Upper Lower 4 Day Routine

Overview

Four sessions a week, each muscle trained twice, one heavy day and one volume day per body half.

This is the routine most people should run once beginner progression has ended. It fits a working week, keeps sessions under 75 minutes, and delivers 12 to 18 hard sets per muscle group without any single session becoming a marathon.

Quick Answer

An upper lower 4 day routine trains upper body twice and lower body twice per week. Making one session per body half heavy and low rep, and the other higher rep and volume focused, covers both strength and hypertrophy while keeping joints fresh.

Key Points

Four days: Upper A, Lower A, rest, Upper B, Lower B.
A days are heavy and low rep, B days are volume and higher rep.
Roughly 12 to 18 hard sets per muscle per week.
Weekly progression, not session to session.
Run for 8 to 12 weeks, then deload.

The week

Day	Session
Monday	Upper A, heavy
Tuesday	Lower A, heavy
Wednesday	Rest
Thursday	Upper B, volume
Friday	Lower B, volume
Weekend	Rest, or easy cardio

Upper A, heavy

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
[Barbell bench press](/wiki/exercises/barbell-bench-press)	4	5	3 min
[Barbell row](/wiki/exercises/barbell-row)	4	6	2.5 min
[Overhead press](/wiki/exercises/overhead-press)	3	6	2.5 min
[Pull up](/wiki/exercises/pull-up)	3	6 to 8	2 min
[Incline dumbbell curl](/wiki/exercises/incline-dumbbell-curl)	3	10	90 sec
[Overhead triceps extension](/wiki/exercises/overhead-triceps-extension)	3	10	90 sec

Lower A, heavy

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
[Back squat](/wiki/exercises/back-squat)	4	5	3 min
[Romanian deadlift](/wiki/exercises/romanian-deadlift)	3	8	2.5 min
[Leg press](/wiki/exercises/leg-press)	3	10	2 min
[Seated leg curl](/wiki/exercises/leg-curl)	3	12	90 sec
[Calf raise](/wiki/exercises/calf-raise)	4	10	90 sec
[Pallof press](/wiki/exercises/pallof-press)	3	10 each side	60 sec

Upper B, volume

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
[Incline dumbbell press](/wiki/exercises/incline-dumbbell-press)	4	10	2 min
[Seated cable row](/wiki/exercises/seated-cable-row)	4	10	2 min
[Lat pulldown](/wiki/exercises/lat-pulldown)	3	12	90 sec
[Lateral raise](/wiki/exercises/lateral-raise)	4	15	60 sec
[Face pull](/wiki/exercises/face-pull)	3	15	60 sec
[Triceps pushdown](/wiki/exercises/triceps-pushdown)	3	12	60 sec
[Barbell curl](/wiki/exercises/barbell-curl)	3	12	60 sec

Lower B, volume

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
[Trap bar deadlift](/wiki/exercises/trap-bar-deadlift)	4	6	3 min
[Bulgarian split squat](/wiki/exercises/bulgarian-split-squat)	3	10 each leg	2 min
[Hip thrust](/wiki/exercises/hip-thrust)	3	12	2 min
[Leg extension](/wiki/exercises/leg-extension)	3	15	90 sec
[Calf raise](/wiki/exercises/calf-raise)	4	15	60 sec
[Hanging leg raise](/wiki/exercises/hanging-leg-raise)	3	12	60 sec

Weekly volume check

Muscle	Weekly hard sets
Chest	8 direct, plus triceps overlap
Back	14
Quads	13
Hamstrings and glutes	13
Shoulders	10 direct, plus pressing overlap
Arms	12 direct, plus compound overlap
Calves	8

That sits comfortably in the [10 to 20 sets per muscle per week](/wiki/articles/training-volume-explained) range. If you recover well after four weeks, add a set to whichever muscle you want to prioritise rather than adding exercises.

Progression

Session type	How to progress
Heavy A days	Add 2.5kg lower body, 1.25 to 2.5kg upper body when all sets hit target reps
Volume B days	Add reps within the range first, then weight when you reach the top

On A days use double progression across a narrow range. On Lower A squats, for example, work 4 x 5. When all four sets hit 5 clean reps, add 2.5kg next week.

On B days work the wider range. Incline press at 4 x 10 means starting where you get 10, 10, 9, 8 and progressing until all four sets reach 10, then adding weight.

Deloading

Every 6 to 8 weeks, or when performance flattens for two consecutive weeks. Keep the same sessions, cut to roughly 60 percent of your usual weights and half the sets. See [deload weeks](/wiki/articles/deload-weeks).

Adapting it

Situation	Change
Only 3 days available	Rotate Upper, Lower, Upper one week; Lower, Upper, Lower the next
Shoulders lagging	Add 3 sets of lateral raises to Lower B
Lower back beaten up	Swap trap bar deadlift for hip thrust and leg curl
Sessions running long	Superset the last two isolation exercises

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Why it causes problems	Better approach
Making both upper days heavy	Shoulders and elbows take a beating	One heavy, one volume
Adding exercises rather than load	Volume creeps past recovery	Progress what is there
Skipping Lower B	Half your leg volume gone	It is the volume day, it matters
Training all four days consecutively	No recovery between halves	Keep the midweek rest day
Never deloading	Fatigue masks progress	Every 6 to 8 weeks

Frequently Asked Questions

Is four days a week enough for an intermediate?

Yes. Four days is the point where you can fit 12 to 18 sets per muscle per week without any session becoming excessively long. More days adds convenience, not necessarily results.

Can I move the rest days around?

Yes, as long as you avoid doing two upper sessions on consecutive days. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday both work.

Should I do cardio on this routine?

Two or three moderate sessions on rest days or after lifting. Keep hard intervals away from the day before Lower A.

How long should each session take?

Sixty to seventy-five minutes. If you are consistently going past ninety, superset the isolation work or cut an exercise.