Free program · 4 days a week
An upper lower split trains your upper body (chest, back, shoulders, arms) and your lower body (quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves) on separate days. This 4-day plan hits every muscle twice a week, with two different upper days and two different lower days, and leaves 3 rest days. Each session takes about 45 to 65 minutes, at the gym or at home.
Updated 2026-10-24 · by Ryu Training
Upper days train chest, back, shoulders and arms. Lower days train quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves. Day A and day B use different exercises, so each muscle is hit twice a week from two angles.
Never put the two lower days back to back. If you miss a session, do it the next day and shift the week.
Each muscle twice a week.
Direct hard sets per week. Presses add work for shoulders and triceps, pulls for biceps, squats and presses for glutes.
An early meta-analysis found that training a muscle twice a week beat once a week. Later work showed that, with equal weekly sets, frequency matters little: total hard sets do the work. Upper / Lower gets you twice-a-week training and enough sets in only 4 sessions, with 3 rest days to recover.
Study: Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy (2016). Schoenfeld BJ et al., Sports Med, PMID 27102172. Earlier meta-analysis: training a muscle twice a week beat once a week (effect size 0.49 vs 0.30).
Study: How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? (2019). Schoenfeld BJ et al., J Sports Sci, PMID 30558493. 25 studies: with the same weekly sets, training a muscle 1, 2 or 3+ times a week gave similar growth.
Study: The Resistance Training Dose Response: Meta-Regressions Exploring the Effects of Weekly Volume and Frequency (2026). Pelland JC et al., Sports Med, PMID 41343037. 67 studies, 2,058 people: more weekly sets meant more growth, with diminishing returns. Training a muscle more often added strength, but its effect on size was compatible with zero.
Every session, every exercise, with sets × reps, rest and RIR (reps in reserve: how many more clean reps you could still do when you stop the set). Each card shows a home version.
Chest · Back · Shoulders · Arms · 16 hard sets · 55–65 min
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest | RIR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bench Press Home: Push-up | 4 × 6–10 | 2–3 min | 1–2 |
| One-Arm Dumbbell Row Home: Backpack row | 3 × 8–12 per arm | 2 min | 1–2 |
| Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press Home: Pike push-up | 2 × 8–12 | 2 min | 1–2 |
| Lat Pulldown Home: Inverted row | 3 × 10–12 | 2 min | 1–2 |
| Overhead Triceps Extension Home: Backpack overhead extension | 2 × 10–15 | 1–2 min | 1 |
| Dumbbell Curl Home: Backpack or band curl | 2 × 10–15 | 1–2 min | 1 |
01 · Chest · Front delts · Triceps
barbell, with safety pins or a spotter
HomePush-up. Too hard: hands on a table. Too easy: feet on a chair.
Study: Push-ups to near failure grew the chest almost like a light bench press (+22% vs +26%). [Kikuchi & Nakazato 2017]
02 · Lats · Mid back · Rear delts
bench for support
HomeBackpack row. Same position with one hand on a chair, rowing a loaded backpack.
03 · Front & side delts · Triceps
bench with a back pad
HomePike push-up. Hips high, lower the top of your head toward the floor in front of your hands. Feet on a chair to make it harder.
04 · Lats · Biceps
cable machine
HomeInverted row. Under a heavy, sturdy table: test it first. Or a band anchored high in a door.
05 · Triceps (long head)
cable, dumbbell or backpack
HomeBackpack overhead extension. Hold the backpack by its top handle with both hands.
Study: Overhead grew the triceps long head +28.5% vs +19.6% with the arm at the side. [Maeo et al. 2023]
06 · Biceps · Brachialis
one arm or both
HomeBackpack or band curl. Stand on a band, or curl a backpack by its top handle.
