By The Upper/Lower split divides the training week into four sessions: two for the upper body and two for the lower body. Each muscle group is trained twice per week — the same frequency the meta-analytic evidence supports for hypertrophy (Schoenfeld, Ogborn & Krieger, 2016) — but in four sessions instead of the six used by Push Pull Legs.
The standard schedule is Mon Upper A / Tue Lower A / Thu Upper B / Fri Lower B, with two rest days at the end of the week.
Upper/Lower occupies the hybrid position:
- More hypertrophy focus than 5/3/1 Wendler (1 main lift per session, programmed slow).
- More strength focus than PPL (which splits muscles by movement pattern across six days).
- More volume than the Beginner Full Body 3×/Week program.
It is the default recommendation for an intermediate lifter (1+ year of consistent training) who has four training days per week and wants to build strength and visible muscle at the same time.
What "upper" and "lower" actually mean
Movement-pattern grouping is simple: the body is split in half at the hips.
- Upper — chest, lats, mid-back (rhomboids, mid-traps), front / lateral / rear deltoids, biceps, triceps, forearms. Every press, every pull, every curl, every overhead movement.
- Lower — quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, and direct core work (planks, hanging knee raises). Every squat pattern, every hip hinge, every single-leg movement.
Unlike PPL, which groups by movement direction (push vs pull), Upper/Lower groups by body segment. This means horizontal pressing and rowing happen on the same day, which has two consequences:
- Antagonists (chest + back) recover during each other's working sets, which lets you sustain higher session quality across both.
- The session is longer than a single PPL session, because you cover six to eight different muscles instead of two or three.
For most intermediates, this trade-off is worth it — you get the full upper body's frequency in two sessions instead of four.
The standard weekly schedule
| Day | Workout |
|---|---|
| Mon | Upper A |
| Tue | Lower A |
| Wed | Rest |
| Thu | Upper B |
| Fri | Lower B |
| Sat / Sun | Rest |
A common alternative is Mon / Tue / Thu / Sat or Mon / Wed / Fri / Sat. The two requirements are:
- No three lifting days in a row.
- Same-pattern sessions (Upper A and Upper B; Lower A and Lower B) separated by at least 48 hours.
Why 2× per week per muscle (the evidence)
The frequency case is identical to PPL's, and it rests on the same meta-analytic literature:
- Schoenfeld, Ogborn & Krieger (2016) in Sports Medicine — pooling 10 studies that controlled weekly volume, training each muscle at least twice per week produced superior hypertrophy compared to once per week.
- Schoenfeld, Grgic & Krieger (2019) in the Journal of Sports Sciences — the follow-up confirmed the direction: at matched volume, higher frequency tends to produce equal or greater hypertrophy than lower frequency.
The mechanism is the same: splitting your weekly volume across more sessions allows higher per-set effort and reduces single-session fatigue. Upper/Lower hits the 2×/week mark in four days; PPL hits it in six. Both work; pick the schedule you will actually run.
Volume per muscle per week
Working range for hypertrophy in intermediate lifters: 10–20 hard sets per muscle group per week (Schoenfeld, Contreras, Krieger et al., 2019; Israetel et al., 2020).
On Upper/Lower, that splits to 5–10 sets per muscle per session, twice per week. For a single muscle that gets trained twice per week, this is a comfortable per-session volume — you can do five sets of bench-press variants on Upper A and another five on Upper B and you are squarely in the productive range.
See How many sets per week for muscle growth for the full MEV / MAV / MRV framework.
Sample 4-day program
This is one defensible template. Substitute equipment-specific versions of each lift as needed.
Upper A — horizontal pressing focus
| # | Exercise | Sets × Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barbell bench press | 4 × 5–8 |
| 2 | Barbell row | 4 × 6–8 |
| 3 | Seated dumbbell shoulder press | 3 × 8–10 |
| 4 | Lat pulldown (cable) | 3 × 10–12 |
| 5 | Barbell curl | 3 × 8–10 |
| 6 | Triceps pushdown (cable) | 3 × 10–12 |
Lower A — squat focus
| # | Exercise | Sets × Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barbell back squat | 4 × 5–8 |
| 2 | Romanian deadlift | 3 × 6–8 |
| 3 | Leg press | 3 × 10–12 |
| 4 | Lying leg curl | 3 × 10–12 |
| 5 | Standing calf raise | 4 × 10–15 |
| 6 | Hanging knee raise | 3 × 10–15 |
Upper B — vertical pressing / pull-up focus
| # | Exercise | Sets × Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Standing overhead press | 4 × 5–8 |
| 2 | Pull-up (weighted if possible) | 4 × 6–8 |
| 3 | Incline barbell bench press | 3 × 8–10 |
| 4 | Chest-supported row (dumbbell or machine) | 3 × 8–10 |
| 5 | Dumbbell lateral raise | 3 × 12–15 |
| 6 | Incline dumbbell curl | 3 × 10–12 |
| 7 | EZ-bar skull crusher | 2 × 10–12 |
Lower B — deadlift / posterior focus
| # | Exercise | Sets × Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conventional deadlift | 3 × 3–5 |
| 2 | Front squat or paused back squat | 3 × 6–8 |
| 3 | Hip thrust | 3 × 8–10 |
| 4 | Bulgarian split squat | 3 × 8–10 each side |
| 5 | Seated leg curl | 3 × 10–12 |
| 6 | Seated calf raise | 4 × 10–15 |
| 7 | Plank | 3 × 30–60 sec |
Notes on the template:
- Deadlift sits on Lower B, paired with a lighter squat variant. Deadlift and back squat on the same day usually means one of them gets cut short; pairing deadlift with front squat or paused squat keeps the squat pattern in your week without doubling the heavy lower-back stress.
