The Practice and Science of UPPER-LOWER Training

Workouts
Written By Simone Smerilli

In a previous post, we dove into the ins and outs of full-body training. In resistance training, employing a full-body approach is only one of the ways one can train. In this article, we will break down another nowadays-popular training split: the Upper/Lower split. A training split refers to how one divides his/her training sessions in terms of body parts. In an upper-lower training program, we divide the muscle groups into two convenient macro-areas (the upper body and the lower body) and alternate between the two in training. The upper/lower training split is a multi-frequency approach to working out, similarly to the full-body method. Multi-frequency in this context means that each muscle group gets trained multiple times in a week. Multi-frequency programs appear to have the potential to yield great results, especially for beginners and intermediates (Grgic, Schoenfeld, Davies, Lazinica, Krieger, Pedisic, 2018). This is also because training the same muscle group multiple times over a week allows for the spread of training volume on more than one session, preventing junk volume. Fatigue management is an often-underrated training variable. But, sometimes, doing less can be more in the realm of training. Indeed, not being aware of our volume "ceilings" and pushing as hard as possible all the time, mindlessly, can be counterproductive and lead to overtraining. The concept of diminishing returns applies to resistance training too. An upper/lower workout split can be run 4 or 6 times per week or mixed with other workout splits in a hybrid program. This post will address advantages and disadvantages of the upper/lower training split, how to implement an upper/lower workout plan, an example upper-lower program. You can also find references and valuable content to learn more about upper/lower training at the bottom of this page.

Advantages of the upper lower workout split

The upper-lower workout split presents advantages and disadvantages one needs to be aware of to make informed choices as to when and how to implement such an approach to training. Among the advantages of employing an upper/lower workout regimen are:

  • Spreading training volume per muscle group on multiple weekly sessions: is a characteristic of multi-frequency splits that has been pointed out as one of its key advantages in the broad evidence-based fitness community ("evidence-based" means those people, exercise scientists, creators who draw conclusions around the practice of resistance training from scientific sources). Spreading volume on multiple sessions instead of "concentrating" it all in one bout can significantly foster workouts quality, appropriate fatigue management, and minimize the chance of overtraining.

  • Multifrequency approach to training every muscle group: the multi-frequency nature of the upper/lower split makes this approach valuable especially for beginners and intermediates. That is because it allows for more deliberate development of neuromuscular adaptation and the repeated bout effect. Repeating movements frequently provides the possibility to adapt to them more quickly, hence improving our quality of execution, especially crucial in resistance training.

  • Training movement patterns primarily, as opposed to "exercises": there is also an athletic aspect to upper lower training. Normally, this type of split is primarily based on movements as opposed to specific exercises. The main movement patterns include squat, hip hinge, lunge, hip extension, vertical and horizontal pull, vertical and horizontal push, and rotations patterns (transversal plane of motion).

  • The possibility to focus on compound movements for each muscle group first and foremost: the movement-based nature of the upper-lower split also means that there is a heavy focus on compound movements, those exercises that target more than one muscle group: squats, deadlifts, bench press, hip thrust, bent over row, etc. Compound movements are the foundation of every fitness program and journey, and they yield higher "returns on investment", so to speak.

  • Very good fatigue management: separating upper body training from lower body movements can be a great advantage in terms of fatigue management. As a matter of fact, leg exercises (e.g., squat, deadlift, lunges) can be particularly taxing on the nervous system if performed in a full body split, for example. They can influence the level of fatigue of an entire session to the detriment of other muscle groups. Separating upper-body days from lower-body days can bypass this limitation of the full-body split.

Disadvantages of the upper lower split

The disadvantages of using the upper/lower training split include:

  • Not all upper body muscles recover as fast as one another (Israetel, 2021): The capacity to recover highly depends on individual characteristics. Due to the high frequency of the upper/lower split, some upper body muscles (trained together in one session) may lag behind when it comes to recovery. One possible "antidote" to such a risk factor may be the use of movements instead of exercises per sé. Dividing muscle groups based on their anatomical functions allows performing different movement patterns on different upper body training days.

  • Legs and upper body muscles might not recover at the same rate (Israetel, 2021): With the upper-lower split, the same frequency is applied to both upper and lower body muscles. However, these two body parts may have different recovery rates (also based on individual characteristics).

  • Working all the upper body muscles in one session might be a lot (Israetel, 2021): This is especially the case for advanced trainees, who have more work capacity compared to beginners and hence need more volume and intensity. This need for higher amounts of stimuli can turn upper body sessions into unreasonably long ones for advanced athletes, who need to do so just to stimulate the muscles appropriately according to individual MEV and MRV.

Implementing an upper lower training split

The upper-lower workout split is quite flexible. It can be performed either four times a week, or six times a week. The frequency of training depends on our level of "training competence", the time we intend to dedicate to training, as well as individual preferences in terms of how we enjoy working out. Some key variables governing resistance training always apply in this context: progressive overload, muscle damage, metabolic stress, mechanical tension, solid execution form, keeping track of progress, designing a well-thought-after upper/lower program. All of these variables have been taken into account in the upper-lower training program you can find below.

Upper/lower training program

By clicking on the button below, you will get an example of an upper-lower-based program (it also includes dedicated "arms" and "full-body" sessions—which can be removed).

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Simone Smerilli
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