The Ultimate 4 Day Workout Split for Constructing Muscle & Strength

Is a 4 day workout split the perfect for constructing muscle and strength? 

While the concept of a “best” workout split stays elusive, as the best routine varies from individual to individual, the 4 day split emerges as a prevalent and notably effective option. It allows for adequate recovery and is flexible in you could prioritize training frequency vs training volume, or discover a happy-medium between the 2 (we’ll explain more about this later).

On this comprehensive guide, we delve into the intricacies of the 4 day weight training split, equipping you with each knowledge and a plan to succeed. 

Table of Contents:

• Advantages of 4 day workout plans
• What are the perfect 4 day split workout routines
• Why we decide the upper lower split
• How to run a 4 day upper lower split
• The Best 4 Day Gym Workout Routine for Mass and Strength
• How one can progress with our 4 day workout program
• Recovery and dietary advice for weight lifting 4 days every week

Are 4 Day Workout Splits Effective?

Absolutely! A 4-day split workout routine is definitely ideal for most trainees, especially those that can have extra family and work pressure. Even still, a lot of the perfect weight lifters on the planet decide to work out 4 days every week no matter having the time to go more often. For instance, some top-rated programs, equivalent to PHAT, are specifically designed to be trained 4 days every week.

What it’s essential answer is, “Is a 4-day workout routine good for you?”

Well, answer these questions:

• Do you like the gym but don’t need to spend your entire time there?
• Do you desire to use one of the vital effective splits there’s?
• Do you desire to find a way to push it hard in every session?

In case your answer is yes and you’ve got followed FITT principle guidelines to make sure a program like this can meet your fitness needs, then a 4-day workout plan is ideal for you.

4 Advantages Of A 4 Day Split:

Selecting a 4-day split on your workout program will offer a wide range of advantages.  Listed below are the highest reasons it’s best to train using a 4-day workout routine.

1. 4-Day Workout Routines Offer Sufficient Amount Of Rest

Perhaps probably the most significant good thing about this workout is that it gives trainees loads of recovery time throughout the week. One in every of the best determinants of a program’s success is whether or not it provides a trainee with adequate rest between sessions. In actual fact, that is certainly one of the primary areas that trainees get improper, especially beginners. 

2. Trying 4 Days A Week Keeps You Focused

One area that trainees are inclined to like a few 4 day split gym routine is that it may possibly keep you focused on your workout. 4 days is loads of time to get a superb workout in and hit all of the lifts you would like. At the identical time, it requires you to go in with a purpose and train like every rep counts. There are not any frivolous movements in a 4-day split, neither is there leftover time to do them anyhow. With a 4-day workout routine, you go in and perform the perfect of the perfect movements after which get out

3. A 4-Day Split Workout Routine Allows You To Train Hard

Connected to allowing you adequate rest, using a 4-day split is designed in such a way so you could are available in and work out hard every session.  Being that you already know you’ve got loads of rest days, you’re more prone to leave all of it out on the gym floor. That and you may just have more energy

4. Allows Multiple Variations Of Splits

Since there are 4 days to coach, you’ve got an ample amount of days to divide your body parts or movements. This implies you possibly can program a 4-day split program specific to strength, hypertrophy, or a mixture such s PHAT or power-building plan. 

Is a 4 days every week workout split enough to construct muscle?

Absolutely. In actual fact, for beginners and intermediate lifters, 4 workout days per week is definitely probably the most ideal for constructing muscle and strength. It permits you to keep the intensity of your workouts high and get adequate recovery in-between sessions, which is the proper recipe for constructing muscle and strength. Individuals who train too incessantly find yourself getting burned out they usually don’t even understand it. 4 days of workouts per week is often the sweet spot in the case of fitness.

5 Best Varieties of 4 Day Gym Routines:

As just mentioned, there are many ways you could run a 4-day split depending in your specific needs and goals. Let’s first go over a few of these variations of workout splits, after which we’ll suggest what we predict is the perfect for nearly all of people.

