My Optimal Weekly Training Routine (Upper / Lower)
A 4-day Upper/Lower week built around getting stronger at pull-ups and dips, with every muscle trained twice a week.
Why Upper / Lower
I switched to a 4-day Upper/Lower split for one main reason: frequency. On a Push/Pull/Legs week, each muscle gets trained hard once. On Upper/Lower run four days, every muscle gets hit twice a week — which is exactly what I needed to break a long plateau on pull-ups and dips.
The week is built on three ideas: heavy compounds first, stop short of failure so I can train each lift twice weekly, and progressive overload tracked session to session.
The weekly structure
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Monday | Upper A |
| Tuesday | Lower A |
| Wednesday | Rest (or light pull-up/dip practice) |
| Thursday | Upper B |
| Friday | Lower B |
| Saturday | Rest (or light pull-up/dip practice) |
| Sunday | Rest |
Keep one rest day between the two Upper sessions so your pulling and pressing recover. The exact weekdays are flexible — the spacing is what matters.
Upper A — push focus + pull-ups
Big two first while I’m fresh. Abs go last.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pull-ups (strict) | 4–5 | max − 1–2 | 2 min |
| Dips | 4 | 6–10 | 2 min |
| Incline DB press | 3 | 8–12 | 90 s |
| Chest-supported row | 3 | 10–12 | 90 s |
| Lateral raises | 3 | 12–15 | 60 s |
| Biceps curl | 3 | 10–12 | 60 s |
| Triceps extension | 3 | 10–12 | 60 s |
| Hanging leg raises | 3–4 | 8–12 | 60 s |
| Dragon flags | 3–4 | 4–6 | 60 s |
Upper B — overhead + weighted pulls
Same muscles as Upper A, hit from a different angle so the two sessions aren’t identical.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overhead press | 4 | 5–8 | 2 min |
| Pull-ups (weighted or strict) | 4–5 | max − 1–2 | 2 min |
| Dips (lighter, secondary) | 3 | 8–12 | 90 s |
| Wide-grip / lat-focused row | 3 | 10–12 | 90 s |
| Face pulls | 3 | 15–20 | 60 s |
| Lateral raises | 3 | 12–15 | 60 s |
| Biceps curl | 3 | 10–12 | 60 s |
| Triceps extension | 3 | 10–12 | 60 s |
| Hanging leg raises | 3–4 | 8–12 | 60 s |
| Dragon flags | 3–4 | 4–6 | 60 s |
Lower A — squat focus
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back squat | 4 | 5–8 | 2–3 min |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 | 8–10 | 2 min |
| Leg press or walking lunge | 3 | 10–12 | 90 s |
| Leg curl | 3 | 12–15 | 60 s |
| Calf raises | 4 | 12–15 | 60 s |
Lower B — hinge / deadlift focus
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadlift | 3–4 | 3–6 | 3 min |
| Front squat or leg press | 3 | 8–10 | 2 min |
| Bulgarian split squat | 3 | 8–10 / leg | 90 s |
| Leg extension | 3 | 12–15 | 60 s |
| Calf raises | 4 | 12–15 | 60 s |
Optional off-day pull-up / dip practice
On rest or Lower days I can add a short, easy session to build pulling/pushing frequency without hurting recovery. The point is that it stays light.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pull-ups | 2–4 | max − 2 (never to failure) | 60–90 s |
| Dips | 2–4 | max − 2 (never to failure) | 60–90 s |
If this practice ever makes your Upper-day reps drop, cut it back or skip it. It’s a bonus, not a requirement.
Progression
- Leave 1–2 reps in the tank on working sets. This is what lets me train each lift twice a week and recover.
- Add reps before weight. When my top set of pull-ups or dips feels like I had 2–3 more in me, I add a rep per set. Once I’m cleanly hitting the top of a range across all sets, I add load (belt for pull-ups/dips) and drop back to the bottom.
- Ramp in slowly. Coming from PPL, the first 2–3 weeks I keep pull-up and dip work conservative — leave 2–3 reps, not 1 — to let my elbows and biceps tendons adapt to the jump in pulling volume.
- Track everything. I logged my strict pull-up and dip max at the start, and I compare every month.
A visible six-pack is built in the kitchen as much as the gym. The dragon flags and hanging raises thicken the abs, but body-fat level decides whether they show.
That’s the week: heavy where it counts, every muscle twice, and recovered enough to keep showing up.