4-Day Upper Lower Split Workout Plan

Intermediate4 days/week73 working sets/week

The upper/lower split is the workhorse of intermediate training: four sessions a week, every muscle trained twice, and a clean separation between upper-body and lower-body days so each session stays focused and under an hour. It hits the 10–20 hard sets per muscle per week that drives growth for most intermediate lifters.

The A days lean heavier (6–8 reps on the main lifts), the B days add volume and variation. Run it Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday with the weekend off, or any 2-on-1-off pattern that fits your week.

The program

Upper A20 sets

Barbell Bench Press4 × 6–8

Barbell Row4 × 6–8

Seated DB Shoulder Press3 × 8–10

Lat Pulldown3 × 10–12

Barbell Curl3 × 10–12

Triceps Pushdown3 × 10–12

Lower A17 sets

Back Squat4 × 6–8

Romanian Deadlift3 × 8–10

Leg Press3 × 10–12

Standing Calf Raise4 × 12–15

Cable Crunch3 × 12–15

Upper B20 sets

Overhead Press4 × 6–8

Pull-Up4 × 8–10

Incline DB Press3 × 10–12

Seated Cable Row3 × 10–12

Lateral Raise3 × 15–20

Hammer Curl3 × 12–15

Lower B16 sets

Deadlift3 × 5–8

Hack Squat3 × 8–10

Lying Leg Curl3 × 12–15

Seated Calf Raise4 × 12–15

Hanging Leg Raise3 × 10–15

Every exercise name links to a full form guide with steps, cues and common mistakes.

Who this plan is for

Lifters past the beginner stage whose 3-day progress has slowed
Anyone who wants each muscle trained twice a week without living in the gym
People who like heavy barbell work but still want direct arm and shoulder volume

How to progress

Use double progression: work within the rep range, and when you hit the top of the range on all sets, add weight next session.
Push the main lifts (squat, bench, deadlift, press, row, pull-up) closest to failure; leave 1–2 reps in reserve on accessories.
Every 6–8 weeks, take a lighter deload week if joints feel beat up or progress stalls.

FAQ

Is an upper/lower split better than push/pull/legs?

For 4 training days, yes for most people — PPL really wants 6 days to hit each muscle twice a week, while upper/lower does it in 4. If you can reliably train 6 days, PPL gives you more volume per session per muscle; if you can train 4, upper/lower is the cleaner choice.

How many sets per muscle per week does this plan give?

Most muscles land in the 10–18 weekly hard-set range when you count secondary work (pressing also hits triceps and shoulders, rows hit biceps). That is squarely inside the evidence-based hypertrophy range for intermediates.

Can I run upper/lower 3 days a week?

Yes — just rotate Upper A / Lower A / Upper B / Lower B across your training days so the sequence continues week to week. Liftrava rotates days automatically, so you never have to track where you are.

More plans

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AdvancedPowerbuilding 5-day

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BeginnerStrength 5×5

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This program is built into Liftrava — one tap to start, weights pre-filled from your last session, days rotate automatically when you miss one.

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