- Upper A and Upper B differ in angle. Flat bench on A, incline + overhead on B. Both train chest and shoulders, but the lift selection rotates so you cover all angles across the week.
- Each muscle gets roughly 12–18 weekly sets across the two sessions — squarely in the productive intermediate range.
- The A / B versions are not the same workout twice. Repeating Upper A as Upper B is one of the most common mistakes (see below).
Progression rule
Use double progression on every exercise:
- Pick a rep range for the lift (e.g. 6–8).
- When you hit the top of the range (8 reps) for all prescribed sets with clean form, add the smallest practical weight increment next session — usually 2.5 kg for compounds, 1 kg for OHP and isolation.
- The new weight drops you back toward the bottom of the range. Work your way back up to the top, then add weight again.
For accessory work, two or three RIR (reps in reserve) is the right effort. For main compounds, working at 0–1 RIR on the last set is fine, as long as form holds — see RPE in Lifting for the underlying framework.
Optionally, the last set of each main compound (bench, squat, deadlift, OHP) can be an AMRAP — a single set to one or two reps short of failure. This is borrowed from 5/3/1 and serves the same purpose: a built-in indicator that your loads are tracking your actual strength.
Upper/Lower — already loaded
FitNotes X surfaces your previous session's working weights at the top of every exercise screen, has built-in Upper/Lower templates you can clone in two taps, an RPE field on every set, and auto-detects PRs across both A and B sessions independently. Logging a set takes about four seconds.
When Upper/Lower is the right choice
- Intermediate lifter with at least 6–12 months of consistent training.
- Four days per week available. This is the program's natural fit.
- Strength + hypertrophy goal. Upper/Lower is the most balanced of the common splits — neither pure strength like 5/3/1 nor pure hypertrophy like 6-day PPL.
- Recovery is a real constraint. Six lifting days on PPL is more total stress than four on Upper/Lower; if you're sleep-deprived, busy, or just don't recover well, Upper/Lower wins.
- Comfortable with longer sessions (~75–90 min). Upper days especially run long because the upper body has more muscles to cover.
When Upper/Lower is NOT the right choice
- True beginners. Run a 3-day full-body or StrongLifts 5×5 for 3–6 months first.
- Pure strength specialists. 5/3/1 Wendler or a powerlifting block program with one lift per session and slow monthly progression will usually produce more strength per unit of training stress.
- Pure hypertrophy specialists. 6-day PPL at higher total weekly volume will edge Upper/Lower on muscle growth for an intermediate with the recovery capacity to handle six lifting days.
- Athletes in-season. The 4-day strength template doesn't budget for sport-specific conditioning.
Upper/Lower vs other splits
| Split | Days/week | Frequency per muscle | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full body | 3 | 3× | Beginners; busy intermediates |
| Upper / Lower | 4 | 2× upper, 2× lower | Strength + hypertrophy intermediates |
| 5/3/1 Wendler | 3–4 | 1× per main lift | Intermediates, long-horizon strength |
| PPL (6-day) | 6 | 2× per muscle group | Intermediates, hypertrophy focus |
| Bro split (chest day, back day, etc.) | 4–5 | 1× per muscle group | Mostly not — below the frequency literature supports |
The 6-day PPL and 4-day Upper/Lower are the two splits most often recommended for intermediates serious about hypertrophy. Both hit the 2× weekly frequency target. The difference is how the volume is distributed — six shorter sessions vs four longer ones.
Common mistakes that wreck Upper/Lower
- Upper A and Upper B are the same workout. If both days use bench-press → barbell row → DB shoulder press → lat pulldown → curl → pushdown in the same order with the same loads, you've doubled fatigue without adding variety. Vary the angle (flat vs incline), the equipment (barbell vs dumbbell), and the rep range across A/B.
