Who is the Upper / Lower split for?

Upper and lower body on alternating days. Every muscle twice a week with sensible recovery; the best 4-day structure for most lifters.

How many sets per muscle per week does this give?

Around 64 working sets a week in total, which lands each major muscle in the 10–20 hard-set range that research links to growth.

Can I do this split at home?

Yes. Use the generator with "Dumbbells" or "No equipment" and pick the same split; exercises are swapped for home-friendly versions.

How long should I run it?

6–12 weeks with double progression, then regenerate a variation or change the split to keep progressing.

Upper / Lower 4-Day Workout Split: Routine, Sets & Reps (Free PDF)

Split

Upper / Lower

Sessions / week

Avg. session

40 min

Schedule

Mon · Tue · Thu · Fri

Warm-up (every session, ~6 min)

3–5 min easy cardio: brisk walk, bike, jump rope or marching in place.
Dynamic mobility: 10 leg swings each way, 10 hip circles, 10 arm circles, 8 cat-cows.
Ramp-up sets on the first exercise: 1–2 light sets of 8 before your working sets.

Day 1

Upper A

Chest + back, strength bias

6 exercises · ~41 min

1. Incline Dumbbell Press main

Chest, Front Delts · Dumbbell

Sets
3

Reps
6–10

Rest
120s

Effort
RPE 8

swap: Machine Chest Press, Dumbbell Bench Press, Dumbbell Floor Press
2. Dumbbell Row main

Lats, Upper Back · Dumbbell

Sets
3

Reps
6–10 / side

Rest
120s

Effort
RPE 8

swap: Kettlebell Row, Chest-Supported Row, Seated Cable Row
3. Landmine Press secondary

Front Delts, Chest · Barbell

Sets
2

Reps
8–12 / side

Rest
90s

Effort
RPE 8

swap: Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Kettlebell Press, Incline Dumbbell Press
4. Assisted Pull-Up secondary

Lats, Upper Back · Pull-Up Bar

Sets
2

Reps
8–12

Rest
90s

Effort
RPE 8

swap: Negative Pull-Up, Lat Pulldown, Band Lat Pulldown
5. Barbell Curl accessory

Biceps · Barbell

Sets
3

Reps
10–15

Rest
60s

Effort
RPE 8–9

swap: Dumbbell Curl, Cable Curl, Band Curl
6. Overhead Triceps Extension accessory

Triceps · Dumbbell

Sets
3

Reps
10–15

Rest
60s

Effort
RPE 8–9

swap: Rope Pushdown, Band Triceps Extension, Bench Dip

Day 2

Lower A

Squat focus

6 exercises · ~38 min

1. Leg Press main

Quads, Glutes · Machine

Sets
3

Reps
6–10

Rest
120s

Effort
RPE 8

swap: Goblet Squat, Smith Machine Squat, Banded Squat
2. Trap Bar Deadlift secondary

Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings · Barbell

Sets
2

Reps
8–12

Rest
90s

Effort
RPE 8

swap: Kettlebell Deadlift, Goblet Squat, Banded Good Morning
3. Dumbbell Reverse Lunge secondary

Quads, Glutes · Dumbbell

Sets
2

Reps
8–12 / side

Rest
90s

Effort
RPE 8

swap: Reverse Lunge, Split Squat, Step-Up
4. Dumbbell Hip Thrust accessory

Glutes · Dumbbell

Sets
3

Reps
10–15

Rest
60s

Effort
RPE 8–9

swap: Hip Thrust, Glute Bridge, Banded Glute Bridge
5. Seated Calf Raise accessory

Calves · Machine

Sets
3

Reps
10–15

Rest
60s

Effort
RPE 8–9

swap: Standing Calf Raise, Dumbbell Calf Raise, Leg Press
6. Cable Crunch core

Core · Cable

Sets
3

Reps
12–15

Rest
60s

Effort
controlled

swap: Crunch, Reverse Crunch, Pallof Press

Day 3

Upper B

Shoulders + back, volume bias

6 exercises · ~41 min

1. Negative Pull-Up main

Lats, Upper Back · Pull-Up Bar

Sets
3

Reps
6–10

Rest
120s

Effort
RPE 8

swap: Assisted Pull-Up, Lat Pulldown, Inverted Row
2. Dumbbell Shoulder Press main

Front Delts, Side Delts · Dumbbell

Sets
3

Reps
6–10

Rest
120s

Effort
RPE 8

swap: Seated Dumbbell Press, Pike Push-Up, Band Shoulder Press
3. Cable Chest Fly secondary

Chest · Cable

Sets
2

Reps
8–12

Rest
90s

Effort
RPE 8

swap: Pec Deck, Push-Up, Machine Chest Press
4. Seated Cable Row secondary

Upper Back, Lats · Cable

Sets
2

Reps
8–12

Rest
90s

Effort
RPE 8

swap: Machine Row, Chest-Supported Row, Band Row
5. Barbell Shrug accessory

Traps · Barbell

Sets
3

Reps
10–15

Rest
60s

Effort
RPE 8–9

swap: Dumbbell Shrug, Face Pull, Band Upright Row
6. Rope Pushdown accessory

Triceps · Cable

Sets
3

Reps
10–15

Rest
60s

Effort
RPE 8–9

swap: Triceps Pushdown, Band Triceps Extension, Overhead Triceps Extension

Day 4

Lower B

Hinge focus

6 exercises · ~38 min

1. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift main

Hamstrings, Glutes · Dumbbell

Sets
3

Reps
6–10

Rest
120s

Effort
RPE 8

swap: Kettlebell Deadlift, Bodyweight Hip Hinge, Dumbbell Deadlift
2. Sumo Squat secondary

Glutes, Adductors, Quads · Dumbbell

Sets
2

Reps
8–12

Rest
90s

Effort
RPE 8

swap: Goblet Squat, Bodyweight Squat, Lateral Lunge
3. Hip Abduction Machine secondary

Glutes · Machine

Sets
2

Reps
8–12

Rest
90s

Effort
RPE 8

swap: Banded Lateral Walk, Clamshell, Cable Glute Kickback
4. Seated Leg Curl accessory

Hamstrings · Machine

Sets
3

Reps
10–15

Rest
60s

Effort
RPE 8–9

swap: Lying Leg Curl, Banded Hamstring Curl, Sliding Leg Curl
5. Dumbbell Calf Raise accessory

Calves · Dumbbell

Sets
3

Reps
10–15

Rest
60s

Effort
RPE 8–9

swap: Standing Calf Raise, Seated Calf Raise, Leg Press
6. Pallof Press core

Obliques, Core · Cable

Sets
3

Reps
12–15 / side

Rest
60s

Effort
controlled

swap: Side Plank, Suitcase Carry, Russian Twist

How to progress

First 2 weeks: focus on form with light weights, stop each set 3 reps before failure.
Double progression: hit the top of the rep range on every set, then add weight (2.5–5 %) and start from the bottom of the range.
Bodyweight moves: add reps, then slow the tempo (3 sec down), then move to a harder variation.
Deload every 6–8 weeks: same exercises, half the sets.

Notes for this plan

Sessions can move between days; keep at least one rest day between hard sessions for the same muscles.