{"id":385,"date":"2025-09-27T17:36:01","date_gmt":"2025-09-27T17:36:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/?page_id=385"},"modified":"2025-11-07T20:32:14","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T20:32:14","slug":"upper-lower-split","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/lifting-programs\/upper-lower-split\/","title":{"rendered":"Upper\/Lower Split guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Upper-Lower-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Man gripping barbell at the bottom of deadlift position \" class=\"wp-image-384 lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Upper-Lower-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Man gripping barbell at the bottom of deadlift position \" class=\"wp-image-384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Upper-Lower-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Upper-Lower-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Upper-Lower-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Upper-Lower-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Upper-Lower-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the Upper\/Lower Split? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Upper day &#8211; 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 <a href=\"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/exercise-guides\/bench-press-guide\/\">Bench Press<\/a> and Bent Over Rows as well as some accessory work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Lower day &#8211; 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 <a href=\"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/exercise-guides\/complete-deadlift-guide\/\">Deadlift<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/exercise-guides\/complete-deadlift-guide\/\">Squat<\/a> while also adding in some accessory work to target weak points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How many days a week should I train? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2 days a week <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Day 1 &#8211; Upper <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Day 2 &#8211; Lower <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3 days a week <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">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: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Week 1:<br>Day 1 &#8211; Upper <br>Day 2 &#8211; Lower <br>Day 3 &#8211; Upper <br><br>Week 2:<br>Day 1 &#8211; Lower <br>Day 2 &#8211; Upper <br>Day 3 &#8211; Lower <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4 days a week <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">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: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Monday &#8211; Upper <br>Tuesday &#8211; Lower <br>Wednesday &#8211; Rest <br>Thursday &#8211; Upper <br>Friday &#8211; Lower<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5 days a week <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Programming your Upper\/Lower Routine <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">In this section I will show how how you can create your own Upper\/Lower workout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Upper Body Day <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">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: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Compound lift (1-2 Exercises) <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">It is important to balance the push and pull lifts. Here are all the  main upper body compound lifts to choose from: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list has-medium-font-size\">\n<li><a data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"439\" href=\"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/excercise-guides\/bench-press-guide\/\">Bench Press<\/a> (Main compound)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Overhead press <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pull ups <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Barbell rows <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Accessory compounds (2-3 Exercises)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Incline Dumbbell press <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lat Pulldown <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dumbell Rows <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Isolation Excercises (2-3 Exercises) <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">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: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Bicep Curls <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Triceps Pushdowns<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lateral Raises <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Face Pulls <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Core Excercises <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Cable Crunches<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Woodchoppers <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Leg Raises <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lower Body Day <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">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: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Compound Lift (1-2 Excercises) <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list has-medium-font-size\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/complete-squat-guide\/\">Barbell Back Squat<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/exercise-guides\/complete-deadlift-guide\/\">Deadlift<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Front Squats <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Accessory compounds (2-3 Excercises) <br><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">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: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Romanian Deadlifts <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Walking Lunges <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Leg Press <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Bulgarian Split Squats <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Isolation Exercises (1-2 Exercises) <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Leg curls <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Calf raises <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Leg extensions <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Core Excercises <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Cable Crunches<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Woodchoppers <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Leg Raises <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left\">Key Points <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Whether you are following a Push Pull legs split or another training program the following key points will always apply:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rest periods <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Resting the right amount between sets is crucial for performance and recovery. Your rest time should match the intensity of the lift:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Heavy compound lifts<\/strong> (e.g. squats, bench press, deadlifts):<br>Rest for <strong>3\u20135 minutes<\/strong> to allow your nervous system to recover and maintain performance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Accessory and isolation work<\/strong>:<br>Rest for <strong>90 seconds to 2 minutes<\/strong> to stay focused while keeping intensity high.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Don\u2019t rush your rest \u2014 proper recovery between sets helps you lift better and reduce injury risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Progressive Overload   <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">To build strength and muscle, you must consistently challenge your body. This is called <strong>progressive overload<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">You can apply progressive overload by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Increasing the <strong>weight<\/strong> over time<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Adding <strong>more reps<\/strong> or <strong>sets<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Improving <strong>form<\/strong> or <strong>range of motion<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">If a weight feels easy for your target reps, it\u2019s time to bump it up. This constant challenge is what drives real progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Workout Plan creator <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">If you are struggling to create your own workout use our easy to use<a href=\"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/upper-lower-workout-creator\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"557\"> <strong>Upper Lower Workout Creator<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is the Upper\/Lower Split? The Upper\/Lower split is a used amongst many athletes, bodybuilders and powerlifters and is very [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":194,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-385","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=385"}],"version-history":[{"count":47,"href":"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/385\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1242,"href":"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/385\/revisions\/1242"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}