{
  "slug": "upper-lower",
  "name": "Upper / lower",
  "aliases": [
    "upper lower split",
    "phul",
    "4 day split",
    "upper lower 4 day"
  ],
  "family": "lift",
  "heat": "high",
  "talk": "Lots of talk",
  "mostDiscussed": false,
  "firstLine": "An upper/lower split separates upper-body and lower-body strength work into different sessions.",
  "whyLine": "People compare weekly schedules, exercise coverage and session length, including how the same split fits changing work schedules or gaining and cutting phases.",
  "feelWords": [
    "upper lower",
    "four-day split",
    "PHUL",
    "upper day"
  ],
  "commonPicture": [
    {
      "lead": "Four-day example: upper / lower / rest / upper / lower",
      "why": "Other accounts group consecutive days; the calendar and exercise overlap determine frequency. [community]"
    },
    {
      "lead": "Major lifts plus accessory work",
      "why": "Upper sessions include presses and rows; lower sessions include squats and hinges. [community]"
    },
    {
      "lead": "Session reports: about 50–75 minutes",
      "why": "Exercise selection, rest periods and equipment waits affect the visit. [community]"
    }
  ],
  "watchFor": "Turning every upper day into a second chest day. Copying a 6-day volume list onto 4 days.",
  "whatPeopleSay": [
    "**The job:** A split for people with a job and a second upper day. [community]",
    "**PHUL (Power Hypertrophy Upper Lower)** is a named version with strength-focused and muscle-building-focused upper and lower sessions. [community]",
    "**Compared with six-day push/pull/legs (PPL):** a four-day upper/lower schedule requires fewer gym visits. [community]",
    "**Why it wins vs full body:** they get more chest and arm room without living in the gym. [community]",
    "**r/fitness 2020s** often answers “4 days, what split?” with upper/lower. [community]",
    "**The failure mode:** Monday upper is a bro chest day; Thursday upper is the same chest day again. [community]",
    "**Exercise emphasis varies:** some women’s discussions include more hinge, lunge or glute-focused supporting work while keeping the upper/lower split. [community]",
    "**After 40:** four days with real rest beats six days of junk fatigue. [community]",
    "**It pairs with a cut** better than 6-day PPL for a lot of diaries. [community]",
    "**You can progressive-overload here.** It is a split, not a vacation from adds. [community]",
    "**Four-day 5/3/1** can place upper- and lower-body main lifts on separate days, but assistance may cross those regions. Its named template determines the actual split. [community]"
  ],
  "howPeopleRunIt": [
    "**Upper A:** bench focus + row + accessories. [community]",
    "**Upper B:** press or incline focus + a second row/pull-up. [community]",
    "**Lower A:** squat focus + a hinge accessory. [community]",
    "**Lower B:** hinge / deadlift focus + a squat accessory. [community]",
    "**They do not skip Lower B.** That is the “I only squat” trap. [community]",
    "**Rest days are between the pairs** if sleep is thin. [community]",
    "**If they miss a day:** they do the next half, they do not stack two uppers. [community]"
  ],
  "amountsPeopleUse": [
    "**Days:** **4** is the familiar upper/lower/upper/lower week. A rotating **3-day** schedule can still alternate upper and lower sessions; it is not automatically full-body training. [community]",
    "**Session:** **50–75 minutes**. [community]",
    "**Main lifts:** **3–5** sets. [community]",
    "**Accessories:** **3–5** after the mains, not nine. [community]",
    "**Weekly:** each big pattern about **2** times. [community]"
  ],
  "howPeopleKeepIt": [
    "**A repeating A/B card** in the notes app. [community]",
    "**A rest day after lower** if the hinge wrecks them. [community]",
    "**Same mains for a block.** Accessories can rotate. [community]",
    "**A life week:** two days (one upper, one lower) still counts. [community]",
    "**They stop adding a fifth “arms day.”** [community]"
  ],
  "howItFeels": [
    "**Week one:** more sore than 3-day, less chaotic than 6-day. [community]",
    "**Upper days:** the fun ones for bench people. [community]",
