Are you just looking for great upper/lower split workout programs to run?
If so, check out these links for spreadsheets and additional info.
What’s the best workout split for building muscle and gaining strength?
This question is a commonly asked question by many lifters. While several splits are effective, such as the bro split, full body, and push/pull/legs, the upper/lower split is arguably the most popular.
An upper/lower workout split can be used whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced trainee. If you have at least 3-4 days per week to train, you can effectively hit each major muscle group twice per week, which is often considered to be the optimal training frequency for muscle growth.
The increased training frequency also improves your skill and technique in the big three (squat, bench press, and deadlift). An upper/lower split can also be utilized if you prefer training 5 or even 6 days per week.
Better yet, an upper/lower split benefits anyone wanting to lose fat, build muscle, and gain strength without living in the gym. Since this split is so popular, numerous upper/lower split workout programs are available!
Below you will find the five best upper/lower split workout programs and a link to their respective spreadsheets so you can download a copy for free!
Table of Contents
What is an Upper/Lower workout split?
An upper/lower split is any workout program that involves training your upper body separately from your lower body. For example, during upper body workouts, you only train muscles like the chest, biceps, back, triceps, and shoulders. During lower body workouts, you only train muscles like the quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves.
Many upper/lower split workout routines involve training 4 days per week, so you have three rest days. Having that many rest days enables you to do other activities while still getting great results in the gym. This is one of the reasons why the upper/lower split has become such a staple routine for many lifters.
Unless you can only train 3 days per week, an upper/lower split workout routine trains each major muscle group at least two times per week. The increased training frequency allows you to train with higher volume and prioritize specific muscles or lifts. So if you have a lagging body part and a lift you want to emphasize, an upper/lower workout split is ideal.
Upper/Lower Workout Routine Example
Day 1: barbell bench press, speed bench press, machine chest flys, dumbbell shoulder press, high rack pulls, wide-grip seated rows, wide-grip pull-ups, dumbbell overhead press, hammer curls
Day 2: barbell back squats, speed barbell back squats, paused barbell back squats, deficit deadlifts
Day 3: active rest day (HIIT, prowler, and mobility)
Day 4: deadlifts, bench press, paused bench press, wide-grip bench press, weighted chin-ups, spider curls, rear delt flys
Day 5: rest
Day 6: barbell back squats, paused barbell back squats, barbell front squats, speed deadlifts
Day 7: active rest day (HIIT, prowler, and mobility)
This exemplifies how an upper/lower workout routine may be organized. This particular example is drawn from Brogains 10 Week Powerbuilding program, a 4-day upper/lower workout routine that’s great for intermediate and advanced lifters trying to gain strength and size.
This particular upper/lower workout program includes three distinct training phases – volume, strength realization, and intensity. If you also perform the suggested high-intensity interval training, this program turns into a 6-day workout routine. Additional information about Brogains 10 Week Powerbuilding upper lower split program is included in the next section, along with four other effective upper/lower workout plans.
The 5 Best Upper Lower Split Programs
- nSuns LP
- SPF Powerbuilding
- 5/3/1 x 365 Strength
- Brogains Powerbuidling
- PHUL
Here are the five best upper/lower split workout programs. If you’re interested in trying any of the programs listed below, we’ve included a link to their spreadsheets so you can try them out!
nSuns LP Upper/Lower Split Workout Routine (4-Day Version)
- Experience level: beginners/intermediate/advanced
- Program goals: gain strength, build muscle
- Training frequency: 4 days per week
- Program length: 8-12 weeks (can be run indefinitely)
- Spreadsheet: nSuns LP Program Spreadsheet
nSuns is a highly rated upper/lower split workout program that involves training just four days per week. It’s important to note that there are 5-day and 6-day versions that exist; however, the 4-day version is suitable for most people. You can access all versions by clicking the link above to the nSuns LP Program spreadsheet. We will only discuss the 4-day version for the rest of this section.
Each week you perform two upper body workouts and two lower body workouts. Here’s what a sample training week would look like if you were running the 4-day nSUNs LP workout program:
- Day 1 (Monday): barbell bench press, overhead press, followed by assistance exercises for the chest, back, and arms
- Day 2 (Tuesday): barbell back squat, sumo deadlift, followed by assistance exercises for the legs and abs
- Day 3 (Thursday): barbell bench press, close-grip bench press, followed by assistance exercises for the chest shoulders, and arms
- Day 4 (Friday): conventional deadlift, front squat, followed by assistance exercises for the back, abs, and legs.
