Upper Lower Split: The 4-Day Program for Intermediate Lifters
The upper/lower split is the most underrated training program for intermediates. Here is a complete 4-day program with progression built in.
Why upper/lower is perfect for intermediates
I have run just about every training split you can think of over the past decade. Bro splits, push/pull/legs, full body, the Arnold split, you name it. And the program I keep coming back to, the one I put most of my intermediate clients on, is the upper/lower split.
Here is why. Once you are past the beginner stage (you have been training consistently for 6-12 months and your linear progression has stalled), you need two things: enough frequency to keep growing, and enough recovery to actually handle the weights you are now capable of moving.
Full body three times a week stops working because you are too strong. Squatting 275 on Monday, benching 225 on Wednesday, and deadlifting 315 on Friday is a lot of systemic fatigue. Your body cannot recover session to session anymore.
Bro splits (chest Monday, back Tuesday, etc.) give you plenty of recovery but most muscles only get hit once a week. A 2015 meta-analysis by Schoenfeld et al. found that training each muscle group at least twice per week produced significantly more hypertrophy than once per week. Once-a-week training is leaving gains on the table.
Upper/lower hits every muscle twice a week with three days of rest between sessions for the same muscle groups. It is the sweet spot.
How the split works
The concept is dead simple. You train four days per week. Two upper body days and two lower body days. The first session of each is heavier and more compound-focused. The second session uses lighter weights with more volume and isolation work.
This gives you the best of both worlds. You get to chase strength on your big lifts early in the week when you are fresh, and you get to chase the pump and accumulate volume later in the week.
The weekly schedule
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Monday | Upper body 1 (strength) |
| Tuesday | Lower body 1 (strength) |
| Wednesday | Rest |
| Thursday | Upper body 2 (hypertrophy) |
| Friday | Lower body 2 (hypertrophy) |
| Saturday | Rest |
| Sunday | Rest |
You can shift the days around to fit your schedule. The only rule is to avoid doing two upper or two lower days back to back. If you need to train three days in a row, go Upper, Lower, Rest, Upper, Lower, Rest, Rest. Or do Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday like I have it here.
Upper body day 1 (strength focus)
This session is about moving heavy weight on your main pressing and pulling movements. Keep rest periods long. Do not rush through this.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RPE | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell bench press | 4 | 5-6 | 8-9 | 3 min |
| Barbell row (overhand) | 4 | 5-6 | 8-9 | 3 min |
| Overhead press (barbell or dumbbell) | 3 | 6-8 | 8 | 2-3 min |
| Weighted chin-up | 3 | 6-8 | 8 | 2-3 min |
| Barbell curl | 3 | 8-10 | 8 | 90 sec |
| Overhead tricep extension (cable) | 3 | 8-10 | 8 | 90 sec |
I like to superset the curls and tricep extensions at the end to save time. You are already 45 minutes in at that point and the heavy work is done.
Lower body day 1 (strength focus)
Squats and a hip hinge are the meat of this day. Everything else is accessory work.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RPE | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell back squat | 4 | 5-6 | 8-9 | 3-4 min |
| Romanian deadlift | 4 | 6-8 | 8 | 3 min |
| Leg press | 3 | 8-10 | 8 | 2 min |
| Lying leg curl | 3 | 8-10 | 8-9 | 90 sec |
| Standing calf raise | 4 | 10-12 | 9 | 90 sec |
A note on the squats: if you are an intermediate lifter squatting somewhere between 225 and 365, sets of 5-6 at RPE 8-9 should feel challenging but not grinding. You should have one, maybe two reps left in the tank. If you are regularly hitting failure on squat, you need to lower the weight. Failing a squat is dangerous and the fatigue cost is enormous.
Upper body day 2 (hypertrophy focus)
This session is about volume and time under tension. Lighter weights, higher reps, more isolation work. Chase the pump here.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RPE | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell incline bench press | 4 | 8-12 | 8-9 | 2 min |
| Cable row (close grip) | 4 | 10-12 | 8-9 | 2 min |
| Lateral raise (dumbbell or cable) | 4 | 12-15 | 9 | 60-90 sec |
| Face pull | 3 | 15-20 | 8 | 60 sec |
| Incline dumbbell curl | 3 | 10-12 | 9 | 60-90 sec |
| Rope pushdown | 3 | 12-15 | 9 | 60-90 sec |
| Dumbbell rear delt fly | 3 | 12-15 | 8-9 | 60 sec |
The incline dumbbell press instead of flat barbell is intentional. You already hit flat bench heavy on Monday. The incline angle hits the upper chest more, gives your shoulders a slightly different stimulus, and the dumbbells let each side work independently. Your pecs do not need heavy flat bench twice a week.
