The Upper Lower Split: A Four-Day Training Plan Explained

An upper lower split divides your training into two session types: one for the upper body (chest, back, shoulders, arms) and one for the lower body (legs, glutes, trunk). You usually run each twice a week, for four sessions in total, so every muscle group gets trained twice with enough rest in between. It suits people who have outgrown a three-day full-body plan, can reliably train four days a week, and want more focused sessions without the complexity of a five or six-day split. Below is a complete four-day plan, how to schedule it around work and how to progress it.

Why the upper lower split works

The split solves a specific problem. Full-body sessions are excellent for beginners, but as you get stronger, each one becomes long and tiring: by the time you reach your fourth or fifth exercise, you are fatigued for everything that follows. Splitting the body in half lets you give each area more attention and still train it twice a week.

Training each muscle group twice weekly is a widely accepted principle for building strength and muscle efficiently, and the upper lower split delivers it in four sessions. That is the minimum number of days for that frequency with a two-way split, and for most working adults, four days is the realistic ceiling anyway. If you are deciding between this and a three-way rotation, our guide to push pull legs for beginners explains when that route makes more sense.

Who it suits, and who it does not

The split is a good fit if you:

• Have trained consistently for at least six months, ideally on a full-body plan.
• Can commit to four sessions most weeks, not just in good weeks.
• Want to build strength and muscle and are making slower progress than you used to.

It is a poorer fit if your week regularly collapses to two sessions. Miss an upper day and a lower day and some muscle groups have gone a full week untrained. If that sounds like your diary, a three-day full-body plan or even a two-day plan will give you better results, because missing a session costs less.

The four-day plan

Each body half has two versions: a heavier day built around lower reps on the main lifts, and a lighter day with more reps and slightly different exercises. That variety spreads the stress on your joints and trains both strength and muscle size.

Upper A (heavier)

1. Barbell bench press: 4 sets of 5-6
2. Seated cable row: 4 sets of 6-8
3. Standing overhead press: 3 sets of 6-8
4. Lat pulldown: 3 sets of 8-10
5. Cable triceps pushdown: 2 sets of 10-12
6. Dumbbell curl: 2 sets of 10-12

Lower A (heavier)

1. Barbell back squat: 4 sets of 5-6
2. Romanian deadlift: 3 sets of 6-8
3. Walking lunges: 3 sets of 8 each leg
4. Standing calf raise: 3 sets of 10-12
5. Dead bug or Pallof press: 3 sets of 8-10 each side

Upper B (lighter)

1. Incline dumbbell press: 3 sets of 8-12
2. Single-arm dumbbell row: 3 sets of 10-12 each side
3. Dumbbell lateral raise: 3 sets of 12-15
4. Chin-ups or assisted pulldown: 3 sets of 8-10
5. Face pulls: 3 sets of 12-15
6. Cable curl and overhead triceps extension: 2 sets of 12-15 each

Lower B (lighter)

1. Trap-bar or conventional deadlift: 3 sets of 5
2. Bulgarian split squat: 3 sets of 8-10 each leg
3. Hip thrust: 3 sets of 10-12
4. Goblet squat: 2 sets of 12
5. Farmer’s walk: 3 lengths

Each session should take 50 to 70 minutes with a proper warm-up. Rest two to three minutes between sets on the first lift of each day and around 90 seconds on the accessories.

How to schedule it

The simplest arrangement is Monday upper, Tuesday lower, Thursday upper, Friday lower, with Wednesday and the weekend off. Other patterns that work:

Pattern	Best for
Mon U, Tue L, Thu U, Fri L	A regular office week with free weekends
Mon U, Wed L, Fri U, Sat L	People who prefer a rest day between every session
Rolling: U, L, rest, repeat	Shift workers or anyone without a fixed week

Avoid putting the two lower days back-to-back. If you have a long run, football or a demanding sporting commitment, place it after an upper day rather than right before a heavy lower session.

Progressing the plan

A split only works if it moves forward. The simplest method is double progression:

1. Pick a weight you can lift for the bottom of the rep range on every set, with one or two reps in reserve.
2. Each week, try to add a rep to some or all sets.
3. When you hit the top of the range on every set, increase the weight by the smallest step available and start again at the bottom of the range.

Keep a training log. Without one, you will repeat the same numbers for months and wonder why nothing is changing. Every six to eight weeks, take a lighter week with fewer sets to let accumulated fatigue clear before pushing on again.

Common mistakes with the split

• Turning upper days into chest-and-arms days. Match every pressing set with at least one pulling set. Most desk workers benefit from slightly more pulling than pushing.
• Going easy on lower days. Leg sessions are tiring, which is exactly why they get trimmed. Protect the main lift.
• Adding a fifth “arms” day. If you are recovering well enough for an extra day, you probably need more effort in the four you have.
• Changing exercises every week. Keep the main lifts for at least six to eight weeks so you can measure progress.

If you have an injury, a heart condition, are pregnant or are coming back from a long break, check with your GP first, and start at the lower end of each rep range with lighter loads.

Running it in a private studio

Everything in this plan can be done with the equipment in the studio beneath The Highgate House: squat rack, barbell, dumbbells, cable station, lat pulldown and seated row. Many clients train with me twice a week and do the other two sessions of the split on their own, with the programme written out for them. Others book all four. If you want help choosing loads, coaching the main lifts or fitting four sessions around a demanding job, have a look at our personal trainer in Highgate page.

For the broader picture on how much weekly training most adults need for health, the NHS physical activity guidelines are a useful baseline: strength work on at least two days, plus regular aerobic activity.

Questions we get asked

Is an upper lower split good for beginners?

It can work, but most beginners do better starting with a full-body plan three times a week for six months to learn the main lifts. Moving to an upper lower split then gives you somewhere to progress.

Upper lower or push pull legs: which is better?

Neither is better in general. Upper lower suits four days a week. Push pull legs suits people who can train five or six days and want each muscle group twice weekly.

Can I add cardio to an upper lower split?

Yes. Short intervals after upper days, or walking and easy cycling on rest days, fit well without hurting your leg sessions.

Can I run the split with only three days available?

You can rotate it (upper, lower, upper one week; lower, upper, lower the next), but full-body training usually serves three days better. A 1-1 coach can help you pick.

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