Upper Lower Split for Hypertrophy: A 4-Day Workout Plan
An upper lower split for hypertrophy divides your week into two upper-body workouts and two lower-body workouts. It gives you room to prioritise different lifts, train smaller muscle groups directly and build a routine around four realistic gym visits.
I have enjoyed upper/lower most when I had clear training goals and the time to pursue them. I have also learned that a routine can look excellent on paper and still ask more of my week than I can deliver. This guide combines those experiences with research and a complete programme you can adapt.
A Four-Day Upper Lower Split for Hypertrophy
This programme is built from my preferred exercise patterns, with a squat priority on Lower A, a hinge priority on Lower B, pressing first on Upper A and pulling first on Upper B. It is an illustrative THG programme rather than a claim that I followed this exact table throughout my training career.
Who it is designed for: a lifter comfortable with the listed movements who can train four days per week. All sets below are working sets; warm-ups are additional. RIR means repetitions in reserve: 2 RIR means stopping when you estimate you could complete two more clean repetitions.
Before your first demanding lift, use progressively heavier warm-up sets with fewer repetitions as you approach the working weight. The aim is to practise the movement and feel ready, without turning the warm-up into extra hard training. Warm up later exercises as needed.
Lower A — squat priority
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RIR | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squat | 2 | 5–8 | 2–4 | Use a familiar squat variation; keep technique consistent. |
| Hip thrust | 2 | 6–10 | 1–2 | Controlled lockout; do not chase extra range through the lower back. |
| Leg extension | 2 | 10–15 | 1–2 | Direct quad work after the compounds. |
| Lying leg curl | 2 | 10–15 | 1–2 | Use seated curls if lying curls are unavailable. |
| Standing calf raise | 3 | 8–12 | 1–2 | Controlled repetitions through a comfortable range. |
Upper A — press priority
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RIR | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flat bench press | 2 | 5–8 | 1–3 | Barbell or stable machine; use safeties/spotter for barbell work. |
| Lat pulldown | 2 | 6–8 | 1–2 | Choose a comfortable grip and avoid turning it into a swing. |
| Incline dumbbell press | 2 | 8–10 | 1–2 | Use a comfortable incline; keep it consistent for tracking. |
| Chest-supported row | 2 | 8–10 | 1–2 | A supported row keeps lower-back demands modest. |
| Cable lateral raise | 2 | 12–15 | 0–2 | Keep the movement controlled; stop when form breaks down. |
| Cable biceps curl | 3 | 10–15 | 0–2 | Direct elbow-flexor work. |
| Triceps pushdown | 3 | 10–15 | 0–2 | Direct elbow-extensor work. |
Lower B — hinge priority
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RIR | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Romanian deadlift | 2 | 6–8 | 2–4 | Hinge with controlled depth; stop before technique deteriorates. |
| Hack squat | 2 | 6–10 | 1–3 | Leg press or Bulgarian split squat can replace it. |
| Seated leg curl | 2 | 8–12 | 1–2 | Knee-flexion work alongside the hip hinge. |
| Leg extension | 2 | 12–15 | 0–2 | Use a load you can control at the higher rep target. |
| Seated calf raise | 3 | 12–15 | 0–2 | A lighter-rep session; standing calf work is also an option. |
Upper B — pull priority
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RIR | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pull-up or lat pulldown | 2 | 5–8 | 1–2 | Use assistance or additional load to fit the range. |
| Incline dumbbell press | 2 | 6–8 | 1–2 | Pressing remains in the session, but pulling gets first priority. |
| Seated cable row | 2 | 8–10 | 1–2 | Use a repeatable setup and range of motion. |
| Cable or machine chest fly | 2 | 10–15 | 0–2 | Direct chest work without another pressing exercise. |
| Reverse cable fly | 2 | 12–15 | 0–2 | Rear-delt focus; swap for lateral raises if side delts take priority. |
| Dumbbell biceps curl | 3 | 10–15 | 0–2 | A different curl setup from Upper A. |
| Overhead cable triceps extension | 3 | 10–15 | 0–2 | Use an overhead position your elbows and shoulders tolerate. |
The base plan contains 11 working sets on each lower day and 16 on each upper day: 54 across the four-session cycle. A rep range is a load-selection tool, not a reason to force extra repetitions after technique has deteriorated.