Option 1: 4-Day Program With A Full Body Workout Split

Performing full-body workouts 4 days every week can work, but it may possibly be a bit tricky. It It would require much more attention to recovery and monitoring load used. One of these workout is more prone to profit the one who is more serious about maintaining overall fitness levels fairly than pushing it hard in the course of the session. If that’s you, then a full body split workout routine might be an incredible option. A number of the advantages are:

• It could be more interesting as you possibly can have a very good number of compound exercises.
• You need not work your body each session. Whilst you’ll be working various upper and lower body muscles each workout, you will not be doing the identical exercises or emphasizing the identical muscle group each session.
• You possibly can superset movements to make your stay within the gym shorter. An example is to pair lower body with upper body movements and free weight movements with body weight movements i.e squat/pushups or lunges/barbell rows.
• It may possibly be mentally easier as you’ll only have to perform one big moment a day for every primary group of muscles.
• You’ll need to make some additional time if you desire to concentrate on accessory exercises for smaller muscle groups.

Option 2: 4-Day Program With An Upper Lower Split

The upper lower split is arguably the best option for a 4 day split workout, because it was specifically designed to be a 4 day routine (though it may possibly be organized otherwise) – 2 upper body days & 2 lower body days.

This split is great for somebody trying to have a very good balance between training frequency and training volume. Furthermore, it’s flexible, in you could mess around with it based in your goals (i.e. you possibly can do two strength and two hypertrophy workouts each week, or in other words, heavy low rep days and lighter high rep days). 

• Day 1: Upper Body Workout
• Day 2: Lower Body Workout
• Day 3: Upper Body Workout
• Day 4: Lower Body Workout

Option 3: 4-Day Program With A Strength/Hypertrophy Split

One in every of the best example of a strength and hypertrophy split is Dr. Layne Hortons PHAT program. This is definitely great program for many who need to train for each strength and hypertrophy. A program like this has you training specifically for strength on two days after which running a routine more much like bodybuilding for the opposite two days. A number of the advantages include:

• Tried and tested by many lifters with success.
• Is the proper mix of strength and muscle mass.
• Easy to individualize.

Option 4: 4-Day Program With A PPL Split

A PPL split split stands for Push/Pull/Legs. It divides movements into three days:

• Day 1 – Pushing: You perform upper body pushing movements.
• Day 2 – Pulling: On the second day, you perform deadlifts and upper body pulling movements.
• Day 3 – Legs: On the third day, you train the legs.

The very first thing to notice is that a PPL split cycles through 3 workout sessions. Nonetheless, that doesn’t constrain it to only getting used 3 days every week. To work this right into a 4-day workout program, you just just cycle through the sessions. This may lead to your sessions changing order every week. 

Advantages of using a PPL split include:

• Changes the weekly sessions which could also be more enjoyable for some people. 
• Since the first session of the week alternates, you could possibly easily differentiate the hundreds used and have your first session be a heavy session for the week. That is a straightforward technique to periodize your program.
• PPL is becoming of the more common splits that trainees use
• You furthermore mght can use the 4th day for other specific movements equivalent to arms, core, mobility, etc.

Option 5: 4-Day Program With A Bodybuilding “Body Part” Split

Some should prefer to make use of a bodybuilding program and hit every muscle hard once every week. To do that, bodybuilders will normally train perhaps 5 days and even 6 days every week. Nonetheless, you possibly can get this done in 4 days if you happen to don’t have the time to make it to the gym more. The simplest technique to do this might be as follow:

• Day 1: Chest and Core
• Day 2: Legs and Arms
• Day 3: Back
• Day 4: Shoulders, Arms, and Core

The advantages of coaching like this are mainly geared towards the bodybuilder. Using a split like this permits to you to cause maximal damage to a muscle in the assumption that it is going to grow more. 

Which 4-Day Split Workout Is Best?

So, what’s the perfect 4 day workout split?

While all the choices above will work if done appropriately, for nearly all of people, an upper/lower split works great. 

It really works so well for constructing muscle mass and strength since it creates an optimal balance between training frequency (how often you hit a muscle) and training volume (how much volume – sets and reps – you do for a muscle group).

It’s really hard to beat this split, especially when following some easy rules.

