Upper Lower Split

An upper/lower split alternates a session for everything above the waist with a session for everything below it, four times a week. It hits the frequency that matters — each muscle trained roughly every 72 hours, which is about how long the growth signal from a hard session lasts — without the six-day commitment a Push Pull Legs schedule asks for.

Level
Beginner to intermediate
Days a week
4
Equipment
Full gym
Per session
55–70 minutes
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Upper A

Horizontal press and pull led

Barbell bench press4 × 5–8 · 180s rest
Barbell bent over row4 × 6–10 · 150s rest

Paired with the bench press on purpose — equal pressing and pulling volume is what keeps shoulders healthy.

Barbell seated overhead press3 × 8–12 · 120s rest
Cable pulldown3 × 10–12 · 90s rest
Barbell curl3 × 10–12 · 60s rest
Triceps extension3 × 10–15 · 60s rest

Lower A

Squat led

Barbell squat4 × 5–8 · 180s rest
Barbell Romanian deadlift3 × 8–12 · 150s rest
Bulgarian split squat3 × 10 each leg · 90s rest
Leg curl3 × 12–15 · 60s rest
Standing calf raise4 × 12–20 · 45s rest

Upper B

Vertical press and pull led

Barbell seated overhead press4 × 5–8 · 180s rest
Pull-up4 × 6–10 · 150s rest
Barbell incline bench press3 × 8–12 · 120s rest
Cable front seated row3 × 10–12 · 90s rest
Cable lateral raise3 × 12–20 · 45s rest
Alternate biceps curl3 × 12 each arm · 45s rest

Lower B

Hinge led

Barbell deadlift3 × 3–6 · 240s rest
Barbell front squat3 × 8–12 · 150s rest
Barbell hip thrust3 × 10–15 · 90s rest
Leg extension3 × 12–15 · 60s rest
Body-saw plank3 × 10–12 · 45s rest

How to progress this

Add a rep before you add a set, and add a set before you make a movement harder. When you hit the top of the rep range on every set of an exercise, move to the harder variation named in its note and start again at the bottom of the range. That is progressive overload without any weights to add — the load comes from leverage instead of from plates.

Take the last set of each exercise close to failure — one or two reps left. Bodyweight training fails when the sets are comfortable, because there is no bar weight to tell you the session was hard enough.

A plan built for your body, not a generic one

This is a good plan. It is not your plan — it does not know which area is holding your physique back. Dietly Fit scores one photo a week out of 100, names the weak point, and builds the week of training around it, from whatever equipment you actually have.

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Other plans

Push Pull LegsThe classic six-day split, with the three-day version underneath it.Beginner Gym WorkoutThree days, six movements, twelve weeks. Built to be repeated, not admired.

Reviewed . Sets and reps are a starting point, not a prescription. Speak to a qualified professional before starting a new exercise program, particularly if you are managing an injury or a health condition.