Lower body day 2 (hypertrophy focus)
More quad and hamstring volume, some glute work, and calves. This is where leg extensions and curls earn their keep.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RPE | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front squat or goblet squat | 3 | 8-10 | 8 | 2-3 min |
| Dumbbell walking lunge | 3 | 10-12 each leg | 8 | 2 min |
| Leg extension | 3 | 12-15 | 9 | 60-90 sec |
| Seated leg curl | 3 | 10-12 | 9 | 60-90 sec |
| Hip thrust (barbell) | 3 | 10-12 | 8-9 | 2 min |
| Seated calf raise | 4 | 12-15 | 9 | 60-90 sec |
I went with front squat instead of back squat because your lower back is probably still recovering from heavy back squats on Tuesday. Front squats keep the load more on the quads and take some pressure off the posterior chain. If front squats feel awkward (they do for a lot of people), goblet squats with a heavy dumbbell work fine.
Progression scheme
This is where most intermediate programs fail. They give you the exercises but no clear plan for getting stronger over time. Here is how to progress on this program.
For the main compound lifts (bench, squat, row, RDL):
Use double progression. Pick a weight and work within the prescribed rep range. Once you can hit the top of the rep range on all sets with good form, add weight next session.
Example: Bench press is prescribed at 4x5-6. You start with 185 pounds.
- •Week 1: 185 for 5, 5, 5, 4. Not all sets hit 5, so stay at 185.
- •Week 2: 185 for 5, 5, 5, 5. All sets hit 5 but not 6. Stay at 185.
- •Week 3: 185 for 6, 6, 5, 5. Getting closer.
- •Week 4: 185 for 6, 6, 6, 6. All sets hit 6. Move to 190 next week.
For upper body lifts, add 5 pounds. For lower body lifts, add 5-10 pounds.
For isolation exercises:
Same double progression concept but aim for the top of the rep range on at least 2 out of 3 sets before adding weight. Isolation movements progress slower and that is fine. Going from 25-pound dumbbell curls to 30-pound dumbbell curls is a 20% increase. That takes time.
Common mistakes with upper/lower splits
Adding too many exercises. I see guys taking this template and adding three more exercises to each day "just to make sure." By the time they are done, the upper body day has 10 exercises and takes two hours. Stick to the template. If your sessions are consistently going over 75 minutes, you are doing too much.
Skipping the hypertrophy days. I get it. The strength days feel more productive because you are moving heavy weight. The hypertrophy days feel like fluff. They are not. The lighter, higher-rep work is where most of your muscle growth comes from. Those sets of 12-15 on lateral raises are building your shoulders even if it does not feel as impressive as a heavy overhead press.
Going too heavy on hypertrophy days. If your "hypertrophy day" looks exactly like your strength day but with one more rep per set, you are missing the point. Drop the weight 20-30% from your strength day numbers. Focus on the contraction, the stretch, and the pump. Leave ego at the door.
Neglecting rear delts and upper back. Shoulder injuries are the most common training injury in intermediate lifters. Face pulls, rear delt flies, and band pull-aparts are not sexy but they keep your shoulders healthy. Do them every upper body day. I am not asking, I am telling you.
When to move on from this program
You can run an upper/lower split for a long time. Years, honestly. As long as you are making progress (weights going up, measurements going up, physique improving), there is no reason to switch.
Signs it might be time to change:
- •You have been stuck on the same weights for 8+ weeks despite good nutrition and sleep
- •You are bored out of your mind and it is affecting your effort in the gym
- •You have developed a specific weak point that needs more than two sessions per week to bring up (like lagging arms or shoulders)
- •You want to transition to a more bodybuilding-style split because your goals have shifted from general strength to physique development
If any of those apply, a push/pull/legs split or a dedicated specialization program might be your next step. But if you are an intermediate lifter who has not tried a proper upper/lower split yet, give this program 12-16 weeks before you consider anything else. It works.