The 4 day upper lower
split.
Two upper days and two lower days throughout all three training blocks, followed by six days for recovery and review. Choose this structure when four weekly lifting sessions fit your schedule.
- Length
- 90 days
- Days a week
- 4
- Sessions listed
- 12
- Equipment
- A gym with dumbbells, barbells, cables and machines.
The plan
Everything below is the actual programme, not a summary of one. Work down each session in order. The sets and reps shown are the starting prescription for that phase.
Foundation
Two upper-body and two lower-body sessions, with extra days for active recovery.
Upper A
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Dumbbell bench press | 3 × 8-12 |
| One-arm dumbbell row | 3 × 10/side |
| Seated dumbbell press | 3 × 8-12 |
| Lat pulldown | 3 × 10-12 |
| Dumbbell curl | 2 × 12 |
Lower A
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 3 × 8-12 |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 × 8-12 |
| Reverse lunge | 3 × 8/side |
| Standing calf raise | 3 × 15 |
| Dead bug | 3 × 10/side |
Upper B
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 × 8-12 |
| Chest-supported dumbbell row | 3 × 10 |
| Push-up variation | 3 × 6-12 |
| Band row | 3 × 12 |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 2 × 12 |
Lower B
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Split squat | 3 × 8/side |
| Dumbbell hip hinge | 3 × 10 |
| Glute bridge | 3 × 12 |
| Standing calf raise | 3 × 15 |
| Side plank | 3 × 20 sec/side |
Progression: Add repetitions within the range before increasing load. Keep technique controlled and take an easier week when needed. Rest 60-90 seconds on accessory exercises and 2-3 minutes on main lifts.
Build
Two upper-body and two lower-body sessions, with extra days for active recovery.
Upper A
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Dumbbell bench press | 3 × 8-12 |
| One-arm dumbbell row | 3 × 10/side |
| Seated dumbbell press | 3 × 8-12 |
| Lat pulldown | 3 × 10-12 |
| Dumbbell curl | 2 × 12 |
Lower A
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 3 × 8-12 |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 × 8-12 |
| Reverse lunge | 3 × 8/side |
| Standing calf raise | 3 × 15 |
| Dead bug | 3 × 10/side |
Upper B
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 × 8-12 |
| Chest-supported dumbbell row | 3 × 10 |
| Push-up variation | 3 × 6-12 |
| Band row | 3 × 12 |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 2 × 12 |
Lower B
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Split squat | 3 × 8/side |
| Dumbbell hip hinge | 3 × 10 |
| Glute bridge | 3 × 12 |
| Standing calf raise | 3 × 15 |
| Side plank | 3 × 20 sec/side |
Progression: Add repetitions within the range before increasing load. Keep technique controlled and take an easier week when needed. Rest 60-90 seconds on accessory exercises and 2-3 minutes on main lifts.
Perform
Two upper-body and two lower-body sessions, with extra days for active recovery.
Upper A
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Dumbbell bench press | 3 × 8-12 |
| One-arm dumbbell row | 3 × 10/side |
| Seated dumbbell press | 3 × 8-12 |
| Lat pulldown | 3 × 10-12 |
| Dumbbell curl | 2 × 12 |
Lower A
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 3 × 8-12 |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 × 8-12 |
| Reverse lunge | 3 × 8/side |
| Standing calf raise | 3 × 15 |
| Dead bug | 3 × 10/side |
Upper B
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 × 8-12 |
| Chest-supported dumbbell row | 3 × 10 |
| Push-up variation | 3 × 6-12 |
| Band row | 3 × 12 |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 2 × 12 |
Lower B
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Split squat | 3 × 8/side |
| Dumbbell hip hinge | 3 × 10 |
| Glute bridge | 3 × 12 |
| Standing calf raise | 3 × 15 |
| Side plank | 3 × 20 sec/side |
Progression: Add repetitions within the range before increasing load. Keep technique controlled and take an easier week when needed. Rest 60-90 seconds on accessory exercises and 2-3 minutes on main lifts.
Days 85-90: recovery and review
Take easier activity days. Review completed sessions, movement control and energy. Keep a manageable schedule, and repeat or progress gradually. Seek qualified advice about pain or nutrition concerns.
Why upper and lower visits are separate
The first upper session pairs pressing with rowing and pulldown work, while the next visit begins with lower-body movements. The separation gives each visit a clear focus without requiring every exercise in every session. A simple calendar could be upper Monday, lower Tuesday, upper Thursday and lower Saturday, provided that pattern is manageable for you. The second upper visit is not permission to ignore fatigue from the first.
Worked log: Dumbbell bench press
This fictional example uses the Dumbbell bench press entry in this routine: 3 × 8–12. It illustrates a way to record comparable sessions, not a starting load or an individual progression prescription.
| Appearance | Log entry |
|---|---|
| First | Same dumbbells: 10/9/8 |
| Next | Same dumbbells: 10/10/9 |
| Following | Same dumbbells: 11/10/9 |
Compare the same press across its repeated appearances; do not compare a cable number or another press variation to the dumbbells. A higher count is only meaningful when the exercise, setup and control are comparable.
Further reading: ACSM progression position stand. This supports general progression principles; it does not validate this particular template. See our worked progression guide for the shared method.
Reviewed 26 October 2026 by Phasebuilt. Worked examples are fictional teaching examples, not client results or individual prescriptions. No clinical review is claimed.
How to run it
Warm up for five to ten minutes before the first working set: easy movement, then one or two comfortable practice sets of the first exercise. For floor-only sessions use an easier bodyweight variation; for weighted sessions use a lighter load. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between accessory exercises and two to three minutes after main lifts.
Leave about three reps in reserve for the first fortnight of each phase. When the top of the rep range is clean on every set, add load. Compare like-for-like log entries before changing the demand. Keep fixed-repetition and effort-based prescriptions intact; the worked example below explains how to read this particular template. Progressive overload covers this in more detail.
Record what you lift. A plan you cannot compare to last week is a workout, not a programme.
Who this suits
- You can train four days a week consistently.
- You have finished a beginner block and want more volume per muscle group.
- You want each muscle trained twice a week without a six-day commitment.
Who it does not
- You are in your first month of training. Start with full body.
- Your schedule only reliably allows three sessions.
Equipment and pain
Use the listed equipment. To see a different setup, choose it in the builder. Start with easier practice repetitions of the movements you will use, then work at a controlled effort. No generic substitution can establish that an exercise is suitable for an injury. Stop painful movements and seek qualified advice.
For bodyweight sessions, progress repetitions and control before harder variations. For loaded sessions, increase load only after the prescribed repetitions feel controlled. Record what you did so you can compare the next session.
Make it yours
The plan above is one configuration. Phasebuilt will rebuild it around your goal, equipment, activity days, experience and approximate session length, and set the calorie and protein targets alongside it. It is free, takes about a minute, and runs entirely in your browser.