- Skipping Lower B because deadlift is hard. Lower A's squat day is fun. Lower B's deadlift day is brutal. Lifters who drop Lower B end up with squat-only lower-body work and no posterior-chain development.
- Putting deadlift on Lower A with the squat. Two heavy hinge / squat patterns on the same day usually means one of them gets cut short. Deadlift on Lower B, paired with a lighter squat variant.
- Pressing volume far exceeds pulling volume. Check your weekly set count: pulling movements (rows, pulldowns, pull-ups, face pulls) should at least equal pressing volume. Most intermediate Upper/Lower programs are press-heavy by default and need conscious back work.
- No deload built in. Four lifting days × 8+ weeks of progressive overload accumulates real fatigue. Plan a deload week every 6–10 weeks (drop loads ~50–60 %, keep movement patterns). See Deload week for the full protocol.
- Skipping arms / accessories entirely. Some Upper/Lower lifters treat the program as "compound-only" and end up with arms that lag the rest of the body. Add direct biceps + triceps work on both Upper days; 2–3 sets each is enough.
How to track Upper/Lower
Three columns per set, per exercise, per session: load × reps × RPE (or RIR). The comparison that matters is Upper A this week vs Upper A last week, not Upper A this week vs Upper B last week. The A and B sessions are different workouts.
See How to track your workouts for the minimum-viable log and Progressive overload for the broader theory.
FAQ
Upper/Lower vs PPL — which is better?
Roughly equivalent when both hit 2× weekly frequency at matched volume. Upper/Lower is more strength-friendly (heavier main lifts, more rest between same-pattern days). PPL is more hypertrophy-friendly (more isolation room, easier to distribute high weekly volume across six sessions). Pick the schedule you'll actually run.
Can I combine Upper/Lower with 5/3/1?
Yes — this is one of the most popular hybrid templates. Use 5/3/1's percentage scheme for the main lift on each day (bench / squat / OHP / deadlift), then add Upper/Lower-style accessory volume after. Beyond 5/3/1 (Wendler, 2013) calls this kind of layout "5/3/1 with Upper/Lower assistance."
What if I only have 3 days, not 4?
Don't run Upper/Lower as a 3-day program — you lose the 2× weekly frequency that justifies the split. Run a 3-day full body instead, which hits each muscle 3× per week with the time you have.
Where do I put the deadlift?
Lower B, paired with a lighter squat variant (front squat, paused squat, or high-bar squat at sub-maximal loads). Deadlift on the same day as a heavy back squat usually means one of them suffers.
Can I add cardio to Upper/Lower?
Yes — 1–3 short low-intensity sessions per week (20–30 min walking, easy bike, rowing) on rest days or after lifting. Avoid hard cardio on the day before or after Lower days — it competes for the same recovery capacity as the squat / hinge work.
How long until I see results?
Strength gains on the main lifts are measurable within 2–4 weeks. Visible muscle changes typically take 8–12 weeks with adequate protein (~1.6–2.2 g/kg bodyweight per day; ISSN position stand, 2017) and consistent training.
Bottom line
Upper/Lower is the most balanced split available to an intermediate lifter. The 4-day-per-week schedule fits real-life calendars; the 2×/week frequency lines up with the meta-analytic evidence for hypertrophy; the volume per muscle is enough to drive growth without making individual sessions absurdly long. It is neither the strongest pure-strength program (that's 5/3/1) nor the highest-volume hypertrophy program (that's 6-day PPL), but it does both jobs well enough that most intermediates can run it for six months and see meaningful gains in both.
Run it if you have four days a week, at least six months of consistent training, and a goal that involves both bigger lifts and bigger muscles. Run something more specialized if you only care about one of the two.
Sources
- Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine, 2016; 46(11): 1689–1697.
- Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Krieger J. How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effects of resistance training frequency. Journal of Sports Sciences, 2019; 37(11): 1286–1295.
- Schoenfeld BJ, Contreras B, Krieger J, et al. Resistance Training Volume Enhances Muscle Hypertrophy but Not Strength in Trained Men. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2019; 51(1): 94–103.
- Helms ER, Cronin J, Storey A, Zourdos MC. Application of the Repetitions in Reserve-Based Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale for Resistance Training. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 2016; 38(4): 42–49.
- Israetel M, Hoffmann J, Smith C. Scientific Principles of Hypertrophy Training. Renaissance Periodization, 2020.
- Wendler J. Beyond 5/3/1: Simple Training for Extraordinary Results. 2013.
- Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Protein and Exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2017; 14:20.
- National Strength and Conditioning Association. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th ed. Human Kinetics, 2016.
Last reviewed: May 2026. Educational content — not medical advice. Consult a qualified coach or clinician before starting a new training program, especially if you have pre-existing conditions or are returning from injury.