Study: Curls in the arm-almost-straight range grew the elbow flexors +8.9% vs +3.4%. [Sato et al. 2021]
Quads · Hamstrings · Calves · 14 hard sets · 50–60 min
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest | RIR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Squat Home: Backpack goblet squat | 3 × 6–10 | 3 min | 2 |
| Romanian Deadlift Home: Backpack Romanian deadlift | 3 × 8–10 | 2–3 min | 2 |
| Leg Extension Home: Reverse Nordic | 2 × 12–15 | 1 min | 0–1 |
| Seated Leg Curl Home: Nordic curl | 3 × 10–12 | 1–2 min | 0–1 |
| Standing Calf Raise Home: One-leg calf raise on a step | 3 × 10–15 | 1 min | 0–1 |
01 · Quads · Glutes · Adductors
goblet with a dumbbell, or barbell once you've learned it
HomeBackpack goblet squat. Hug a backpack loaded with books or water bottles.
Study: Full squats grew the glutes +6.7% vs +2.2% for half squats. [Kubo et al. 2019]
02 · Hamstrings · Glutes
dumbbells or barbell
HomeBackpack Romanian deadlift. Hold a loaded backpack by its straps, or one heavy bag in each hand.
03 · Quads (rectus femoris)
machine
HomeReverse Nordic. Kneel on a towel, body straight from knees to head, lean back only as far as you can control.
Study: Squats barely grow the rectus femoris; leg extensions do. [Zabaleta-Korta et al. 2021]
04 · Hamstrings
machine
HomeNordic curl. Heels under a heavy couch, knees on a towel. Lower as slowly as you can, catch yourself with your hands. Start with 2–3 reps a set.
Study: Seated leg curls grew the hamstrings +14% vs +9% for lying ones. [Maeo et al. 2021]
05 · Calves (gastrocnemius)
machine, step or stairs
HomeOne-leg calf raise on a step. One hand on the wall for balance, the other holding a backpack.
Study: Standing raises grew the gastrocnemius far more than seated ones (+12.4% vs +1.7%). [Kinoshita et al. 2023]
Back · Chest · Shoulders · Arms · 15 hard sets · 55–65 min
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest | RIR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pull-Up Home: Doorway bar, or inverted row | 3 × 5–10 | 2–3 min | 1–2 |
| Incline Dumbbell Press Home: Feet-elevated push-up | 3 × 8–12 | 2 min | 1–2 |
| Inverted Row Home: Table row | 2 × 8–15 | 2 min | 1–2 |
| Lateral Raise Home: Band or water-bottle raise | 3 × 12–20 | 1 min | 0–1 |
| Triceps Pushdown Home: Close-grip push-up | 2 × 10–15 | 1 min | 0–1 |
| Hammer Curl Home: Water-bottle hammer curl | 2 × 10–15 | 1 min | 0–1 |
01 · Lats · Upper back · Biceps
band-assisted if you can't do 5 yet
HomeDoorway bar, or inverted row. No pull-up yet? Jump up and lower yourself in 3–5 seconds (2–4 reps), then do inverted rows.
02 · Upper chest · Front delts
bench at about 30°
HomeFeet-elevated push-up. Feet on a chair: harder than a push-up, with more of the load on the upper chest and shoulders.
03 · Upper back · Lats · Biceps
bar in a rack, or a sturdy table at home
HomeTable row. Only under a heavy table that can't tip: test it with your full weight first.
04 · Side delts
dumbbells or cable
HomeBand or water-bottle raise. Stand on the middle of a band, or hold two full water bottles.
Study: Dumbbell and cable raises grew the side delts the same. [Larsen et al. 2025]
05 · Triceps
cable with a rope
HomeClose-grip push-up. Hands under your chest, elbows brushing your ribs on the way down.
Study: Push-ups alone grew the triceps +10.5% in 8 weeks. [Kikuchi & Nakazato 2017]
06 · Brachialis · Forearms
dumbbells
HomeWater-bottle hammer curl. Two full bottles or a band, palms facing each other.
Note: Honest note: no study has measured whether hammer curls grow the brachialis more. They're here for variety and forearms.
