Get my book that goes into depth on how to customize the program and run it long-term! askdrswole.com/ I’ve shared the Excel file in my Facebook group! You can join the group and download it for free: facebook.com/groups/drswole If you’d like a free copy of my exercise substitution lists, follow me on IG (@dr_swole), DM me “exercise selection” and I’ll send you the chapter from my book! It's a perfect complement to my programs
As soon as you said my name, I was like: holy shit that's me. Thanks for answering my question, very informative. This will definitely help with my programming.
I've been doing this for the past two weeks. Using my favourite exercises. And its been great. I have seen that I have more energy now rather than doing the 5 day a week.
Thanks for the great information. I only have 3 days because of work and family commitments. But upper/lower is still the split I love. I either do upper/lower/upper (week 1), then lower/upper/lower (week 2). Or upper/lower and full body. Great tips from this video that I'm going to implement in my routine.
I've been using the 4 day split routine you've included in the video, great results so far. Thinking about increasing to 5 days a week soon with an emphasis on the upper body.
I've been doing this program for 4 times a week (although modified some workouts based on what equipment I had in my home because quarantine) and it's been working amazingly! Thank you for this program, doc :)
Undoubtedly One of the most legit bodybuilding and fitness channels on the web! And I think I speak for all of us who are serious within the bodybuilding/fitness community when I say you are appreciated and guys like you with legit science-based information truly make a difference in people's lives! Keep killing it, bro!
Hello again Doc. I've been following this program for close to 3 months and wanted to give you a feedback. There is a huge difference between now and when I first started. My body looks great and i feel great. For the first time in my life my triceps are growing. My only problem was that my biceps aren't growing but i just realized it's my fault because i screenshotted the second part of the video where you show a modified version(4 days of biceps) :). 2 weeks ago i decided to decrease the biceps volumes to 2 days per week and added a extra chest isolation 2 days a week. I also do extra back moves if I have gas left in the tank. Great program keep up the good work!
Sammy The Black Boga wow, thanks for touching base! That’s really motivating to hear and I’m glad it’s working for you. Gonna share this on my IG story ahah
Sammy The Black Boga are there any issues you’ve run into or other things you’ve changed? I’m writing a book on how to write these kinds of workouts so feedback is really helpful :)
@@DrSwole My only problem was my biceps. I've worked them 4 days a week and I soon realized i didn't give them enough time to recover & grow. Only modification I made is adding extra isolation set work my chest but I don't recommend others to do that because my chest is proportionally bigger than other parts
@@DrSwole Just saw this, sorry! I'm trying to slowly lean down. Doing intermittent fasting too to help me out with that. Been doing this program for a few months. Love it!
I'm so frustrated because you are so underrated! I give instant subscribe to people who really deserve it and you definetly are one of them! I have trained 11 years and have watched maybe thousands of different lifting videos so my standard is high 😃Thank you and keep going bro! 💪🏾
Just came across this video as I've typically been doing a push / pull routine and fancied a change. Great content and easy to follow programme. Liked + Subbed 👍
Watching this convinced me to buy your upper/lower book. I've been running 531 for about 1.5 years and I really like it, but want to try something new and maybe focus on hypertrophy for a while. I've been really liking Upper/Lower splits, so thanks for this!
100% true, this split is insane for hypertrophy and a bit of strenght ( for me ). I have problems recovering if I train two days in a row, even though I eat in a surplus. Right now im fully foccusing on strenght, so 3 days a week. And everything is going amazing Keep up the good content
Ask Dr. Swole Day 1: Squat Bench Row Accessories Day 2: Tempo squat at low weight Overhead press Deadlift Accessories Day 3: Squat Bench Row Accessories Everything is low volume but really high intensity on the compounds, with weekly progressive overload by adding weight. Found out that this works best for me. Added 6 kg to my bench in 3 weeks by lowering volume. I also have two questions or topics: 1: Is there any difference in muscle growth by using progressive overload in adding weight or adding sets or reps 2: It is said that your body turns anabolic after you workout right, could you program it so that you can recover from it but stay anabolic all the day long. I’m in my senior year right now and have nothing to do with human body etc, so sorry If I said something stupid.
RUclips Kijken great questions!! 1. This is actually a heavily debated topic among experts right now. We are not completely sure from the current research yet but you should probably be trying to progress in all 3 of weight, reps, and sets. I’ll be doing some videos on progression soon!
RUclips Kijken how long you stay anabolic is also somewhat debated. It likely depends on how much volume you do. Like you’ll build muscle for longer after a huge workout. I think there is some theoretical argument to training muscles with a higher frequency to restimulate muscle protein synthesis but there isn’t strong evidence for it
Another great layout and one of my favourite splits..I tend to grow very good on this split. I would have a shoulders specific day on a Saturday. hitting my shoulders with high volume low intensity, hitting all the heads from multiple angles.
