4-Day Workout Split: The Best Routines for Training 4x a Week
The best 4-day workout split for most lifters is upper/lower: every muscle trained twice per week with 10-16 hard sets, in four 45-60 minute sessions. Twice-weekly frequency produced roughly 63% more growth than once-weekly in a 2016 meta-analysis. The classic bodybuilding split is the alternative if you prefer body-part focus.
Maciej Glowacki
The best 4-day workout split for most lifters is upper/lower: two upper-body days and two lower-body days per week, typically Monday/Tuesday and Thursday/Friday. Every muscle gets trained twice per week with 10-16 hard sets, in sessions of 45-60 minutes.
That twice-weekly frequency matters: a 2016 meta-analysis by Schoenfeld et al. found roughly 63% more muscle growth training each muscle 2x per week versus 1x. Four days is the fewest sessions that deliver that frequency for every muscle without long workouts.
Key takeaways:
- Upper/lower is the default 4-day split: every muscle 2x/week, sessions divide evenly into 4 days.
- A 4-day bodybuilding split (chest+triceps / back+biceps / shoulders / legs) works if you prefer body-part focus, but most muscles drop to 1x weekly frequency.
- 10-16 weekly sets per muscle group is the volume target. Count only hard sets within 1-3 reps of failure.
- Split type does not change growth at equal volume (2024 meta-analysis). Frequency and volume do.
- Schedule the 4 days as 2-on/1-off/2-on (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) so each muscle gets 48+ hours before it is trained again.
Option 1: the 4-day upper/lower split (recommended)
The full breakdown, including all four workouts with sets and reps, lives in our dedicated upper/lower split guide. The structure:
| Day | Session | Emphasis |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Upper A | Heavy: 5-8 reps, barbell focus |
| Tuesday | Lower A | Heavy: 5-10 reps, squat focus |
| Wednesday | Rest | |
| Thursday | Upper B | Volume: 10-15 reps, dumbbell/machine focus |
| Friday | Lower B | Volume: 10-15 reps, leg press focus |
| Weekend | Rest |
Why it wins on 4 days: the 2-day cycle divides evenly into 4 weekly slots, every muscle lands exactly 2x/week, and heavy/volume alternation trains strength and size in the same week. Push/pull/legs, by contrast, is a 3-day cycle that never fits cleanly into 4 slots.
Option 2: the 4-day bodybuilding split
If you prefer dedicating a session to fewer muscles, the classic 4-day bodybuilding layout:
Day 1: Chest and triceps
| Exercise | Sets x Reps |
|---|---|
| Barbell bench press | 4 x 6-10 |
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 x 8-12 |
| Cable flyes | 3 x 12-15 |
| Triceps pushdown | 3 x 10-15 |
| Overhead triceps extension | 2 x 10-15 |
Day 2: Back and biceps
| Exercise | Sets x Reps |
|---|---|
| Bent-over row | 4 x 6-10 |
| Lat pulldown | 3 x 8-12 |
| Seated cable row | 3 x 10-12 |
| Face pulls | 2 x 15-20 |
| Dumbbell curls | 3 x 10-15 |
Day 3: Shoulders and arms
| Exercise | Sets x Reps |
|---|---|
| Seated barbell shoulder press | 4 x 6-10 |
| Lateral raises | 4 x 12-15 |
| Rear delt flyes | 3 x 12-15 |
| EZ-bar curls | 3 x 10-12 |
| Skull crushers | 3 x 10-12 |
Day 4: Legs
| Exercise | Sets x Reps |
|---|---|
| Barbell squats | 4 x 6-10 |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 x 8-12 |
| Leg press | 3 x 10-12 |
| Leg curls | 3 x 10-15 |
| Standing calf raises | 4 x 10-15 |
The trade-off is frequency: chest, back, and legs each get one weekly session. The pressing overlap (chest day and shoulder day both hit front delts and triceps) restores some 2x frequency for those muscles, but quads and lats do not get that benefit. For pure growth per week of training, upper/lower has the edge.
Volume check: are you hitting your weekly targets?
Whichever option you run, the target is 10-20 hard sets per muscle group per week (Schoenfeld et al., 2017). The upper/lower workout lands most muscles at 10-16 sets. The bodybuilding split concentrates 13-16 sets into single sessions.
Two tools help here:
- The weekly sets calculator gives per-muscle targets scaled to your schedule and focus.
- The progressive overload calculator tells you exactly when to add weight or reps on each lift.
Count only working sets taken within 1-3 reps of failure. Warm-ups do not count.
Not sure 4 days is right for you? The best workout split guide compares full body, upper/lower, and PPL across every weekly schedule.
Hypro has 4-day plans pre-built with sets, reps, and Smart Progression targets, and tracks your weekly volume per muscle group as you log.
Browse free training plans
Maciej Glowacki
Founder and CEO of Hypro. Built the platform from the ground up with years of hands-on lifting experience.
