Upper / Lower split
Four sessions a week, each muscle trained twice. The best compromise between frequency, recovery and a normal schedule.
The prescription, in one line
4SESSIONS / WEEK
Splitting the body in half and training each half twice a week gives most people the best return on their time. Frequency is high enough that every muscle gets two chances at a stimulus, and each session is short enough to stay focused. It is also the easiest split to salvage when life gets in the way — miss a day and you simply shift everything along.
Who it is for: Anyone training three to four days a week who wants each muscle group hit twice without living in the gym.
SOURCE·Published exercise references·EVERY MOVEMENT LINKS TO ITS OWN CARD·REVIEWED JUL 2026
How this template was assembled
- Start from the joint action, not the sensation. A muscle is credited when the action it produces is the one being resisted.
- Credit exactly one role per exercise: prime mover, or synergist and stabiliser. Nothing is listed twice.
- Rank by technical demand on a 1–5 scale — how much practice the movement needs to be done safely, not how hard the set feels.
- Order each session heavy-to-light: the movement with the most technical demand goes first, while you are fresh enough to hold the position.
- Attach the published MET category so the energy figure on every card traces back to the same table.
SOURCE·Published exercise references·ATTRIBUTION BY JOINT ACTION·REVIEWED JUL 2026
Upper A — heavy
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Muscle | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 5–8 | Chest | Touch the bar to the lower half of the chest, roughly in line with the base of the stern… |
| Barbell Bent-Over Row | 4 | 6–8 | Upper back | Hinge to about 45 degrees or lower, and pull the bar to the belly button rather than the… |
| Standing Barbell Overhead Press | 3 | 6–8 | Front deltoid | Squeeze the glutes and abs before the bar leaves the shoulders — a standing press is a m… |
| Lat Pulldown | 3 | 8–12 | Lats | Grip just outside shoulder width and pull the bar to the top of the chest, leaning back … |
| EZ Bar Curl | 3 | 8–12 | Biceps | Take the inner angled grips so the wrists sit half-turned rather than fully supinated. |
| Lying Triceps Extension | 3 | 8–12 | Triceps | Lower the bar to just behind the top of your head rather than to your forehead, keeping … |
Lower A — heavy
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Muscle | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Back Squat | 4 | 5–8 | Quadriceps | Set the bar on the traps, brace, and sit between the hips rather than folding forward ov… |
| Romanian Deadlift | 3 | 6–10 | Hamstrings | Soften the knees once at the start and then keep that exact angle — the knees do not ben… |
| Leg Press | 3 | 10–12 | Quadriceps | Keep the lower back flat against the pad and stop the descent before the hips curl up of… |
| Seated Leg Curl | 3 | 10–15 | Hamstrings | Set the thigh pad snug and let the knees straighten fully between reps. |
| Standing Calf Raise | 4 | 10–15 | Calves | Let the heels drop below the platform for a full stretch, then rise as high as the joint… |
| Plank | 3 | 30–45 sec | Abs | Tuck the pelvis under and squeeze the glutes — a plank held with an arched back trains a… |
Upper B — lighter
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Muscle | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Incline Dumbbell Press | 4 | 10–12 | Chest | Keep the dumbbells slightly wider than the shoulders at the bottom and press them up and… |
| Single-Arm Dumbbell Row | 4 | 10–12 per side | Lats | Brace one hand and one knee on a bench, and pull the dumbbell to the hip with the should… |
| Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3 | 10–15 | Front deltoid | Kick each dumbbell up into position with a knee and keep the lower back flat against the… |
| Cable Fly | 3 | 12–15 | Chest | Set both pulleys at roughly chest height, take a small step forward, and finish with the… |
| Cable Face Pull | 3 | 15–20 | Rear deltoid | Set the pulley at upper-chest height, use a rope, and finish with the hands beside the e… |
| Rope Triceps Pushdown | 3 | 12–15 | Triceps | Pull the rope ends apart as you reach the bottom so the hands finish beside the thighs, … |
Lower B — lighter
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Muscle | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Hip Thrust | 4 | 8–12 | Glutes | Finish with the shins vertical and the ribs down, squeezing the glutes for a full second… |
| Bulgarian Split Squat | 3 | 10–12 per leg | Quadriceps | Set the front foot far enough forward that the front shin stays near-vertical at the bot… |
| Leg Extension | 3 | 12–15 | Quadriceps | Line the knee joint up with the machine's pivot and pause for a beat at full extension. |
| Nordic Hamstring Curl | 3 | 5–8 | Hamstrings | Band-assisted until you can control the descent. |
| Seated Calf Raise | 4 | 12–20 | Calves | Sit with the pads on the thighs just above the knee and use the same full range and one-… |
| Ab Wheel Rollout | 3 | 8–12 | Abs | Roll out only as far as you can go without the lower back arching, and come back in the … |
How to progress
Run the first upper and lower session heavier (5–8 reps) and the second lighter (10–15 reps). Add weight on the heavy days and reps on the light days.
Two rules sit above any template. First, technique does not change as the weight climbs — if the range shortens or the tempo runs away, the load has gone past useful. Second, a plan you follow for twelve weeks beats a better plan you abandon in three. Rest days are part of the programme, not a failure of it.
This plan covers 12 muscle groups as prime movers. If something is missing that you care about, add one exercise for it rather than rebuilding the whole thing.
Muscles this plan covers
Other workout templates
The questions that come up on the floor
Who is the upper / lower split for?
Anyone training three to four days a week who wants each muscle group hit twice without living in the gym. It runs 4 days a week — upper, lower, rest, upper, lower, rest, rest. and needs: full gym.
How do I progress on this plan?
Run the first upper and lower session heavier (5–8 reps) and the second lighter (10–15 reps). Add weight on the heavy days and reps on the light days.
Will this plan build muscle?
It covers 12 muscle groups as prime movers across 24 exercises. Muscle growth needs progressive overload, enough weekly volume — roughly ten to twenty hard sets per muscle — and enough protein and total food to support it. This template supplies the structure; the effort and the diet decide the outcome.
Can I swap an exercise I cannot do?
Yes. Every exercise page on this site lists computed substitutes that train the same prime mover through the same movement pattern, plus a no-equipment alternative. Swap like for like and the plan still works.
Muscle roles follow standard kinesiology references and are described by joint action rather than by gym convention — see how this site is built. Energy figures are derived from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. Every reference is named and dated on the sources page. General information only — not medical or coaching advice. Load, form and progression should be adjusted to your own experience and any injury history. When in doubt, get coached in person.
SOURCE·Published exercise references·MUSCLE ROLES ASSIGNED BY JOINT ACTION·REVIEWED JUL 2026
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