Have you been stuck in a rut with your workout routine?
Has your muscle building or fat loss hit a plateau?
If so, this unique Upper and Lower Body Split Routine could be exactly what you need to get yourself back on the fast track to a ripped and muscular physique.
It’s the kind of change your body has been yearning for. You just haven’t been listening. And unfortunately, you’re not alone.
Training frequency is the most important variable most bros neglect to manipulate.
You know who you are! The bro who’s been following a 5 day body part split routine for years. Or the bro who refuses to give up his 3 day full body workout plan.
So resilient to change you are. And yet you find yourself asking,
“Why isn’t my physique changing?”
Change isn’t easy. It can feel uncomfortable to break free from your norm. To switch up the style of training you’re used to. But it’s through change that you GROW!
Strategically manipulating your training frequency throughout the year is the path to unleashing your genetic potential.
However, this is a lot easier said than done. The biggest challenge I see most bros face when changing the frequency they train each muscle, is adjusting the volume per workout accordingly.
Managing muscle damage and recovery is a delicate balancing act when manipulating training frequency.
Often times it’s the bros stuck on body part splits who have the most difficult time with this. They are so used to annihilating their muscles once a week that it’s tough for them to dial back the volume per workout in order for their muscles to recover before training them again in 48 hours.
If they aren’t hobbling around for days they feel like they didn’t train hard enough. What they need to realize is that they end up getting in more total volume at the end of the week when they increase their frequency intelligently.
Please don’t mistake this as a criticism toward body part split routines. Far from it. They definitely need to have a place in your yearly training plan. It’s simply an observation in the challenges a bro faces when switching from a body part split to a high frequency plan. It’s more of a mindset challenge than anything.
Rather than discus how to best manage muscle damage and recovery while changing training frequency, I’ll simply point you toward a previous post where I covered this topic in great detail >>> How To Adjust Training Volume and Frequency To Unleash Your Anabolic Potential
Now let’s get to the Upper and Lower Body Split Routine that is sure to spark some positive aesthetic changes with your physique!
The Workout Plan
With this Upper and Lower Body Split Routine you will be in the gym 6 days and training each muscle three times per week. You will utilize a different variation of rest-pause training each of the three times you train a muscle.
The overall structure and design of this plan is based on the current body of evidence, which suggests performing 40-70 reps per muscle group two to three times per week as the optimal dose for building muscle.
Here’s what it looks like;
Monday: Upper Body * Moderate Rep Range * Utilizing Myo-reps
Tuesday: Lower Body plus Abs * Moderate Rep Range * Utilizing Myo-reps
Wednesday: Upper Body * Lower Rep Range * Utilizing Cluster Sets
Thursday: Lower Body plus Abs * Lower Rep Range * Utilizing Cluster Sets
Friday: Upper Body * High Rep Range * Utilizing Dropsets and 100 Rep Sets
Saturday: Lower Body plus Abs * High Rep Range * Utilizing Dropsets and 100 Rep Sets
Sunday: Off
Below, you’ll find a complete breakdown of each workout, my rationale behind them, as well as insights from my experiences while performing them.
Here’s the printable worksheets for this Upper and Lower Body Split Routine
Monday: Upper Body * Moderate Reps * Utilizing Myo-Reps NOTE: After completing the Myo-rep sets for an exercise, rest for 2-3 minutes and repeat one more time.
A1 Dumbbell Chest Flys
Reps: 10, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2 with 5 seconds rest between sets
B1 Incline Bench Press
Reps: 8, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1 with 10 seconds rest between sets
C1 Wide Neutral Grip Pulldown
Reps: 10, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2 with 5 seconds rest between sets
D1 Wide Neutral Grip Seated Row
Reps: 8, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1 with 10 seconds rest between sets
E1 Lateral Raises
Reps: 10, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2 with 5 seconds rest between sets
F1 Incline Dumbbell Biceps Curls
Reps: 10, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2 with 5 seconds rest between sets
G1 Triceps Pressdown
Reps: 8, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1 with 10 seconds rest between sets
With this workout you’re performing two exercises for the major muscle groups (chest and back). You will perform just one exercise for shoulders, biceps, and triceps, because they receive some stimulation during the chest and back exercises.
You will be performing 82 total reps for chest and back with this workout, which is slightly above the evidence based recommendation. But not to worry. Utilizing Myo-reps makes it more manageable to hit a higher rep total.
You will hit 48 reps for shoulders and biceps in addition to some overlap stimulation from the chest and back exercises.
For triceps you’ll only hit 32 reps, but that’s because you’re using a slightly heavier load, which has an impact on volume. Triceps tend to respond better to heavier loads, which is why the reps are lower.
You’ll love kicking off this workout with the Dumbbell Chest Fly. It produces a great focused pump with your pecs while enhancing your mind muscle connection, which carries over to the Incline Bench Press.
