The short answer: run Upper A, Lower A, Upper B, Lower B
Start with Upper A on Monday, Lower A on Tuesday, Upper B on Thursday and Lower B on Friday. Keep that A–A–B–B order even if your actual days differ. Set counts refer to working sets. Complete the ramp-up sets you need without counting them or taking them to failure. Rest long enough to bring the next set back inside its rep range at the intended RIR; beating the clock is not the workout goal.
| Day | Workout | Focus | What follows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Upper A | Horizontal press, row and vertical pull | Lower A |
| Tuesday | Lower A | Squat, hinge and hamstrings | Wednesday open |
| Thursday | Upper B | Pull, overhead press and second chest reference | Lower B |
| Friday | Lower B | Leg press, hips and unilateral work | Weekend open |
Compare three four-day layouts on the same criteria
Upper-lower A/B is our default here because it creates distinct sessions and easy-to-repeat references. That does not make it inherently better. A review of 14 studies and 392 participants found similar outcomes from split and full-body routines when volume was equated. That supports choosing around fit, but it does not validate every four-day schedule below.
| Layout | Sample calendar | What each day contains | Practical upside | Main tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper-lower A/B | Mon upper A · Tue lower A · Thu upper B · Fri lower B | Two upper and two lower sessions | Simple references and a clear session focus | Each workout concentrates substantial work in half the body |
| Full-body push/pull | Mon push A · Tue pull A · Thu push B · Fri pull B | Each day combines lower- and upper-body patterns by push or pull | Spreads upper- and lower-body work across the week | Overlap and knee or hip fatigue need closer management |
| PPL plus full body | Mon push · Tue pull · Thu legs · Sat full body | Three specialized days and one whole-body session | Keeps the PPL rhythm while adding a flexible second exposure | The full-body day can become crowded or poorly balance prior work |
Upper A: build the first references around a press and row
| Slot | Exercise | Option you already know | Sets | Reps | Illustrative RIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horizontal press | Barbell bench press | Machine chest press | 3 | 6–10 | 2–3 |
| Primary row | Chest-supported row | Seated cable row | 3 | 8–12 | 2–3 |
| Second press | Incline dumbbell press | Incline machine press | 2 | 8–12 | 2–3 |
| Vertical pull | Neutral-grip pulldown | Assisted pull-up | 2 | 8–12 | 2–3 |
| Side delts | Lateral raise | Cable or machine raise | 2 | 12–20 | 2 |
| Triceps | Cable pressdown | Triceps machine | 2 | 10–15 | 1–3 |
| Biceps | Dumbbell curl | Cable or machine curl | 2 | 10–15 | 1–3 |
The opening press and row give you stable week-to-week anchors. If you move from a bench to a machine or from dumbbells to a cable, save the new exercise name and begin a separate line. An option can serve a similar role without inheriting load, records or history.
Lower A: squat and hinge before the accessories
| Slot | Exercise | Option you already know | Sets | Reps | Illustrative RIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knee-dominant lift | Back squat | Hack squat or goblet squat | 3 | 6–10 | 2–3 |
| Hinge | Romanian deadlift | Dumbbell Romanian deadlift | 3 | 6–10 | 2–3 |
| Quads | Leg extension | Assisted sissy squat | 2 | 10–15 | 2 |
| Hamstrings | Seated leg curl | Lying leg curl | 2 | 10–15 | 2 |
| Calves | Standing calf raise | Leg-press or seated machine raise | 3 | 8–15 | 1–3 |
| Trunk | Cable crunch | Plank with a measurable progression | 2 | 8–15 or controlled time | 2–3 |
Take as many ramp-up sets as you need before the three squat and hinge working sets. The listed RIR is an operating cue for this template, not a universal dose. The ACSM position stand does not establish one exact repetitions-in-reserve target for every person.
Upper B: lead with a pull, then overhead press and chest
| Slot | Exercise | Option you already know | Sets | Reps | Illustrative RIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vertical pull | Assisted or weighted pull-up | Lat pulldown | 3 | 6–10 | 2–3 |
| Vertical press | Machine shoulder press | Dumbbell shoulder press | 3 | 6–10 | 2–3 |
| Second row | Seated cable row | One-arm dumbbell row | 2 | 8–12 | 2 |
| Second chest lift | Machine chest press | Dumbbell bench press | 2 | 8–12 | 2 |
| Rear delts | Reverse fly machine | Reverse cable fly | 2 | 12–20 | 2 |
| Biceps | Preacher curl | Machine curl | 2 | 10–15 | 1–3 |
| Triceps | Overhead cable extension | Single-arm cable extension | 2 | 10–15 | 1–3 |
Upper B does not need to mirror Upper A. Keep each variation for enough exposures to compare its reps, load and RIR. If a station is busy, use an option you can already control and log it as a separate variation instead of treating it as a perfect substitute.
