4 Day Workout Split – The Complete Guide (2026)

In this article, we’ll break down common variations of the 4-day split workout, including sample routines. We’ll also help you decide whether the 4-day split is a good fit for you.

Key Takeaways

• A 4-day split is one where you work out four times per week. Common options include upper/lower, push/pull/legs plus one, bro split, full body split, and PHUL.
  
  
• A push/pull/legs plus one split is one in which you do push, pull, and legs, plus a fourth workout: a second push, pull, or legs session, a full-body workout, an arm workout, or similar (depending on needs and preferences).
  
  
• A 4-day bro split allows you to focus on one or two muscles per session, which can help with the mind-muscle connection and thoroughly exhaust the target area. It can also be useful if you want to bring up a lagging muscle group.
  
  
• Only commit to a 4-day split if you can work out four times per week and do back-to-back workouts at least once per week. Such a split is also more suitable past the beginner stage and when in a calorie surplus for steady weight and muscle gain.
  
  
• Use Hevy to store your routines (reusable workouts), log as many workouts as you want, and include all the details you want.

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What is the 4 Day Split?

The 4-day workout split is a resistance training plan that involves four weekly gym sessions. Each workout typically targets specific muscle groups. This helps maximize exertion on the target muscle groups while allowing other body parts to recover on days when they aren’t being worked out.

For example, upper/lower is a classic 4-day split. On it, you train upper-body muscles one day and leg muscles the next. Minimal overlap means the muscles you train one day won’t have to work the following session.

(It’s also worth checking out the 2-day or 3-day workout split if you prefer less frequent training, or our 5-day workout split if you want to work out more often.)

What Are the Popular 4-Day Workout Split Variations?

Popular 4-day split variations include upper/lower, push/pull/legs plus one, a bro split, full body, and power/hypertrophy upper/lower (PHUL). We’ll break these down below with examples.

4-Day Upper/Lower Split

A 4-day upper/lower split is one where you do two upper- and two lower-body workouts. This allows you to train each major muscle twice per week and limits overlap. For example, if you train your upper body on Monday, you give it three or four days to recover before training it again.

The idea is to exert one half of your body while the other half rests. Remember, rest days are just as important as gym days.

Save this program to your Hevy app profile:

1. Open hevy.com and log in with your credentials. Skip if you’re on your phone with Hevy installed.
2. Click this link and tap the blue Save Folder button.

Remember that, regardless of the split you pick, you should hammer down fundamentals like training with proper form and taking good care of your recovery outside the gym (including following a proper nutrition plan).

4-Day Push/Pull/Legs Split

A 4-day push/pull/legs split includes a push, a pull, and a leg workout with an optional fourth session. The fourth workout can be a second push, pull, or legs session, full body, or even an arm day. You can program it however you want based on your needs.

Examples (with sample schedules):

Alternatively, you can stick to the three workouts (push, pull, and legs) but program them so you have four sessions per week. The only downside of this approach is that your schedule would change from week to week. For example:

With this approach, you train each muscle group four times every three weeks. Week 1 has two push workouts, week 2 has two pull workouts, and week 3 has two leg workouts. You then start over and repeat.

Here is a sample 3-day split you can follow with the above schedule:

(Click here and tap the blue Save Folder button to save this split to your Hevy profile.)

Looking for more push/pull/legs split ideas? Download the Hevy app, open the routine library (Workout tab > Explore), and browse 25+ training plans for all levels. See each program’s details and save the ones you like to your profile to use anytime.

4-Day Bro Split

The classic bro split involves training a specific isolated muscle group in each workout. It generally divides the sessions into the back, chest, shoulders, arms, and legs (quads, hamstrings, outer and inner thighs). 