You may experience a little extra biceps pump as a result of the neutral grip with the pulldown and row. Embrace the swoleness of your gunzzz!
You’ll notice that we used Fat Gripz for the Incline Bench Press, Incline Dumbbell Biceps Curl, and Triceps Pressdown. This is optional.
Watch complete footage of this Upper Body moderate rep workout to see Myo-reps in action, while gaining a better understanding of exactly how to execute this plan…
Tuesday: Lower Body & Abs * Moderate Reps * Utilizing Myo-Reps NOTE: After completing the Myo-rep sets for an exercise, rest for 2-3 minutes and repeat two more times.
A1 Leg Extension
Reps: 10, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2 with 10 seconds rest between sets
B1 Leg Curl
Reps: 8, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1 with 10 seconds rest between sets
C1 Calve Press (45 degree)
Reps: 10, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2 with 5 seconds rest between sets
D1 Hanging Knee Raises
Reps: 10, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2 with 10 seconds rest between sets
With this workout you’re performing one exercise for both the quadriceps and the hamstrings as well as abs and calves.
You will be performing 72 total reps for quadriceps with this workout and 51 total reps for the hamstrings. Hamstrings tend to respond better to heavier loads, which is why you’ll be hitting them with fewer reps.
You will also perform 72 reps for calves and abs.
On paper this may not look like a very challenging workout. After all, it’s just two simple isolation exercises for your legs. But don’t allow this to fool you. You’ll definitely experience a bit of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) the next day.
You’re hitting the target total reps for the workout, so there is no doubt that you’re putting in enough work.
The beauty of this workout is that it’s fairly easy on your body. It doesn’t beat up your legs. This workout is designed to set the stage for a killer strength focused workout 48 hours afterward.
Watch complete footage of this Lower Body moderate rep workout to gain a better understanding of exactly how to execute this plan…
Wednesday: Upper Body * Low Reps * Utilizing Cluster Sets
NOTE: After completing the Cluster sets for an exercise, rest for 2-3 minutes and repeat four more time.
For each exercise select a weight that you could perform 5 reps with.
A1 Bench Press
Reps: 2, 2, 2, 2 with 10 seconds rest between sets
B1 Chest Supported T-Bar Row
Reps: 2, 2, 2, 2 with 10 seconds rest between sets
C1 Trap Bar Overhead Press
Reps: 2, 2, 2, 2 with 10 seconds rest between sets
With this workout you will be performing 40 total reps for chest, back, and shoulders. This is at the lower end of the target rep range per workout, but being a strength focused workout, it’s more than enough work.
You won’t be performing any biceps or triceps exercises in this workout, because they receive some stimulation during the chest and back exercises as well as time constraints. The workout is long enough with just the three exercises.
This workout will mainly cause neurological adaptations, which improve your muscles ability to recruit more muscle fibers. You will feel a slight pump as your working the type II fast twitch muscle fibers, but not anything like the pump from the other upper body workouts.
You shouldn’t experience any kind of muscle soreness or DOMS from this workout, since the adaptations are mainly neurological. You will feel fatigued though. Your appetite may even increase as well.
Cluster Sets has become my favourite way to train heavy. The short rest between sets allows you to increase the volume of your strength focused workout. Your lifting a weight that you would normally perform 5 reps with, yet you are able to get in 8 reps thanks to the 10 seconds rest between clusters.
I also find Cluster Sets to be much easier on my joints. 5 Cluster Sets doesn’t beat me up like 5 Straight Sets can.
You’ll notice that we used Fat Gripz for the Bench Press. This is optional.
Watch complete footage of this Upper Body low rep workout to see Cluster Sets in action, while gaining a better understanding of exactly how to execute this plan…
Thursday: Lower Body & Abs * Low Reps * Utilizing Cluster Sets
NOTE: After completing the Cluster sets for an exercise, rest for 2-3 minutes and repeat four more time.
For the Leg Press, Hack Squat and Seated Calve Raises select a weight that you could perform 5 reps with. For the Cable Crunch select a weight you could perform 8 reps with.
A1 Leg Press
Reps: 2, 2, 2, 2 with 10 seconds rest between sets
B1 Hack Squat
Reps: 2, 2, 2, 2 with 10 seconds rest between sets
C1 Seated Calve Raises
Reps: 2, 2, 2, 2 with 10 seconds rest between sets
D1 Cable Crunch
Reps: 4, 4, 4, 4 with 10 seconds rest between sets
With this workout you will be performing 80 total reps for your legs. Both the Leg Press and Hack Squat are quad dominant movements, but you’ll still get some hamstring and glute stimulation in there. Calves will be hit with 40 total reps and Abs with 80.