First, let’s go over why it’s your most suitable option…

Advantages Of An Upper/Lower 4-Day Split:

1. It seems to naturally fit: That is basic math. 2 times 2 equals 4. Which means that an upper/lower body split matches perfectly when training 4 days every week. 
2. Training a muscle group twice every week appears to be the sweet spot for progression: Contrary to what most imagine, the quantity of days every week you train doesn’t really matter as much because the variety of times you train a muscle. It just so happens that the optimal frequency of coaching specific major muscle groups appears to be twice every week. Studies show training a muscle twice every week was sufficiently higher than training once every week, with questionable advantages coming from training 3 times every week.  Mainly, training twice every week is certainly higher than once, but may or might not be higher than training 3 times every week.
3. It is extremely easy to plan your movements: An upper/lower split lays out a really methodical and logical technique to layout your program and exercise selection. There is no such thing as a guessing of what it’s essential do.

The Best Way To Run An Upper/Lower 4-Day Workout Routine:

There are still various ways in which you could possibly possibly run an upper/lower split. For instance, it’s possible you’ll only work your quads on a lower day or your back on an upper day. So to be clear, when running this program, you desire to train every muscle group of the lower body during that session and each muscle group of the upper body for that specific session.

One common query that continuously plagues trainers and trainees is, is the deadlift an upper-body exercise of a lower-body exercise. That will depend on who you ask (i.e., with a PPL, split your train deadlift along with your back on pulling day and never on leg day), but for this program, you’ll train it in the course of the lower body session.

Now for the critical part. The most effective ways to divide your exercises is into pushing movements and pulling movements of each lower and upper body workouts. For instance:

• Lower Body Pushing: These movements are primarily going be your quad-dominant movements and calf exercises. Exercises include squat variations and isolation exercises, equivalent to back squats, front squats, lunges, leg extensions.
• Lower Body Pulling: These movements are going to focus on your glutes and hamstrings. Exercises include deadlift variations, barbell hip thrust, leg curls.
• Upper Body Pushing: These movements will train your chest, shoulders, and triceps. Upper body pushing exercises include the Bench Press, shoulder press, dips, and skull crushers.
• Upper Body Pulling: These movements will train your entire back, posterior deltoids (the shoulder muscle on the back), and biceps. Upper body pulling exercises include rows, chin-ups, and bicep curls.

This is very important to know the difference between these movements as it is going to enable you to plan your days. Mainly, what you’ll do is divide every day into your primary movements done with heavier loads and accessory movements performed with lighter loads. These will likely be divided by utilizing the categories above. Then the following training session, you’ll swap which movements are primary and which movements are accessory. This may appear like this.

Note: This does include any kind of isolation movements which is all the time done at the top of the session.

Why You Should Do This 4-Day Workout Split?

One problem that many trainees can have working an upper/lower split is attempting to hit heavy numbers for all of their primary movements. This is very true when performing squats and deadlifts on the identical day.  Some advanced lifters will do that, but it may possibly often be an excessive amount of on your general trainees. What happens is that they aren’t capable of hit the numbers they need and find yourself having a crappy workout.

This fixes that.

This 4 day workout split will let you concentrate on only a pair primary lifts for one movement group with a heavy load. Then, you possibly can move onto the opposite muscle groups and perform your smaller accessory movements that focus more on volume fairly than working with heavier loads. 

Training Variables For Your Primary Strength Movements:

Your strength training movements will consist of your big compound movements working in a rep range of 3-6 with 3-5 sets and using a great deal of about 85-90% of your 1RM.

Training Variables For Your Accessory Movements & Hypertrophy Training:

These are going to consist of your “smaller” compound movements in addition to some isolation work. These will work in a rep range of 8-12+ with 2-3 sets using a great deal of about 70-80% of your 1RM.

The Ultimate 4-Day Workout Split Gym Routine

Now that you’ve got a very good idea of why you’re doing what you’ll be doing (Upper Lower Split), let’s go over the actual workouts on this 4 day weight lifting routine for gaining muscle mass and strength.

