Workout plans7 min read

A four-day upper/lower plan

An example week with two upper-body and two lower-body sessions, without making every day a maximum effort.

Arrange the week

One option is upper on Monday, lower on Tuesday, upper on Thursday and lower on Saturday. The days themselves do not matter; the spacing and your ability to repeat them do.

This example assumes some experience with resistance training. Use familiar machines or dumbbells in place of movements you cannot perform comfortably. The sets below are working sets; prepare with progressively heavier warm-up sets where needed.

Upper A

ExerciseSetsReps
Bench press36–8
Chest-supported row38–12
Lat pulldown28–12
Dumbbell shoulder press28–10
Cable triceps extension210–15
Dumbbell curl210–15

Lower A

ExerciseSetsReps
Squat or leg press35–8
Romanian deadlift26–8
Seated leg curl210–15
Calf raise210–15
Cable crunch210–15

Upper B

ExerciseSetsReps
Incline dumbbell press38–10
Seated cable row38–12
Assisted pull-up or pulldown28–12
Lateral raise210–15
Overhead triceps extension210–15
Hammer curl210–15

Lower B

ExerciseSetsReps
Trap-bar deadlift or familiar hinge24–6
Split squat or leg press38–10
Leg extension210–15
Lying leg curl210–15
Calf raise210–15

Adjust the work, not just the weight

Allow roughly two to three minutes between demanding compound sets and one to two minutes for smaller accessory exercises, extending rest when needed. These are practical starting points, not a stopwatch test.

Keep several reps in reserve while learning the sessions. If fatigue accumulates, reduce working sets before adding more exercises. You can also substitute a movement that fits your equipment without changing the whole programme.

Set it up in Gorivo

Create an “Upper / Lower” workout group with four separate workouts. Record the load convention for dumbbells in exercise notes. If you swap an exercise during a session, decide afterward whether it should remain a one-off change or update the saved workout.

Gorivo editorial · General guidance for adults. Adapt training and food choices to your circumstances.