GYM ROUTINE: Upper, Lower Split

GYM ROUTINE: Upper, Lower Split

Warm – Up

I recommend getting about 5 minutes of low to moderate intensity aerobic exercise on a treadmill, exercise bike, rower, jumping jacks, running, etc. before your workout really begins.

Then, once the muscle are properly warmed up and primed for movement, it is important to do a little light dynamic stretching through a full range of motion … with some simple bodyweight exercises to stretch, and get the muscles ready to handle the external forces of the upcoming workout. These could be air squats, lunges, push ups, lateral squats, glutes/hip bridges, etc.

Once the aerobic warm up and dynamic stretching are both done, your body is ready for physical activity …and now it’s time to get into the workouts!

UPPER, LOWER SPLIT

Combining all upper body and all lower body into separate workouts is a great way to keep things simple and effective.

Basically, you will alternate doing an upper body workout one day, and lower body workout the next. You could incorporate rest days and active rest days throughout the week as needed.

To start, I typically have someone do two days of upper body and two days of lower body per week. In the future, whenever you are more advanced, you could add in a third upper body day and a third lower body day, if you wanted.

Example Split
Monday – Upper
Tuesday – Lower
Wednesday – Rest
Thursday – Upper
Friday – Lower
Saturday – Rest
Sunday – Rest

UPPER (DAY 1)

Bench Press 3 x 8-12
Barbell Row 3 x 8-12
Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press 3 x 8-12
Cable Flys 2 x 10-12
Wide-Grip Lat Pull-Down 2 x 10-12
Side Lateral Raise 2 x 10-12
Cable Tricep Pushdown 3 x 10-12
EZ Bar Curl 3 x 10-12

LOWER (DAY 1)

Squats 3 x 8-12
Romanian Deadlifts 3 x 8-12
Walking Lunges 2 x 10-12
Leg Curls 2 x 10-12
Leg Extensions 2 x 10-12
Standing Calf Raises 3 x 10-15
Planks 3 – 30 second holds

UPPER (DAY 2)

Incline Dumbbell Bench 3 x 8-12
One Arm Dumbbell Row 3 x 8-12
Military Press 3 x 8-12
Incline Machine Press 2 x 10-12
Cable Rows 2 x 10-12
Upright Row 2 x 10-12
Dumbbell Curls 3 x 10-12
Skull Crushers 3 x 10-12

LOWER (DAY 2)

Hack Squat 3 x 8-12
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift 3 x 8-12
Leg Press 3 x 8-12
Alternating Reverse Lunge 2 x 10-12
Seated leg Curl 2 x 10-12
Seated Calf Raise 2 x 10-12
Cable Crunches 3 x 10-15