Day 1 · Monday
Upper A
Bench press and row (heavier)
Free workout plan
Upper/lower split workout plan
Four sessions a week: two for the upper body, two for the lower body. Each half has one heavier day and one moderate day, so you build strength and muscle at the same time.
- Days a week
- 4
- Per session
- 60 min
- Level
- Intermediate
- Goal
- Strength and muscle
- Equipment
- Barbell, Dumbbells, Cable station, Machines
Who it's for
Lifters who have outgrown a beginner full-body plan and can train four days a week in a gym with a barbell.
Your week
Day 2 · Tuesday
Lower A
Squat (heavier)
Day 3 · Thursday
Upper B
Overhead press and pull-up
Day 4 · Friday
Lower B
Deadlift (heavier)
Warm-up and cool-down
Warm-up · 8 min
- 5 minutes of easy cardio: brisk walk, bike or rower, enough to feel warm.
- A few slow reps of the world's greatest stretch and inchworms to open the hips and shoulders.
- One or two light sets of the first exercise before your working sets.
Cool-down · 5 min
- Walk slowly for a minute or two until your breathing settles.
- Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds a side, easing in rather than forcing range.
How to progress
The progression rule
On the first two lifts of each day, add 2.5 kg (upper) or 2.5-5 kg (lower) once every set reaches the top of the range. On accessories, add a rep each week and increase the weight when you reach the top. Every 6-8 weeks, take a lighter week.
Safety and technique tips
- Warm up to your working weight on the first lift with 2-3 lighter sets.
- Use collars on the bar, and safety pins or a spotter for squats and presses.
- Brace your trunk before each rep of squats and deadlifts and keep the bar close to your body.
- If a joint aches during a lift, swap to a variation that doesn't hurt (for example a goblet squat instead of a front squat).
Make it yours
Customise it in the workout generator
Change the days, the session length, your equipment or your goal, and get a week built for you, with any exercise swappable.
Questions people ask
Is an upper/lower split better than full body?
Neither is better for everyone. Upper/lower lets you do more sets per muscle in each session with fewer exercises per day, which helps once a full-body session starts taking too long.
Can I do upper/lower three days a week?
You can alternate upper and lower across three days so each half is trained three times every two weeks, but four days gives a steadier weekly rhythm.
How heavy should the main lifts be?
Heavy enough that the last set leaves one or two good reps in reserve. If your form breaks down, the weight is too heavy.
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