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Free gym program by Coach.AI

Upper lower split to build muscle, 4 days a week

4 days · 12 weeks · Skilled

An upper lower split is the simplest workout split for 4 days a week: two upper body days and two lower body days, so every muscle gets worked twice. It's a workout plan to build muscle for someone who already knows the main lifts, and it runs for 12 weeks.

In the app: this program as your plan. The week, its workouts and the next one to start.

Days a week
4
Level
Skilled
Length
12 weeks
Session in week 1
49-71 min
Equipment
Full gym
Goal
Build muscle

The .AI plan screen in Coach.AI: week 1 of the Upper lower program

Week 1, day by day

Every exercise of the first week, in the order you do them. Sets × reps, and the rest is the pause after each set.

Monday

Upper body

Chest, Lats, Shoulders, Biceps · about 71 min

  1. Barbell Bench PressChest4 × 10Rest 2 min
  2. Barbell Underhand RowLats4 × 10Rest 2 min
  3. Barbell Front PressShoulders4 × 10Rest 2 min
  4. Alternating Lat PulldownLats4 × 10Rest 2 min

  5. Superset Alternate them, set by set.

    1. Dumbbell Alternating Preacher CurlsBiceps3 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s
    2. Incline Dumbbell Chest FlysChest3 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s
  6. Ab CrunchAbs3 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s
  7. Cross TrainerCardio10 minRest 1 min

Tuesday

Lower body

Quads, Lower Back, Calves, Shoulders · about 52 min

  1. Barbell SquatQuads4 × 10Rest 2 min
  2. Hex Bar DeadliftsLower Back4 × 10Rest 2 min

  3. Superset Alternate them, set by set.

    1. Standing Calve Raises With DumbbellsCalves3 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s
    2. Dual Cable Crossover Lateral RaisesShoulders3 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s

  4. Superset Alternate them, set by set.

    1. Seated Single Leg Calf Raise MachineCalves2 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s
    2. Plank Walk OutsAbs2 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s
  5. Incline Treadmill WalkingCardio10 minRest 1 min

Thursday

Upper body

Chest, Lats, Shoulders, Triceps · about 63 min

  1. Incline Barbell Bench PressChest4 × 10Rest 2 min
  2. Barbell Overhand RowLats4 × 10Rest 2 min
  3. Smith Machine Front PressShoulders4 × 10Rest 2 min
  4. Lat Pulldown With v BarLats3 × 10Rest 2 min

  5. Superset Alternate them, set by set.

    1. Ezy Bar Skull CrushersTriceps3 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s
    2. Weighted Russian Twists HardAbs3 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s
  6. Treadmill WalkingCardio10 minRest 1 min

Friday

Lower body

Quads, Glutes, Calves, Biceps · about 49 min

  1. Barbell Box SquatQuads4 × 10Rest 2 min
  2. Barbell Glute Hip ThrustsGlutes3 × 10Rest 2 min

  3. Superset Alternate them, set by set.

    1. Seated Calf Raise MachineCalves3 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s
    2. Dumbbell Alternating Spider CurlBiceps3 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s

  4. Superset Alternate them, set by set.

    1. Standing Smith Machine Calf RaiseCalves2 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s
    2. V UpAbs2 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s
  5. Cross TrainerCardio10 minRest 1 min

Built by the Coach.AI engine, version 55da4102.

Coach.AI

This is how the program looks in the app

Real screens from Coach.AI with this program in week 1: the overview of every workout, with each exercise, its sets, reps and rest.

  • 01 Day 1 · Upper body

    Workout 1 of the Upper lower program in Coach.AI: warm-up, exercises with sets, reps and rest, cool-down

  • 02 Day 2 · Lower body

    Workout 2 of the Upper lower program in Coach.AI: warm-up, exercises with sets, reps and rest, cool-down

  • 03 Day 3 · Upper body

    Workout 3 of the Upper lower program in Coach.AI: warm-up, exercises with sets, reps and rest, cool-down

  • 04 Day 4 · Lower body

    Workout 4 of the Upper lower program in Coach.AI: warm-up, exercises with sets, reps and rest, cool-down

Scroll inside the screen to see the whole workout

The first week of your .AI plan is free.