    "**Lower B:** the character-building day. [community]",
    "**A good month:** they stop talking about splits. [community]",
    "**A bad month:** they turn it into PPL by sneaking in extra push days. [community]",
    "**Vs PPL:** weekends feel like weekends again. [community]"
  ],
  "howLongPeopleRunIt": [
    "**Months to years.** It is a default adult split. [community]",
    "**A block of 8–12 weeks** before they change accessories is plenty. [community]",
    "**They can stay here** through a bulk and a cut. [community]",
    "**Graduation is optional.** [community]"
  ],
  "deepDive": [
    "**PHUL** if they want a named power/hypertrophy twist. [community]",
    "**PPL** if they truly have 6 recoverable days. [community]",
    "**Full body** if 4 days is already a lie. [community]",
    "**5/3/1 4-day** if they want percentages on the mains. [community]",
    "**Attendance and exercise grouping are separate:** “four days” describes the schedule, while upper/lower describes which areas each session trains. [community]"
  ],
  "watchForLong": [
    "**Two identical chest days is not upper/lower.** [community]",
    "**Do not paste a 6-day accessory list into 4 days.** [community]",
    "**Skipping lower is a different split.** [community]",
    "**Four days of junk sleep is not a 4-day program.** [community]",
    "**Joint pain that repeats on the same day is a stop, not a new variation.** [community]"
  ],
  "related": [
    "ppl",
    "five-three-one",
    "first-gym-week",
    "deload-week",
    "lift-after-40"
  ],
  "researchPointer": [],
  "housePointers": [
    {
      "href": "/fit/#full-body-three",
      "label": "STUDfit · Lift 2–4 days"
    }
  ],
  "playPointer": null,
  "sources": [
    "r/fitness 4-day split threads",
    "PHUL writeups",
    "Lift Vault upper/lower"
  ],
  "disclaimer": "Community talk may be wrong. Not medical, training, or diet advice. Sharp pain, fainting, or disordered-eating concerns need a clinician.",
  "quickAnswerHistory": [
    {
      "field": "commonPicture",
      "rows": [
        {
          "lead": "60–75 minutes",
          "why": "Two body-halves still make a long session if accessories sprawl. [community]"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "field": "amountsPeopleUse",
      "rows": [
        "**Days:** **4**. **3** means they are really on full body with extra steps. [community]"
      ]
    },
    {
      "field": "whatPeopleSay",
      "rows": [
        "**PHUL** (Power Hypertrophy Upper Lower) is the named Reddit cousin: one power upper, one hyper upper, same for lower. [community]",
        "**Why it wins vs PPL:** four days is a week many humans actually have. [community]",
        "**Women’s rooms** run the same split with more hinge / lunge / glute T2s. It is still upper/lower. [community]",
        "**5/3/1 four-day** is upper/lower in a percentage costume. [community]"
      ]
    },
    {
      "field": "firstLine",
      "rows": [
        "Upper / lower is the 4-day split people pick when 6-day PPL will not fit and 3-day full body feels small."
      ]
    },
    {
      "field": "whyLine",
      "rows": [
        "Upper / lower is the 4-day split people pick when 6-day PPL will not fit and 3-day full body feels small."
      ]
    },
    {
      "field": "commonPicture",
      "rows": [
        {
          "lead": "4 days: Upper / Lower / rest / Upper / Lower",
          "why": "The default week. [community]"
        },
        {
          "lead": "Or Upper / Lower / Upper / Lower with weekend off",
          "why": "Same math, different rest. [community]"
        },
        {
          "lead": "Each muscle ~2× / week",
          "why": "The reason people leave a bro-split. [community]"
        },
        {
          "lead": "Compounds first",
          "why": "Bench and row on upper; squat and hinge on lower. [community]"
        },
        {
          "lead": "Session reports: 50–75 minutes",
          "why": "The exercise list, rest periods and equipment waits affect the length. [community]"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "field": "deepDive",
      "rows": [
        "**Self lift 2–4** is the habit wrapper. [community]"
      ]
    }
  ]
}