Who the 4-day program suits
The 4-day split suits you when training is an established habit and you want clearly more weekly volume. Upper/lower is the soundest basic solution for four days: every muscle group trains twice a week and recovery still gets room.
If you have only trained for a short time, three days is almost always enough. The fourth day pays off only once your volume needs have genuinely grown.
Who this is not for
- First-year lifters: three days produce the same result with less.
- If sleep and food are not in order: four days demand recovery that coffee cannot replace.
- If your week only allows three gym visits: a 3-day split beats a 4-day one that always misses a day.
Four workouts as tables
A typical rhythm: Monday upper, Tuesday lower, Thursday upper, Friday lower. The first two days emphasise heavy compound lifts, the second two volume.
Upper body 1: strength
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | RPE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell bench press | 4 | 4-6 | 3 min | 8 |
| Barbell bent-over row | 4 | 5-8 | 2-3 min | 8 |
| Barbell overhead press | 3 | 5-8 | 2-3 min | 8 |
| Wide-grip lat pulldown | 3 | 6-10 | 2 min | 8 |
Lower body 1: strength
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | RPE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell back squat | 4 | 4-6 | 3 min | 8 |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 | 6-8 | 3 min | 8 |
| Lunge | 3 | 8 / leg | 2 min | 8 |
| Cable crunch | 3 | 10-15 | 60 s | 8 |
Upper body 2: volume
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | RPE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 | 8-12 | 2 min | 8 |
| Seated cable row | 3 | 10-12 | 90 s | 8 |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 3 | 12-15 | 60 s | 9 |
| Dumbbell biceps curl | 3 | 10-15 | 60 s | 9 |
| Cable rope pushdown | 3 | 10-15 | 60 s | 9 |
Lower body 2: volume
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | RPE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leg press | 3 | 10-15 | 2 min | 8 |
| Lying leg curl | 3 | 10-12 | 90 s | 8 |
| Barbell hip thrust | 3 | 8-12 | 2 min | 8 |
| Standing calf raise | 4 | 10-15 | 60 s | 9 |
| Side plank | 3 | 30-45 s / side | 60 s | 8 |
Exercise techniques and animations are in the exercise library: browse all exercises · RPE 7 = about 3 reps in reserve, RPE 8 = 2, RPE 9 = 1.
Weekly calendar
Upper and lower alternate, with at least two days between sessions for the same area. Never do two lower-body days back to back.
- MonUpper body 1
- TueLower body 1
- WedRest
- ThuUpper body 2
- FriLower body 2
- SatRest or an easy walk
- SunRest
Progression over weeks 1-8
Strength days progress by load, volume days first by reps and then by load. If a week only allows three sessions, drop a volume day, never a strength day.
| Weeks | Sets | Load | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-2 | 3 sets per exercise | RPE 7 | Find your working weights for both day types. |
| Weeks 3-4 | 3-4 sets | RPE 8 | A fourth set on the strength-day compounds. |
| Weeks 5-7 | 4 sets on the main lifts, 3 on the rest | RPE 8-9 | Strength days +2.5 kg once the range is filled; volume days reps to the top of the range before adding load. |
| Week 8 | 2 sets per exercise (deload) | About 15-20 % lighter | Recovery week, then a new block from your week 7 weights. |
How the program works
On strength days reps are 4-8 with longer rests; on volume days 8-15 reps with lighter weights. The same muscle gets two different stimuli each week.
At least two days separate sessions for the same area, which is why upper and lower alternate. Do not do two lower body days back to back.
If the week falls apart, prioritize both areas getting at least one session. Drop a volume day, not a strength day.
Sources
- Schoenfeld, Ogborn & Krieger 2016, Sports Medicine: training a muscle group at least twice a week produced more hypertrophy than once a week at equal weekly volume.
- Schoenfeld, Ogborn & Krieger 2017, Journal of Sports Sciences: weekly set count per muscle group has a dose-response relationship with hypertrophy.
- Helms et al. 2016, Strength and Conditioning Journal: a reps-in-reserve based RPE scale for regulating load in resistance training.
Free workout program by SisuLift. https://www.sisulift.app/en/workout-programs/4-day-workout-program
