Men's Intermediate Gym Program (4-Day Upper / Lower Split)

Program overview

After 6–12 months of steady training, beginner programs stop working as well. This upper/lower split gives each muscle two sessions per week with more volume and a mix of heavy strength work and moderate muscle-building sets.

Days 1 and 2 focus on strength with lower reps on the main lifts. Days 4 and 5 focus on hypertrophy (muscle growth) with moderate weights and higher reps. This combination of heavy and moderate work is sometimes called "power-building" and works well for men who want to look strong and be strong.

Sessions take 60–70 minutes. Track every main lift in a notebook or app and aim to beat your previous numbers.

Equipment needed: Full gym.

Weekly schedule

• Mon: Upper strength
• Tue: Lower strength
• Wed: Rest
• Thu: Upper hypertrophy
• Fri: Lower hypertrophy
• Sat: Cardio 20–30 min
• Sun: Rest

You can move days around to fit your life. Just avoid training the same muscle group hard on two days in a row, and keep at least one full rest day per week.

Warm-up (8–10 minutes, before every workout)

1. 3–5 minutes of easy cardio: brisk walking, marching on the spot, light jumping jacks or cycling.
2. Cat-cow stretch × 8 reps to loosen the spine.
3. World’s greatest stretch × 5 per side to open the hips and upper back.
4. 10 bodyweight squats and 10 glute bridges.
5. 1–2 light warm-up sets of the first exercise of the day.

The workouts

Perform the exercises in order. "Rest" is the time between sets. Click any exercise for animated pictures and step-by-step instructions.

Upper strengthChest, back, shoulders

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Barbell Bench Press	4	5–6	150 sec
Bent-Over Barbell Rows	4	6–8	120 sec
Barbell Overhead Press	3	6–8	120 sec
Pull-Ups	3	6–10	120 sec
Skull Crushers	3	10	60 sec
Barbell Curls	3	8–10	60 sec

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Key exercise of the day: Barbell Bench Press. The bench press is the most popular upper-body exercise in the gym. Give it your best focus while you are fresh.

Lower strengthLegs, hips

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Barbell Back Squats	4	5	180 sec
Romanian Deadlifts	3	8	120 sec
Leg Press	3	10	90 sec
Lying Leg Curls	3	10	60 sec
Standing Calf Raises	4	12–15	45 sec
Hanging Leg Raises	3	10	60 sec

Key exercise of the day: Barbell Back Squats. The barbell back squat is often called the king of exercises. Give it your best focus while you are fresh.

Upper hypertrophyChest, back, arms

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Incline Dumbbell Press	4	8–12	90 sec
Seated Cable Rows	4	10–12	75 sec
Dumbbell Shoulder Press	3	10–12	75 sec
Lat Pulldowns	3	10–12	75 sec
Cable Crossovers	3	12–15	45 sec
Lateral Raises	4	15	45 sec
Triceps Rope Pushdowns	3	12	45 sec
Hammer Curls	3	12	45 sec

Key exercise of the day: Incline Dumbbell Press. Pressing dumbbells on a bench set to 30–45 degrees shifts the work to the upper chest and front shoulders. Give it your best focus while you are fresh.

Lower hypertrophyLegs, glutes

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Barbell Deadlifts	3	5	180 sec
Bulgarian Split Squats	3	10 per leg	90 sec
Leg Extensions	3	12–15	60 sec
Barbell Hip Thrusts	3	10–12	90 sec
Lying Leg Curls	3	12–15	60 sec
Standing Calf Raises	3	15–20	45 sec
Russian Twists	3	15 per side	45 sec

Key exercise of the day: Barbell Deadlifts. The deadlift means lifting a loaded barbell from the floor until you stand tall. Give it your best focus while you are fresh.

Cool-down (5 minutes)

Finish every session with 60 seconds of child’s pose, slow walking and a few deep breaths. Gentle stretching after training will not prevent soreness, but it helps you relax and shift into recovery mode.

8-week progression

Keep a simple training log: date, exercise, weight (or variation) and reps for each set. If a number goes up compared with last week, you are making progress. If you stall for 2–3 weeks on a lift, check your sleep and food first, then swap to a similar exercise for a few weeks.

Cardio and daily steps

Strength training is the base of this program, but cardio supports heart health and fat loss. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity per week (for example 30 minutes of brisk walking, five days a week), which matches the U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines. A daily step goal of 7,000–10,000 is a simple target that also burns a meaningful number of calories without hurting recovery.

If your goal is fat loss, add 2–3 cardio sessions of 20–30 minutes. If your goal is maximum muscle gain, keep cardio easy so it does not interfere with recovery.

Nutrition for this program

Training creates the signal; food provides the building blocks. Three simple rules work for almost everyone:

1. Eat enough protein: about 0.7–1 g per pound of body weight (1.6–2.2 g/kg) per day, spread over 3–5 meals.
2. Set your calories for your goal: a moderate deficit to lose fat, a small surplus to build muscle, maintenance to recomposition. Use our calorie calculator.
3. Eat mostly whole foods: lean meats, fish, eggs, dairy, beans, whole grains, potatoes, fruit and vegetables.

For a ready-made menu, try our 7-day meal plan or get personal numbers with the plan builder.

Recovery: sleep, rest days and soreness

Muscles grow between workouts, not during them. Sleep 7–9 hours per night, take at least one full rest day per week, and manage stress. Mild muscle soreness (DOMS) 24–72 hours after a workout is normal, especially in the first weeks. Light activity such as walking usually helps it fade faster. Sharp joint pain is not normal: stop the exercise and get it checked.

Frequently asked questions

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