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How the program moves on

Here is week 1 next to the weeks after it, from the same run of the engine. Each cell is sets × reps.

  • Barbell Bench Press, a main lift: 4 × 10 in week 1, 4 × 8 in week 2 and 2 × 10 in week 4. Fewer reps per set leave room for a heavier weight. How and when to add weight: progressive overload, explained.
  • The smaller exercises after the main lifts: 3 × 15 in week 1, 3 × 12 in week 2 and 3 × 15 in week 4.
  • Working sets in the whole week: 81 in week 1, 85 in week 2 and 45 in week 4.
  • The cardio that closes the first session of the week: 10 min in week 1, 11 min in week 2, 12 min in week 3 and 12 min in week 4.
  • Of the 25 exercises in week 1, week 4 keeps 11; the others are swapped for different ones. New exercises that join: 9.
  • Lighter weeks: 4, 8 and 12. In week 4 the week comes down to 45 working sets, against 87 in week 3. Barbell Bench Press goes to 2 × 10. The paired exercises are done one at a time that week. Why a lighter week makes you stronger: the deload week, explained.
  • Week 12 ends with a test day on Friday. It measures:
    • Barbell Box Squat: one set, as many clean reps as you can with the weight you trained with
    • Incline Barbell Bench Press: one set, as many clean reps as you can with the weight you trained with
    • Barbell Overhand Row: one set, as many clean reps as you can with the weight you trained with
    The app keeps the results and shows them next to your last test.
  • Weeks 5-7 and 9-11 aren't shown here. In the app each of them is built from the sets you logged the week before.
Main liftWeek 1Week 2Week 3Week 4lighter
Barbell Bench Press4 × 104 × 84 × 62 × 10
Barbell Squat4 × 104 × 84 × 62 × 10
Incline Barbell Bench Press4 × 104 × 84 × 62 × 10
Working sets in the week81858745

Working sets in every week shown

  1. Week 181
  2. Week 285
  3. Week 387
  4. Week 445lighter
  5. Week 845lighter
  6. Week 1241lighter, test day

What comes after 12 weeks?

The test day at the end shows how much your main lifts grew. The next program takes those numbers and your log, starts a little below your finish and leads you up again, with a new wave and weights you don’t have to guess.

Skilled has four stages: Into the waves, Building volume, Reaching the top of the level and Getting ready for Advanced. After that comes Advanced, with 16 week blocks, if you get there and want it.

Who it's for

Pick it if you have four days a week and some gym experience behind you. A session in week 1 takes 49-71 min.

When another program fits better

Only three days? Push pull legs fits that. Five days? Try the 5 day split.

Still choosing between full body and a split? Here’s how to pick for your week.

Worth reading before you start

Questions people ask

How do I pick a weight for week 1?

Pick a weight you could lift for two or three more reps than the card asks for. The first week is for learning the movements and finding your numbers, not for testing yourself. If you know a recent set on a lift, the 1RM calculator turns it into a working weight for any number of reps.

What if I miss a day?

Do the next session when you can and keep the order. Don't squeeze two sessions into one day to catch up. In the app the rest of your week moves to the days ahead.

Can I do this program at home?

This week is built for a full gym: machines, cables and free weights. With dumbbells at home, or with no equipment at all, the exercises would be different. In the app you tell it what you have, and the plan only uses that.

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Coach.AI

Get this week fitted to you

This is the week Coach.AI builds for a typical person with this profile (Skilled, Build muscle, 4 days, Full gym, age 30). In the app it's fitted to your own goal, days, equipment and age, and to the sets you log: each next week is built from what you logged in the one before.

The first week of your .AI plan is free.

QR code: the Coach.AI app pagePoint your phone camera here to download
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Coach.AI: the first screen of the app, The Plan Remembers, with Get Started
Coach.AI: the Exercise History of the barbell bench press, e1RM 105 kg, best set 90 kg for 5, eight workouts on a chart and a list
Coach.AI: the Home screen, today's workout Pull day with Start workout, the week so far and Ask your coach