What is the Upper/Lower Split?
The Upper/Lower split is a used amongst many athletes, bodybuilders and powerlifters and is very effective in building overall strength and muscle. The split involves having one day where you would work upper body and a second day where you work the Lower body as suggested by the name.
Upper day – The main focus on upper day is all the upper body muscles. The muscles targeted are chest, shoulders, back, arms and core. On this day you will typically focus on compounds lifts such as the Bench Press and Bent Over Rows as well as some accessory work.
Lower day – The main focus on lower day is all the Lower body muscles. The muscles targeted are quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, core and lower back. On this day you will typically focus on compounds such as the Deadlift and Squat while also adding in some accessory work to target weak points.
The Upper Lower Split is very popular because it provides an ample amount of recovery time between each workout and allows you to hit each muscle group with enough intensity while avoiding overtraining. It is also highly flexible and can easily be adjusted to suit your own personal schedule depending on the number of the days of the week you can workout. This is very beneficial for lifters as it means they can focus on their core compound lifts with enough intensity whilst also adding in some accessory work to target weak points.
How many days a week should I train?
The number of days you choose to train depends entirely on your schedule and the amount of time you can dedicate to lifting. This is what makes Upper/Lower a really good option with its flexibility. You can run the program with as little as 2 days and scale it up to 5+ depending on your availability and goals. Even just 2 days a week consistently is enough to build progress over time, but being consistent is the most important.
2 days a week
Day 1 – Upper
Day 2 – Lower
This would primarily be for beginners or if you are really short on time and can only workout 2 days a week. If this is you, the goal is mainly focusing on the compounds and not worrying too much about having a high amount of volume. This would be mainly hitting just compounds and doing less accessory work to maximise on the amount of time.
3 days a week
With 3 days a week its best to alternate the workouts each week to ensure all of the muscles are being hit with the right amount of intensity and to avoid overtraining one muscle. Here is an example:
Week 1:
Day 1 – Upper
Day 2 – Lower
Day 3 – Upper
Week 2:
Day 1 – Lower
Day 2 – Upper
Day 3 – Lower
4 days a week
4 days a week is the most common upper lower split. It is the most popular because you can target your major muscle groups twice a week with enough recover in between. Here is an example of a recommended way to do it:
Monday – Upper
Tuesday – Lower
Wednesday – Rest
Thursday – Upper
Friday – Lower
5 days a week
5 days a week is more advanced and is more for an advanced and experienced lifters. with 5 days a week you would need to rotate between light days and heavier days and possibly add mobility days.
Programming your Upper/Lower Routine
In this section I will show how how you can create your own Upper/Lower workout.
Upper Body Day
For your upper body you will mainly be focusing on training chest, shoulders, back, arms and core. Here is what you need in your upper body day:
Compound lift (1-2 Exercises)
At the start of your workout out when you have most amount of energy as compounds require the most amount of energy, coordination and focus. Start with one 1-2 of your main pressing or pulling lifts and perform 3-5 reps of 3-6 sets for strength focus. If you are training more frequently in the week you may need to balance this with lighter days and more reps.
It is important to balance the push and pull lifts. Here are all the main upper body compound lifts to choose from:
- Bench Press (Main compound)
- Overhead press
- Pull ups
- Barbell rows
Accessory compounds (2-3 Exercises)
After targeting your main compound you want to do some accessory compounds. With these you go lighter but with more reps. Its best to perform 3- 4 sets of 8-12 reps. Choose 2-3 compound accessories from below:
- Incline Dumbbell press
- Lat Pulldown
- Dumbell Rows
Isolation Excercises (2-3 Exercises)
Finally to finish of you need to do some isolation exercises to target any weak points and build muscle. You would need to perform 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps. Choose 2-3 exercises from below:
- Bicep Curls
- Triceps Pushdowns
- Lateral Raises
- Face Pulls
Core Excercises
Core is more optional and good to do if you have the time, below are 3 exercises you can do to work your full core. Perform 2-4 sets of each at 8-15 reps:
- Cable Crunches
- Woodchoppers
- Leg Raises
Lower Body Day
For your Lower body the muscles targeted are quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, core and lower back. Here is how to structure your lower body day:
Compound Lift (1-2 Excercises)
The lower body day has a very similar structure to upper body day you start with the compound lifts but for the legs this time. Start with 1-2 compounds and the focus is to build strength so we keep sets at 3-5 and reps at 3-6. Here are the main compound lifts:
- Barbell Back Squat
- Deadlift
- Front Squats
Accessory compounds (2-3 Excercises)
After your compounds you need your accessory compounds again, you would need to perform 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps. Below are some of the accessory compounds to choose from:
- Romanian Deadlifts
- Walking Lunges
- Leg Press
- Bulgarian Split Squats
Isolation Exercises (1-2 Exercises)
To target the weak points and for hypertrophy you then need to choose some isolation exercises at 3-4 sets for 8-15 reps. The focus here is muscle growth and to prevent muscle imbalance. Below are some isolation exercises to choose from:
- Leg curls
- Calf raises
- Leg extensions
Core Excercises
Core is more optional and good to do if you have the time, below are 3 exercises you can do to work your full core. Perform 2-4 sets of each at 8-15 reps:
- Cable Crunches
- Woodchoppers
- Leg Raises
Key Points
Whether you are following a Push Pull legs split or another training program the following key points will always apply:
Rest periods
Resting the right amount between sets is crucial for performance and recovery. Your rest time should match the intensity of the lift:
- Heavy compound lifts (e.g. squats, bench press, deadlifts):
Rest for 3–5 minutes to allow your nervous system to recover and maintain performance. - Accessory and isolation work:
Rest for 90 seconds to 2 minutes to stay focused while keeping intensity high.
Don’t rush your rest — proper recovery between sets helps you lift better and reduce injury risk.
Progressive Overload
To build strength and muscle, you must consistently challenge your body. This is called progressive overload.
You can apply progressive overload by:
- Increasing the weight over time
- Adding more reps or sets
- Improving form or range of motion
If a weight feels easy for your target reps, it’s time to bump it up. This constant challenge is what drives real progress.
Workout Plan creator
If you are struggling to create your own workout use our easy to use Upper Lower Workout Creator