Build Muscle · Workout Plan

Upper / Lower 4-Day Split

Upper/Lower trains your top and bottom halves on alternating days, four times a week. Each muscle gets hit twice — the frequency the research favours — with enough volume to grow and enough rest to recover. It's the most reliable split for anyone past their first few months who can't commit to six days.

●4 days/week●All levels●Upper · Lower ×2

Upper A

Strength bias — chest, back, shoulders, arms

Exercise	Sets	Reps	RIR
Barbell Bench Press	4	6–8	1–2
Barbell Row	4	6–8	1–2
Incline Dumbbell Press	3	8–10	1–2
Lat Pulldown	3	10–12	1–2
Dumbbell Lateral Raise	3	12–15	0–1
Triceps Pushdown	3	10–12	0–1
Dumbbell Curl	3	10–12	0–1

Lower A

Quad bias — quads, hamstrings, calves

Exercise	Sets	Reps	RIR
Back Squat	4	6–8	1–2
Romanian Deadlift	3	8–10	1–2
Leg Press	3	10–12	1–2
Lying Leg Curl	3	10–12	0–1
Standing Calf Raise	4	10–15	0–1

Upper B

Hypertrophy bias — shoulders, back width, arms

Exercise	Sets	Reps	RIR
Seated Overhead Press	4	6–8	1–2
Pull-Up (or Lat Pulldown)	4	8–10	1–2
Flat Dumbbell Press	3	8–10	1–2
Chest-Supported Row	3	10–12	1–2
Face Pull	3	15–20	0–1
Hammer Curl	3	10–12	0–1
Overhead Triceps Extension	3	12–15	0–1

Lower B

Posterior bias — hamstrings, glutes, calves

Exercise	Sets	Reps	RIR
Deadlift	3	5	2–3
Front Squat (or Hack Squat)	3	8–10	1–2
Walking Lunge	2	10–12	1–2
Leg Extension	3	12–15	0–1
Seated Calf Raise	4	12–15	0–1

How to run it

RIR = reps in reserve: stop 1–2 short of failure on compounds, 0–1 on isolations.
Run Upper A / Lower A / Upper B / Lower B across your four days, e.g. Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri.
Add a rep or load each week within the range; deload after 8–12 weeks.

Evidence base: Schoenfeld et al. (2016) · Schoenfeld, Ogborn & Krieger (2017)

Make it yours.

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