ULUL (hypertrophy)

When people think about lifting weights or training in the gym, the first split that usually comes to mind is the old “bro split”: chest on Monday, back on Tuesday, legs on Wednesday, shoulders Thursday, arms Friday. It’s popular, but it’s not the most efficient way to build strength, size, or athleticism — especially for people who care about performance outside of bodybuilding, like footballers, sprinters, or combat athletes.

That’s where the upper/lower split comes in. Instead of dedicating an entire day to one muscle group, you divide training by regions:
	•	Upper body days: chest, back, shoulders, arms, all pushing and pulling movements.
	•	Lower body days: quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, posterior chain.

Simple, right? But the simplicity hides how powerful it actually is. You can train each muscle group twice per week, get a balance of volume and frequency, and recover enough to progress consistently. This makes upper/lower one of the best training structures for almost every type of lifter: beginners, intermediates, athletes, even advanced lifters looking to refine.

Think of it as the “sweet spot” between efficiency and effectiveness:
	•	More volume than full-body workouts.
	•	More frequency than bro splits.
	•	More recovery potential than push/pull/legs.

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The Philosophy Behind Upper/Lower

1. Frequency is King

Research shows that training a muscle twice per week is generally better for growth than once per week. With upper/lower, you naturally hit everything twice weekly, instead of hammering chest on Monday and waiting seven days until you hit it again.

2. Balance for Athletes

If you’re an athlete (say AFL), you don’t just care about biceps peaks. You need legs that can sprint, hips that can jump, and shoulders that can withstand tackles. Upper/lower builds strength and athletic balance.

3. Recovery-Friendly

Unlike a push/pull/legs routine that often requires 6 sessions a week, upper/lower works beautifully with 4 sessions. That means:
	•	More flexibility.
	•	Easier recovery.
	•	Still hitting everything often enough.

For someone balancing sport, school, and gym, this is gold.

4. Simple but Scalable

You can make it beginner-friendly (3x10 basics), intermediate-friendly (progressive overload, accessories), or advanced (RPE-based, periodized). The template stays the same, but the intensity adapts.

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The Structure of the Week

The classic way:

4-Day Upper/Lower Split (most popular)
	•	Monday: Upper (strength emphasis)
	•	Tuesday: Lower (strength emphasis)
	•	Thursday: Upper (hypertrophy emphasis)
	•	Friday: Lower (hypertrophy emphasis)

This gives Wednesday and the weekend off for recovery, sport practice, or conditioning.

Other variations:

3-Day Upper/Lower Hybrid (for busy weeks):
	•	Monday: Upper
	•	Wednesday: Lower
	•	Friday: Upper + Lower mix

5-Day Athlete Version (if you want an extra pump day or conditioning):
	•	Monday: Upper (strength)
	•	Tuesday: Lower (strength)
	•	Wednesday: Conditioning/Skill Work
	•	Thurs

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Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Incline Bench Press (Smith Machine)

Pec Deck (Machine)

Lat Pulldown (Neutral Grip)

Chest Supported Row (Machine)

Tricep Pushdown (Cable)

JM Press (Smith Machine)

Incline Curl (Dumbbell)

SA Preacher Curl (DB)

Upper 

Leg Press (45 Degrees)

Leg Extension

Stiff Leg Deadlift

Hamstring Curl

Lateral Raise (Cable)

Shoulder Press (Plate Loaded)

Calf Raise (Leg Press)

Cable Crunch

Lower 

Bicep Curl (Cable)

V-Handle Tricep Pushdown (Cable)

Lower

Upper

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