Nishaana
Upper lower generator — build your split.
An upper/lower split trains the upper body (chest, back, shoulders, arms) and lower body (quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves) on separate days. Pick your days per week and level below and this generator lays out the full week with every exercise, sets and reps. Free in your browser, no signup.
How this upper/lower plan works
This generator builds an upper/lower split by alternating upper-body and lower-body sessions across the week, using two upper and two lower templates so a four-plus-day plan never repeats an identical workout. More days raise each muscle's weekly frequency; higher levels add sets per exercise.
The split's advantage is balance. Grouping the whole upper body on one day and the whole lower body on the next means each muscle is hit hard and then gets at least 48 hours before it is trained again — enough recovery to train it twice a week, which research favours over once-weekly frequency for muscle growth. Because there are only two session types, the volume per workout is higher than push pull legs, which is exactly why upper/lower fits a four-day week so well.
Days per week decides the layout. Four days runs upper, lower, upper, lower with the two templates (upper A / lower A / upper B / lower B). Three days alternates the four sessions over a rolling two-week block. Five and six days add extra upper or lower sessions for lifters who can recover from them. Your level scales volume: the generator prescribes fewer accessory sets for beginners and more working sets on the core compounds for advanced lifters.
The progression model
Progress on an upper/lower split with double progression: work within a rep range, and once you hit the top of every set with clean form, add the smallest load and start again at the bottom of the range. Track every set so you always know the number to beat next time.
- Compounds: add weight first. Beat last session's load or reps on the bench, row, squat, deadlift and press.
- Isolation work: add reps first, then weight. Curls, raises and leg curls respond well to creeping the rep count up before loading.
- Effort target: keep most working sets 1 to 3 reps short of failure. That drives growth without the recovery cost of grinding every set to failure.
- When you stall: if a lift fails to progress for two sessions, deload it by about 10 percent and rebuild over 2 to 3 weeks.
How to use the generated plan
Read the weekly strip to see which session lands on each day, then work top to bottom through each day's table. Warm up to your first compound with two to three ramp-up sets, then follow the sets and reps as printed.
Rest 2 to 3 minutes on the heavy compounds and 60 to 90 seconds on the accessories. Swap any lift you cannot perform for a same-pattern alternative — a press for a press, a hinge for a hinge — from the exercise library so weekly volume per muscle stays intact. When you are ready to run it for real, load the split into the workout tracker and it auto-progresses every week for you.
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Open toolUpper/lower questions.
What is an upper/lower split?
An upper/lower split divides training into upper-body days (chest, back, shoulders, arms) and lower-body days (quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves). Most run it four days a week — two upper, two lower — so every muscle is trained twice, which balances volume, frequency and recovery for size and strength.
How many days a week is upper/lower?
The standard upper/lower split runs four days a week: two upper sessions and two lower. It also scales to three days (alternating over a rolling two-week block), five days (adding an extra upper or lower) or six days for advanced lifters who can recover from the volume.
Is upper/lower better than push pull legs?
Neither is strictly better. Upper/lower fits a four-day week and trains each muscle twice with two big sessions; push pull legs suits five or six days and spreads volume across more, shorter sessions. Pick upper/lower for fewer days and PPL when you can train five or six times a week.
Is an upper/lower split good for beginners?
Yes. A four-day upper/lower is a strong intermediate program and works for late beginners who can train four times a week. True novices often start faster on a three-day full-body plan, then move to upper/lower once linear progress on full body slows.
How many exercises per upper/lower workout?
Plan 6 to 8 exercises on upper days and 5 to 6 on lower days, since the upper body covers more muscle groups. Lead with two or three heavy compounds, then add accessories. That delivers roughly 12 to 18 hard sets per muscle across the week when each is trained twice.
How do you progress on an upper/lower split?
Use double progression: work within a rep range, and once you hit the top of every set with clean form, add the smallest load and reset to the bottom of the range. Log every set, keep most sets 1 to 3 reps short of failure, and deload about 10 percent when a lift stalls twice.
Run your split on autopilot.
Free in your browser — Nishaana pre-fills every set, tracks your lifts, and tells you the exact weight to beat each session so your upper/lower keeps progressing.
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