The more frequently you work out, the fewer muscles you need to train in each session. For example, on a 6-day bro split, you can do:

• Monday – Chest
• Tuesday – Back
• Wednesday – Shoulders
• Thursday – Legs
• Friday – Arms
• Saturday – Core, Forearms, and Calves (primarily doing isolation exercises)
• Sunday – Off

However, on a 4-day bro split, you need to combine different muscle groups. For example:

• Monday – Chest and Shoulders
• Tuesday – Back
• Wednesday – Off
• Thursday – Legs
• Friday – Arms and Abs
• Saturday & Sunday – Off

A major benefit of a bro split is that you can focus on one or two muscles per workout and give them a full week of recovery. Training one or two muscles at a time makes it easier to focus on one area, improve your mind-muscle connection (feeling the correct muscle working), and thoroughly exhaust the target muscle, which can make you feel more productive. 

Plus, with bro splits, you can more easily work on weak points. For example, if your chest is lagging, you can do a longer chest workout, adding more exercises and sets. Alternatively, you can include some chest work in another workout. To use the above split as an example:

• Monday – Chest and Shoulders
• Tuesday – Back
• Wednesday – Off
• Thursday – Legs
• Friday – Arms and Abs & some chest
• Saturday & Sunday – Off

While research has called into question the effectiveness of bro splits, they are still a tried-and-true method that’s produced great results for countless lifters who swear by them.

In my coaching experience, I’ve found it’s important to balance optimal with fun. For instance, when creating a 4-day split for someone, I take their personal preferences into account because it’s hard to have them work out 4 times per week if they don’t enjoy the split. If that means doing a bro split, so be it. Much better to be consistent with such an approach than to miss workouts on an ‘optimal’ split.

(Click here and tap the blue Save Folder button to save this split to your Hevy profile.)

4-Day Full Body Split

Full-body strength training involves working out all the major muscle groups, either directly or indirectly, in each workout. It’s considered ideal when working out one to three times per week, but it can also work for higher training frequencies.

It’s not inherently superior to other options, but it offers some advantages and can be a good choice if you’re looking for a new way to approach your weekly workout schedule.

One advantage is that you train each muscle with less volume per workout, so no body part ever feels excessively sore or exhausted.

But by hitting each muscle in a fresh and recovered state, you perform better on each set, and you’re able to do more sets and reps with a heavier load and better technique, arguably promoting slightly better muscle growth in the long run.

Here is what a sample 4-day full-body plan could look like:

(Click here and tap the blue Save Folder button to save this split to your Hevy profile.)

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4-Day Power/Hypertrophy Upper/Lower (PHUL) Split

PHUL is a powerbuilding split created and promoted by Brandon Campbell. The goal with it is to simultaneously build strength and muscle through two strength-focused and two hypertrophy sessions. 

Having these two types of workouts lets you move heavier weights in lower-rep ranges and do lighter sets for more reps. 

One advantage of such a split is that workouts feel less monotonous because you switch focus twice per week. Even though you have two upper and two lower workouts, they feel distinct, making for a more engaging workout experience. 

Similar to a classic upper/lower split, you can do the workouts in pairs – for example:

• Monday – Upper (strength)
• Tuesday – Lower (strength)
• Wednesday – Off
• Thursday – Upper (muscle-growth-focus)
• Friday – Lower (muscle-growth-focus)
• Saturday & Sunday – Off

Here is an example of a 4-day PHUL split:

(Click here and tap the blue Save Folder button to save this split to your Hevy profile.)

Pros and Cons of a 4-Day Split

Pros

• Four weekly workouts are the sweet spot for most people. This frequency is enough to provide a good stimulus while not being too demanding.
  
  
• This frequency typically allows you to train each major muscle the recommended two times per week.
  
  
• Training four days per week means each session can be slightly shorter. In turn, this allows you to feel fresher and more recovered, which can lead to better overall performance.
  
  
• Three days off training give you plenty of time to recover, even when your sleep and nutrition aren’t perfect.
  
  
• A 4-day split is as high as you can go while still having some scheduling flexibility.

Cons

• It may still be hard to stay consistent if you have a lot going on outside the gym: full-time job, school, family, errands, and more.
  
