Overview

Six-day splits like Push/Pull/Legs produce fantastic gains if you have the time. Most people don't. A 4-day Upper/Lower split delivers 80% of the outcomes with 66% of the time commitment, is easier to recover from, and fits far more easily into a working life. It's arguably the best hypertrophy-plus-strength split for someone training 4 days per week.

This 12-week plan gives each muscle group two sessions of focused work per week — enough for significant hypertrophy and strength gains without the recovery demands of a 6-day plan. It's simple, repeatable, and rewards honest effort.

Golden Rule: Hitting each muscle group twice per week with genuine working sets beats hitting it once per week with maximum volume. Frequency × intensity, not just intensity.

Prerequisites

6-12 months consistent gym training
Competent form on squat, bench press, deadlift, overhead press, pull-up, row
Gym access with barbells, dumbbells, cable machine, pull-up bar

The 4-Day Split

Two upper-body sessions, two lower-body sessions, each week. Flexibility on days — pick four days that suit you.

Day	Focus
Mon	Upper A — strength emphasis
Tue	Lower A — strength emphasis
Thu	Upper B — volume emphasis
Fri	Lower B — volume emphasis

Two-day gap mid-week (Wed/Sat/Sun) for recovery.

Flexible version for people who can't always train Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri:

Minimum 48 hours between Upper A and Upper B
Minimum 48 hours between Lower A and Lower B
Avoid Upper-Lower-Upper-Lower on consecutive days if possible — back-to-back days allowed occasionally

The Programme

Upper A — Strength Emphasis

Exercise	Sets × Reps	Notes
Bench press	4 × 5	Main lift, progressive overload
Barbell row	4 × 5	Match bench volume
Overhead press	3 × 6	Secondary press
Weighted pull-up	3 × 6	Or lat pulldown if can't do weighted
Incline dumbbell press	3 × 10	Volume accessory
Barbell curl	3 × 8	Biceps direct work

~60 minutes.

Lower A — Strength Emphasis

Exercise	Sets × Reps	Notes
Back squat	4 × 5	Main lift
Romanian deadlift	3 × 6	Hamstring emphasis
Walking lunge	3 × 10 each leg	Single-leg strength
Leg press	3 × 10	Volume work
Standing calf raise	4 × 12	Hit calves hard; they need it
Hanging leg raise	3 × 12	Core

~60 minutes.

Upper B — Volume Emphasis

Exercise	Sets × Reps	Notes
Incline bench press	4 × 8	Upper chest focus
Chest-supported row	4 × 8	Cleaner back isolation
Dumbbell shoulder press	3 × 10	Different press pattern
Pull-up (bodyweight)	3 × AMRAP	As many reps as possible per set
Lateral raise	4 × 15	Side delts
Cable tricep extension	3 × 12	Triceps direct
Hammer curl	3 × 12	Biceps + forearm

~65 minutes.

Lower B — Volume Emphasis

Exercise	Sets × Reps	Notes
Deadlift	3 × 5	Big posterior-chain lift
Front squat	3 × 8	Quad-dominant variation
Bulgarian split squat	3 × 10 each leg	Single-leg volume
Lying leg curl	4 × 10	Direct hamstring work
Seated calf raise	4 × 15	Different angle from standing
Ab wheel rollout	3 × 10	Core

~65 minutes.

Progressive Overload

Log every working set. Every session, try to beat the previous session:

Same weight, more reps — if you did 5 reps, aim for 6. Once you hit the top of the prescribed range, add weight.
Same reps, more weight — add 2.5kg to main lifts when you hit the top end.
Quality — even at same numbers, slower eccentric, fuller range, more control = progress.

Target progression rates (at ~year 1-2):

Big compound lifts (squat, bench, deadlift, OHP): +5-10kg per month
Accessory lifts: +2.5kg every 2-3 weeks
Bodyweight movements (pull-ups): +1 rep per set every 2 weeks

4-Week Rhythm

Three weeks of progressive build. Week 4 is a deload:

Same exercises
60-65% of working weight
One fewer set per exercise
Same reps

Don't skip deload. Your joints and CNS need it even if you feel you could push through.

Nutrition

For hypertrophy (add muscle):

Calorie surplus of 200-400 kcal/day above maintenance
Protein: 1.6-2.2g per kg bodyweight

For recomposition (add muscle, lose some fat — slower but achievable if relatively new to lifting):

Maintenance calories or slight deficit (100-200 kcal under)
Protein: 2.2g per kg bodyweight

For strength at current bodyweight:

Maintenance calories
Protein: 1.6g per kg bodyweight

Don't try to build muscle in a steep deficit — it doesn't work past the first few months of training.

Sleep & Recovery

Lever	Target
Sleep	7-9 hours consistently
Stress management	Active — walks, mindfulness, anything non-chemical
Alcohol	Minimal in training blocks (significant hypertrophy/strength suppressor)
Rest days	Keep mostly passive — long walks OK, hard cardio not

12-Week Structure

Weeks 1-3: Build (as described) Week 4: Deload Weeks 5-7: Build, slight progression Week 8: Deload Weeks 9-11: Build, pushing for final PRs Week 12: Deload + testing if desired (work up to a heavy single on main lifts)

Measuring Progress

Every 4 weeks:

Log numbers on main lifts — they should be trending up
Waist circumference + arm + chest measurements
Progress photos (same lighting, pose)
Scale weight trend (weekly average, not daily)

Don't judge progress weekly. Muscle building is slow and steady.

Adjusting the Plan

Too time-pressed for 60-min sessions? Cut accessory sets (last 2 exercises on each day). Core stays the same.

Shoulders take a beating? Replace barbell OHP with dumbbell versions, lower volume by one set per session.

Lower back issues? Sub back squat for front squat; sub deadlift for trap-bar deadlift or Romanian deadlift.

Time off / injury? Don't restart heavy. Reduce loads 15-20% for one week, then progress.

When to Switch Plans

Upper/Lower is sustainable for 12-24 months of consistent training. Signs it's time to change:

Main lifts have stalled for 6+ weeks even with deloads
Motivation is flagging
A specific weakness is dominating (e.g. upper back is lagging, you'd benefit from back-specific programming)

Rotation options:

Push / Pull / Legs Hypertrophy for more volume
Powerlifting Big-3 for strength peak
Return to Upper/Lower after 12 weeks with a different emphasis (strength block vs hypertrophy block)

Common Mistakes

Adding extra sessions. Four days is designed to balance stimulus with recovery. Adding a fifth "just a little" day compromises the other four.
Not tracking. Without logs, progress happens by accident. Progress happens on purpose with logs.
Max effort every session. Leave 1-2 reps in the tank on most sets. Last set of main lifts can be near-failure.
Changing exercises every 2 weeks. Consistency over novelty. Pick your exercises, run them 12 weeks, adjust.

What's Next

After 12 weeks on Upper/Lower, you should have added muscle, strength, or both (depending on nutrition). Next block options:

Another 12 weeks with slightly different exercise variations (e.g. sub incline bench for flat bench as main chest lift)
PPL for higher volume if you have time for 6 days
Powerlifting Big-3 for a strength peak

The 4-day split is the workhorse of most successful lifters. Don't chase novelty — run it, progress it, and watch compounding gains across years.

Upper / Lower 4-Day Split🔒

Supporter content