B
Vertical push and pull emphasis
Barbell Overhead Press
Ribs down, glutes tight, bar path straight over the middle of the foot.
- Sets
- 4
- Reps
- 5-8
- Rest
- 180s
Pull-Up
Use assistance or a band if you cannot reach six clean reps.
- Sets
- 4
- Reps
- 6-10
- Rest
- 150s
Incline Dumbbell Press
Bench at roughly 30 degrees.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 8-12
- Rest
- 120s
One-Arm Dumbbell Row
Do not let the torso rotate to finish the rep.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 10-12 each side
- Rest
- 90s
Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Light weight, high reps, no swinging.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 12-20
- Rest
- 60s
Face Pull
Pull to the forehead and rotate the hands back.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 15-20
- Rest
- 60s
Session 04
Lower B
Hinge pattern emphasis
Barbell Deadlift
Reset your brace between every rep rather than bouncing off the floor.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 4-6
- Rest
- 210s
Front Squat
Elbows high. The moment they drop, the bar follows.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 6-10
- Rest
- 180s
Barbell Hip Thrust
Finish with the ribs down, not with the lower back arched.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 8-12
- Rest
- 120s
Leg Extension
Pause for a second at full extension.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 12-15
- Rest
- 75s
Seated Calf Raise
This one biases the soleus, so keep the reps high.
- Sets
- 4
- Reps
- 15-20
- Rest
- 60s
Hanging Leg Raise
Stop swinging before you add reps.
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 10-15
- Rest
- 60s
How to progress
- 01Add reps within the range each week until every set is at the top.
- 02Then add load and reset to the bottom of the range.
- 03If a lift stalls for three straight sessions, cut its load by ten percent and build back.
Questions about this plan
- Is an upper lower split better than push pull legs?
- For most people training four days a week, yes, because it delivers the same twice-weekly frequency in two fewer sessions. Push pull legs pulls ahead only when you can genuinely train six days a week.
- Can I run upper lower three days a week?
- Yes, by alternating: Upper, Lower, Upper one week, then Lower, Upper, Lower the next. Frequency averages out to 1.5 sessions per muscle group per week.
- What if I miss a session?
- Push the week back rather than skipping the day. The split is built on alternating upper and lower, and that order matters more than which calendar day each session lands on.
Want this adjusted to you?
This is a fixed template. The generator writes the same structure around your level, goal, available days and equipment, and it is free for the first plan.
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