It's amazing that this is free! I am 14 years old and I have been lifting for 10 months, and I am very glad that there is an experienced lifter and doctor to share their program. One question - If the program says to do something like 5-8 reps, how do I decide whether to do 5 or 8 reps?
been doing for a month and a half this program with 3/7 method on sets that require 6 sets (e.g bench press) seeing amazing results, volume above skies, although I think I might change to 5 day with focus on upper body since I'm starting to feel the fatigue of the extra leg day thanks so much!
I just started this workout and it's definitely a long one. Somewhere between 1 to 2 hours once youre in the swing of things. He also has another version of this (the liftosaur one) that is a lot more reasonable at 20 sets per session.
Love the content! I'm going to try out this split tomorrow. Can you tell me what you do to keep your legs from getting too big? I used to do heavy, low rep sets for legs but stopped working legs completely once they started looking like tree trunks.
BeePlus awesome, let me know how it works for you! If you feel a body part is getting too big you can try dropping the volume. And maybe just do strength work like
Amazing video! Always love a refresher as to why Upper/Lower is an ideal split - your take on the training frequency was super reassuring and informative 👍🏼
@@DrSwole i'm trying to set up an ideal split with the equipment I've got. Full power rack and barbell with weights up to 315lb, bench, dip belt, and gymnastics rings. Took a ton of effort to compile this stuff so I'm looking to put it to best use. Thinking of running a sort of modified U/L split using your advice - Just gotta figure out alternatives to the machine and dumbbell work! Thanks for the reply doc, you made my night.
Hey Doc, just wanted to clarify that assuming i am aiming for hypertrophy, when you suggest an exercise that has high reps (like the preacher curl, which has 12-15 reps) and you mention that the exercise responds well to higher reps, are you still talking in the hypertrophic aspect? I've always thought that for hypertrophy the rep range should be 8-12 and that any higher would just be training endurance. Also, when you suggest the compound exercises should have more sets but lower reps (5-8) are you still tailoring this exercise for hypertrophy? Because wouldn't that make it have more emphasis on strength and not hypertrophy? Thanks a lot for this video it is freaking awesome and so easy to digest! Appreciate your work Doc.
Darryl Ong basically anything from 6-30 reps is going to produce good hypertrophy. I suggest doing about 2/3 of your volume in the 6-12 range for practical reasons
If your still responding to comments, I was wondering what to do for my warmup set. For example, if I do squats, what weight should I start out with and do I include it as an actual set? Hopefully that makes sense 😅
This video is so great! I was on a 6 day push pull leg split even though I’m a beginner so I want to tone it down a bit. I’m at around 22% bodyfat so I want to try and stay around the same weight doing a body recomp. I just have to find some alternatives since I’m at home only with a barbell and dumbbells. Thanks for the help!
Just found the channel! Love the videos! I’m a beginner and the 4 day upper/lower split works best for my schedule and interests! I’m curious, for someone just starting out, would you advise simply sticking to the main push/pull compound movements, and over time start introducing the accessory work like biceps/triceps? Im worried about introducing too much volume at once! Thank you for the great content Dr. Swole!
Ask Dr. Swole Well that’s great to hear! I have about 1-1.5 hours per workout to train so I think I could definitely fit it into my sessions! Do you think the overall volume you presented in this video is sufficient or too much for a novice lifter? Thanks again Doc!
jonnyL771740 that’s great! I’d include it then. The volumes in this video are aimed more at an intermediate athlete although they might work well for you. I’d start with around 10 sets per muscle group per week and titrate up as long as you’re progressing and recovering well
This was a great video, very informative. I was wondering if I could just take say the first day from both the upper and lower programs and just do the same twice? Let me know, thanks!
Hey man, would this be a good programme for muscle building? I have been in the gym about 8/9 months but I feel my progress on my current programme is a bit slow. Thanks In advance👍👍
Another brilliant video. I have only done upper lower splits for the past 2 years. (Not very consistently because of lockdown). I don’t feel the need to stop them with the modifications that can be made especially antagonistic super sets. Very interested in the modified full body next!
been looking at increasing the frequency of my workouts and this is what i was looking for! will start doing it today, adjusting as my cut approaches its end. thanks for putting out such great content!
@@DrSwole my main goal is strength development, but im cutting some fat to start bulking with a better body composition, since i do care about aesthetics.
