4 Day Upper Lower Split (Beginner)
This is a 4-day upper/lower workout split built for a beginner training with dumbbells and a bench. Volume is scaled down from what an intermediate or advanced lifter on the same split would run, since a beginner needs less weekly volume per muscle group to make progress. If you also own a barbell and squat rack, the barbell squat, bench press, and deadlift are worth adding once the dumbbell versions of those movements feel solid.
Equipment needed
Every exercise draws only from this equipment list, so nothing here assumes access to cables, machines, or specialty bars.
The program
Four or five days gives you enough room to separate upper and lower body without dropping below twice-a-week frequency for any muscle group, while keeping each session more focused than a full body workout.
Day 1: Upper body
Warm-up
5 minutes of light cardio to raise your heart rate, then arm circles and band pull-aparts to open up your shoulders. Finish with 2-3 ramp-up sets on your first exercise before your working weight.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 5 | 8-12 | 90-120 sec |
| Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3 | 8-12 | 90-120 sec |
| Dumbbell Row | 5 | 8-12 | 90-120 sec |
| Rear Delt Dumbbell Fly | 3 | 10-15 | 60-90 sec |
| Dumbbell Bicep Curl | 3 | 10-15 | 60-90 sec |
Cool-down
A few minutes of static stretching for your chest, shoulders, and triceps, holding each stretch for 20-30 seconds.
Day 2: Lower body
Warm-up
5 minutes of light cardio to raise your heart rate, then bodyweight squats and leg swings to open up your hips. Finish with 2-3 ramp-up sets on your first exercise before your working weight.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goblet Squat | 5 | 8-12 | 90-120 sec |
| Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift | 5 | 8-12 | 90-120 sec |
| Bodyweight Hip Thrust | 5 | 8-12 | 90-120 sec |
| Dumbbell Calf Raise | 5 | 10-15 | 60-90 sec |
| Farmer's Carry | 5 | 30-45 sec | 60-90 sec |
Cool-down
A few minutes of static stretching for your quads, hamstrings, and calves, holding each stretch for 20-30 seconds.
Day 3: Upper body
Warm-up
5 minutes of light cardio to raise your heart rate, then arm circles and band pull-aparts to open up your shoulders. Finish with 2-3 ramp-up sets on your first exercise before your working weight.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Floor Press | 5 | 8-12 | 90-120 sec |
| Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3 | 8-12 | 90-120 sec |
| Dumbbell Row | 5 | 8-12 | 90-120 sec |
| Rear Delt Dumbbell Fly | 3 | 10-15 | 60-90 sec |
| Dumbbell Bicep Curl | 3 | 10-15 | 60-90 sec |
Cool-down
A few minutes of static stretching for your chest, shoulders, and triceps, holding each stretch for 20-30 seconds.
Day 4: Lower body
Warm-up
5 minutes of light cardio to raise your heart rate, then bodyweight squats and leg swings to open up your hips. Finish with 2-3 ramp-up sets on your first exercise before your working weight.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goblet Squat | 5 | 8-12 | 90-120 sec |
| Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift | 5 | 8-12 | 90-120 sec |
| Bodyweight Hip Thrust | 5 | 8-12 | 90-120 sec |
| Dumbbell Calf Raise | 5 | 10-15 | 60-90 sec |
| Superman | 5 | 10-15 | 60-90 sec |
Cool-down
A few minutes of static stretching for your quads, hamstrings, and calves, holding each stretch for 20-30 seconds.
How to progress week to week
Once you can hit the top of the rep range for every set on this upper/lower split plan, add weight on your dumbbells and bench the next session and expect reps to dip back toward the bottom of the range. That cycle of adding reps, then adding weight, is what steadily builds size over time. As a beginner, expect faster early progress than this pattern implies — many people can add weight or reps almost every session for the first couple of months before needing to slow down.
Want this tailored to your exact schedule?
This program uses fixed settings. The workout plan tool builds the same kind of plan around your own equipment, goal, experience, and days per week.
Generate your custom planGetFitArchitect's tools are free to use, no account required. If this saved you time, you can help keep it that way.
Keep the tools free →Frequently asked questions
Is an upper/lower split appropriate for a true beginner, or is that too advanced?
It's appropriate at 4 training days a week specifically. Below 4 days, full body training usually gives better frequency per muscle group; at 4 days, upper/lower keeps each session focused without dropping below twice-weekly frequency for anything.
Should a beginner run push/pull/legs instead of upper/lower?
Generally not yet, at 4 days a week. Push/pull/legs works better once there's enough weekly volume and training days to support 5 or 6 sessions; at 4 days, upper/lower is the more common recommendation.
What's a good starting weight for the dumbbell lifts in this program?
Pick a weight you could lift for two or three more reps than the set calls for, with clean form, and adjust from there over the first week or two. If you're planning to move onto a barbell later, the strength standards calculator gives bodyweight-based benchmarks for the major barbell lifts.