Session 1 – Upper Body A:

1. Standing Military Press: 4×5
2. Rack Pulls (Above the Knee): 4x3   
   
3. Dips (weighted if needed): 4×6
4. Landmine Rows: 3×8
5. Lat Pull-Down: 3×8
6. Reverse Fly: 3×12
7. Face Pulls/Swimmers: 2×15
8. Roper Hammer Curls/Triceps: 2×15

Session 2 – Lower Body A:

1. Back Squat: 3×5
2. Barbell Split Squats: 4×6
3. Leg Press: 4×6
4. Landmine Deadlifts: 3×8
5. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts: 3×8
6. Barbell Hip Thrusts: 3×8
7. Leg Extension/Leg Curls: 3×12

Session 3 – Upper Body B:

1. Bench Press: 4×4
2. Chin-Ups: 5×5
3. Bentover Barbell Rows: 4×6
4. Incline Dumbbell Chest Press: 3×8
5. Seated Dumbbell Press: 3×8
6. Chest Flyes (Machine or Cable): 2×12
7. Dumbbell Pull-Over: 2×12
8. Dumbbell Curls/Tricep Press Down: 2×15

Session 4 – Lower Body B:

1. Deadlift: 3×5
2. Barbell Hip Thrust: 4×4
3. Barbell Romanian Deadlift: 4×6
4. Front Squat: 3×8
5. Dumbbell Lunges: 3×10 steps
6. Leg Press: 2×20
7. Squat Jumps: 3×3 (weighted or not)
8. Leg Extension/Leg Curls: 3×12

That is going to be your basic layout for the session. While it looks like quite a bit, realize that after your primary lifts, it would be best to move pretty quickly through the remainder of the movements. It could take 30-40 minutes for the strength movements and just 25-Half-hour for the rest. 

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Now, there are a number of other ways you could plan them in the course of the week.

Option A:

Day 1: Upper Body A        
Day 2: Lower Body A 
Day 3: Rest 
Day 4: Upper Body B 
Day 5: Rest 
Day 6: Lower Body B 
Day 7: Rest 

Option B:

Day 1: Upper Body A
Day 2: Lower Body A
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Upper Body B
Day 6: Lower Body B
Day 7: Rest

The plain difference is you could either have 3 single rest days OR 1 two-day rest period after which a single day rest period. When it comes to effectiveness, it shouldn’t really make an enormous deal what one you select. Nonetheless, some people enjoy having 2 days of rest for travel or simply to loosen up while others feel keeping rest to 1 day helps them stay within the zone. You too can change depending on what is occurring in your life. BUT DO NOT train 3 days in a row or have 3 days of rest. 

You might be also capable of start with the lower body session as an alternative. This may have you ever cycle through the sessions as:

• Lower Body A
• Upper Body A
• Lower Body B
• Upper Body B

You possibly can run this using the various weekly layouts as above.

A method you should use this to your advantage is by establishing a plan in order that you’ve got not less than one rest day before a session with lifts that you simply actually need to enhance on. For instance, in case your squats are weak and you desire to improve them, you possibly can arrange your 4-day workout routine in order that you’ve got 2 days of rest after which perform your Lower Body A session (squats)

How To Progress On This 4 Day Workout Plan

Just like several effective program, you’ll use progressive overload to extend your performance. Nonetheless, there are a number of caveats to go over. 

Primary Strength Lifts:

Probably the most common way of implementing progressive overload is by increasing weight every week. That is what you’ll do on your strength lifts as these are probably the most “necessary” lifts.  Further, in the case of constructing strength, lifting more weight appears to be the optimal method. The very basic suggestion is so as to add 10lbs to your lower body moments and 5lbs or less to your upper body movements every week. Nonetheless, you have to to evaluate by yourself. But a word of recommendation; the less amount of weight you add will let you progress more easily for an extended time frame.

You will likely find some lifts where you’re unable so as to add weight on every set. That’s effective. In case you can only add weight to the primary set after which drop back right down to the remaining sets, that’s effective. Just write that down after which next week, try so as to add weight to not less than two sets after which dropdown.

Accessory and Hypertrophy Lifts:

While adding weight for the accessory lifts continues to be a priority, you will likely be going off what you are feeling you’re capable of do. Mainly, because of this if you happen to can increase the burden, then great. In case you are too fatigued from the larger lifts, just use the identical weight. In case you can increase the burden on 1 set, do this. And so forth and so forth. These are necessary and have a purpose, but they’re to support your greater lifts. Even in case your greater lifts are increasing and your accessory weights are staying the identical, you’ll still progress and get greater and stronger.