Simaila Kamara I think there might be some theoretical benefit to spreading things out as much as possible. So splitting up one of the upper-lower pairs. But for the most part it shouldn’t matter
I have a question, for dieting, what is your opinion on eating more during the body parts that require more energy like back or leg day and eating less on smaller body parts like arm day
Great question. I think it can be helpful if it lets you have better training performance on tough days. Too big a calorie difference and you might be suffering on your light days for no good reason. Ultimately what determines weight gain/loss will be your overall calorie balance for the week!
With the more "optimal" split for amount of days u in gym it won't matter because u working more a less same amount with exception of legs that may require more energy 6 days in gym ppl or UL 5 ppl upper lower 4 days ulul 3 days full body 2 days full body 1 day full body U can even do high frequency full body if u advanced for ex. Jeff nipard does 5 day full body
@@hithere1036 Good points and those splits work really well for those numbers of days! I think the benefit of splitting things up among more days is that it may let you do more productive volume over the week
I'd consider a chinup both a back and a biceps exercise. So in your case I'd add up your bicep set count by 4. What is your opinion on that? I really liked how much you take into consideration when planning your program. I'm gonna try this asap!
Great to see another Canadian physician spreading evidence-based exercise content. Keep up the great work and good luck with the rest of residency. I'm a full-time family physician in Ontario. Hopefully we can team up on a video sometime.
@@DrSwole I think it came up as one of the recommended videos below something I was watching. Great to see you finding a way to enjoy your passion outside of the usual heavy demands of residency.
I'm planning to get into consistent lifting in 2022, after getting my nutrition together for the last year. I've been doing Orangetheory for 4 years (not much lifting), but now that I've leaned out due to macro counting, I'm ready to take on a more serious lifting regiment and do a 3-6 month bulk (then a cut again for the latter part of the year). I learned about upper lower splits and think it's the right approach for me, and somehow found you. I like how you structure the workouts! I just joined your FB group so I can download your excel spreadsheets. I want to have my whole plan and schedule ready for after the holidays. I'm going with Tu Sat - upper, Thurs Sun lower, with OTF on Mon, Weds, Fri, and a shorter class one day over the weekend to get some cardio in. Looking forward to you accepting me so I can get started, plus gain whatever knowledge I can from the group!
@@DrSwole Body recomp, get to the last of my fat reduction, and achieve muscle definition. I don’t want to “get big” as they say, just redefine my body. I’m 5’4” and down to 123 from 156. Still can lose more fat but I think it’s time to get closer to maintenance calories, lift consistently, and when it makes sense, lean out with another cut. Thoughts?
Just got to say your videos are amazing! Not just giving a plan but telling how to modify and build your own - brilliant teaching:) just wanted to know what exercise to swap with leg press?
Ah I should have specified I would be using your routine as it already has squats 😂 I was thinking hip thrusts? Isn't a perfect alternative but the volume is still adequate and they would be good for glutes which I hear is important for correcting posture and I'm not a body builder, basically a newbie as I've always been inconsistent aha - appreciate the questions though man! Keep up all the good work 💪💪
Hi Dr. Swole! I've been running this program for a few months and I really love it. One question though: should I go for progressive overload on the accessory movements or focus more on contraction and mind-muscle connection? I tried gradually increasing weight/reps on every movement in the first month, but I feel like it hinders recovery. Hopefully you see this comment, thank you for the great content you put out!
@@DrSwole My main goal is to build muscle in my chest and core as they are the weakest points. Also want to lose some weight. I watched your lean protein video and its also helped me feel better and lose weight. So again thank you for all your great videos.
Thanks for this video, Doc. Gonna give U/L a shot because I am stuck at home working 12+ hours a day (Japanese companies are insane), and find it difficult to pull away often enough despite having a full-on squat rack in my second bedroom.
@@DrSwole Before the pandemic, Push Pull Legs. Tried to continue it during but with the increased hours spent working it is just not practical. I need the flexibility of upper/lower to accommodate my insane hours
Hi Dr Swole, i noticed that your upper lower splits don't have direct rear delt training, is it because the rear delt gets enough stimulation from the other exercises?
Love your content! Have been following this program for about 3 months now and have had some noticiable gains. Thank you for that!!! Do you recommend switching to a different program or tweaking this one a little if things are going well?
