What is an upper lower split?

An upper lower split alternates upper body days (chest, back, shoulders and arms) with lower body days (quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves). The usual version is four days a week, so each muscle is trained twice. It's a good next step after full body training, and it fits most schedules.

1. Upper A. Bench press, barbell row, overhead press and lat pulldown, then biceps and triceps. 3 sets each.
2. Lower A. Squat, Romanian deadlift and lunges, then leg curls and calf raises. 3 sets each.
3. Upper B. Incline dumbbell press, pull-ups, seated cable row and lateral raises, then arms. 3 sets each.
4. Lower B. Deadlift or trap-bar deadlift, leg press and step-ups, then a hamstring exercise and calves. 3 sets each.

Why it’s popular

It hits the sweet spot many people need: every muscle trained twice a week, in four sessions of about an hour. Training a muscle twice a week has been linked to more growth than once a week in reviews of the research.

A sample week

The A and B days use different exercises for the same muscles, so you train them from different angles and keep things interesting.

How to progress

Use a rep range, like 6 to 10. When you can do the top of the range on every set with good form, add a small amount of weight and start again at the bottom. Keep a record, so each session you know what to beat.

Signs to back off

If your joints ache or your lifts go backward for two weeks or more, take a lighter week. Lower the weights or the sets for a week, then pick back up.