4 Day Workout Split: 3 Proven Templates for Every Goal
A 4 day workout split is the sweet spot for most people who lift: enough sessions to train every muscle twice a week, and enough rest days to recover and keep a life outside the gym. The hard part is not finding a split. It’s picking one that fits your goal and then following it for more than two weeks. Below are three proven templates, one for strength, one for muscle size and one for general fitness, each with a day-by-day routine card you can copy.
Why a 4 day workout split works for most lifters
Four training days give you room to hit each major muscle group about twice a week while keeping three days free for recovery, work and everything else. That lines up well with public health guidance: the CDC recommends at least two days of muscle-strengthening activity each week for adults, and the NHS suggests working all the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) on at least two days, with activity spread across the week.
Who a workout split 4 day plan is for
- Beginners after their first few months who have outgrown a basic full body plan and want more focused sessions.
- Intermediate lifters who want steady progress without living in the gym.
- Busy people who can reliably train four days but not five or six.
- Anyone switching goals, since the same four-day frame works for strength, muscle or general fitness.
How to choose the best 4 day workout split for you
Start with your main goal, then check your schedule. If you want to get stronger on the big lifts, pick the upper/lower template. If you mainly want bigger muscles and enjoy longer, focused sessions, pick the body-part template. If you want to feel fitter, move better and keep training simple, pick the full body A/B template. Not sure how a 4-day plan compares with 3, 5 or 6 days? Our workout split guide walks through every option.
Template 1: Upper/lower 4 day split for strength
The upper/lower split is the classic best 4 day workout split for strength. You train upper body twice and lower body twice, with one heavier day and one lighter, higher-rep day for each. Heavy compound lifts come first while you’re fresh, followed by accessories.
Weekly schedule
- Monday: Upper A (heavy)
- Tuesday: Lower A (heavy)
- Wednesday: Rest or a walk
- Thursday: Upper B (volume)
- Friday: Lower B (volume)
- Weekend: Rest
Routine card: Upper A
- Barbell bench press: 4 sets of 5 reps, rest 2 to 3 min
- Barbell row: 4 sets of 6 reps, rest 2 min
- Overhead press: 3 sets of 6 reps, rest 2 min
- Lat pulldown: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps, rest 90 sec
- Dumbbell curl: 2 sets of 10 to 12 reps, rest 60 sec
- Triceps pushdown: 2 sets of 10 to 12 reps, rest 60 sec
Routine card: Lower A
- Barbell back squat: 4 sets of 5 reps, rest 2 to 3 min
- Romanian deadlift: 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps, rest 2 min
- Walking lunge: 3 sets of 10 steps per leg, rest 90 sec
- Leg curl: 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps, rest 60 sec
- Standing calf raise: 3 sets of 12 reps, rest 60 sec
- Plank: 3 holds of 30 to 45 sec, rest 45 sec
Upper B and Lower B use the same movement patterns with lighter loads and more reps: incline dumbbell press, seated cable row, dumbbell shoulder press and pull-ups for upper; leg press, deadlift or hip thrust, split squat and hanging knee raise for lower. Aim for 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps with 60 to 90 seconds of rest.
Template 2: Body-part 4 day split for muscle size
If your goal is muscle size, a body-part split lets you put more sets into each muscle per session. Each muscle still gets hit directly once and indirectly a second time, because pressing days also work shoulders and triceps and pulling days also work biceps and rear delts.
Weekly schedule
- Monday: Chest and triceps
- Tuesday: Back and biceps
- Wednesday: Rest
- Thursday: Legs and core
- Friday: Shoulders and arms
- Weekend: Rest or light cardio
Routine card: Chest and triceps
- Incline dumbbell press: 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps, rest 90 sec
- Flat barbell or machine press: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps, rest 90 sec
- Cable fly: 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps, rest 60 sec
- Dips or close-grip bench press: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, rest 90 sec
- Overhead cable triceps extension: 3 sets of 12 reps, rest 60 sec
Want more ideas for the first exercise of the day? Our upper chest workout breaks down the incline moves in detail.