Also, be at liberty to have some freedom (and a bit “fun”) with these sets. If you desire to increase the reps in your last set, then cool. If you desire to add a drop set, then do it. Just don’t overdo it!

What Are The Best Recovery Methods for a 4 Day Lifting Split Routine?

Many trainees confuse “Rest Days” to mean “Do Nothing”. It is a horrible idea that may significantly hinder your progress. What you do outside of the gym can greatly influence your performance contained in the gym. Listed below are the 4 practices you could do to make use of this time correctly.

1) Engage in some light aerobic activity OR energetic recovery: That is probably the greatest things you possibly can do. Failing to maneuver the body will lead to more tightness within the muscles and even increase DOMS likelihood. The primary mechanism is considered that the activity will increase the guts rate barely and pump fresh blood with more oxygen and nutrients to the body. It would also keep the muscles and joints loose. Energetic recovery is probably the greatest things you possibly can do.

2) Engage in some mobility exercises: Everybody must improve mobility. Everybody. Rest days are an incredible time to do that since you don’t need any special equipment and might find anything it’s possible you’ll need across the house. Listed below are three movements you possibly can do:

• Dead bugs: Dead bugs are probably the greatest mobility exercises to extend your core strength and improve your shoulder mobility.
• Bird Dogs: Bird dogs are dead bugs but inverted. This implies you’ll principally do the identical exercise but in your hands and knees. This places the activation onto posterior muscle groups and targets your back and glutes. Still, it also improves your shoulder mobility and overall body extension. 
• Overhead Squats (with towel): If you’ve got a brush or dowel of any sort, you possibly can easily use that. If not, a towel works just effective. These are hard, so it’s essential work into it slowly, but once you possibly can get right into a full squat with shoulders fully prolonged overhead with good form, you possibly can call yourself a master.

3) Perform your core work: As you most likely noticed, this plan doesn’t have a variety of specific core work. You possibly can do that in your rest days along with your mobility work or after some aerobic activity. Specific core work could be very necessary, but sometimes it may possibly overshadow other areas. Further, many individuals completely overdo it.

4) Get some sleep!: That is easily probably the most effective and easy thing you possibly can do to enhance your performance. Don’t buy into the “I’ll sleep once I’m dead” mentality. Getting adequate sleep just isn’t an option; not less than if you desire to perform at your best. Aim for not less than 6 hours of quality sleep but if you happen to need more, sleep more.

The Best Nutrition Suggestions For Your 4-Day Workout Routine:

Your nutrition will play an enormous role in determining if you happen to succeed with this program; nonetheless, you don’t have to overcomplicate it. Listed below are the fundamental numbers on your macros.

• Protein: To optimize muscle growth (or maintain muscle mass), you desire to eat 1.6-2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight a day.
• Carbs: This may range from individual to individual, but it is going to be somewhere within the range of 5-8g/kg/d, which is able to rely on your every day activity levels.
• Fat: Replenish the remainder of your calories with fat. This number needs to be not less than 20% of your total calories.

The Best 3 Supplements To Use:

There are a ton of supplements in the marketplace, but most of them are worthless. Here the perfect ones to make use of that may almost definitely improve your progress:

1. Protein Powder: Protein powder is nothing but real protein that has been processed right into a powder. It’s a really efficient and economical technique to get in your protein when consuming higher amounts. The most effective time to make use of protein powder is post-workout for muscle protein synthesis, but it may possibly even be used for a healthy snack any time of day.
2. Creatine: Creatine is probably the most researched complement there are and is certainly one of the only a few supplements to have overwhelming evidence to support it’s use to enhance sports performance.
3. Caffeine: Caffeine is comparable to creatine in that it has an amazing amount of studies to support its use. Because of this it is often the first ingredient in lots of pre-workouts, because it gives you increased energy and might enable you to train hard throughout a session.

In case you are like us, shopping on Amazon is often easiest. So, here’s our top recommendations for an ideal 4 day workout routine complement stack:

1. Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein
2. Optimum Nutrition Casein Protein
3. Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Monohydrate
4. Ghost Pre-Workout

That is all you would like….Now It’s Time To Train!

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