Four-day muscle-building program
A 4-day upper/lower plan with recoverable muscle-building volume.
Four focused days with volume you can actually recover from.
The plan in one minute
This eight-week upper/lower split trains the major muscle groups twice per week across four focused sessions. It uses rep-range progression, balanced pressing and pulling, and a lower-volume final week so the plan can build muscle without turning every workout into a test.
4 days
each week
50–70
minutes
8 weeks
one block
Intermediate
starting level
Is this plan right for you?
An upper/lower split that brings most major muscle groups near the evidence-supported weekly volume range while keeping sessions readable. Reps progress before load; the final week reduces fatigue.
A good fit if you…
Intermediate lifters whose main goal is building muscle
People who can consistently train four days and recover between lower-body sessions
Lifters who want clear weekly volume without six-day gym schedules
Choose another route if you…
Complete beginners who would benefit from a simpler two- or three-day plan
People whose sport schedule already creates substantial weekly fatigue
Anyone looking for a maximal-strength competition peak
How the block progresses
Build, don’t guess.
Use double progression: add repetitions within each listed range while preserving the target effort, then add the smallest practical load once all sets reach the top of the range. Reduce total sets in week eight so the next block begins recovered.
WEEKS 1–2
Find the dose
Start at 3 reps in reserve and learn what you recover from.
WEEKS 3–6
Accumulate
Add reps across sets, then add the smallest load and return to the lower range.
WEEKS 7
Challenge
Allow the last set of safe exercises to reach about 1 rep in reserve.
WEEKS 8
Resensitize
Perform about half the normal sets and leave 3–4 reps in reserve.
Complete workouts
Every exercise, set, and target.
Upper A
65 min · Chest and upper-back emphasis with balanced shoulders and arms.
Upper A
65 min · Chest and upper-back emphasis with balanced shoulders and arms.
Barbell bench press
3 sets · 6–10 · 2 reps in reserve · 2:30 rest
Swap: Dumbbell bench press, Push-up, Overhead press
Chest-supported row
3 sets · 8–12 · 1–2 reps in reserve · 2 min rest
Swap: One-arm dumbbell row, Seated cable row, Lat pulldown
Half-kneeling landmine press
3 sets · 8–12 / side · 2 reps in reserve · 1:30 rest
Swap: Overhead press, Dumbbell bench press, Push-up
Lat pulldown
3 sets · 8–12 · 1–2 reps in reserve · 1:30 rest
Swap: Assisted pull-up, One-arm dumbbell row, Seated cable row
Dumbbell lateral raise
3 sets · 12–20 · 1–2 reps in reserve · 1 min rest
Swap: Overhead press, Half-kneeling landmine press, Dumbbell bench press
Dumbbell curl
2 sets · 10–15 · 1–2 reps in reserve · 1 min rest
Swap: Seated cable row, One-arm dumbbell row, Lat pulldown
Triceps pressdown
2 sets · 10–15 · 1–2 reps in reserve · 1 min rest
Swap: Push-up, Dumbbell floor press, Overhead press
Lower A
65 min · Quadriceps emphasis with posterior-chain and calf work.
Lower A
65 min · Quadriceps emphasis with posterior-chain and calf work.
Barbell back squat
3 sets · 6–10 · 2 reps in reserve · 3 min rest
Swap: Goblet squat, Leg press, Split squat
Romanian deadlift
3 sets · 8–12 · 2 reps in reserve · 2:30 rest
Swap: Kettlebell deadlift, Hip thrust, Glute bridge
Leg press
3 sets · 10–15 · 1–2 reps in reserve · 2 min rest
Swap: Barbell back squat, Goblet squat, Split squat
Split squat
2 sets · 8–12 / side · 2 reps in reserve · 1:30 rest
Swap: Reverse lunge, Step-up, Goblet squat
Standing calf raise
3 sets · 10–15 · 1–2 reps in reserve · 1 min rest
Swap: Step-up, Split squat, Knee-to-wall ankle rock
Upper B
60 min · Shoulder and lat emphasis with additional chest and arm volume.
Upper B
60 min · Shoulder and lat emphasis with additional chest and arm volume.
Overhead press
3 sets · 6–10 · 2 reps in reserve · 2:30 rest
Swap: Half-kneeling landmine press, Dumbbell bench press, Push-up
Assisted pull-up
3 sets · 6–10 · 1–2 reps in reserve · 2 min rest
Swap: Lat pulldown, One-arm dumbbell row, Seated cable row
Dumbbell bench press
3 sets · 8–12 · 2 reps in reserve · 2 min rest
Swap: Barbell bench press, Push-up, Dumbbell floor press
Seated cable row
3 sets · 8–12 · 1–2 reps in reserve · 1:30 rest
Swap: One-arm dumbbell row, Chest-supported row, Lat pulldown
Dumbbell lateral raise
3 sets · 12–20 · 1–2 reps in reserve · 1 min rest
Swap: Overhead press, Half-kneeling landmine press, Dumbbell bench press
Dumbbell curl
2 sets · 10–15 · 1–2 reps in reserve · 1 min rest
Swap: Seated cable row, One-arm dumbbell row, Lat pulldown
Triceps pressdown
2 sets · 10–15 · 1–2 reps in reserve · 1 min rest
Swap: Push-up, Dumbbell floor press, Overhead press
Lower B
60 min · Glute and hamstring emphasis with unilateral quadriceps work.
