Intermediate Upper Lower Split
A 4-day upper lower split built for lifters with a solid foundation who are ready to train with real intensity. Two strength-focused sessions, two hypertrophy-focused sessions, every major muscle group trained twice per week.
Program Overview
This program runs four days per week across two upper body sessions and two lower body sessions. The A sessions are strength-focused, using lower reps and heavier loading on the primary barbell lifts. The B sessions are hypertrophy-focused, using moderate weights across a higher rep range to accumulate volume on the same muscle groups from a different angle. Over 8 weeks the loading and volume both increase progressively. Phase 1 builds your working weights and establishes the movement patterns. Phase 2 increases intensity on the strength days and volume on the hypertrophy days.
This program assumes you can squat, bench press, deadlift, and overhead press with solid technique, and that you have been training consistently for at least 6 months. If you are still on a beginner full body plan, finish that first before moving here.
Who Is This For?
This program is built for lifters who have outgrown beginner full body training and want a more structured approach to building strength and muscle simultaneously. This plan is right for you if:
- You have at least 6 to 12 months of consistent, structured training behind you
- You have solid technique on the squat, deadlift, bench press, and row
- You can commit to four training sessions per week
- You want to develop both strength and muscle size at the same time
- You are ready to train with genuine intensity on heavy barbell lifts
If you have just finished a beginner program, this is the natural next step. The structure will feel familiar but the demands are significantly higher. Not there yet? Browse our beginner programs first.
Weekly Schedule
Phase 1: Establish (Weeks 1-4)
The first four weeks are about finding your working weights and building consistency across all four sessions. Do not max out. Pick weights you can control well and add to them each week.
On strength days (A sessions), add 2.5kg to upper body lifts and 5kg to lower body lifts each week you complete all prescribed reps with good form. On hypertrophy days (B sessions), when you hit the top of the rep range on all sets, add a small increment next session.
Your primary horizontal press. Grip slightly wider than shoulder width, shoulder blades retracted and depressed, feet planted. Lower the bar to mid-chest with control and drive hard off the bottom.
Match the bench press in sets and reps. Hinge to about 45 degrees, bar at arm's length. Pull to your lower chest leading with your elbows, squeeze hard at the top, lower under control.
Press the bar from shoulder height straight overhead, tucking your chin as it passes your face. Brace your glutes and core throughout. Lock out fully at the top before lowering.
Grip slightly wider than shoulder width. Pull the bar to your upper chest driving your elbows down and back. Control the return to full arm extension on every rep.
Light dumbbells, slight elbow bend. Raise both arms out to shoulder height and pause briefly before lowering with control. The side delts respond to volume and consistency, not heavy weight.
Sit at the end of a bench, elbow braced against your inner thigh. Curl the dumbbell through a full range of motion. The concentration curl isolates the bicep more completely than a standing curl and produces a strong peak contraction.
Your primary lower body strength movement. Bar on upper traps, feet shoulder-width. Descend to parallel or below, brace throughout, drive back up through the floor. Every rep should look the same.
Holding the bar at hip height, push your hips back with a soft knee bend. Lower the bar along your shins until you feel a strong hamstring stretch, then drive your hips forward to return. Keep the bar close to your body throughout.
Rear foot on a bench, dumbbells or barbell at your sides. Lower your back knee toward the floor and push back up through the front heel. This is one of the most effective unilateral lower body exercises available.
Upper back against a bench, barbell across your hips. Drive your hips up to full extension, squeeze your glutes hard for two seconds at the top, then lower with control.
Balls of your feet on an elevated surface. Lower your heels all the way down for a full stretch, then drive up onto your toes as high as possible. Pause at the top.
Kneel at a high cable with a rope attachment. Pull the rope down while flexing your spine, crunching your rib cage toward your pelvis. The movement comes from your abs contracting, not your hips flexing.
Bench set to 30 degrees. Grip slightly wider than shoulder width. Lower the bar to your upper chest and press back up. Higher rep range than Upper A bench to accumulate volume on the chest from a different angle.
Sit upright at the cable station. Pull the handle to your lower chest leading with your elbows, squeeze your shoulder blades together for a full second at the end of each rep, then lower slowly.
Sit or stand with dumbbells at shoulder height. Press both overhead to full extension, then lower with control. Provides shoulder volume at a higher rep range than the barbell press on Upper A.
Overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder width. Pull yourself up until your chin clears the bar, then lower slowly and with control. If you cannot reach 6 reps, use an assistance band.
High cable with rope attachment. Elbows pinned to your sides, push the rope down to full extension and spread the ends apart at the bottom.
Palms facing inward, curl one dumbbell to your shoulder while keeping the neutral grip throughout. Lower slowly and alternate. Targets the brachialis alongside the bicep.
Bar over mid-foot, hip-width stance. Set your back, drive through the floor and extend hips and knees together. Lower with control. This is your heaviest session of the week and should be treated as such.
