The Best 4-Day Workout Split: Upper Lower vs PPL
Max ·
Four days a week is the sweet spot for most people who lift. It's enough to train every muscle twice, it leaves three days to recover, and it survives a busy week better than five or six days does.
There are two 4-day splits I'd actually recommend. Here's how they compare and how I'd pick.
Option 1: Upper lower (my default)
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper A | Lower A | Rest | Upper B | Lower B | Rest | Rest |
Every muscle gets trained twice a week, and you never do more than two days in a row. The A and B days rotate the main lifts, so bench and squat get their heavy day, then overhead press and deadlift get theirs.
Why it's my default: it's forgiving. Miss Tuesday and you can do Lower A on Wednesday and shift the week along. Nothing goes untrained.
The trade-off: upper days are long, because chest, back, shoulders and arms all share one session. Expect 60–75 minutes.
The full plan with every exercise, set and rep range is on the upper lower split page.
Option 2: Push, pull, legs, upper
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Push | Pull | Rest | Legs | Upper | Rest | Rest |
This is the 3-day push pull legs split with an upper day added. Chest, back, shoulders and arms get trained twice. Legs get once, which is the weakness.
Who it suits: people who like PPL's focused sessions and care more about upper body than legs. Be honest with yourself about that second part.
How to build the upper day: one press, one row, one vertical pull, then lateral raises and an arm superset. Keep it lighter than your push and pull days, since you trained those muscles earlier in the week.
Which one should you run?
| If you... | Run |
|---|---|
| Want the most balanced plan | Upper lower |
| Sometimes miss a day | Upper lower |
| Already run PPL and like it | Push, pull, legs, upper |
| Prioritize upper body over legs | Push, pull, legs, upper |
| Want shorter sessions | Push, pull, legs, upper |
If you're unsure, run upper lower. It's harder to get wrong.
Making the week work
A few things that matter more than which option you pick:
- Space the hard days. Don't put both lower days back to back. Your legs won't be ready, and the second session will be junk.
- Rest days don't have to be fixed. If Wednesday doesn't work, train Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. Just keep at least one rest day after every two sessions.
- Progress the main lifts. Use double progression: work up to the top of the rep range on every set, then add weight.
- Write it down. Four days a week is around 200 sessions a year. You won't remember what you squatted three Tuesdays ago.
When to move off 4 days
If you've been consistent for six months or more, recover well, and have the time, a 5-day plan like PPL upper lower adds volume without making each session longer. But plenty of people train 4 days for years and keep progressing. More days isn't automatically better. More quality sets that you recover from is. If you're still deciding how many days to train at all, start with how to pick a workout split.
Quick answers
Is 4 days a week enough to build muscle?
Yes. Four days lets you train every muscle twice a week, which is plenty for most people. Consistency and adding weight or reps over time matter more than an extra day.
Upper lower or push pull legs for 4 days?
Upper lower, for most people. It trains everything twice. Push, pull, legs, upper only trains legs once, so pick it if upper body is your priority.
Can I do 4 days in a row?
You can, but it's not ideal. Your fourth day will be your worst session. If your schedule forces it, put the lightest or least demanding day last.
Where does cardio fit?
On rest days, or after lifting on upper days. Keep hard cardio away from the day before a lower session so your legs are fresh for squats and deadlifts.