Lower B: leg press, hips and unilateral work
| Slot | Exercise | Option you already know | Sets | Reps | Illustrative RIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knee-dominant lift | Leg press | Front squat or hack squat | 3 | 8–12 | 2–3 |
| Hip extension | Hip thrust | Glute-drive machine | 3 | 8–12 | 2–3 |
| Unilateral work | Bulgarian split squat | Reverse lunge | 2 | 8–12 each side | 2–3 |
| Hamstrings | Lying leg curl | Seated leg curl | 2 | 10–15 | 2 |
| Calves | Seated calf raise | Machine or leg-press raise | 3 | 10–15 | 1–3 |
| Trunk | Controlled knee raise | Ab wheel with a stable range | 2 | 8–15 | 2–3 |
Complete the rep range on each side during unilateral work and keep the order stable. Adding exercises because Friday feels good changes the week you are trying to evaluate. First see whether Monday's Upper A performance returns as expected.
Progress through the range, reps, load and RIR
- Enter at the conservative end
Choose a load that keeps every set controlled, inside the range and around the illustrative RIR. You do not need to guess an ideal starting weight.
- Build reps before adding load
At the next comparable exposure, keep the load and add a repetition where practical without going closer to failure than intended or changing the movement.
- Increase after the whole prescription fits
Once every working set reaches the top with control and the intended RIR, use the smallest practical increase next time and accept a return to the lower range. This is an editorial use of double progression, not a validated individual threshold.
- Protect the reference when the jump does not fit
If the increase puts you below the range or disrupts control, return to the previous load or use a smaller step. Do not change load, exercise, sets and rest at once.
| Signal | Decision | What to log |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the range, below the top | Hold load and seek one practical rep | Load, reps and RIR for every set |
| Every set reaches the top at intended RIR | Use the smallest increment and return to the lower range | Control and size of the increase |
| One isolated workout is worse | Log it, hold and observe another comparable exposure | Order, rest, variation and relevant context |
| The drop repeats | Review recovery, order, rest, volume and the last change before adjusting one variable | Which signal repeats and when it began |
| Pain, dizziness, illness or unsafe control | Stop or modify the workout and seek appropriate help as needed | The signal and the safe action taken |
Keep the order when the week breaks
- When you miss one day
Move the missed workout to the next available slot and continue Upper A → Lower A → Upper B → Lower B. Do not cram two workouts together, duplicate sets or reset every Monday.
- When most of the week disappears
Resume with the next pending workout when you return. Let the cycle take longer than seven days. Preserving the sequence gives you a cleaner reference than trying to make up four workouts at once.
- When time runs short
Keep the first lifts and remove accessories from the end. Record what was omitted so a shortened workout is not interpreted as a complete exposure.
- I placed all four sessions in slots I can keep.
- I will preserve the order when the calendar changes.
- Ramp-up and warm-up sets do not count as working sets.
- I will keep each variation long enough to compare it.
- I will log load, reps and RIR for every working set.
- I know what to do after an isolated drop, repeated decline or warning sign.
Worked example, external video and the next decision
Chest press: 3 sets of 6–10 at 2–3 RIR
Call a load you already control L. Week 1: 8, 8 and 7 reps at 2–3 RIR; hold L. Week 2: 9, 8 and 8; hold. Week 3: 10, 10 and 9; hold. Week 4: 10, 10 and 10 at the intended RIR; next time use the smallest available increase and accept 6–8 reps. If week 4 had ended at 10, 8 and 6 with 0–1 RIR, you would log the drop and repeat L instead of increasing.
Dr. Swole walks through a four-day upper-lower program, including exercise order, sets, reps and progression. The description promotes ebooks, an affiliate link to MASS and a training course. Use it as an external visual walkthrough; it is not evidence and BUSTAFIT does not adopt the program.
Video summary
Dr. Swole presents a four-day upper-lower hypertrophy program and explains its schedule, exercises, sets, rep ranges and progression. English captions are available. The description promotes ebooks, an affiliate MASS link and a training course. The video adds visual context; it is not scientific evidence or a program validated by BUSTAFIT.
A routine becomes useful when you can retrieve the previous exposure and decide whether to hold, gain reps or add load. Continue to BUSTAFIT Science and method to connect the log with that next decision, without attributing personalization the official documentation does not promise.