Upper A
Heavy bench and row| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bench press | 4 | 5–6 | 3 min |
| Bent-over row | 4 | 6–8 | 2–3 min |
| Overhead press | 3 | 8–10 | 2 min |
| Lat pulldown | 3 | 10–12 | 90 s |
| Barbell curl | 2 | 10–12 | 60 s |
| Triceps pushdown | 2 | 10–12 | 60 s |
Workout programs · Beginner–intermediate
Upper/lower split: a 4-day workout plan
An upper/lower split trains your upper body on two days and your lower body on two days. Every muscle gets worked twice a week, sessions stay a manageable length, and you get three rest days. It's one of the most balanced plans for building strength and muscle together, and the natural step up from a full-body routine.
- Days per week
- 4
- Goal
- Strength and muscle
- Session length
- 60–70 min
- Equipment
- Full gym: barbell, dumbbells, cables, bench, rack
Who it's for
- Lifters who've been training consistently for three months or more and want to move beyond full-body sessions.
- Anyone who wants strength and size in equal measure.
- People who can reliably train four days a week.
- Lifters who want the main barbell lifts twice a week without six-day commitments.
If you can only train three days a week, a full-body plan will serve you better. If you're chasing maximum muscle and can train six days, push pull legs gives you more volume.
Weekly schedule
| Day | 4-day |
|---|---|
| Mon | Upper A |
| Tue | Lower A |
| Wed | Rest |
| Thu | Upper B |
| Fri | Lower B |
| Sat | Rest |
| Sun | Rest |
Any arrangement works as long as you avoid three training days in a row more than occasionally. Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri is the most common, Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat works too.
The workouts
Lower A
Heavy squat| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back squat | 4 | 5–6 | 3 min |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 | 8–10 | 2 min |
| Leg press | 3 | 10–12 | 2 min |
| Leg curl | 3 | 10–12 | 90 s |
| Calf raise | 3 | 10–15 | 60 s |
| Plank | 3 | 30–45 s | 60 s |
Upper B
Volume: incline press and pull-ups| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incline dumbbell press | 4 | 8–10 | 2 min |
| Pull-upSwap for assisted pull-ups or the lat pulldown until you can do six clean reps. | 4 | 6–10 | 2 min |
| Seated cable row | 3 | 10–12 | 90 s |
| Lateral raise | 3 | 12–15 | 60 s |
| Face pull | 3 | 15 | 60 s |
| Hammer curl | 2 | 10–12 | 60 s |
| Overhead triceps extension | 2 | 10–12 | 60 s |
Lower B
Heavy deadlift and single-leg work| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadlift | 3 | 4–6 | 3 min |
| Bulgarian split squat | 3 | 8–10 / leg | 90 s |
| Hip thrust | 3 | 8–12 | 2 min |
| Leg curl | 3 | 12–15 | 60 s |
| Calf raise | 3 | 12–15 | 60 s |
| Hanging knee raise | 3 | 10–15 | 60 s |
How to progress
- Main lifts (bench, row, squat, deadlift): when you complete every set at the top of the rep range, add 2.5 kg (5 lb) to upper-body lifts and 2.5–5 kg (5–10 lb) to lower-body lifts next session.
- Everything else uses double progression: add reps within the range first, then add weight once all sets reach the top.
- Leave one to two reps in reserve on the heavy 5–6 rep work and zero to two on the accessory exercises.
- If you fail to add a rep or any weight to a main lift for three sessions running, reset that lift to about 90% of the stuck weight and climb again.
Deloads
- Take a deload week every 6–8 weeks, or when two or more main lifts have stalled at the same time.
- During the deload, do every session with half the sets at about 90% of your usual weights. Keep the technique crisp; don't test anything.
- After the deload, resume at the weights you were using before it. Most lifters come back slightly stronger.
Sample week
Week four for a lifter who started at a 60 kg bench, 80 kg squat and 100 kg deadlift. Weights are illustrative.
- MonUpper A
Bench 65 kg: 6, 6, 6, 6, so next session is 67.5 kg. Row 60 kg: 8, 7, 7, 7. Overhead press 37.5 kg: 10, 9, 8.
- TueLower A
Squat 90 kg: 6, 6, 5, 5. Romanian deadlift 70 kg: 10, 10, 9. Plank 45 s × 3.
- WedRest
Rest, or 20–30 minutes of easy walking or cycling.
- ThuUpper B
Incline dumbbell press 24 kg dumbbells: 10, 9, 9, 8. Pull-ups: 8, 7, 6, 6.
- FriLower B
Deadlift 115 kg: 6, 5, 5. Bulgarian split squat 16 kg dumbbells: 10, 9, 9 per leg.
- SatRest
Rest or light activity.
- SunRest
Rest. Next week starts with Upper A at the new weights.
Common mistakes
Treating both upper days the same
Day A is heavier with fewer reps, day B is lighter with more. Keeping that contrast gives you both strength and size work.
Rushing rest on heavy sets
Two to three minutes between heavy sets is normal. Short rest on 5-rep work just means fewer reps on the next set.
Letting lower days slide
Lower days are hard, so they're the first to get skipped or cut short. Do the main lift first while you're fresh and the rest follows.
Progressing accessories too fast
Isolation exercises use small muscles. Add reps for weeks before you add weight, and use the smallest increment available.
FAQ
Is an upper/lower split better than push pull legs?
Neither is better in general. Upper/lower trains each muscle twice in four days, PPL twice in six. If you can only train four days, upper/lower gives you the same frequency with fewer sessions.
Can beginners do an upper/lower split?
Yes, especially after a few months of full-body training. Complete beginners can run it too, starting with light weights and focusing on technique.
Can I do an upper/lower split 3 days a week?
You can rotate it (Upper, Lower, Upper one week, then Lower, Upper, Lower the next), but each muscle then gets trained about 1.5 times a week. A full-body plan is usually simpler at three days.
How long should each upper/lower workout take?
Around an hour, including warm-up sets. If sessions are running over 75 minutes, trim rest on the accessory exercises before you cut sets from the main lifts.
Where does cardio fit?
On the rest days, or after lifting. Easy cardio for 20–40 minutes a few times a week won't interfere with your progress; keep hard intervals away from the day before a lower session.
Other programs
General training information, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, check with a qualified professional before starting a new program.
Start this plan in Bravel — your last weights, right in every set
Bravel logs every set and shows what you lifted last time, so you always know what to add — no spreadsheet needed. Or ask Spiro, the AI coach, to build a plan around your schedule. Join the waitlist to get it at launch.
Launching soon