Glutes · Quads · Hamstrings · Calves · 12 hard sets · 45–55 min
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest | RIR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leg Press Home: Bulgarian split squat | 3 × 10–12 | 2 min | 1–2 |
| Hip Thrust Home: Couch hip thrust | 3 × 8–12 | 2 min | 1–2 |
| 45° Hip Extension Home: Nordic curl | 3 × 10–15 | 1–2 min | 1 |
| Seated Calf Raise Home: Same move | 3 × 12–15 | 1 min | 0–1 |
01 · Quads · Glutes
45° machine
HomeBulgarian split squat. Rear foot on a chair, a backpack hugged to your chest. Sets are per leg.
02 · Glutes
barbell with a pad, or a backpack at home
HomeCouch hip thrust. Upper back against the couch, a loaded backpack on your hips.
Study: Hip thrusts grew the glutes about as much as squats in 9 weeks. [Plotkin et al. 2023]
03 · Hamstrings · Glutes
back-extension bench
HomeNordic curl. Heels under a heavy couch, knees on a towel, lower slowly, catch yourself with your hands.
Study: Hip extensions grew the long head of the biceps femoris more than Nordics. [Bourne et al. 2017]
04 · Calves (soleus)
machine, or a bench and a backpack
HomeSame move. Sit on a chair, toes on a thick book, a loaded backpack on your knees.
Study: Bent knees shift the work to the soleus; it grew about the same either way. [Kinoshita et al. 2023]
"RIR 1–2" means: stop when you feel you have 1 or 2 clean reps left. RIR 0 means no more reps possible; 4 or more means the weight is too light.
First two weeks: stay at RIR 3 and learn the movements. After that, follow the card. Going all the way to failure isn't needed [Refalo et al. 2024].
Keep the same weight until you reach the top of the rep range on every set, at the RIR on the card. Then add the smallest weight step (+2.5 kg / 5 lb on a barbell, the next dumbbell pair, the next pin) and start again at the bottom of the range.
At home: more reps, then more load in the backpack, then a slower descent (3–4 seconds), then a harder version. Adding reps at the same weight worked as well as adding weight [Plotkin et al. 2022].
Deload every 6–8 weeks, or when your joints ache or your numbers drop: one easy week, same exercises, half the sets, RIR 3–4. A full week off mid-program didn't cost any muscle in one study; strength gains were a little smaller [Coleman et al. 2024].
Don't compare: on the same 12-week program, biceps size changed from −2% to +59% between people [Hubal et al. 2005]. Compare yourself with last month's log.
Six rules shape this program. Each comes with the study behind it; the exercise-specific studies are on the cards above.
The more hard sets a muscle gets each week, the more it grows, up to a point: the gains shrink as you add more. These programs sit in the range where beginners grow well.
Study: Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass (2017). Schoenfeld BJ et al., J Sports Sci, PMID 27433992.
Study: The Resistance Training Dose Response: Meta-Regressions Exploring the Effects of Weekly Volume and Frequency (2026). Pelland JC et al., Sports Med, PMID 41343037.
Growth tends to rise as sets end closer to failure, but going all the way to failure didn't add more muscle than stopping 1–2 reps short.
Study: Exploring the Dose-Response Relationship Between Estimated Resistance Training Proximity to Failure, Strength Gain, and Muscle Hypertrophy (2024). Robinson ZP et al., Sports Med, PMID 38970765.
Study: Similar muscle hypertrophy following eight weeks of resistance training to momentary muscular failure or with repetitions-in-reserve (2024). Refalo MC et al., J Sports Sci, PMID 38393985.
Study: Influence of Resistance Training Proximity-to-Failure on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy (2023). Refalo MC et al., Sports Med, PMID 36334240.
Adding reps at the same weight worked as well as adding weight: both count as progress.
Study: Progressive overload without progressing load? The effects of load or repetition progression on muscular adaptations (2022). Plotkin D et al., PeerJ, PMID 36199287.
Three minutes between sets beat one minute for strength and for thigh growth in trained men.
