Workout plan
4-Day Upper/Lower Split: A Complete Weekly Plan
Train each major movement pattern twice per week while separating the harder squat, hinge, press, and pull exposures across four repeatable sessions.
Reviewed by Dorsi editorial teamUpdated September 1, 2026
Plan details
- Level
- Beginner to intermediate
- Frequency
- 4 days per week
- Session length
- 50–70 minutes
- Equipment
- Barbell or dumbbells, bench, cable or pull-up station, and optional leg machines
Base version
Your starting week
Day 1 — Upper A
Horizontal press and pull strength with moderate shoulder and arm work| Exercise | Sets | Reps | First-week guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bench press | 3 | 5–8 | Keep two repetitions in reserve and use the same touch standard each week. |
| Chest-supported row | 3 | 6–10 | Let the bench limit torso movement so the back does the work. |
| Lat pulldown or assisted pull-up | 3 | 8–12 | Choose assistance that preserves a controlled full range. |
| Lateral raise | 2 | 12–18 | Add repetitions without using torso momentum. |
Day 2 — Lower A
Squat strength plus moderate posterior-chain work| Exercise | Sets | Reps | First-week guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back squat or hack squat | 4 | 5–8 | Use a repeatable depth and stop before repetitions become grinders. |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 | 7–10 | Keep the bar close and use only the range you can control. |
| Reverse lunge | 2 | 8–10 each side | Use support if balance would otherwise limit the legs. |
| Standing calf raise | 3 | 10–15 | Pause briefly at both ends of the range. |
Day 3 — Upper B
Vertical press and pull with a lighter second chest and back exposure| Exercise | Sets | Reps | First-week guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overhead press | 3 | 6–9 | Keep the trunk position consistent from the first repetition. |
| Pull-up or lat pulldown | 3 | 6–10 | Use a grip and assistance level that keeps the shoulders comfortable. |
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 | 8–12 | Use less load than Day 1 and add repetitions before weight. |
| Seated cable row | 2 | 10–14 | Keep the torso still and finish each pull under control. |
Day 4 — Lower B
Hinge strength plus moderate knee-dominant and unilateral work| Exercise | Sets | Reps | First-week guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadlift or trap-bar deadlift | 3 | 3–5 | Reset each repetition and end the set when setup quality changes. |
| Front squat or leg press | 3 | 8–12 | Treat this as controlled volume rather than a second maximal squat day. |
| Bulgarian split squat | 2 | 8 each side | Keep the same stance and range across both legs. |
| Leg curl | 2 | 10–15 | Keep the hips stable instead of chasing a heavier stack. |
Progression
How the plan moves forward
- 1Begin near the bottom of each repetition range with two to three repetitions in reserve and keep the exercise menu stable for four weeks.
- 2Add repetitions until every work set reaches the top of its range with consistent technique, then add the smallest practical load and return to the bottom.
- 3After four to six build weeks, remove roughly one set per exercise for a lower-volume week before beginning the next block.
When conditions change
Three ways to adjust without starting over
You can train only three days this week
Missing one day should reduce the dose without deleting an entire half of the body.
- Continue the four-session sequence into the following week instead of doubling two full sessions.
- If the calendar must reset weekly, keep both lower days and combine the essential presses and pulls from the two upper days into one shorter session.
Sessions run longer than 70 minutes
Optional isolation work should not crowd out the main movement patterns or make the split hard to repeat.
- Keep the first three exercises and remove the final isolation movement from each day.
- Use two work sets for secondary lifts before shortening rest around the main lift.
Lower-body fatigue carries into the second session
The squat and hinge exposures should support each other rather than make Day 4 a repeated test of exhaustion.
- Reduce the Romanian deadlift or unilateral work on Lower A by one set before changing the main squat.
- Keep at least one full recovery day between lower sessions and seek appropriate assessment for sharp or persistent pain.
Exercise demonstrations
See the main movement patterns
Incline Dumbbell Row
Mid-back + lats · chest-supported row
See substitutionsRomanian Deadlift
Hamstrings + glutes · hinge
See substitutionsBulgarian Split Squat
Quads + glutes · unilateral
See substitutionsFour days should buy you better distribution
A four-day upper/lower split is not automatically superior to a three-day full-body plan. Its advantage is room. You can give the main squat, hinge, press, and pull their own emphasis without asking every session to cover the whole body. The schedule also gives each major muscle group two planned exposures while leaving space for recovery.
This guide provides the exact four-day program. The broader workout-split guide helps you choose among schedules, while the general upper/lower guide covers the underlying structure. Here, the exercise order, dose, and progression are already defined so you can run the week rather than keep comparing templates.
Keep the second exposure different, not random
Upper B and Lower B are not novelty days. They repeat the same movement categories with a different emphasis and usually a lighter secondary dose. That makes weekly progress measurable without forcing the same joints and lifts through identical work twice.
Record completed sets, repetitions, load, and effort. If one session repeatedly disappears, the answer is usually a lower-frequency plan, not a growing pile of make-up workouts. Dorsi can use completed work and changing availability when organizing what comes next; the personalized planning page shows how those details shape the next plan.
This plan is for generally healthy adults. Sharp pain, fainting, chest pain, unusual shortness of breath, or persistent loss of normal function calls for appropriate medical guidance rather than another programming adjustment.
Sources we drew from
The schedule is a practical template for generally healthy adults. Evidence statements are tied to the sources below; the exact exercise order is an editorial programming choice, not a clinical prescription.
- 1
Domingo J Ramos-Campo et al. · 2024 · Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
The meta-analysis found similar strength and hypertrophy outcomes for split and full-body routines when weekly training volume was equated.
- 2
Jozo Grgic et al. · 2018 · Sports Medicine
The review found that higher frequency primarily helps when it distributes or enables more productive weekly training volume.
Frequently asked questions
Is a four-day upper/lower split effective?
Yes. It gives every major movement pattern two weekly exposures while leaving three days without lifting. The split is effective when those four sessions fit your schedule and the second upper and lower days remain productive rather than becoming recovery tests.
Should the two upper and two lower days be identical?
No. Keep the movement jobs consistent, but change the emphasis. This plan makes the first upper day horizontal-press focused, the second vertical-press focused, the first lower day squat focused, and the second hinge focused.
Is upper/lower better than push/pull/legs?
It is usually easier to fit into four days. Push/pull/legs becomes most symmetrical at six sessions, while upper/lower trains each half twice with fewer weekly appointments. The better split is the one that holds the needed work without repeated missed days.