As a certified fitness coach, I've had clients asking for the best workout split routines. The good thing is that there is no "best" exercise split.
Many view workout splits differently and can range from 1 to 6 days a week.
However, the most efficient and common workout split is the 4-day workout split.
In this article, I will provide everything about the 4-day workout split, the benefits of the 4-day workout program, and why recovery is important in any training.
Quick Summary
- The 4-day full-body exercise split is a less popular but effective muscle growth plan that requires a lifter to train all of the body's major muscle groups every session.
- Four training days per week are good for increasing muscle growth and strength. It enables you to keep your exercises intense while allowing proper recovery between sessions.
- Knowing how to maximize your time in the gym over these four days will mean the distinction between your success and failure in muscle mass development.
The Best 4-Day Split Program
The workout split given below is an example split that focuses on increasing strength and muscle growth.
Lower rep ranges will be used with compound motions to concentrate on driving strength.
With the accessory movements, you'll focus on strengthening muscular adaptations and growth by working with a slightly higher rep range and training volume.
Don't worry if you miss one of the exercises during the 4-day split. If it's a one-time slip, I won't fret about mixing motions – skipping one session one week isn't a huge problem in the overall scheme of things.
To maintain your body balance, you can integrate an upper- and lower-body session into one workout.
In that instance, take one compound movement from both the upper- and lower-body day, then cherry-pick a couple of your favorite isolation and accessory exercises for your third and final session to ensure an equitable balance of upper- and lower-body activities.
Perform the listed workouts for the recommended number of sets and reps on each day of the exercise split, taking breaks to recover as needed. Execute the two activities back-to-back for the supersets, with no breaks between sets.
Day 1: Upper Body A
- 3 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions of barbell overhead press
- 3 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions of the barbell bent-over row
- 3 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions of dumbbell bench press
- 3 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions per side of the single-arm kneeling lat pull-down
- 3 sets of 10 to 14 repetitions of dumbbell bicep curl to skull crushers superset
Day 2: Lower Body A
- 5 sets of 6 repetitions of front squat
- 5 sets of 5 repetitions of the conventional deadlift
- 3 sets of 10 to 14 repetitions of the dumbbell goblet squat
- 3 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions per side of dumbbell single-leg deadlift
- 3 sets of 10 to 14 repetitions of back extension
Day 3: Upper Body B
- 4 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions of barbell bench press
- 4 sets of 10 to 14 repetitions of lat pull-down
- 3 sets of 10 to 14 repetitions of high-incline dumbbell press
- 3 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions per side of single-arm dumbbell row
- 3 sets of 10 to 14 repetitions of dumbbell hammer curl to overhead tricep extension superset
Day 4: Lower Body B
- 5 reps of 6 to 10 repetitions of back squat
- 4 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions of the barbell Romanian deadlift
- 3 sets of 8 to 14 repetitions of dumbbell split squat
- 3 sets of 10 to 14 repetitions of the machine hamstring curl
- 3 sets of 10 to 14 repetitions per side of single-leg elevated glute bridge
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Basic Layout
This will be the general layout for the program. While it may appear to be a lot, after your main lifts, you will want to go through the rest of the motions quickly.
Strength activities may take 30-40 minutes, while the rest may take only 25-30 minutes. There are a few options for scheduling them during the week.
Option A:
- 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
Option B:
- 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
The apparent distinction is that you can have three single rest days or one two-day rest period followed by a single-day rest session.
It shouldn't matter which one you select in terms of efficiency.
However, some people prefer having two days off for travel or simply relaxing, whereas others believe that keeping rest to one day allows them to stay in the zone.
Change is also possible depending on what is going on in your life. However, do not train the same muscle group three days in a row or take three days off.
You can also begin with the lower body workout instead. This would need you to cycle through the workout sessions as follows:
- Day 1: Lower Body A
- Day 2: Upper Body A
- Day 3: Rest
- Day 4: Lower Body B
- Day 5: Rest
- Day 6: Upper Body B
- Day 7: Rest
Or
- Day 1: Lower Body A
- Day 2: Upper Body A
- Day 3: Rest
- Day 4: Rest
- Day 5: Lower Body B
- Day 6: Upper Body B
- Day 7: Rest
You may run this utilizing the various weekly layouts listed above, or change it to training the same muscle group consecutively, then having a rest day.
One way to take advantage of this is to prepare beforehand so that you have at least one rest day before a workout with lifts you wish to improve.
For example, if your squats are poor and you want to strengthen them, you may plan your 4-day training schedule to have two days of recovery before performing your Lower Body A session targeting the lower muscle group (squats).
What a 4-Day Split Is
A workout split organizes your strength-training routines and plans which physical activities you'll undertake for the following week.
Workout splits are generally dependent on the number of days per week that you devote to training.
So, if you plan on going to the gym four days weekly, you'll use a 4-day exercise split designed to help you reach your fitness goals.
For instance, if you're new to powerlifting workout and want to ease into the sport, you may perform a 4-day training split with dedicated deadlift, squat, and bench press days, in addition to a hypertrophy (also known as muscle growth) day.
