Four Days Per week Upper – Lower split

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This program will grow the major muscle groups of the chest, back, and legs, and the smaller accessory muscles. This program aims to hit every muscle twice each week in an upper body lower body split.

Goal: Grow each muscle with manageable fatigue with a sustainable workout length.

Training Days

Monday – Upper A

Tuesday – Lower A

Thursday – Upper B

Friday – Lower B

Rest & Cardio

Wednesday – Cardio

Saturday – Cardio

Sunday – Rest

Upper A

Bench press (dumbbell or barbell): 
  • Volume: 3-4 sets x 6-12 reps
  • Rest: 60-180 seconds
  • Cues: 
    • Pin your shoulder blades “down and back” and into the bench
    • Drive your legs into the ground without lifting your hips off the bench
    • Slowly lower the weight to mid-chest
    • Press up and slightly back
    • Keep wrists stacked over elbows
Pec Deck or Cable Fly
  • Volume: 3 sets x 15-20 reps
  • Rest: 60-90 seconds
  • Cues:
    • Keep chest tall and shoulder blades down and back
    • Pull the handles together keeping a slight elbow bend
    • Slowly control the handles out to the starting position
Cable Row:  
  • Volume: 3 sets x 8-12 reps
  • Rest: 60-180 seconds
  • Cues:
    • Grab the handles with elbows straight
    • Press into the foot rest with the knees slightly bent and an upright posture
    • Drive your elbows behind you
    • Hold your shoulder blades together
    • Slowly straighten your elbows to the starting position
Overhead press (dumbbell or barbell): 
  • Volume: 2-3 sets x 8-12 reps
  • Rest: 60-180 seconds
  • Cues:
    • Keep feet hip-width apart
    • Start with palms facing in above your shoulders
    • Brace the core and keep spine neutral
    • Press overhead; biceps by ears
    • Slowly lower the weight back to the starting position
Pullup (Assisted if needed): 
  • Volume: 2-3 sets x 5-12 reps
  • Rest: 60-180 seconds
  • Cues:
    • Grip the bar with palms facing forward
    • Keep your shoulder-blades down and back
    • Drive your elbows down toward the ground, pulling yourself upward
    • Hold at the top before controlling the descent
Curls (Preacher Machine):
  • Volume: 2-3 sets x 12-15 reps
  • Rest: 60-90 seconds
  • Cues:
    • Sit with the axis of the machine running through the elbow
    • Grab the handles with the palms facing forward 
    • Lower to a stretch before curling up
    • Slowly return the weight down by slowly straightening the elbow
Side Plank: 
  • Volume: 2 sets/side x 30-90 sec 
  • Rest: 60-90 seconds
  • Cues:
    • Lie on the floor and place the elbow directly under the shoulder
    • Stack the top leg above the bottom foot or place in front
    • Keep the head up and gaze forward
    • Keep the hips in line with the spine and hold

Lower A

Front squat 
  • Volume: 3 sets x 8-10 reps
  • Rest: 60-180 seconds
  • Cues:
    • Step under the bar and grasp bar with palms facing down
    • Create a shelf by bringing your elbows up to shoulder height
    • Take a shoulder-width stance with feet turned slightly out
    • Keep a neutral spine and upright chest, sit between your hips with knees tracking over toes
    • Keep the chest up, drive the bar upward until the hip is extended
Romanian Deadlift: 
  • Volume: 2-3 sets x 6-10 reps
  • Rest: 90-180 seconds
  • Cues:
    • Start with feet hip-width and grip the bar wider than shoulder width with palms facing down
    • Slightly flex the knees and do not move them again
    • Keep the back straight, and push the butt backwards
    • Keep the bar in contact with the thighs and slowly lower the weight below the knees
    • Return to the starting position by extending the hips
Leg extension:
  • Volume: 2-3 sets × 8-12 reps
  • Rest: 60-120 seconds
  • Cues:
    • Adjust the machine so that the axis is aligned with your knee
    • Adjust the roller pad to be above the ankle
    • Grab the handles or seat and fully straighten the knees
    • Slowly control the weight back to the starting position
Calf Raises (Machine or Barbell)
  • Volume:  2 sets x 15-20
  • Rest: 60-90 seconds
  • Cues:
    • Position shoulders under the weight
    • Grasp the bar with overhand grip
    • Stand with feet hip width apart with knees straight
    • Keep the spine straight and push through the big toe 
    • Slowly lower back to the starting position
Front Plank
  • Volume: 2 sets x 30-90 sec 
  • Rest: 60-90 seconds
  • Cues:
    • Get to hands and knees with feet hip-width apart 
    • Place the elbows directly under the shoulder joint
    • Bring the hips up so that the spine is neutral
    • Keep the hips in line with the knees
    • Brace your core and tilt your pelvis back and hold

