Upper Lower Split Explained — A Balanced 4-Day Routine
The upper-lower split is the most efficient training split for people who can train four days a week: two upper-body days and two lower-body days, each muscle group trained twice a week, in four sessions of 60–75 minutes. It is less fashionable than push pull legs and more practical than a body-part split, because it gives the twice-a-week frequency that the evidence supports for muscle growth, without requiring six days in the gym.
The headline answer is that an upper-lower split works as a four-day routine — upper, lower, rest, upper, lower, rest, rest — with each muscle group trained twice a week for 10–20 sets, and it suits intermediate lifters who have outgrown a three-day full-body programme but cannot commit to six days. It is the best split for most people, most of the time: enough frequency, enough volume, enough rest, and a schedule that survives a busy week.
Use the calculator
Start with your own numbers: try our one rep max calculator to work out your figures before applying anything on this page. The worked examples below use round numbers so you can follow the maths; the calculators use your real weight, height, age and goal.
Related reading: Push Pull Legs Explained, How to Start Lifting Weights, Strength vs Hypertrophy. You can also browse the full guides section for the rest of the series.
The key points
Twice-a-week frequency is the key. Muscle protein synthesis stays elevated for 24–48 hours after a session, so training a muscle twice a week produces more growth than training it once a week at the same total volume (Schoenfeld et al., 2016, meta-analysis). Upper-lower achieves this in four sessions: the upper body is trained on Monday and Thursday, the lower body on Tuesday and Friday, and each session is focused enough to be productive without being exhausting.
Four days is sustainable. Six-day splits fail when life intervenes — a missed session unbalances the week, and the guilt of missing it makes the next session harder. Four days a week leaves three rest days, which absorb illness, travel and busy weeks without breaking the programme. A programme you can sustain for a year beats a programme you can sustain for a month, and upper-lower is built for the year.
Each session is balanced. Upper days pair pushing and pulling — bench press and rows, overhead press and pull-ups — so the shoulders stay balanced and no muscle group is neglected. Lower days pair knee-dominant and hip-dominant movements — squats and deadlifts, leg press and Romanian deadlifts — so the quadriceps and hamstrings are both trained. The balance is built into the structure, not left to chance.
It scales from intermediate to advanced. Beginners can use upper-lower as a four-day programme once they have outgrown full-body training; advanced lifters can use it with higher volume per session. The split does not change — only the volume and intensity do. A lifter can run upper-lower for years, changing the exercises and the progression, without ever needing a different split.
At a glance
| Day | Focus | Main exercises | Sets per muscle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon — Upper | Chest, back, shoulders, arms | Bench, rows, overhead press | 12–16 |
| Tue — Lower | Quads, hamstrings, glutes | Squat, Romanian deadlift | 12–16 |
| Wed | Rest | — | — |
| Thu — Upper | Chest, back, shoulders, arms | Incline bench, pull-ups, dips | 12–16 |
| Fri — Lower | Quads, hamstrings, glutes | Deadlift, leg press, lunges | 12–16 |
| Sat–Sun | Rest | — | — |
The formula behind it
The volume prescription for hypertrophy is 10–20 sets per muscle group per week, split across two sessions (Schoenfeld et al., 2017). Upper-lower delivers this in four sessions: each muscle group gets two sessions of 6–10 sets, for 12–20 sets a week. The frequency rule is each muscle trained twice a week, and the progression rule is the same as any programme: add weight, reps or sets each week, and deload (volume cut 40–60%) every four to eight weeks.
Worked example — an intermediate lifter on a four-day upper-lower routine. Upper day: bench press 4 × 6–8, barbell row 4 × 8, overhead press 3 × 8, lat pulldown 3 × 10, biceps curls 3 × 12, triceps pushdowns 3 × 12. Total: 20 sets, about 70 minutes. Lower day: squat 4 × 6–8, Romanian deadlift 3 × 8, leg press 3 × 10, leg curls 3 × 12, calf raises 4 × 15. Total: 17 sets, about 65 minutes. Weekly total: about 74 sets, 4 sessions, 4.5 hours. Protein at 1.8 g/kg for an 80 kg lifter is 144 g a day, and calories at maintenance or a small surplus, above the 1,500 kcal floor for men and the 1,200 kcal floor for women.
Your plan, step by step
- Train four days a week: upper, lower, rest, upper, lower, rest, rest.
- Build each upper day around a press and a pull, and each lower day around a squat and a hinge.
- Train each muscle group twice a week for 10–20 sets total, split across the two sessions.
- Progress the compound lifts every week: add weight, reps or a set, and log every session.
- Deload every four to eight weeks, cutting volume by 40–60% for a week, and keep protein at 1.6–2.2 g/kg.
How to use this guide
Use upper-lower as a sustainable structure for progressive overload: four sessions a week, each muscle twice, volume in the 10–20 set range, and a progression you can track. Judge it by whether you are stronger in eight weeks than you are today, and by whether you are still training in six months — the split's greatest strength is that it is easy to sustain. If you can train six days, PPL offers more focus per muscle; if you can train four, upper-lower is the better choice.
Common mistakes
Doing too much volume per session. Four days of 25 sets is 100 sets a week, which is more than most people can recover from. Start at 10–12 sets per muscle per week and add volume only if you are recovering well.
Neglecting the second session. The second upper and lower days are often lighter or skipped, which halves the frequency and the benefit. Treat Thursday and Friday as seriously as Monday and Tuesday — the second session is where the twice-a-week advantage comes from.
Never deloading. Four hard days a week accumulates fatigue, and a deload every four to eight weeks is what keeps the programme progressing. Schedule it in advance, not when you are already stalled.
What this guide does NOT tell you
Upper-lower guidance on this page is for healthy intermediate lifters; beginners should start with a three-day full-body programme, and people with injuries or medical conditions should follow their clinician's or physiotherapist's advice on training load. The programme should be reduced if sleep, stress or life makes recovery difficult. This guide is general information, not medical advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is an upper lower split?
A training split that divides the week into upper-body days and lower-body days: usually four sessions a week — upper, lower, rest, upper, lower, rest, rest — so each muscle group is trained twice a week. Upper days train the chest, back, shoulders and arms; lower days train the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and calves.
Is upper lower good for muscle gain?
Yes — it is one of the most effective splits for muscle gain, because it trains each muscle twice a week for 10–20 sets, which is the volume range the evidence supports for hypertrophy (Schoenfeld et al., 2017). The split itself does not build muscle; progressive overload does. Track your weights, add a little each week, and the split provides the structure.
How many days a week is upper lower?
Usually four: upper, lower, rest, upper, lower, rest, rest. It can be run as three days for beginners, or as five to six days for advanced lifters who add an extra session, but four days is the classic version — and it is the version that fits most people's lives.
What is better: upper lower or push pull legs?
It depends on how many days you can train. Upper-lower is better if you can train four days a week, because it gives twice-a-week frequency in fewer sessions. PPL is better if you can train six days, because it gives each muscle group its own focused session. The results are similar when total volume and progression are matched — the best split is the one you can sustain.
Can beginners use an upper lower split?
Yes, after the first few months. Beginners should start with a three-day full-body programme, where each muscle is trained three times a week and the movements are practised more often. Once the beginner has learned the movements and the rapid early gains have slowed, upper-lower is a natural next step — usually after two to three months.
Estimates only, not medical advice. Minimum safe intakes: 1,200 kcal/day women, 1,500 kcal/day men — consult a healthcare professional before a very-low-calorie diet.