If you aim to gain strength and muscle, your 4-day training split may be focused on push and pull motion patterns, with two days devoted to each. It can also be divided into upper- and lower-body sessions to prevent the same muscle groups from back-to-back training.
Also read: Best Bro Split Workout Plan to Maximize Training Volume
What To Include in a 4-Day Workout Split
It's typical to divide your 4-day workouts into push-pull splits (two days of "pushing" and two days of "pulling", targeting the same muscle group) or upper-lower splits (two sessions of upper- and two sessions of lower-body activity to build muscle).
To simplify your split, alternate training periods between upper- and lower-body days, then combine all of your primary movement patterns (such as the push, squat, pull, lunge, hinge, brace, and carry) during the week.
This 4-day exercise split guarantees that you engage all your major and smaller muscle groups while improving your functional fitness.
Your workout should include two compound movements (moves that use multiple joints), 2 to 3 accessory activities (multi-joint motions that enhance and help you progress on more substantial compound lifts), and 2 to 3 isolation exercises (moves that use only one joint).
However, remember that there is no single best 4-day exercise split.
"Don't get caught down in determining the ideal number or type of motions to do. Choose a program that is enjoyable for you, gets you to the threshold, and that you can stick with."
- Kirsten Yovino, Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist
Listen to your body and modify your 4-day training schedule as needed.
If you're recuperating well but not seeing results, add extra training volume, whether additional sets, repetitions, or moves.
Benefits of a 4-Day Split
A 4-day split for your training regimen will provide several advantages. Here are the top reasons you should train with a 4-day workout routine.
The 4-Day Workout Splits Provide Enough Time To Rest
The major advantage of this program is that it provides ample recuperation time during the week.
Among the most important factors determining a program's performance is whether or not it allows expert, beginner, or intermediate lifters ample recovery between training sessions.
"If you finish a lower-body exercise on Monday, for instance, you must refrain from doing any further lower-body activities until Thursday. You won't necessarily damage yourself if you don't take this break, but you could discover that you're a bit too tired to lift the weight you want to raise or advance from the week before."
- Erin Taylor, NASM Certified Personal Trainer
A 4-Day Schedule Allows You to Exercise Hard
In addition to providing proper recovery, a 4-day exercise split is planned so that you may come in and work out intensely every session.
You're more inclined to leave it all out in the gym room if you have many recovery days.
That, and you'll have more energy.
Allow For Flexibility
While a 5- or 6-day workout schedule is the best method to stay on track with your objectives and keep your body moving, sticking to it isn't always feasible.
Doctor's appointments, family obligations, and feelings of exhaustion will derail your plans to go to the gym virtually every day of the week.
I frequently advise clients contemplating these more extensive splits to stick to a 4-day program. The 4-day workout schedules allow you three days of resting space.
They allow you greater scheduling freedom to change things about as life happens.
Allows for Several Split Variations
Because you have four days to work out, you have plenty of time to split your body parts or motions.
You may design a 4-day split program for strength, hypertrophy program, or a mix of the two, such as a power hypertrophy adaptive training (PHAT) or power-building plan.
Related: 7-Day Gym Workout Plan
Why Recovery Is Important
Muscle group breakdown is an important aim of any training session.
Without recovery, a considerable percentage of that activity may be a waste of time. While you're resting, four things happen.
- Protein synthesis: This is what helps you build muscle mass. Because muscle protein production increases by 50% within 4 hours after exercising (such as resistance training), most muscle groups are built during recovery [1].
- Muscle fiber rebuilding: Microtears in muscle fibers are a typical exercise feature, occurring when our muscle groups are stretched. During the recovery process, these fibers can heal and grow stronger [2].
- Fluid Replacement: When we sweat, we lose plenty of fluid. Hydration is essential before, during, and after activity because fluids assist in supplying nutrients to tissues and muscle groups via the bloodstream [3].
- Clearance of metabolic waste products: Acids collect throughout an exercise (via that pesky little proton linked with lactate). Recovery allows the body to restore intramuscular acidity and re-establish intramuscular blood circulation for oxygen delivery, among other things [4].
FAQs
Are 4-Day Splits Effective?
Yes, 4-day splits are effective. 4-day training splits are great for a big group of trainees, particularly those with additional family and job responsibilities.
What Is the Most Successful Workout Split?
The most successful workout split is the Push-Pull-Leg split. This is because all connected muscle groups are exercised together in the same session.
What Are the Big 4 Lifts?
The big four lifts are the squat, overhead press, deadlift, and bench press. These compound motions should account for 90% of every athlete's conditioning program, regardless of skill level.
Supplementing Your 4-Day Workout Split
Trying out a 4-day split training can be a fantastic way to shake up your regular workout regimen and experiment with training volume and recovery.
You may alternate weeks of weightlifting and aerobic training depending on your exercise objectives to keep things interesting and the process moving.
Finding a full-body workout routine that suits your mentality and schedule might be difficult.
So, for those looking for significant gains, the 4-day split exercise given above may be something to try out.
Also, remember to prioritize quality eating habits and use these top-rated post-workout supplements for faster recovery and muscle mass development.
They contain a blend of ingredients proven to be absorbed faster by the body, thus aiding your recovery between sessions.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3381813/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6950543/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK236240/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20544484/
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