Strength
Upper / Lower, 4 day
Twice-weekly frequency for every muscle, balanced between upper and lower. Works well for intermediates who want more recovery than 6-day PPL. Four days a week, about 60 minutes a session.
- Days per week
- 4
- Session length
- About 60 min
- Level
- Intermediate
- Focus
- Strength
What it takes
You will need four sessions a week of roughly 60 minutes, plus a warm-up.
Your week
Rest or walk on the other three days. Spread the sessions out if you can, so the same muscles get a day off in between.
- Day 1: Upper A (about 60 min)
- Day 2: Lower A (about 60 min)
- Day 3: Upper B (about 60 min)
- Day 4: Lower B (about 60 min)
Upper A
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Bench Press | 4 × 5–6 | 3 min |
| Pendlay Row | 4 × 6–8 | 2½ min |
| Overhead Press | 3 × 6–8 | 2 min |
| Pull-Up | 3 × 6–10 | 2 min |
| Barbell Curl | 3 × 8–12 | 1 min |
| Rope Triceps Pressdown | 3 × 10–12 | 1 min |
Lower A (Squat focus)
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Back Squat | 4 × 5–6 | 3 min |
| Romanian Deadlift | 3 × 8–10 | 2½ min |
| Bulgarian Split Squat | 3 × 10–12 | 90 s |
| Lying Leg Curl | 3 × 10–12 | 1 min |
| Standing Calf Raise | 4 × 10–12 | 1 min |
Upper B
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Incline Barbell Bench Press | 4 × 6–8 | 2½ min |
| T-Bar Row | 4 × 8–10 | 2½ min |
| Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3 × 8–10 | 2 min |
| Lat Pulldown | 3 × 8–12 | 90 s |
| Hammer Curl | 3 × 10–12 | 1 min |
| Overhead Rope Triceps Extension | 3 × 10–12 | 1 min |
Lower B (Deadlift focus)
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Deadlift | 3 × 3–5 | 4 min |
| Front Squat | 3 × 6–8 | 2½ min |
| Leg Press | 3 × 10–12 | 90 s |
| Leg Extension | 3 × 12–15 | 1 min |
| Seated Calf Raise | 4 × 15–20 | 1 min |
Adding weight
Where an exercise has a rep range, like 6–8, stay at the same weight until you hit the top of the range on every set. Then add the smallest jump you can and build back up from the bottom.
Jumps of 1–2.5 kg on upper-body lifts and 2.5–5 kg on lower-body lifts are plenty. Bigger jumps stall sooner.
Making it fit
- Take a lighter week every five or six weeks: same exercises, about half the sets.
- If a session runs long, cut the last exercise rather than rushing the rest.
