Workout
Upper / Lower Split
Four days a week, each muscle trained twice, built around heavy compound lifts. The best frequency-to-recovery ratio for most intermediate lifters.
The session 54 working sets
Upper A — heavy
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bench press | 4 | 4–6 | 3 min |
| Barbell row | 4 | 6–8 | 2–3 min |
| Overhead press | 3 | 6–8 | 2 min |
| Pull up | 3 | AMRAP | 2 min |
Lower A — heavy
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadlift | 3 | 3–5 | 3–4 min |
| Goblet squat | 4 | 6–8 | 3 min |
| Leg curl | 3 | 10–12 | 90 sec |
| Farmers carry | 3 | 40 sec | 90 sec |
Upper B — volume
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lat pulldown | 4 | 10–12 | 90 sec |
| Chest fly | 4 | 12–15 | 90 sec |
| Bicep curl | 3 | 10–15 | 60 sec |
| Tricep pushdown | 3 | 12–20 | 60 sec |
Lower B — volume
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romanian deadlift | 4 | 8–12 | 2 min |
| Lunge | 3 | 10 each side | 90 sec |
| Leg curl | 3 | 12–15 | 90 sec |
| Dead bug | 3 | 8 each side | 60 sec |
Four days, two upper and two lower, each muscle trained twice a week. For most intermediate lifters this is the highest-return split available.
The frequency argument
Training a muscle twice a week beats once, at matched weekly volume. That finding is consistent enough to treat as settled.
An upper/lower split achieves it in four sessions. A body-part split needs five or six to get anywhere near it, and usually does not. That efficiency is the whole case.
Heavy and volume days
The A sessions are heavy: four to six reps, long rests, focused on the main lifts. The B sessions are lighter and higher-rep, using machines and dumbbells where the fatigue cost is lower.
Running every session at maximal intensity is the most common reason four-day programmes stop working. Splitting the intent between days lets you push hard on the heavy work because the volume work is not competing for the same recovery.
Progressing
On heavy days, add weight when you hit the top of the rep range across all sets. On volume days, add reps first and weight second.
When both stall for two weeks in a row, take a deload rather than pushing harder — the fitness is usually there and the fatigue is hiding it.
Common questions
Is an upper lower split better than push pull legs?
For four days a week, yes. Upper/lower trains each muscle twice weekly in four sessions; PPL needs six days to match that. If you can commit six days, PPL distributes the volume more comfortably. If you can commit four, upper/lower wins clearly.
How should the four days be arranged?
Upper, lower, rest, upper, lower, rest, rest is the standard. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday works for most schedules and leaves a full weekend of recovery.
Why are there heavy and volume days?
Because strength and hypertrophy respond to different loading. The heavy day drives the strength adaptation with low reps and long rests; the volume day accumulates the work that builds size. Running both maximal every session is how people stall.