Each day has two main compound lifts, then accessory exercises are performed to complement the main lifts or target smaller muscle groups. You input your 1-rep maxes for the main lifts to get a training max, which is calculated as 90% of your true 1-rep max for each lift.
Since this program uses a linear progression model, the goal is to increase your training max over time. This is determined by how many reps you get on the last set of each compound movement, which is an AMRAP set (as many reps as possible).
Here’s how much you should increase your training max depending on how many reps you get above the prescribed amount of reps for the last set:
- 0-1 reps: do not increase your training max for the next week
- 2-3 reps: increase your training max by 5 lbs for the next week
- 4-5 reps: increase your training max by 5-10 lbs
- 5+ reps: increase your training max by 10-15 lbs
If you fail to complete the prescribed number of repetitions, do not increase your training max for that week. Stick to the same weight until you can surpass that number. Due to the progression model of this program, it’s suitable for beginners, intermediates, and even advanced trainees.
Not to mention, this program can be used for 8-12 weeks or indefinitely. As long as you’re progressing, stick with it! Some people may prefer this program over others due to your flexibility with exercise selection for the accessory movements. You can pick which movements and how many sets/reps to perform as long as it’s in a moderate-high rep range and you’re targeting the right muscles for that day.
SPF Powerbuilding Upper/Lower Split Workout Program
- Experience level: intermediate/advanced
- Program goals: build muscle, power, and strength
- Training frequency: 4 days per week
- Program length: 4 weeks (can be run indefinitely)
- Spreadsheet: SPF Powerbuilding Program Spreadsheet
Created by Brogan Pratt, SPF stands for strength, power, and fortitude. It’s a well-known 4-day upper/lower powerbuilding workout program placing equal emphasis on gaining strength and muscle. This program was specifically designed to help powerlifters improve their work capacity and build a strong foundation in the off-season.
Each week you perform two upper body workouts and two lower body workouts. Here’s what a sample training week would look like if you were running this program:
- Day 1 (Monday): barbell bench press + upper body accessories
- Day 2 (Tuesday): barbell back squat + lower body accessories
- Day 3 (Thursday): barbell bench press + upper body accessories
- Day 4 (Friday): deadlift + lower body accessories
Like the nSuns program, the load you use for your main compound lifts is calculated using your 1-rep max. Throughout the program, the main compound lifts are trained between ~65-70% of the lifter’s 1-rep max. Since this is a powerbuilding program, accessory exercises for the lower and upper body are added after the main compound lift is performed to stimulate muscle growth.
This program is considered to be a 4-week cycle. During the 4th week, you perform an AMRAP set for the bench press, deadlift, and squat. The result from the AMRAP set determines how much weight to add to the lifter’s training max for the next 4-week training block.
This program is classified as an intermediate-advanced program because it’s quite aggressive regarding training volume and its progression model. Testing your AMRAP sets every 4-weeks is more realistic for intermediate and advanced trainees because it takes longer for them to progress in their lifts compared to a beginner.
It’s important to note that with how many accessory exercises are prescribed, completing each training session may take up to 90 minutes or so. Keep timing in mind if you have limited time to train.
5/3/1 x 365 Strength Upper/Lower Split Workout Plan
- Experience level: beginner/intermediate
- Program goals: gain strength
- Training frequency: 4 days per week
- Program length: 6 weeks (can be run indefinitely)
- Spreadsheet: 5/3/1 x 365 Strength Program Spreadsheet
Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 is arguably the most popular strength training program of all time. Over the years, there have been countless variations created. This article only covers the 5/3/1 x 365 strength upper/lower workout program, where you train four days per week.
Since this is a strength-focused program, each core lift gets its own day. Every week you perform two upper body workouts and two lower body workouts, so each muscle group is trained twice per week. Here’s what an example training week would look like if you run this program:
- Day 1 (Monday): barbell back squat + lower body accessories
- Day 2 (Tuesday): barbell bench press + upper body accessories
- Day 3 (Thursday): deadlift + lower body accessories
- Day 4 (Friday): overhead press + upper body accessories
As you can see from the sample training week, you perform each main compound lift once per week. The training program is grouped into 3-week cycles. The spreadsheet linked above lays out enough 3-week cycles such that you could run this program for nearly a year.
For the main compound lifts, you are supposed to follow the 5/3/1 loading protocol, which looks like this:
- Week 1: 3 sets x 5+ reps @ 65%, 75%, and 85%
- Week 2: 3 sets x 3+ reps @ 70%, 80%, and 90%
- Week 3: 1 set x 5 reps @ 75%, 1 set x 3 reps @ 85%, 1 set x 1+ @ 90%
*All percentages are based on the lifter’s training max, not a true one-rep max, which is calculated as 80-85% of your 1 rep max.