Study: Longer Interset Rest Periods Enhance Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy in Resistance-Trained Men (2016). Schoenfeld BJ et al., J Strength Cond Res, PMID 26605807.
Light and heavy loads taken close to failure built similar muscle. Heavy loads built more maximal strength, which is why the big lifts stay in the 6–10 rep range.
Study: Strength and Hypertrophy Adaptations Between Low- vs. High-Load Resistance Training (2017). Schoenfeld BJ et al., J Strength Cond Res, PMID 28834797.
In several studies, exercises that load a muscle in its stretched position grew it more: seated leg curls, overhead triceps extensions, standing calf raises, curls from a straight arm. Most of these studies were done on beginners.
Study: Greater Hamstrings Muscle Hypertrophy but Similar Damage Protection after Training at Long versus Short Muscle Lengths (2021). Maeo S et al., Med Sci Sports Exerc, PMID 33009197.
Study: Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position (2023). Maeo S et al., Eur J Sport Sci, PMID 35819335.
Study: Triceps surae muscle hypertrophy is greater after standing versus seated calf-raise training (2023). Kinoshita M et al., Front Physiol, PMID 38156065.
Study: Elbow Joint Angles in Elbow Flexor Unilateral Resistance Exercise Training Determine Its Effects on Muscle Strength and Thickness (2021). Sato S et al., Front Physiol, PMID 34616309.
Free PDF
19 pages: every exercise drawn, with sets, reps, rest and effort, a warm-up, a progression guide and a 4-week training log. Every rule in it is backed by a study, with the references inside.
The link works for 7 days. Save the file on your phone or computer.
This is general fitness information, not medical advice. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, check with a doctor or physical therapist first, and stop any exercise that hurts.
Under 18? Strength training is safe and worthwhile for teens when it is supervised and taught properly; most reported injuries came from poor technique, wrong loads or no supervision [Faigenbaum & Myer 2010] [Lloyd et al. 2014]. Learn the lifts with a coach, a PE teacher or an adult who knows them. Light weights first, no max lifts, never heavy weights over your head alone.
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Squats are the king of leg day, but they miss one muscle in the front and almost the whole back. Your legs are four muscle groups: here's how to grow all four, with one rule that ties them together. Every claim comes from a study (sources below).
Four sessions a week: two upper-body days and two lower-body days. Day A and day B use different exercises, so each muscle is trained twice a week from two angles.
Yes, if you can give it 4 days a week. It suits people who have trained for a few months, and beginners who can commit to 4 sessions. If you can only train 2 or 3 days a week, take the Push / Pull / Legs plan, option A.
An early meta-analysis found that twice a week beat once a week [Schoenfeld et al. 2016]. Later work showed that when the weekly sets are equal, frequency matters little: the total number of hard sets does the work [Schoenfeld et al. 2019] [Pelland et al. 2026]. An upper lower split gives you twice-a-week training and enough sets in only 4 sessions.
Monday Upper A, Tuesday Lower A, Wednesday rest, Thursday Upper B, Friday Lower B, weekend off. Never put the two lower days back to back. If you miss a session, do it the next day and shift the week.
Upper A and Upper B take 55–65 minutes, Lower A 50–60 minutes and Lower B 45–55 minutes, rest between sets included.
Yes. Every exercise has a home version that needs a backpack you can load with books or water bottles, two resistance bands, a doorway pull-up bar, a sturdy chair and a step. For example, push-ups replace the bench press and Nordic curls replace the leg curl machine.
Reps in reserve: how many more clean reps you could still do when you stop the set. RIR 1–2 means you stop when you feel you have 1 or 2 reps left. In one 8-week study, stopping 1–2 reps short of failure grew the quads as much as going to failure [Refalo et al. 2024].
The program for skinny guys who want real size and strength, at the gym or at home.
One body part a day: chest, back, shoulders, arms, legs. Long, focused sessions, with an honest look at the trade-off.
Every study below was checked on PubMed. Results in short, as the studies report them; most were done on young adults, often beginners.