  
• While offering some scheduling flexibility, this may mean pushing back a workout or two for the weekend.
  
  
• It may not be the ideal frequency if you also practice a sport outside the gym or do cardio, such as running, cycling, or swimming.

Is a 4 Day Split Workout For Me?

Working out 4 days a week gives you plenty of time in the gym to build a balanced routine that trains all the major muscles. It provides a good balance between exertion and rest, making it sustainable and reducing the risk of overtraining.

In a 4-day split, you can get away with shorter sessions than you can in the 3-day split, just because you have that extra day to train. Shorter sessions mean you can focus more on quality sets, which is impossible if you’re trying to cram too much stuff into a single workout.

To decide if a 4-day split is for you, ask yourself, “Can I consistently work out four times per week?” You might feel motivated to try something new, but can you consistently show up? If not, stick to a 2-day or 3-day split. It’s best to commit to a frequency you can sustain.

Also, consider the impact of back-to-back workouts. In a 3-day split, you have a day of recovery between sessions, but in a 4-day split, you have to work out two days in a row at least once per week. Here’s a quote from coach Charles Staley:

“I think of recovery as the proximate determinant of training frequency, and things like age, sleep quality, stress, and nutrition simply underlie your ability to recover.”

Lastly, consider if you actually need to work out four times per week. If you’re new to training or doing a cut (fat-loss phase), you can probably get 90%+ of the results with three workouts.

Looking for 4-day workout split ideas? Hevy’s library has multiple options for beginners, intermediate-level lifters, and advanced trainees. Or maybe you’re unsure about the frequency and want to learn more about different splits? Read our full guide.

Conclusion

Doing a 4-day workout split is a great way to bring your workout routine to the next level and reach your fitness goals. Whether you choose an upper/lower, push/pull/legs, or classic bodybuilder split, the most important thing for results is to stay consistent.

Pick a plan you enjoy, and don’t be afraid to switch it up after a while if you get bored. 

If you want to track your workouts for free, be sure to check out Hevy. Store your routines (reusable templates), log unlimited workouts, include all the details you want (sets, reps, weight, RPE, and more), track your progress, and engage with others if you want.

Hevy Workout Tracker

Create your own workouts with Hevy, and track your progress. Join 12M+ athletes.

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FAQ

1. What’s a common mistake when going from a 3-day to a 4-day split?

Increasing the training volume is perhaps the most common mistake. For example, if a person currently does three workouts of 20 sets each, going to four workouts of 20 sets each is a big increase that can lead to recovery issues. A better approach is to first spread your current volume across four workouts, then gradually add exercises and sets if you recover fine.

2. What’s a good rest-day placement in a 4-day split?

You’ll work out on consecutive days at least once a week, but you can plan your rest days in multiple ways, depending on your split and schedule. For example, you can work out Mon-Tue-Thu-Fri, Mon-Wed-Thu-Sat, Mon-Tue-Thu-Sat, Mon-Tue-Wed-Fri, and so on.

Avoid training the same muscle directly two days in a row and have a day of recovery between more challenging sessions, like legs and back day.

3. How to tell if four workouts are too much?

If you feel consistently sore, tired, and unmotivated, skip workouts because things come up, or aren’t building strength, you might not be ready for a 4-day split and should stick to a 3-day one instead.

4. What is the best 4-day workout split?

It’s important to keep in mind that a split is simply a way to organize your weekly training, so there’s no one split that’s inherently superior to the others. Each has unique benefits and drawbacks. You should pick one you enjoy and can stick to.

5. How do I tell if I’m building muscle?

Good indicators include: your gym performance gradually improves (lifting more weight, doing more reps, doing more sets, etc.), you steadily gain weight, circumference measurements increase in the right places (arms, chest, thighs, forearms, and calves), and you look bigger (but not fluffier) on progress photos. You can log and track all of these in Hevy.