The trainee selects all accessory exercises, which is great for those who like to customize their training program to their own preferences and equipment selection. Since this is a strength-focused program, most people perform variations of the main lifts for their supplemental lifts.
The reps and sets for supplemental work varies based on the training cycle.
Here’s what they recommend:
- Cycle 1: 5 sets x 12 reps @ 45% of training max (TM)
- Cycle 2: 5 sets x 6 reps @ 75% of TM
- Cycle 3: 5 sets x 11 reps@ 50% of TM
- Cycle 4: 5 sets x 5 reps @ 80% of TM
- Cycle 5: 5 sets x 10 reps @ 55% of TM
- Cycle 6: 5 sets x 4 reps @ 85% of TM
- Cycle 7: 5 sets x 9 reps @ 60% of TM
- Cycle 8: 5 sets x 3 reps @ 90% of TM
- Cycle 9: 5 sets x 8 reps @ 65% of TM
- Cycle 10: 5 sets x 2 reps @ 95% of TM
- Cycle 11: 5 sets x 7 reps @ 70% of TM
- Cycle 12: Test maxes or do a training max test, adjust to the lower TM and start over from the beginning.
Overall, the 5/3/1 x 365 Strength Upper Lower Split Program is phenomenal for building muscle and gaining strength whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced trainee.
Brogains Powerbuilding Upper/Lower Split Workout Program
- Experience level: intermediate/advanced
- Program goals: gain strength, muscle growth
- Training frequency: 4 days per week
- Program length: 10 weeks
- Spreadsheet: Brogains Powerbuilding Program Spreadsheet
The Brogains Powerbuilding Upper/Lower split workout plan is a rather advanced hypertrophy and strength program created by Brogan Pratt. The spreadsheet linked above can be run as a peaking program for a powerlifting meet.
Throughout this program, you train 4 times per week and have three distinct phases – volume, strength realization, and intensity. It’s important to note that they suggest doing HIIT (high-intensity interval training) and mobility twice weekly. If you perform those sessions in addition to the resistance training, you will be in the gym 6 days per week.
Every week you perform two upper body and two lower body workouts, so each muscle group is trained twice per week. Here’s what a sample training week would look like:
- Day 1 – heavy bench press, speed bench press, and upper hypertrophy
- Day 2 – heavy back squats, speed squats, and lower hypertrophy
- Day 3 – HIIT, prowler, mobility (optional)
- Day 4 – heavy deadlift, paused bench press, upper hypertrophy
- Day 5 – rest
- Day 6 – squat volume work, speed deadlifts, and lower hypertrophy
- Day 7 – HIIT, prowler, mobility (optional)
Similar to some of the other workout programs in this article, the Brogains Powerbuilding program uses AMRAP sets for the main lifts to adjust your training max each week. If you can get more reps than what is prescribed for the last set of the main lift, your training max will increase for the next week. If you only achieve the prescribed number of reps, your training max stays the same for the next week.
Unlike some of the other workout programs, the lifter is supposed to choose accessory lifts according to the weaknesses in the main lifts. For example, if you struggle with the lockout portion of the deadlift, perform barbell hip thrusts, Romanian deadlifts, reverse hyperextensions, lying leg curls, and/or good mornings.
PHUL Upper/Lower Split Workout Routine
- Experience level: intermediate/advanced
- Program goals: build muscle, power, and strength
- Training frequency: 4 days per week
- Program length: 6 weeks
- Spreadsheet: PHUL spreadsheet
PHUL stands for Power Hypertrophy Upper Lower. It blends powerlifting with bodybuilding to help intermediate and advanced lifters gain strength and build muscle. Although there’s a 4-day and 6-day version that exists, for this article, we are only going to cover the 4-day version.
This program is ideal for lifters wanting to improve their performance in the squat, bench press, and deadlift but also add size to their frame. A good amount of assistance exercises were added to this program, so the workouts may take longer to complete (~90 minutes).
Every week you perform two upper body and two lower body workouts, so each muscle group is trained twice per week. Here’s what a sample training week for the PHUL 4-day program:
- Day 1 (Monday): upper strength – heavy bench press + upper body hypertrophy
- Day 2 (Tuesday): lower strength – heavy squat and deadlift + lower body hypertrophy
- Day 3 (Thursday): upper hypertrophy – upper body assistance exercises
- Day 4 (Friday): lower hypertrophy – lower body assistance exercises
Each main lift is performed just once per week. Unlike some of the other workout programs, there’s a heavy squat and heavy deadlift on the same day, which may not be ideal for optimal performance. As far as progression goes, a specific rep range and number of sets for the main lifts (i.e. 4 sets x 3-5 reps) is prescribed. Once you perform all sets with 1-2 reps above that rep range, increase the weight by 5 lbs for the next week.
