Upper Lower Split: A 4-Day Plan and How to Progress It

An upper lower split trains the upper body on two days and the lower body on two days each week, so every muscle gets worked twice. Run one heavier and one moderate version of each day and you have a complete four-day program. It stops working when nothing in it forces the weight up, not because of the split.

What is an upper lower split?

An upper lower split divides training into upper-body days (chest, back, shoulders, arms) and lower-body days (quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves). The standard version runs four days a week, two of each, so every muscle is trained twice weekly.

That twice-weekly schedule is your training frequency: how often you train a muscle. For intermediate lifters, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends training 3–4 days per week (ACSM position stand, 2009). Heavy A days use compound lifts for 5–8 reps; moderate B days use 8–15 reps. Heavier loads build more one-rep max strength, while both lighter and heavier loads can build muscle (Schoenfeld et al., 2017).

• Monday Upper A, Tuesday Lower A, Thursday Upper B, Friday Lower B.
• Or alternate upper, lower, rest, then repeat.

If you’re moving on from beginner training, see what to run after newbie gains. You can compare workout splits and where each stalls if you’re still choosing a structure.

What does a 4-day upper lower workout look like?

Upper A and Lower A are built on heavy compounds for 5–8 reps; Upper B and Lower B use moderate loads for 8–15 reps. Each session runs 17–20 working sets. Rest 2–3 minutes on compounds and 1–2 minutes on isolation work.

The template below is LiftDecode’s own. A direct set targets a muscle as a primary mover; an indirect set trains it as a secondary mover. Longer rests can help: in trained men, three-minute rests produced greater squat and bench strength and more anterior-thigh growth than one-minute rests (Schoenfeld et al., 2016).

• Direct weekly sets: chest 11, back 13, quads 15, hamstrings 9, calves 7, side delts 5, biceps 4, triceps 4, glutes 3.
• Counting indirect sets as half gives roughly 11 sets for triceps, 10.5 for biceps and glutes, 8.5 for front delts, 6.5 for side delts, and 5 for rear delts. A 2026 meta-regression used this half-set method across 67 studies and 2,058 participants (Pelland et al., 2026).

Why does training each muscle twice a week work?

Twice a week lets you spread 10–15 weekly sets per muscle over two sessions where every set is still hard. Research favors twice over once weekly for growth, but mainly because it adds volume; when weekly sets are equal, split type and frequency barely matter.

• A 2016 meta-analysis found a higher growth effect with more frequent training: effect size 0.49 versus 0.30 when major muscles were trained at least twice weekly (Schoenfeld, Ogborn & Krieger, 2016).
• A 2019 update found no significant difference between training frequencies when weekly volume was equal (Schoenfeld, Grgic & Krieger, 2019).
• Across 14 studies, split and full-body training produced no significant strength or muscle-size differences when volume was equal (Ramos-Campo et al., 2024).
• A 2026 analysis found frequency had little effect on muscle growth but a positive effect on strength, with diminishing returns (Pelland et al., 2026).

How do you progress an upper lower split?

Use two rules. On A days, add the smallest weight jump once every set hits the top of the rep range. On B days, use double progression, explained: reach the top of the range, then add weight and drop back.

1. On A days, keep the load fixed until every set reaches the top of the range.
2. On B days, build reps within the range, then increase the load and start near the bottom.

For example, benching 4×5–8 at 185 lb (84 kg), you might hit 8, 8, 7, 7, then 8, 8, 8, 8; next session, try 190 lb (86 kg). Raise the load by 2–10% once you exceed your target by 1–2 reps, as ACSM recommends (ACSM position stand, 2009). Log every session, and stop most sets 1–3 reps in reserve (RIR)—reps you could still complete—short of failure. Training to failure isn’t required for strength or muscle growth (Grgic et al., 2022). If a lift hasn’t moved in four weeks, check the causes below before changing the plan.

Why does an upper lower split stop working?

Usually it’s a missing progression rule, too few sets for the lagging muscle, lower days cut short or skipped, or eating at maintenance while expecting growth. Swapping to PPL or a bro split changes none of these; fix the first that applies.

1. Same weights as two months ago? Apply the progression rules above.
2. Lagging muscle under roughly 10 weekly sets? Arms and delts often are in this template; add 2–4 sets and track how many sets per muscle group per week.
3. Fewer than four sessions most weeks, or Lower B always dropped? Shorten sessions so you can complete them.
4. Body weight flat for months while “bulking”? Add a small calorie surplus.

More weekly sets tend to produce more growth, with diminishing returns; one meta-analysis estimated about 0.37% more gain per additional weekly set (Schoenfeld, Ogborn & Krieger, 2017). Two or more “yes” answers are common. Find out which bottleneck comes first with a quick diagnosis that ranks them.

Upper lower or push pull legs: which is better?

For most people, upper lower. It trains each muscle twice a week in four days; PPL needs six days for the same frequency. With equal weekly sets, research finds no meaningful difference, so choose the one you’ll complete every week.

• Choose upper lower if your week is unpredictable or recovery is tight.
• Choose PPL if you prefer shorter, more frequent sessions and rarely miss.
• Both can work; a volume-equated review found no meaningful strength or muscle-size advantage for one split structure (Ramos-Campo et al., 2024).

For a closer comparison, see push pull legs, 3- and 6-day versions. The best default is upper lower if four reliable sessions fit your week.

If you’re doing the sessions but your log still isn’t moving, use the quick, one-tap diagnosis to see which bottleneck to address first.

FAQ

What is a good upper lower split?

A good four-day plan pairs a heavy upper and lower day built around compound lifts for 5–8 reps with moderate days for 8–15 reps. Aim for 10–15 weekly sets on major muscles, rest 2–3 minutes on compounds, and use a written rule for adding weight.

How do you structure a 4-day upper lower split?

Alternate upper and lower days, with rest between pairs: Monday upper, Tuesday lower, Thursday upper, Friday lower. Put the heavy versions early in the week and moderate versions later, then keep the exercises consistent for six to eight weeks.

Is PPL or upper lower better?

Neither builds more muscle when weekly sets are equal (Ramos-Campo et al., 2024). Upper lower reaches twice-weekly frequency in four days; PPL needs six. Most people with jobs and variable sleep will complete upper lower more consistently, which matters more than the split.

How long should you run an upper lower split?

Keep running it as long as the numbers in your log keep rising. Change exercises every six to eight weeks at most, not every session. If a lift hasn’t moved in four weeks despite completing every session, check progression, weekly sets, sleep, and food before changing the split.