After heavy deadlifts, the lunge provides quad and glute volume with less spinal loading than a barbell squat variation. Hold dumbbells at your sides and step forward, lower your back knee, then push back to standing.
Upper back against a bench, barbell across your hips. Drive your hips up to full extension and squeeze your glutes hard for two seconds at the top. Complements the deadlift well by isolating the glutes without additional spinal loading.
Second calf session of the week. Same full range of motion from a complete stretch to a full contraction on every rep.
Set the cable at shoulder height. Pull the handle diagonally across your body from high to low, rotating through your torso. Rotational core training that is more demanding than anti-extension work and well-suited to the intermediate level.
Phase 2: Push the Intensity (Weeks 5-8)
Phase 2 drops the rep range further on the strength days and adds volume on the hypertrophy days. By now your working weights should be meaningfully heavier than Week 1. The program structure stays identical.
On strength days, continue adding load each week you hit all reps. On hypertrophy days, add a set to the main exercises. The goal is to finish Phase 2 noticeably stronger and with more muscle than when you started Phase 1.
One extra set at a lower rep range. By Phase 2 your working weight should be meaningfully heavier than Week 1. Focus on every technical detail as the load increases.
One extra set matching the bench press. At heavier loads, keep your hinge position honest. Your lower back should be working isometrically to hold you in position, not jerking to help the bar up.
One extra set at a slightly lower rep range. The overhead press is the slowest progressing lift in most programs. Keep adding small increments and trust the process.
One extra set. If you are consistently hitting 10 reps across all sets with good form, consider substituting weighted pull-ups here in Phase 2.
One extra set. Side delts respond well to higher volume. Four sets at a controlled tempo is significantly more effective than two heavy sloppy sets.
Same sets, slightly heavier dumbbell. Full isolation of the bicep at the end of an upper strength session.
One extra set at a lower rep range. Heavier squat weights demand even more from your bracing and positioning. Do not sacrifice depth for load.
One extra set with heavier loading. The RDL is the primary hamstring developer in this program. Load it seriously.
One extra set with heavier loading. At intermediate level, the Bulgarian split squat can be loaded significantly. Do not treat it as a balance exercise.
One extra set with more weight. Hold the top for two full seconds. The hip thrust is one of the exercises where load matters most. Push it.
Same sets, slightly heavier loading or longer pause at the bottom. Calves are stubborn. Consistency and full range of motion beats everything else.
One extra set with slightly more weight. Direct ab work at the end of each lower session builds the core strength that supports every barbell lift.
One extra set with heavier loading. By Phase 2 your incline press should be loading meaningfully. Upper chest development requires consistent progressive overload.
One extra set with more weight. The cable row is one of the most effective mid-back builders available. It deserves the same respect as your barbell pressing movements.
One extra set with heavier dumbbells. Your second shoulder press session of the week alongside Upper A. By Phase 2, shoulder volume here adds up meaningfully.
One extra set. If you are hitting 10 reps comfortably across all sets, add a weight belt or dumbbell between your feet to increase the challenge.
One extra set. Your triceps are already pre-fatigued from pressing on both upper days. Direct triceps work at this volume and rep range is the most efficient way to add size.
Same sets, slightly heavier dumbbells. Hammer curls and standard curls across the two upper days gives complete bicep development.
One extra set at a lower rep range. By Phase 2 the deadlift should feel like a serious strength exercise. Take every minute of rest you need.
One extra set with heavier dumbbells. After heavy deadlifts, lunges provide substantial quad and glute volume with significantly less spinal loading than a barbell squat.
One extra set with more weight. By Phase 2 the hip thrust should be loaded seriously. Hold the top for two full seconds on every rep.
One extra set. By Phase 2 you should be feeling the difference that twice-weekly calf training makes.
Same sets, slightly more weight. Rotational core strength that complements the anti-flexion work from cable crunches on Lower A.
Nutrition Guidance
Four days of training per week with heavy barbell work across all sessions creates a meaningful recovery demand. Nutrition is where you either support that recovery or undermine it. For most intermediate lifters, the primary goal is building muscle while managing body composition. Our guide on how to bulk successfully covers exactly how to set up your calories and training for muscle building without unnecessary fat gain.
Intermediate Nutrition Priorities
- Protein: 1.6 to 2.2g per kg of bodyweight daily. If you are in a muscle-building phase and training hard, sitting toward the upper end of that range supports recovery and adaptation.
- Calories: A surplus of 200 to 300 calories above maintenance if muscle building is the primary goal. Use our macro calculator to set your baseline.
- Carbohydrates: Do not cut carbs while running this program. Heavy compound lifting is fuelled by carbohydrates. Eating insufficient carbs will hurt your performance and recovery directly.
- Meal timing: Aim for a protein and carbohydrate meal within two hours before and after each session. Total daily intake matters more than precise timing, but around training it helps.
On your three non-training days, keep protein high and reduce carbohydrates slightly. Light activity like walking helps recovery without creating additional fatigue. Read our guide on NEAT and non-exercise activity for how low-level movement on rest days supports your training results.