As with the upper body low rep workout, this workout will mainly cause neurological adaptations, which improve your muscles ability to recruit more muscle fibers. You will feel a slight pump in your legs as your working the type II fast twitch muscle fibers, but not anything like the pump from the other lower body workouts.
You shouldn’t experience any kind of muscle soreness or DOMS from this workout, since the adaptations are mainly neurological. You will feel fatigued though. Your appetite may even increase as well.
This is definitely one of the most joint friendly strength focused leg workouts I’ve ever performed. 5 Cluster Sets on the Hack Squat and Leg Press doesn’t beat me up anywhere near as much as 5 Straight Sets would with these exercises.
Watch complete footage of this Upper Body low rep workout to see Cluster Sets in action, while gaining a better understanding of exactly how to execute this plan…
Friday: Upper Body * High Reps * Utilizing Dropsets & 100 Rep Sets
NOTE: For the 100 rep sets you will select a weight that allows you to perform 20 reps while leaving a rep or two in the tank. Rest for 5 to 10 seconds then do as many more reps as you can. Rest for 5 to 10 seconds and do as many more reps as you can. Continue until you hit 100 reps. Then move onto the next exercise.
For the dropsets, select a weight that allows you to perform 12-15 reps. Without any rest, reduce the weight and perform another 12-15 reps. Again, without any rest, reduce the weight and perform another 12-15 reps. And once more, without any rest reduce the weight and perform a final 12-15 reps. Then move onto the next exercise.
A1 Dumbbell Bench Press
Reps: 100 total with 5 seconds rest between sets
B1 Cable Flys
Reps: 12-15 with no rest between sets (4 total sets)
C1 Wide Grip Pulldown
Reps: 100 total with 5 seconds rest between set
D1 T-Bar Row
Reps: 12-15 with no rest between sets (4 total sets)
E1 Y Press
Reps: 100 total with 5 seconds rest between set
F1 Hammer Curls
Reps: 100 total with 5 seconds rest between set
G1 Rope Triceps Pressdown
Reps: 100 total with 5 seconds rest between set
With this workout you’re performing two exercises for the major muscle groups (chest and back). You will perform just one exercise for shoulders, biceps, and triceps, because they receive some stimulation during the chest and back exercises.
You will be performing 148-160 total reps for chest and back with this workout, which may seem a little insane. It is to a certain degree
But don’t worry. With 100 rep sets there will be a fair amount of reps that may not fall into the ‘effective reps’ category. Meaning the first 15 reps are going to feel pretty darn easy. In subsequent sets the first few reps will also feel easy. It won’t be until after approximately 60 total reps when each rep begins to feel like a challenge.
You will also perform 100 reps for shoulders, biceps, and triceps in addition to some overlap stimulation from the chest and back exercises.
The pump from this workout is absolutely sick! Chances are good that you’ll be feeling some muscle soreness for 48 hours post workout.
Watch complete footage of this Upper Body high rep workout to see the 100 rep sets and dropsets in action, while gaining a better understanding of exactly how to execute this plan…
Saturday: Lower Body & Abs * High Reps * Utilizing Dropsets & 100 Rep Sets
NOTE: For the 100 rep sets you will select a weight that allows you to perform 20 reps while leaving a rep or two in the tank. Rest for 5 to 10 seconds then do as many more reps as you can. Rest for 5 to 10 seconds and do as many more reps as you can. Continue until you hit 100 reps. Then move onto the next exercise.
For the dropsets, select a weight that allows you to perform 12-15 reps. Without any rest, reduce the weight and perform another 12-15 reps. Again, without any rest, reduce the weight and perform another 12-15 reps. And once more, without any rest reduce the weight and perform a final 12-15 reps. Then move onto the next exercise.
A1 Sumo Deadlift
Reps: 100 total with 10 seconds rest between sets
B1 Reverse Lunges
Reps: 12-15 each leg with no rest between sets (4 total sets)
C1 Standing Calve Raises
Reps: 100 total with 10 seconds rest between set
D1 Ab Coaster
Reps: 100 total with 10 seconds rest between set
With this workout you’re performing two leg exercises with 148-160 total reps. You’re going to experience a lot of hamstring and glute activation from the Sumo Deadlifts and Reverse Lunges, with some quadriceps activation as well.
You will also perform 100 reps for abs and calves.
The first 15 reps of the Sumo Deadlift doesn’t feel too bad. From 15 to 20 reps during that initial activation set, your glutes and hamstrings may feel like cramping. This is a nasty, nasty 100 reps. Your heart will be pumping and you’ll be sucking wind toward the end.
Challenge yourself with the weight on the Reverse Lunges. You want those 12-15 reps each leg to be killer. Every rep of this dropset just sucks. And I mean that in the most endearing way possible
It’s not going to be easy without any rest between sets. It’s going to feel like you’ve run a marathon and you’ll be sweating buckets.