Lower B
60 min · Glute and hamstring emphasis with unilateral quadriceps work.
Trap-bar deadlift
3 sets · 5–8 · 2 reps in reserve · 3 min rest
Swap: Kettlebell deadlift, Romanian deadlift, Hip thrust
Hip thrust
3 sets · 8–12 · 1–2 reps in reserve · 2 min rest
Swap: Glute bridge, Romanian deadlift, Kettlebell deadlift
Reverse lunge
3 sets · 8–12 / side · 2 reps in reserve · 1:30 rest
Swap: Split squat, Step-up, Bodyweight squat
Leg press
2 sets · 12–15 · 1–2 reps in reserve · 1:30 rest
Swap: Barbell back squat, Goblet squat, Split squat
Standing calf raise
3 sets · 10–15 · 1–2 reps in reserve · 1 min rest
Swap: Step-up, Split squat, Knee-to-wall ankle rock
Put this exact plan in your log
LogFast remembers where you left off.
Start Build Muscle free, choose your training days, and log the workout you actually completed. Your weights, reps, substitutions, and effort become the context for what happens next.
Track Build Muscle freeWeek-by-week schedule
Know what happens after week one.
1Find the dose
Keep 3 reps in reserve and finish every session feeling repeatable.
Find the dose
Keep 3 reps in reserve and finish every session feeling repeatable.
Keep 3 reps in reserve and finish every session feeling repeatable.
Upper A
Lower A
Upper B
Lower B
2Find the dose
Keep 3 reps in reserve and finish every session feeling repeatable.
Find the dose
Keep 3 reps in reserve and finish every session feeling repeatable.
Keep 3 reps in reserve and finish every session feeling repeatable.
Upper A
Lower A
Upper B
Lower B
3Accumulate
Add reps inside the range. Add load only after all sets reach the top cleanly.
Accumulate
Add reps inside the range. Add load only after all sets reach the top cleanly.
Add reps inside the range. Add load only after all sets reach the top cleanly.
Upper A
Lower A
Upper B
Lower B
4Accumulate
Add reps inside the range. Add load only after all sets reach the top cleanly.
Accumulate
Add reps inside the range. Add load only after all sets reach the top cleanly.
Add reps inside the range. Add load only after all sets reach the top cleanly.
Upper A
Lower A
Upper B
Lower B
5Accumulate
Add reps inside the range. Add load only after all sets reach the top cleanly.
Accumulate
Add reps inside the range. Add load only after all sets reach the top cleanly.
Add reps inside the range. Add load only after all sets reach the top cleanly.
Upper A
Lower A
Upper B
Lower B
6Accumulate
Add reps inside the range. Add load only after all sets reach the top cleanly.
Accumulate
Add reps inside the range. Add load only after all sets reach the top cleanly.
Add reps inside the range. Add load only after all sets reach the top cleanly.
Upper A
Lower A
Upper B
Lower B
7Challenge
Let only the final set of stable exercises approach 1 rep in reserve.
Challenge
Let only the final set of stable exercises approach 1 rep in reserve.
Let only the final set of stable exercises approach 1 rep in reserve.
Upper A
Lower A
Upper B
Lower B
8Reduce
Perform half the prescribed sets and leave 3–4 reps in reserve.
Reduce
Perform half the prescribed sets and leave 3–4 reps in reserve.
Perform half the prescribed sets and leave 3–4 reps in reserve.
Upper A
Lower A
Upper B
Lower B
Why it is built this way
Evidence, with the caveats left in.
Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults
Progressive resistance training works across many prescriptions. Heavier loads favor strength, higher weekly volume favors hypertrophy, and consistency matters more than unnecessary complexity.
American College of Sports Medicine
Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass
More weekly resistance-training sets are associated with greater muscle growth, with practical diminishing returns and a need to match volume to recovery.
Journal of Sports Sciences
Efficacy of Split Versus Full-Body Resistance Training on Strength and Muscle Growth
Full-body and split routines produce similar results when weekly work is matched, so schedule and preference can drive the choice.
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Questions people ask
Before you start.
What is a four-day upper/lower split?
It alternates two upper-body and two lower-body sessions each week. This lets most major muscle groups receive two weekly exposures while keeping each workout focused.
Is upper/lower good for building muscle?
It can be. Muscle gain depends more on appropriate weekly volume, challenging sets, progression, nutrition, and recovery than on the split name itself.
How should I arrange the four days?
A common rhythm is upper, lower, rest, upper, lower. The important part is avoiding four hard lifting days in a row and giving similar muscle groups time to recover.
What if the sessions take too long?
Keep the main movements, remove one lower-priority isolation exercise, or reduce one accessory set. Consistently completing a recoverable plan is more useful than preserving every optional set.
Keep learning
High weekly volume is not automatically better. Reduce sets when soreness or performance is worsening across several sessions. This plan is not medical advice.
Other starting points
