4 Day Upper Lower Split (Beginner)
This is a 4-day upper/lower workout split built for a beginner with a reasonably well-equipped setup: dumbbells, a barbell, a bench, and a squat rack. 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.
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 | 60-90 sec |
| Dumbbell Row | 5 | 8-12 | 60-90 sec |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3 | 10-15 | 45-60 sec |
| Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extension | 5 | 10-15 | 45-60 sec |
| Rear Delt Dumbbell Fly | 3 | 10-15 | 45-60 sec |
| Dumbbell Bicep Curl | 5 | 10-15 | 45-60 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 | 3 | 8-12 | 60-90 sec |
| Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift | 5 | 8-12 | 60-90 sec |
| Bodyweight Hip Thrust | 5 | 8-12 | 60-90 sec |
| Dumbbell Lunge | 3 | 8-12 | 60-90 sec |
| Dumbbell Calf Raise | 5 | 10-15 | 45-60 sec |
| Farmer's Carry | 5 | 10-15 | 45-60 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incline Dumbbell Fly | 5 | 10-15 | 45-60 sec |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3 | 10-15 | 45-60 sec |
| Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extension | 5 | 10-15 | 45-60 sec |
| Dumbbell Shrug | 5 | 10-15 | 45-60 sec |
| Prone Y-Raise | 3 | 10-15 | 45-60 sec |
| Concentration Curl | 5 | 10-15 | 45-60 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walking Lunge | 3 | 8-12 | 60-90 sec |
| Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift | 5 | 8-12 | 60-90 sec |
| Bodyweight Hip Thrust | 5 | 8-12 | 60-90 sec |
| Seated Dumbbell Calf Raise | 5 | 10-15 | 45-60 sec |
| Wall Sit | 3 | 10-15 | 45-60 sec |
| Plank | 5 | 10-15 | 45-60 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 Barbell and Bench and Squat rack 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.
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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 on the barbell lifts in this program?
The strength standards calculator gives bodyweight-based starting ranges by experience level for the major barbell lifts, which is a more useful starting point than guessing.