what is an upper lower split
Upper lower split:
a free 4 day plan.
An upper lower split trains your upper body on two days and your lower body on two days, so every muscle is worked twice a week in four sessions. This is the Upper Lower plan from the Physiqo app, with every set, rep range and rest time, how to add weight, and swaps for training at home.
The week
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Monday | Upper A |
| Tuesday | Lower A |
| Wednesday | Rest |
| Thursday | Upper B |
| Friday | Lower B |
| Saturday and Sunday | Rest |
Any four days work. Keep the order upper, lower, upper, lower, and try to leave a day between the two lower sessions. Each session takes about an hour.
Upper A
| Exercise | Sets x reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Bench press | 4 x 6 to 8 | 2 min |
| Barbell row | 4 x 6 to 10 | 2 min |
| Overhead press | 3 x 8 to 10 | 2 min |
| Lat pulldown | 3 x 8 to 12 | 2 min |
| Barbell curl | 2 x 10 to 12 | 75 sec |
| Tricep pushdown | 2 x 10 to 15 | 75 sec |
Lower A
| Exercise | Sets x reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Squat | 4 x 6 to 8 | 3 min |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 x 8 to 10 | 3 min |
| Leg press | 3 x 10 to 12 | 3 min |
| Lying leg curl | 3 x 10 to 15 | 75 sec |
| Standing calf raise | 3 x 10 to 15 | 75 sec |
Upper B
| Exercise | Sets x reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 x 8 to 12 | 2 min |
| Pull-up | 3 x 6 to 10 | 2 min |
| Seated dumbbell press | 3 x 8 to 12 | 2 min |
| Chest-supported dumbbell row | 3 x 8 to 12 | 2 min |
| Lateral raise | 3 x 12 to 15 | 75 sec |
| Hammer curl | 2 x 10 to 15 | 75 sec |
Can't do a pull-up yet? Use an assisted pull-up machine or a lat pulldown for the same sets and reps.
Lower B
| Exercise | Sets x reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Deadlift | 3 x 5 to 6 | 3 min |
| Bulgarian split squat | 3 x 8 to 12 | 2 min |
| Leg extension | 3 x 10 to 15 | 75 sec |
| Seated leg curl | 3 x 10 to 15 | 75 sec |
| Seated calf raise | 3 x 12 to 15 | 75 sec |
| Cable crunch | 3 x 10 to 15 | 75 sec |
Rest times: about 3 minutes on squats, deadlifts and the leg press, 2 minutes on the main presses, rows and pulls, and about 75 seconds on smaller lifts.
How to add weight: double progression
Every lift has a rep range, such as 6 to 8. Pick a weight you can lift for the bottom of the range with good form and stay on it until you hit the top of the range on every set. Then add the smallest step and start again from the bottom.
- Every set at the top of the range: add one step next time, and go back to the bottom of the range.
- Somewhere in the range: keep the weight and chase one more rep on each set.
- No set reaches the bottom of the range, or the reps fall away fast (10, 7, 5): take one step off.
A step is 5 kg on squats, deadlifts and the leg press, 2.5 kg on most other barbell, machine and cable lifts, and 2 kg on dumbbells. For example, bench press 4 x 6 to 8 at 60 kg: once all four sets reach 8, the next session is 62.5 kg for 6.
Finish most sets with 1 or 2 reps left in the tank rather than going to failure, and do 2 or 3 lighter warm-up sets before the first big lift of the day.
Training at home: dumbbell swaps
No gym? Swap each lift for the nearest one you can do with a pair of dumbbells, and keep the same sets and rep ranges.
| At the gym | At home |
|---|---|
| Bench press | Dumbbell floor press |
| Barbell row | Dumbbell row |
| Overhead press or seated dumbbell press | Standing dumbbell press |
| Lat pulldown or pull-up | Dumbbell row (or pull-ups if you have a bar) |
| Incline dumbbell press | Push-up or dumbbell floor press |
| Chest-supported dumbbell row | Dumbbell row |
| Tricep pushdown | Overhead dumbbell extension |
| Barbell curl | Dumbbell curl |
| Squat or leg press | Goblet squat |
| Deadlift or Romanian deadlift | Dumbbell Romanian deadlift |
| Leg extension | Reverse lunge |
| Lying or seated leg curl | Glute bridge or single-leg Romanian deadlift |
| Calf raise | Dumbbell calf raise |
| Cable crunch or hanging leg raise | Dead bug |
Is an upper lower split right for you?
- You can train four days a week. If three is more realistic, a 3 day full body plan covers everything in fewer sessions.
- You know the main lifts. Brand new to the gym? Start with the beginner plan for a few months, then move to this.
- You can train five or six days? Push pull legs suits that better, but four good sessions beat six rushed ones.
Have it built around you
This plan is one of the templates in Physiqo. Or say build me a training plan
and Ari drafts one on a card in the chat, around how many days you train, your kit (full gym, home dumbbells or no kit) and your goal. You change any lift before saving. Then log a set by typing it, like bench sixty for eight
, and she logs it against the right set of today's session, with Undo and Edit.
When your week goes wrong, tell her. only got 30 mins today
comes back as a card with a shorter session for today only, and nothing changes until you tap Confirm. More in the workout tracker app guide.
Plans and availability
Physiqo is £14.99 a month, £29.97 for 3 months or £95.88 for 12 months, after a free trial whose length the App Store sets. There is no free plan. Pricing, the free trial and how to cancel
Physiqo is coming soon to iPhone. Join the waitlist and you'll get one email the day it's on the App Store.
Last updated:
quick answers
Fair questions.
Is an upper lower split good for beginners
It can be, but most beginners do better on a 3 day full body plan for their first few months. Once you know the main lifts and can train four days a week, an upper lower split is a natural next step.
Upper lower or push pull legs
For four days a week, upper lower works every muscle twice. Push pull legs needs six days to do the same, so it suits people who can train five or six days.
Can I do an upper lower split 3 days a week
You can rotate the four sessions over three days, so each comes round every week and a bit, but for three days a week a full body plan is simpler and works every muscle more often.
How long should an upper lower session take
About an hour for the sessions on this page, with the rest times shown. Short on time? Drop the last exercise or one set from each lift rather than rushing your rests.
Something else? help@physiqoai.com
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