Routine card: Back and biceps
- Pull-ups or lat pulldown: 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps, rest 90 sec
- Chest-supported dumbbell row: 3 sets of 10 reps, rest 90 sec
- Seated cable row: 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps, rest 60 sec
- Face pull: 3 sets of 15 reps, rest 60 sec
- Incline dumbbell curl: 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps, rest 60 sec
Legs and core pairs squats or leg press with Romanian deadlifts, lunges, leg curls and calf raises, then finishes with two core moves. Shoulders and arms opens with a seated dumbbell press, then lateral raises, rear-delt flyes and a curl and triceps superset. Keep most sets in the 8 to 15 rep range and stop one or two reps short of failure.
Template 3: Full body A/B split for general fitness
This template trains your whole body every session, alternating two workouts: A, B, A, B. It’s the easiest 4 day workout split to stick to when life gets busy, because missing one day never means a muscle group goes untrained for a week. Each session ends with a short conditioning finisher.
Weekly schedule
- Monday: Full body A
- Tuesday: Full body B
- Wednesday: Rest
- Thursday: Full body A
- Friday: Full body B
- Weekend: Rest, walk or easy bike ride
Routine card: Full body A
- Goblet squat: 3 sets of 10 reps, rest 90 sec
- Dumbbell bench press: 3 sets of 10 reps, rest 90 sec
- One-arm dumbbell row: 3 sets of 10 reps per side, rest 60 sec
- Glute bridge: 3 sets of 12 reps, rest 60 sec
- Finisher: 4 rounds of 30 sec kettlebell swings and 30 sec rest
Routine card: Full body B
- Trap bar or dumbbell deadlift: 3 sets of 8 reps, rest 2 min
- Standing dumbbell shoulder press: 3 sets of 10 reps, rest 90 sec
- Lat pulldown: 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps, rest 60 sec
- Reverse lunge: 3 sets of 8 per leg, rest 60 sec
- Finisher: 4 rounds of 20 sec rowing or bike sprint and 40 sec easy pace
How to progress on any 4 day workout split
The template matters less than steady progress. Pick one and run it for at least six to eight weeks before judging it.
- Use double progression. When you hit the top of the rep range on every set, add a small amount of weight next session and work back up.
- Log every session. Writing down weights and reps is the simplest way to know when to add load.
- Keep form first. Add weight only when every rep looks the same as the first one.
- Deload when you need it. Every sixth to eighth week, or when you feel run down, cut sets in half for a week.
- Protect your rest days. Rest is when you recover. A walk or light mobility is fine; another hard session is not.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Switching templates every couple of weeks before you’ve had time to progress.
- Adding extra exercises until sessions run past 75 minutes.
- Skipping legs on the busy weeks (the full body template fixes this).
- Putting two heavy lower days back to back with no rest between them.
Building the habit is half the battle. Our guide to workout scheduling covers how to lock training days into a busy week.
Turn your 4 day split into routines you’ll actually follow
Most people already have a camera roll or saved folder full of workout reels. The problem is turning them into a plan. Here’s how to do it with Fitsaver: find a reel or video of each workout on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or Facebook, tap Share and pick Fitsaver (or paste the link). The app analyzes the video and builds a step-by-step routine with exercises, sets, reps and rest. Then edit the sets, reps and rest to match the routine cards above.
- Group your four sessions into a catalog, for example “Upper/Lower” or “4-Day Split.”
- Plan the week ahead in Programs so each day already has its workout.
- Start each session with built-in rest timers and log your weights as you go.
- Watch your streaks, stats and history to see progress week by week.
The free plan includes up to 5 imports, which is enough to set up all four days of any template here.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 4 day workout split good for beginners?
Yes, once you have a few months of consistent training behind you. If you’re brand new, start with the full body A/B template, since it uses simpler lifts and trains everything each session.
Which is the best 4 day workout split?
The best one is the one that matches your goal and that you can repeat for months. Upper/lower suits strength, the body-part split suits muscle size and full body A/B suits general fitness and busy schedules.
How long should each session take?
Plan for 45 to 75 minutes including warm-up. If sessions regularly run longer, trim accessory sets before cutting the main lifts.
Can I do cardio on a 4 day split?
Yes. Add easy cardio on rest days or after lifting, and keep hard interval work away from the day before a heavy lower-body session.
Can I train on consecutive days?
Yes. Every template here uses two days on, one day off, two days on, with each back-to-back pair training different muscles or alternating workouts.
Start your 4 day split this week
Pick a template, block four days in your week and run it for the next six weeks. To keep every session organized from the reels you already save, download Fitsaver on the App Store or Google Play.
