If you’ve spent any time in the gym, you’ve likely seen different training splits. Some people train their full body every session, while others focus on just one muscle group per day. One of the most effective and popular approaches, particularly for building muscle, is the 4-day upper-lower split.
This guide provides an insightful look into how the 4-day upper-lower split works and why it’s a superior choice for hypertrophy, which is the scientific term for muscle growth. You’ll learn how to structure your routine, choose the best exercises, and manage rest to maximize your results.
The 4-day upper-lower split divides your training week into two upper-body days and two lower-body days. This structure allows you to train your entire body twice a week, which is considered optimal for muscle growth for most intermediate and advanced lifters (1).
On upper-body days, you focus on muscles such as the chest, back, shoulders, biceps, and triceps. On lower-body days, you target the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. The goal is to stimulate muscle protein synthesis (MPS), the process your body uses to repair and build muscle, more frequently without causing excessive fatigue (2).
A typical schedule looks like this:
This setup provides a balanced stimulus across the week, with dedicated rest days to ensure your body recovers and adapts. Research has shown that trained individuals should target each major muscle group 2-3 times per week (1), which makes this split an excellent fit.
Read more: Gym Workout Plan for Women: The Ultimate Strength and Hypertrophy Guide
The 4-day upper-lower split offers distinct advantages over other popular training routines, such as full-body workouts, “bro splits” (one muscle group per day), or push-pull-legs (PPL) splits.
The primary benefit of an upper-lower split is its training frequency. By hitting each muscle group twice per week, you create more frequent opportunities to stimulate muscle growth.
This aligns perfectly with sports science principles that suggest that stimulating a muscle every 2-4 days is ideal for hypertrophy (1). In contrast, a bro split only trains each muscle once a week, which can be suboptimal for maximizing growth.
In comparison to full-body workouts performed four times a week, the upper-lower split is easier to recover from. Training the full body can be systemically taxing, and doing it frequently can lead to burnout (3).
The upper-lower split allows specific muscle groups to recover for at least 72 hours while you train other parts of your body. This effective fatigue management means you can maintain high intensity in your workouts throughout the week (4).
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This split allows you to dedicate enough training volume to each muscle group without making individual workouts excessively long or draining.
You can perform multiple exercises for your chest, back, and legs on their respective days, ensuring you accumulate the 8-12+ sets per week recommended for hypertrophy (5). This is harder to achieve in a full-body routine without spending hours in the gym.
Structuring your split correctly is crucial for maximizing hypertrophy. Here’s a step-by-step guide to building your program.
Your workouts should be built around multi-joint, compound exercises. These movements recruit multiple muscle groups at once, which allows you to lift heavier weights and create significant mechanical tension, a primary driver of muscle growth (6).
Start each workout with 1-2 heavy compound lifts.
After your main compound lifts, include isolation exercises to target specific muscles. These single-joint movements are excellent for adding training volume and addressing weak points (7). This follows the principle of transitioning from multi-joint to single-joint exercises within a session.
For hypertrophy, the goal is to accumulate sufficient training volume. Aim for 8-12+ total sets per muscle group per week. Rep ranges can vary, but most of your work should be within the 6-15 rep range (4).
Rest periods are also important. For hypertrophy, rest 1.5-3 minutes between sets. This allows for adequate recovery so you can maintain performance on subsequent sets without allowing your heart rate to drop completely (8).
For those interested in a pre-designed plan, explore this 4-day workout routine for beginners for a solid starting point.
Exercise selection is key to a well-rounded program (9). A good split includes a mix of compound and isolation exercises that target muscles from different angles.
For upper body days, focus on a balance between pushing and pulling movements.
For lower-body days, ensure you’re training both the quads and the posterior chain (hamstrings and glutes).
Read more: Dumbbell and Bench Workout Plan for Beginners: A Practical Guide
Rest days are when your muscles repair and grow stronger (4). In a 4-day split, you have three rest days. How you use them matters.
You should have total rest days and active rest days. Total rest means doing minimal physical activity to allow your body to fully recover. However, active rest involves low-intensity activities that promote blood flow and reduce muscle soreness without adding significant training stress (10).
A great schedule is the 2-on, 1-off, 2-on, 2-off approach:
Examples of active recovery include a light walk, a gentle bike ride, yoga, or stretching. These activities are believed to help with lactic acid release, may reduce stiffness, and could support the overall recovery process.
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Yes, beginners can use this split effectively. It provides a structured way to learn key exercises and ensures adequate frequency for muscle growth without being overwhelming. The split introduces the concept of dividing training by body part, which is a fundamental programming strategy.
However, beginners should be mindful of several things:
Yes, a 4-day upper-lower split is excellent for fat loss. Resistance training is essential during a fat loss phase as it helps preserve muscle mass while you’re in a calorie deficit. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate, which means you burn more calories at rest (11).
This split combines heavy compound lifting with higher-rep isolation work, which is a potent combination for burning calories and stimulating muscle. When combined with a proper diet and some cardiovascular exercise, it’s a highly effective strategy for getting leaner while maintaining your strength.
If your primary goal is to get lean, you can find tailored programs in this guide on a 4-day workout routine to get ripped. If you want to build muscle without excess fat, our 4-day workout routine for lean muscle provides a detailed path to your goal.
Intermediate lifters – those with 6 months to 2 years of consistent training experience – often benefit the most. They have a solid foundation of strength and technique and are ready to increase their training frequency and volume to continue making progress. However, beginners and advanced lifters can also adapt the split to suit their needs. Absolutely. Dumbbells are incredibly versatile and can be used for nearly every major exercise. You can perform dumbbell bench presses, goblet squats, Romanian deadlifts, and rows. A dumbbell-only upper-lower split is a fantastic option for those with limited equipment or who train at home. Aim for a similar number of total sets on upper- and lower-body days to ensure balanced development. A good starting point is 12-16 total sets per workout. For example, on an upper day, you might do 6-8 sets for your chest and back, plus 3-4 sets each for shoulders, biceps, and triceps. On a lower day, you could do 6-8 sets for quads and hamstrings, plus 3-4 sets for glutes and calves. A good warm-up prepares your body for the workout ahead, reducing injury risk and improving performance (12). Start with 5-10 minutes of light cardio to increase your heart rate, then perform dynamic stretches and mobility drills specific to the body parts you’re training.Frequently Asked Questions
Who benefits most from a 4-day upper-lower split?
Can a 4-day upper-lower split work with only dumbbells?
How can you balance volume between upper and lower days?
What's the best warm-up for upper-lower split workouts?
Finally, perform a few light warm-up sets of your first exercise before moving to your working weight.
The 4-day upper-lower split is a time-tested, science-backed approach to building muscle and strength. It offers the perfect balance of training frequency, volume, and recovery, which makes it suitable for a wide range of lifters. By structuring your workouts with a mix of compound and isolation exercises and prioritizing rest, you’ll be on the fast track to achieving your hypertrophy goals.
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