Upper B

Rear delts (Facepulls or reverse pec dec)
  • Volume: 2-3 sets x 12-15 reps
  • Rest: 60-90 seconds
  • Cues:
    • Grasp the end of the rope and stand with feet hip width apart
    • Pull elbows backwards with the middle of the rope hitting the chin
    • Pull back shoulder blades and hold
    • Slowly control the rope back to the starting position
Incline bench press:
  • Volume: 3-4 sets x 6-12 reps
  • Rest: 90-180 seconds
  • Cues:
    • Bring your shoulder blades together 
    • Drive your legs into the ground and your back into the bench
    • Press the weight above your head, with fists in line with your shoulder
    • Slowly lower the weight down to the upper chest
    • Press the dumbbells upward and slightly toward each other 
One-Arm Dumbbell Row
  • Volume: 2-3 sets x 8-12 reps
  • Rest: 60-120 seconds
  • Cues:
    • Position the feet shoulder width apart with the knees slightly flexed
    • Bend forward at the hip and keep the spine neutral
    • Place one hand on a bench and allow the elbow to straighten
    • Pull the elbow back and upward, keeping the elbow close to the body
    • Slowly lower the dumbbell to the starting position
Lateral raise:
  • Volume: 2-3 sets x 10-15 reps
  • Rest: 60-90 seconds
  • Cues:
    • Stand with feet hip-width apart and upright posture
    • Start with the hands at the front of thighs and palms facing each other 
    • With elbows slightly bent, raise the dumbbells up and out to the sides
    • Control the dumbbells back down to the starting position
Lat Pulldown: 
  • Volume: 2-3 sets x 6-12 reps
  • Rest: 60-180 seconds
  • Cues:
    • Grab the bar wider than shoulder width with your palms facing forward
    • Thigh pad snug; feet planted
    • Drive elbows down to the ground aiming the bar to hit the upper chest
    • Slowly straighten the elbows to the starting position
Overhead Tricep extension:
  • Volume: 2-3 sets x 6-12 reps
  • Rest: 60-90 seconds
  • Cues:
    • Start with light weight and feet hip-width apart
    • With a low-cable position use a rope attachment and firmly hold the ends
    • Allow the elbows to bend so the tricep stretches in the starting position
    • Keep your spine neutral and straighten the elbows
    • Slowly lower the rope to the starting stretch position

Lower B

Deadlift or trap bar deadlift:
  • Volume: 2-3 sets x 6-10
  • Rest: 90-180 seconds
  • Cues:
    • Feet hip-width apart, grip just outside knees, and spine neutral
    • Keep chest up, and weight over mid-foot
    • Push the floor away, hips and shoulders rise together
    • Lock out by driving the hips forward and squeezing glutes
Forward Dumbbell Lunge:
  • Volume: 2-3 sets x 8-15
  • Rest: 60-120 seconds
  • Cues: 
    • Grab two dumbbells and pull shoulder blades back and down
    • Keep a neutral spine and the torso upright
    • Take a forward step and lower the back knee
    • Front shin stays close to vertical; back knee drops straight down
    • Stand back up by extending the hips
Hamstring Curls Sitting:
  • Volume: 2-3 sets x 8-12
  • Rest: 60-90 seconds
  • Cues:
    • Adjust the machine so that the axis is aligned with your knee
    • Adjust the roller pad to be at the lower calf
    • Bring the thigh pad firmly down above your knees
    • Grab the handles or seat and drive your heels back toward your butt
    • Slowly control the weight back to the starting position
Hanging leg raise: 
  • Volume: 2-3 sets x 6-20
  • Rest: 60-90 seconds
  • Cues:
    • Grab the bar with a shoulder-width overhand grip
    • Bring the shoulder blades down and back
    • Bring your feet together and forward
    • Raise the legs with a straight knee, if unable to do 6-20 reps, keep the knee bent
    • Slowly lower the legs to the starting position
Calf Raises (Machine or Barbell)
  • Volume:  2 sets x 15-20
  • Rest: 60-90 seconds
  • Cues:
    • Position shoulders under the weight
    • Grasp the bar with overhand grip
    • Stand with feet hip width apart with knees straight
    • Keep the spine straight and push through the big toe
    • Slowly lower back to the starting position

Progression

Intensity: 

To grow, there must be a larger training stimulus than what the body is used to. Therefore, progressive overload of sets, reps, and/or weight is necessary for growth over time.

  • After you complete a set, determine how many more reps you had left with good form (RIR).
    • If 1-3 reps in reserve, perfect.
    • If 5+ reps in reserve, progress by adding 5-10 lbs, adding 1-3 reps, or another set.

Double progression: 

Use the same weight until you hit the top of each rep range on all sets; then increase weight next session.

  • Upper body +2.5–5 lb
  • Lower body +5–10 lb

Technique

  • Perform each rep with control of the lowering phase.
  • Stretch the muscle through the full range of motion.
  • Do not compromise form for the sake of lifting “more weight”. 

Key Takeaways:

  • This plan is 4 days/week; if you miss a day, pick up where you left off
  • Consistency is more important than perfection
  • Train with most sets ending 1-4 reps from failure (RIR) with good form.

References: 

  1. Haff, G., Triplett, N. T., & National Strength & Conditioning Association (Eds.). (2016). Essentials of strength training and conditioning (Fourth edition). Human Kinetics.
  2. Ratamess, N. (with American College of Sports Medicine). (2012). ACSM’s foundations of strength training and conditioning. Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
  3. Kisner, C., Borstad, J., & Colby, L. A. (2023). Therapeutic exercise: Foundations and techniques (Eighth edition). F.A. Davis Company.
  4. Magyari, P., Lite, R., Kilpatrick, M. W., Schoffstall, J. E., & American College of Sports Medicine (Eds.). (2018). ACSM’s resources for the exercise physiologist: A practical guide for the health fitness professional (Second edition). Wolters Kluwer.
  5. Piercy, K. L., Troiano, R. P., Ballard, R. M., Carlson, S. A., Fulton, J. E., Galuska, D. A., George, S. M., & Olson, R. D. (2018). The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. JAMA, 320(19), 2020–2028. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.14854
  6. American College of Sports Medicine. (2018). ACSM’s guidelines for exercise testing and prescription (D. Riebe, J. K. Ehrman, G. Liguori, & M. Magal, Eds.; 10th edition). Wolters Kluwer.

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Disclaimer: 

This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. Using information or materials for any reason is at the user’s own risk. This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions.

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