The upper/lower split: each half of the body, twice a week.
An upper/lower split alternates upper-body days (chest, back, shoulders and arms) with lower-body days (quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves). Over four sessions each half trains twice, and because each session covers only half the body, there is room for more work per muscle group than in a full body session. BodyPlan's planner chooses it for most goals at four or five days a week.
- Each muscle group trains twice a week
- More work per muscle in each session than full body
- Fits four or five training days
A sample week
Train on whichever days suit you. This is one way to lay them out.
4 days
- Mon Upper
- Tue Lower
- Wed Rest
- Thu Upper
- Fri Lower
- Sat Rest
- Sun Rest
5 days
- Mon Upper
- Tue Lower
- Wed Rest
- Thu Upper
- Fri Lower
- Sat Upper
- Sun Rest
- Upper
- A horizontal press, a row, an overhead press and a vertical pull, then shoulder and arm exercises.
- Lower
- A squat or leg press, a hip hinge, a lunge or split squat, a hamstring curl and calf raises.
How it works
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Check it fits your week
Enter your days, goal and experience in the split builder and see whether upper/lower is the split it picks.
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Get a plan built on it
BodyPlan fills each upper and lower day with exercises for your equipment and experience.
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Log sets as you train
Suggested weights and reps update each session from what you logged.
Who it's for
People training four or five days a week, whether the goal is strength, muscle, fat loss or general fitness. It suits anyone whose full body sessions have grown too long, and anyone who wants each muscle group trained twice a week without training six days.
Try it free
No account needed. These use the same logic as the BodyPlan app.
Frequently asked questions
How many days a week is an upper/lower split?
Four is the usual layout: two upper days and two lower days. At five days BodyPlan adds a third upper day, so the order runs upper, lower, upper, lower, upper.
What is PHUL?
PHUL (Power Hypertrophy Upper Lower) is a well-known four-day upper/lower programme. The first upper and lower days are heavy, built on compound lifts for low reps. The second pair uses more exercises for moderate reps. It uses the same four-day layout as the sample week above.
Should I do upper/lower or push/pull/legs?
At four days, upper/lower trains every muscle group twice a week, where push/pull/legs can't fit two full rounds. Push/pull/legs fits three or six days better. The split builder picks between them from your days, goal and experience.
Ready to get started?
Download BodyPlan free on iOS or Android, and your plan comes with you.
