Four days at frequency two: how to split it
Upper and lower twice each. The best result-per-day structure there is.
The layout
Monday upper, Tuesday lower, Thursday upper, Friday lower. Or two days on, one off, two on — whatever fits. Every muscle gets worked twice a week, which is where the difference against once-a-week training shows up.
The second day is not a copy of the first
This is where most people slip. The first upper day carries the heavy horizontal press and the row; the second, the vertical press and the pulldown, at higher reps. The first lower day, squats; the second, hips and something single-leg. Same muscle, different angle and range: that is how volume accumulates without repeating the same fatigue.
How many sets per session
Sixteen to twenty-two hard sets per session is what usually fits in a long hour. Spread 4-6 per big muscle and 2-3 per small one, and across two sessions you are inside the 10-20 weekly range without doing odd maths.
And the other four-day options
Upper/lower is the easiest to keep. Push/pull/legs across four days shifts every week and is harder to follow. Upper/lower plus a weak-point day is the version for someone who already knows what they are missing.
More on Hypertrophy
How many sets a muscle needs per week
The number that decides whether you grow. Not four, not forty.
Close to failure, not always to failure
What RIR is, why you leave one or two reps in the tank, and when to push.
Progress without stalling: double progression
When to add weight, when to add reps, and why not both at once.
How long to rest between sets
Two minutes is not a quirk: it is the reps on your next set.
Once a week per muscle is not enough
Why splitting your volume over two or three days beats one hammering.
Protein: how much and how to spread it
The daily total is what matters. The exact timing, far less than you hear.
This is general information written from the training literature, not medical advice or a personalised plan. If you take medication, have a health condition or something genuinely hurts, the person to ask is a healthcare professional.