Upper/Lower Split

An upper/lower split breaks your workout sessions into upper body workout days and lower body workout days.
On upper body workout days, you will train
  • Chest
  • Shoulders
  • Back
  • Trap 
  • Biceps
  • Triceps
  • Forearms
On lower body workout days, you’ll train:
  • Quads
  • Hamstrings
  • Glutes
  • Calves
  • Lower back and abs

Benefits of the Upper/lower split

  • You can train each muscle with a two a week frequency.
  • This splip is normally doonme 4 days a week (can be done 3 and 5 days a week as well). The majority of people will struggle to be consistent long term when training 5 or 6 days a week, but 4 days a week is more manageable
  • It's an easy split to use the barbell lifts. You can have a squat and deadlift for the lower boday days, and bench and overhead press on the upper days.

How to set up an Upper/Lower split

An upper-lower split can be done anywhere from 3-6 days a week. 4 days a week is the most common, while 5 days a week is my personal favourite.

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4 days a week

  • Day 1 - Upper
  • Day 2 - Lower
  • Day 3 - Rest
  • Day 4 - Upper
  • Day 5 - Lower
  • Day 6 - Rest
  • Day 7 - REst

5 days a week (3 Upper/2 Lower)

  • Day 1 - Upper
  • Day 2 - Lower
  • Day 3 - 
  • Day 4 - Upper
  • Day 5 - Lower
  • Day 6 - Upper
  • Day 7 -

When training 5 days a week, I'll do 3 upper sessions, as you need to do more exercises to hit all the upper body muscles adequately. 


Upper Day

  • Chest - 1/2 exercises
  • Back - 2 exercises
  • Shoulders - 1-2 exercises
  • Biceps - 1 exercise
  • Triceps- 1 exercise


Lower Day

  • Squatting exercise
  • Hinge exercise
  • Leg curl
  • Leg extension
  • Adductor machine
  • Calf raise
  • Abs

Not all of these need to be in every lower body day.

How much volume do you need?

I generally recommend people do 6 to 16 work sets per muscle group. This includes fractional/ indirect sets


What progression schemes should you use?

I mostly use,

  • Top set with a back off set
  • Reverse pyramid
  • Rep goal system
  • Dynamic double progression

​You can read about these progression schemes below.

An example of an Upper/Lower program

Upper 1
Machine incline press - Top set with a back off set
T-bar row - Top set with a back off set
Pec dec - 3 sets, aiming for 30 total reps (Rep goal system)
Lat pulldown - 3 sets, aiming for 25 total reps (Rep goal system)
Machine lateral raise - 3 x 8-10 (Dynamic double progression)​
Poliquin push downs - 2 sets, aiming for 20 total reps (Rep goal system)
DB curls - 2 sets, aiming for 20 total reps (Rep goal system)
Lower 1
Seated leg curl - 2 sets, aiming for 20 total reps (Rep goal system)
Hack squat- Top set with a back off set
Back extensions - 3 sets, aiming for 30 total reps (Rep goal system)
Leg extensions - 3 x 8-10 (Dynamic double progression)
Calf raises - 3 sets, aiming for 30 total reps (Rep goal system)
Adductor machine - 3 sets, aiming for 35 total reps (Rep goal system)
Upper 2
Seated barbell overhead press - Top set with a back off set
High row - Top set with a back off set
Machine chest press - 3 sets, aiming for 25 total reps (Rep goal system)
DB Lateral raise - 3 sets, aiming for 25 total reps (Rep goal sysem)
DY low row - 3 sets, aiming for 30 total reps (Rep goal system)
Tricep overhead extensions - 2 sets, aiming for 18 total reps (Rep goal system)
Machine preacher curls - 2 sets, aiming for 20 total reps (Rep goal system)
Lower 2
RDL  Top set with a back off set
Pendulum squat- Top set with a back off set
Lying leg curl - 3 sets, aiming for 25 total reps (Rep goal system)
Leg extensions - 3 sets, aiming for 25 total reps (Rep goal system)
Calf raises- 3 sets, aiming for 25 total reps (Rep goal system)

Upper 3 (if doing 5 days a week)

If you're doing 5 days a week, you have the choice of going through the other two sessions, so you do one session twice one week, and then the other session twice the next week, or creating a C workout using the guide above. Doing three upper days allows you to reduce the number of sets per session and spread it out.
This is just an example. You can, and should, adjust the exercises and set/reps based on your goals, recovery, and personal preference. 
Don't just blindly follow any cookie-cutter routine. Be prepared to make adjustments.

For my own training, I would actually do fewer sets and only do a squatting movement once a week, as twice a week is a bit much for my knees. I progress much faster on lower volume.

The current trend with online influencers is to push their preferences as THE best way. Always remember that they're all trying to sell something or get views (where they get paid) and that people have become big and strong using a variety of different training styles (split, volume, rep ranges, and frequencies). 

Train in a way that allows you to train consistently, without getting hurt, with good effort, and judge if the program is working or not by whether you're progressive overloading (with the same form) across most of the exercises. It's that simple!