It’s worth noting that if you are short on time, you can adjust the number of sets you perform for the assistance exercises. So this program is flexible to some extent, but specific accessory exercises are prescribed, whereas other programs give you more freedom to choose.
Benefits of an Upper/Lower Split
- Optimal training frequency
- Great for building muscle and gaining strength
- Time efficient
- Suitable for busy schedules
- Allows for Prioritization of Specific Lifts or Muscle Groups
Optimal Training Frequency
As long as you have four days per week to train, you will hit each major muscle group two times per week with an upper/lower split. This training frequency is considered to be ideal for muscle growth and strength. However, the upper/lower split can be utilized regardless of how many days per week you can train.
Here’s how some people use an upper/lower split according to how many days they can train:
- 2 days per week – upper body workout/lower body workout
- 3 days per week – upper body workout/lower body workout/upper body workout or lower body workout/upper body workout/lower body workout
- 4 days per week – upper body workout/lower body workout/upper body workout/lower body workout
- 5 days per week – upper body workout /lower body workout/upper body workout/lower body workout/upper body workout or lower body workout/upper body workout/lower/upper body workout/lower body workout
- 6 days per week – upper body workout/lower body workout/upper body workout/lower body workout/upper body workout/lower body workout/upper body workout
The 4-day upper/lower split is the most popular because it’s extremely effective and gives you enough rest days to recover adequately. Not to mention, you have a bit more time to do other things you enjoy.
Great for Building Muscle and Strength
The upper/lower split is great for building muscle and gaining strength. You can use it to lose fat if your diet is set up appropriately. There are numerous upper/lower training programs to choose from that apply progressive overload so you can maximize your results.
Many intermediate and advanced lifters prefer the upper/lower split as opposed to a full body split because it allows you to increase training volume, which is a crucial component for hypertrophy.
Time Efficient
A lot of upper/lower workout programs use compound lifts that train multiple major muscle groups simultaneously. This allows you to do more with less time. If you are limited on time, some of the programs listed here give you the option to do fewer sets for the accessory exercises. Overall, upper/lower workout plans can be very time efficient and effective.
Suitable For Busy Schedules
If you can only train 2-4 days per week, the upper/lower split can still be a viable option. In fact, training just 4 days per week using the upper/lower split is one of the best ways to gain strength and build muscle, making this split is perfect for those with busy schedules.
Allows for Prioritization of Specific Lifts or Muscle Groups
If you are able to train at least 4 days per week, the upper/lower split allows you to prioritize specific muscle groups or compound lifts. Many of the programs we covered in this article give each main lift its own day.
A dedicated day for each lift allows you to give 100% effort to that lift, instead of having to perform multiple compound movements in a single training session. If you have a lagging body part, add more volume to that muscle group to further promote hypertrophy.
FAQs
Yes, an upper/lower workout split can effectively build muscle, gain strength, and lose fat. It’s a good idea to follow a well-structured program that utilizes progressive overload to see the best results. Furthermore, training at least 4 days per week is ideal for the upper/lower workout split since you can train the major muscle groups two times per week.
The best workout split to build muscle depends on the individual, and there are several that can be effective. Before deciding which split is best, consider how many days you can train.
The best workout split may be full-body if you can only train 3 days per week. Alternatively, if you can train 4 days per week, an upper/lower split may be better.
Most experts agree that training each major muscle group at least twice weekly is ideal for hypertrophy. Not to mention, overall training volume plays a huge role in building muscle. As you advance, you may need more training volume to grow, so an increase in training frequency may be required.
Any workout split can be used to lose fat if you maintain a caloric deficit. Resistance training is still important during a cutting phase because it helps you retain as much muscle and strength as possible.
Most people say that they want to lose weight, but what they really mean is that they want to lose fat. Not only does resistance training increase your caloric expenditure, which helps you achieve a caloric deficit, but it helps you improve your overall body composition by retaining muscle mass while losing fat.
The upper/lower split can be used regardless of how many days per week you are able to train. Most of the workout programs that utilize an upper/lower workout split have you train 4 days per week. However, some require training 5 or even 6 days per week. For most people, a 4-day upper/lower workout program is ideal for building muscle and gaining strength.