Your hamstrings and glutes are definitely going to be feeling sore for 48 hours post workout.
Watch complete footage of this Lower Body high rep workout to see the 100 rep sets and dropsets in action, while gaining a better understanding of exactly how to execute this plan…
Sunday: Rest Day You are definitely going to require a day of rest on Sunday. The 100 rep set and dropsets cause the most muscle damage in this program and will require a little more rest between workouts in order to recover. Closing Thoughts & Insights
This Upper and Lower Body Split Routine absolutely kicks ass!
It has some bro-tastic elements that are sure to please the bros who are used to Body Part Splits. It has some strategies that are appealing to the bros who have been accustomed to performing full body workouts. It includes techniques for those who adore the PUMP! It also includes tactics for those who love to lift heavy shit.
Are there lacking elements to this plan? Sure. You may notice there is no direct rear delt work built into this plan. You may also notice some very potent exercises such as Pull-ups, Dips, and Squats are missing.
That’s the problem with taking a narrow view and analyzing a single 4 week program. But if you were take a look at the big picture, you’d see that I’ve been hammering rear delts for the past few months and that Pull-ups, Dips, and Squats have been staples. I’m giving my body a break from those movements while working in others that have been missing.
You could easily add in a rear delt exercise on the Monday and Friday upper body workouts if you feel they need some extra work and attention. You could also substitute the Chest Supported T-Bar Row for Pull-Ups on the Wednesday strength focused upper body workout.
On it’s own, this Upper and Lower Body Split Routine rocks! But it’s just a snapshot of how I train throughout the year with the purpose of building a ripped and muscular physique.
My workout partners and I love to be in the gym as much as possible, but we don’t always train six days per week.
We’re thriving from this upper lower split, but we also thrive from body part splits, push/pull/leg splits, and a variety of other split routines.
We enjoy variations of rest-pause training such as myo-reps, cluster sets, and 100 rep sets, but we also enjoy a variety of other advanced training techniques.
As you can see, as great as this 4-week workout plan is, it doesn’t reveal the complete picture.
I specialize in the big picture approach. I don’t just create plans. I build systems where each plan feeds off each other.
For example, the Aesthetic Muscle Plan includes 4 unique workout programs. Each program applies a different training frequency and utilizes different training techniques. All the programs work synergistically together. That’s the beauty of a system as opposed to a plan.
Training Smarter
You may notice from the videos, that my workout partners and I are not Spring chickens. I’m 40 years old and all three of my training partners are in their early 50’s. For us, working out is all about training smarter.
We’re always conscious of our recovery and are continuously focused on utilizing training techniques that will allow us to enjoy the bodybuilding lifestyle for the long term. We love bodybuilding and longevity in this recreational sport is very important to us.
And because we’ve been at this bodybuilding lifestyle for decades, training smarter and utilizing a variety of advanced training techniques is crucial for continuous muscle gains and progress with the development of our physique.
Not to mention that a strategically designed system to build a ripped and muscular physique, sure as hell makes training more enjoyable. The variety and synergy keeps your enthusiasm sky high.
You are always presented with the opportunity to reflect on your achievements in addition to the excitement that comes with looking forward to what the next phase will bring.
I love this bodybuilding lifestyle and I’m enjoying the hell out of this Upper and Lower Body Split Routine. I hope that you enjoy this workout plan as well and have found value from my insights and rationale behind it.
Now I’d love to hear from you. What are your favourite split routines and how often do you change them up?
Sculpt a Masterpiece,
Scott Tousignant
Note: Do you want to build a ripped and muscular physique? Do you enjoy the style of workout I shared with you in this post?
If so, I absolutely guarantee that you’ll love the 16 week Aesthetic Muscle Plan, which includes;
- 4 Unique Training Phases
- 21 Killer Workouts
- 8 Advanced Muscle Building Tactics
Get Started With The Aesthetic Muscle Plan Today!
About The Author
Scott Tousignant, BHK is a Physique Coach and Elite Natural Bodybuilder with the UFE.
Scott specializes in helping regular guys sculpt their body into a work of art by pulverizing stubborn belly fat and painfully embarrassing love handles… swapping them with ripped abs, rock hard muscle, and soaring confidence.
The art of molding and chiseling an aesthetically pleasing physique with spectacular symmetry, proportions, and carved out detail is one of life’s most rewarding and fulfilling experiences…
…It’s an opportunity for self growth and self discovery that will impact every area of your life.
Learn more about Scott’s physique-focused training programs:
AMPlify Aesthetic Muscle Gains and Strip Away Stubborn Fat with AMP – Aesthetic Muscle Plan
Original article and pictures take metabolicmasterpiece.com site
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