How to Schedule the Four Workouts
You do not have to start the week with an upper day. My usual pattern was lower on Tuesday, upper on Wednesday, lower on Friday and the final upper session on Saturday or Sunday.
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Monday | Rest |
| Tuesday | Lower A |
| Wednesday | Upper A |
| Thursday | Rest |
| Friday | Lower B |
| Saturday or Sunday | Upper B; rest on the other day |
A Monday–Tuesday–Thursday–Friday schedule works too. Keep the sequence and recovery opportunities sensible around your own calendar. Upper and lower days can sit next to each other, but that does not eliminate all overlap: grip, the lower back and general fatigue can still carry between sessions.
Why Upper/Lower Works—and What the Split Does Not Do
A 2024 meta-analysis of 14 studies found no significant difference in muscle growth or strength between split and full-body routines when training volume was equated. That supports choosing a workable structure; it does not establish this particular four-day programme as superior to every alternative. [1]
Upper/lower gives you two opportunities each week to train each broad body region. The benefit is organisational: you can distribute challenging work instead of squeezing everything into one session. Two exposures are not a magic growth threshold. A 2026 meta-regression found clearer support for the effect of weekly volume on hypertrophy than for an independent benefit of increasing frequency, with diminishing returns as volume rose. [2]
For the practical trade-offs, use the full body vs upper/lower comparison. If four gym visits are unrealistic, our two- and three-day full-body programmes provide a different starting structure.
Why the first exercise changes between days
Research on exercise order suggests strength improves most in the exercises performed first, while the hypertrophy evidence does not establish a clear advantage for one universal order. [3] Starting Upper A with pressing and Upper B with pulling is therefore a practical way to give both priorities a fresh start, rather than a promise that changing order directly causes more growth.
I have also used a heavier, compound-focused Upper A and a more isolation-focused Upper B. Both approaches can work. You can change the priority without making every variable different, and both days can contribute to hypertrophy.
How Many Sets, Reps and Reps in Reserve?
My experience: fewer sets made the programme easier to sustain
Early in my training, I often performed four or five sets on the first compounds and around three on isolation exercises. Over the years, I found that two working sets on many exercises suited me better. Knowing there were fewer sets helped me commit to each one, and I felt I recovered better when life was busy or sleep was limited.
That did not mean taking everything to failure. Squats and Romanian deadlifts were typically around 2–4 RIR. I was more comfortable getting close to failure on other movements, and often kept three sets for arms and calves.
This is a coaching preference informed by my experience, not proof that two sets maximise growth for everyone. The programme starts conservatively enough to leave room for adjustment. For more context, read how to assess weekly sets per muscle group.
The weekly set budget
| Region | Sets per four-session cycle | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Quads | 8 | Squat 2 + hack squat 2 + leg extensions 4 |
| Hamstrings | 6 | RDL 2 + leg curls 4 |
| Glutes | 2 dedicated hip-thrust sets | Additional work from squat, RDL and hack squat; not counted as identical sets |
| Chest | 8 | Flat press 2 + incline press 4 + fly 2 |
| Back | 8 | Vertical pulls 4 + rows 4; regions receive different emphases |
| Side delts | 2 direct | Upper A lateral raises; pressing is not an equivalent substitute |
| Rear delts | 2 direct | Upper B reverse fly, plus overlap from rows |
| Biceps | 6 direct | Additional exposure during pulls |
| Triceps | 6 direct | Additional exposure during presses |
| Calves | 6 direct | Three sets on each lower day |
These are bookkeeping categories, not exact biological doses. One compound can involve several muscles, and indirect work should not automatically count as a full direct set for every muscle. The table also makes the personal emphasis visible: arms and calves receive deliberate attention, while side-delt isolation is modest. If side delts are your priority, move or add a small amount of work there rather than assuming the template is perfectly balanced for everyone.
Use the rep ranges as a practical structure
My usual pattern was lower reps in the first one or two exercises, moderate reps through the middle and higher reps for the finishing work. The programme follows that pattern, with flexibility for exercises such as hip thrusts and pulldowns. You do not need to lift below five reps to make this a serious muscle-building programme.
Effort should fit the exercise
A 2024 exploratory meta-regression associated training closer to failure with greater hypertrophy, but RIR was estimated and the precise relationship remains uncertain. It does not establish that every set should reach failure. [4] The exercise-specific targets above are practical choices, not thresholds directly validated for this exact routine.
