4-day upper lower split workout plan
Upper body on Monday and Thursday, lower body on Tuesday and Friday. Each muscle is trained twice a week, from a different angle each time.
Upper / lower is what GymSensei gives anyone training four days a week. Splitting the body in two gives each workout room for more sets per muscle than full body, while still hitting everything twice a week. The upper days pull as much as they push, which keeps your shoulders balanced.
The week
- Monday: workout A, upper body (middle chest, back and side delts)
- Tuesday: workout B, lower body (quads and hamstrings)
- Thursday: workout C, upper body (upper and lower chest, back width and rear delts)
- Friday: workout D, lower body (glutes, quads and hamstrings)
Each workout lists seven exercises, most important first. Short on time? An hour covers the first six, 45 minutes the first five and 30 minutes the first four. The home version is what the app picks with a pair of dumbbells and no bench or bar.
Workout A: Upper body
Middle chest, back and side delts.
| In the gym | Sets × reps | At home with dumbbells | Sets × reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell bench press | 3 × 8–12 | Push-up | 3 × 10–20 |
| Seated cable row | 3 × 8–12 | Two-dumbbell row | 3 × 8–12 |
| Close-grip lat pulldown | 3 × 8–12 | One-arm dumbbell row | 3 × 8–12 |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 3 × 10–15 | Dumbbell lateral raise | 3 × 10–15 |
| Machine shoulder press | 3 × 8–12 | Dumbbell shoulder press | 3 × 8–12 |
| Incline dumbbell curl | 3 × 10–15 | Dumbbell curl | 3 × 10–15 |
| Triceps pushdown | 3 × 10–15 | Close-grip (triceps) push-up | 3 × 10–20 |
Workout B: Lower body
Quads and hamstrings.
| In the gym | Sets × reps | At home with dumbbells | Sets × reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 3 × 8–12 | Goblet squat | 3 × 8–12 |
| Stiff-legged dumbbell deadlift | 3 × 8–12 | Stiff-legged dumbbell deadlift | 3 × 8–12 |
| Leg extension | 3 × 10–15 | Dumbbell step-up | 3 × 8–12 |
| Standing calf raise | 3 × 10–15 | Standing dumbbell calf raise | 3 × 10–15 |
| Lying leg curl | 3 × 10–15 | Floor glute-ham raise | 3 × 10–20 |
| Seated calf raise | 3 × 10–15 | Seated one-leg dumbbell calf raise | 3 × 10–15 |
| Lying leg raise | 3 × 10–20 | Lying leg raise | 3 × 10–20 |
Workout C: Upper body
Upper and lower chest, back width and rear delts.
| In the gym | Sets × reps | At home with dumbbells | Sets × reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 × 8–12 | Push-up | 3 × 10–20 |
| Wide-grip lat pulldown | 3 × 8–12 | One-arm dumbbell row | 3 × 8–12 |
| Decline dumbbell bench press | 3 × 8–12 | Triceps dips | 3 × 10–20 |
| Face pull | 3 × 8–12 | Reverse fly | 3 × 10–15 |
| Hammer curl | 3 × 10–15 | Hammer curl | 3 × 10–15 |
| Cable rope overhead triceps extension | 3 × 10–15 | Standing dumbbell triceps extension | 3 × 10–15 |
| Preacher curl | 3 × 10–15 | Concentration curl | 3 × 10–15 |
Workout D: Lower body
Glutes, quads and hamstrings.
| In the gym | Sets × reps | At home with dumbbells | Sets × reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell hip thrust | 3 × 8–12 | Single-leg glute bridge | 3 × 10–20 |
| Leg press | 3 × 8–12 | Goblet squat | 3 × 8–12 |
| Lying leg curl | 3 × 10–15 | Floor glute-ham raise | 3 × 10–20 |
| Seated calf raise | 3 × 10–15 | Seated one-leg dumbbell calf raise | 3 × 10–15 |
| Dumbbell split squat | 3 × 8–12 | Dumbbell split squat | 3 × 8–12 |
| Russian twist | 3 × 10–20 | Russian twist | 3 × 10–20 |
| Plank | 3 × 30–45 s | Plank | 3 × 30–45 s |
Sets, reps and adding weight
The reps above are for building muscle or staying fit. To lose fat it's 10–12 on the big lifts and 12–15 on the smaller ones; to get stronger, 5–8 and 8–12. Bodyweight moves go up to 20 reps, and holds run 30 to 45 seconds.
On your first session, pick a weight you could lift for the top of the range and stop each set with two or three reps left in you. Stay at that weight until you reach the top of the range on every set, then add 2.5 kg on dumbbells and barbells or 5 kg on machines and cables, and start again from the bottom of the range.
Every sixth week is a lighter one: one set fewer on each exercise, same weights. Every six weeks the smaller exercises also change to the next option on their list, while the main lifts stay, so you can see them go up. How the plans work.
Other plans
Updated . General fitness and nutrition guidance, not medical advice.
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