Use the higher end of each RIR range while learning the programme. On stable isolation exercises, an experienced lifter may take a final set close to technical failure. On squat and RDL, preserve the intended movement. Learn more about using RIR and training to failure.
Rest enough to repeat useful work
As a starting guideline, allow around 2–3 minutes between demanding compound sets, longer when needed, and around 1–2 minutes for isolation work. These are adjustable starting points. A 2024 review suggested a small hypertrophy benefit to resting longer than 60 seconds, with uncertainty about an exact optimal duration. [5] If breathing or general fatigue prevents you from performing the intended set, take more time. See our rest-period guide.
How to Progress the Programme
In the early weeks of a programme, I often increased the weight every session or every other session. Later, adding repetitions tended to become the more realistic route. That was how my training unfolded, not a deadline that everyone must follow.
Research comparing load progression with repetition progression found that both can produce muscular adaptations; a 10-week study in previously untrained participants found similar gains in thigh muscle size and leg-extension strength with the two approaches. [6] For this programme, use a straightforward double-progression system:
- Choose a load that lets you reach the bottom of the range at the intended RIR.
- Keep the setup, movement range and rest reasonably consistent.
- Add a repetition when you can do so without exceeding the effort target.
- When every working set reaches the top of the range at the intended RIR, increase the load by the smallest practical increment.
- Let repetitions return towards the lower end and build again.
| Exposure | Illustrative bench-press result | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 kg: 6 / 6 | Establish the working load |
| 2 | 60 kg: 7 / 6 | One additional repetition |
| 3 | 60 kg: 7 / 7 | Continue at the same weight |
| 4 | 60 kg: 8 / 8 | Increase load next time if RIR and technique still fit |
| 5 | 62.5 kg: 6 / 6 | Build repetitions again |
You do not owe the programme an extra rep every workout. Some sessions repeat the previous result. Compare Upper A with Upper A, not a fresh bench press with a different press performed later on Upper B. If progress stalls across repeated exposures, check execution, rest and recovery before adding more exercises. The progressive-overload guide covers that decision in more detail.
How to Train Weak Points Without Expanding Every Session
I often placed arms and calves late in a workout. But if I repeatedly skipped a priority muscle, I moved it forward. Calf raises could become my second lower-body exercise. Direct arm work could move to a lower day instead of making an upper session longer.
Moving work is different from adding it. If you move three sets of curls to Lower A, remove those three sets from Upper A. Consider whether the next day’s pulling feels affected. I have generally preferred to finish my main presses and pulls before direct arm work, because pre-fatiguing the arms made later compounds less productive for me.
For a muscle that is recovering well but not progressing, one option is to add one working set to a relevant exercise and monitor the response across several exposures. Another is to move that exercise earlier. Avoid changing volume, exercise choice and effort all at once if you want to understand what helped.
A bonus weak-point day is an optional fifth session, not a hidden requirement of this four-day plan. Start by redistributing the existing work. Exercise substitutions should also replace a slot: hack squat, leg press and Bulgarian split squat are choices for Lower B, not three compulsory additions. Our free weights vs machines guide can help with equipment choices.
The 45-Minute Version—and What to Do If You Miss a Day
My sessions were typically around an hour. With more time, or when training with Sylvia, they could reach around 90 minutes. During busy periods, I sometimes brought upper sessions down to about 45 minutes by doing two sets per exercise and removing lower-priority work.
For an occasional short upper session, keep the first four exercises and use two work sets each. That preserves two presses and two pulls on Upper A, and pulling, pressing, rowing and a fly on Upper B. On a short lower day, keep a knee-dominant exercise, a hinge or hip-extension movement, a leg curl and calf work, with two sets each.
That reduced session has less volume than the full version. If it becomes your normal routine, reassess the weekly balance rather than indefinitely dropping the same muscles. Arms can move to lower days, but only if the extra work still fits.
Supersets may help with small finishing exercises when equipment is available. I have generally preferred separate compound sets because I felt better prepared to perform them. There is no reason to rush the main lift just to satisfy a 45-minute promise.
If Upper B gets pushed into the next week, complete Upper B before restarting the cycle. I continued where I left off rather than repeatedly skipping a particular session to match the calendar.
An occasional delay is not a failure. But completing the four-workout cycle every nine days gives you less training per calendar week than completing it every seven days. If that repeatedly happens, choose a schedule you can sustain.
When Upper/Lower Starts Feeling Too Demanding
In my coaching experience, some less experienced lifters struggled after several exercises for the same muscle. They could complete the first movement but had little useful performance left for the next ones. That tells me to review the session, not automatically prescribe more effort.
It is not proof that the muscle has emptied its energy stores or that upper/lower is inherently unsuitable. Too much work, insufficient rest, overly ambitious loads, repeated failure training and inadequate food or sleep can all be relevant. The exact cause cannot be diagnosed from one exhausting workout.
If performance declines across several sessions and your wider recovery is poor, reduce the demand. A practical option is to remove a working set from the most fatiguing exercises or leave more repetitions in reserve. If fatigue is persistent across the programme, consider a short deload.
My own turning point was recognising that more sets were not always a good fit for my life. Two committed working sets often left me with better training quality and a routine I could recover from. Use the fatigue-management guide to put performance alongside sleep, soreness and general energy.
Who Should Choose a Four-Day Upper/Lower Split?
I would choose it for someone who can make four weekly visits, likes having distinct upper and lower sessions, and wants more room for direct muscle work than their current routine provides. My best periods were those when training felt motivating, I was working towards specific lifts, and I had the capacity to follow through.
For beginners, I often prefer a few months of simpler full-body training before considering four days. That is a coaching preference, not a biological requirement to wait three or six months. Familiarity with the exercises, manageable volume and a realistic schedule matter more than a fixed date.
| Your situation | Practical choice |
|---|---|
| Four days fit reliably; you enjoy separate upper/lower sessions | Try the four-day template and adjust its starting dose |
| Two or three gym visits are the realistic limit | Consider full body or a rolling three-day upper/lower schedule |
| You want more specialisation and can sustain five or six visits | A PPL or hybrid structure may distribute the desired work more conveniently |
| Your current programme is progressing and fits your life | There is no requirement to change splits |
For other arrangements, see how to choose a training split and the PPL guide. Upper/lower is one useful way to organise muscle-building training. Its value comes from how well you can perform and sustain the work inside it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an upper lower split good for hypertrophy?
Yes. It can distribute challenging work across two sessions per body region each week. Results depend on the programme, effort, progression and recovery rather than the split name alone.
Is upper/lower better than full body?
Neither has an inherent advantage when relevant training variables are comparable. Choose based on your schedule, session preferences and the amount of work you need to distribute.
Can I train upper/lower three days per week?
Yes. Alternate upper and lower continuously: upper/lower/upper one week, then lower/upper/lower the next. Each region averages 1.5 sessions per week. Adjust the programme for that schedule rather than assuming its weekly dose stays unchanged.
Are two sets per exercise enough?
They can be a useful starting point, especially when multiple exercises train the same region. Two sets are not automatically optimal. Judge the overall workload and your response, then adjust.
Should Upper A be heavy and Upper B light?
That is one option, but it is not compulsory. This example uses similar broad rep ranges and changes which movement receives first priority. Both sessions are intended to support muscle growth.
Can I train arms on lower days?
Yes. Move the existing arm work rather than automatically duplicating it, and check that it does not undermine the following upper session.
Can beginners use this plan?
A beginner can use upper/lower with suitable exercise choices and workload, but this exact template may be more than they need initially. Start with fewer exercises or sets if needed and learn technique and effort control.
How long should I follow the programme?
Keep it while it fits your schedule and produces useful progress. Review after several weeks, but there is no requirement to replace all exercises at week six or eight. Persistent fatigue or a changing goal can justify adjustments sooner.
References
- Ramos-Campo et al. (2024). Split versus full-body resistance training: systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Pelland et al. (2026). Weekly training volume and frequency: dose-response meta-regressions.
- Nunes et al. (2021). Exercise order, strength and hypertrophy: systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Robinson et al. (2024). Estimated proximity to failure and muscular adaptations: exploratory meta-regressions.
- Singer et al. (2024). Inter-set rest duration and hypertrophy: systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis.
- Chaves et al. (2024). Overload progression through load versus repetitions in previously untrained participants.
Programme tables and practical adjustments are THG coaching examples. Research findings, personal experience and programme prescriptions are distinguished throughout; this exact routine has not been tested as a complete intervention.