@@DrSwole has stagnated a little unfortunately, or the progress is really slow. Though I am not sure if it’s due to nutrition or adaptability. Im tracking all my workouts to ensure progressive overload but also getting to a plateau. But overall made a huge progress within these 3 month
Hey Doc, would you recommend a 4 day Upper lower for a beginner? I trained on and off before the pandemic but just recently went back to the gym. Before I did PPL but felt really burned out. Goal is mass gain
It's my first week, followed the modified, 4x/week version. I started 2 months ago (I was working out 4 years ago conistently) and trying to body recomp. while strengthening my muscles, so burning fat, getting bigger and getting stronger are my main goals right now. For the first week the lower1 took a toll on my legs and it affected my lower2 day, my deadlift and front squats were relatively lower than what I could do (also my gym's bars are kinda trash and I have no strap rn.) Upper1 was great, I'm kind of heavy so hardest part of up1 is chin-ups, I don't do it it weights. Lower1 was also great because I was rested well and did nice squats, but after the squats and RDL's it was hard to do lunges. Up2 was okay I started with OHP because I feel like my delts are weak. Lower2 was trash, I can do 180-200 kg deadlifts at least for 3 reps normally but couldn't do 140kg for 3 reps, both because I'm not used to frequency yet and I was sick. In 2 months (I was doing Push-Pull-Legs) my lifts went like this: Bench Press 60 kg 5x5 to 85kg 4x5. Squat 90 kg to 130 kg 5x5. OHP 30 kg to 60 kg 5x5. While I went from 100 kg to 95 kg. So I'm hyped up what this program will do to my lifts since I was already lifting 4-5 years ago. I'm thinking of adding only forearm days to program maybe 2x week and training like arm wrestlers since it really helps you with rows and deadlifts, I tried it with upper1 day but it took too much time, I also do stretching for 40 minutes after workouts and I can feel the difference in my squats and in my daily life in general I recommend doing stretching.
I’m going to try this out for sure, starting tomorrow since I already went to the gym today but I’m tarting this tomorrow morning !! I like to workout first thing in the am with only preworkout in my system no food since 830 - 9pm the night befour so it’s focusing on fat, then only letting my heart rate get as high as 130bpm to stay in the fat burn zone it’s been working great for me so far but I’m going to try these split days for a change
I want your opinion what you think about a 4 days a week Upper/Lower like you write but instead of biceps and side delts on lower, what you think about adding 1 day for arms+shoulders Upper/Lower +arms/shoulders? I want your opinion about this
Hey sir nice video as always. I just have a question and would be a blessing if you reply. I have an injury on my leg so i can't train them. What would you suggest me 6 days a week?
@@DrSwole lose weight and maintain strength and also gain. Just that I didn’t have a routine as I would go in the gym and just did whatever, but I know everything needs to be structured if you really wanna see results. Your video and explanation def helped mold the structure. New sub here. 👍🏽
@@DrSwole Currently LU LU LU R I tried full body but can't do more than 3 days per week and the final sets are poorly executed. I've been back into lifting for the last three months though...
Brilliant programming. Thanks so much for sharing! How would you progress week by week with this program? Are sets just taken to technical failure or thereabouts? Or would you program a type of scaling intensity?
@@DrSwole Awesome. I'll have a look at those. Thanks man. My goals change throughout the year, but at the moment it's probably a 70/30 split of muscle and strength respectively-though I don't compete. Before the second lockdown in Ireland, I was running PHUL, which is similar to your outline but with less volume and more sets in the 3-5 rep range.
Bill, I am super busy now between teaching, being in a masters and having twin boy toddlers. That being said, I have definitely noticed recovery being more challenging this year with everything going on. I have played with many ways of making my workouts time efficient like spacing things my typical 4 day a week volume between 5 days for 30-40 minute workouts, sticking to 4 days and modifying the way you’ve laid out here so no one workout takes to long, and relying on Myo Reps for my Iso stuff for arms and delts, when possible). That being said any time I switch to 5 days of shorter workouts, I notice my recover is worse than 4 days with moderate volumes. Just curious why that might be even if sets are the same but spread more evenly using the 5th day
@@DrSwole that makes a lot of sense actually. I guess until my recover is better (I.e. done with masters and better sleep) maybe I can try 5 days again...
Looks like a good workout. would modifiy the excersies since I like to do other ones, but im going to try this out next week. Only thing im wondering. is there enouth chest excersies in this workout? 1 seems like its not enouth
Hello, nice routine! I wonder though why are there no any rear delts exercises in most of your workouts, facepulls etc. If you could elaborate on that I'd be pleased :)
Hmm, interesting. I have seen the chest targeted using 2-3 diff exercises but here it seems you have added more sets to the bench press exercise. I usually do 3 sets bench then 3 sets pec-fly or incline bench. Spreading upper and mid chest with incline bench and neutral bench keeps it simple.
Hey man, love the content, just wondering if both upper lower days have to be different exercises or can you have the same on both upper days on lower days?
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Get my book that goes into depth on how to customize the program and run it long-term! askdrswole.com/
I’ve shared the Excel file in my Facebook group! You can join the group and download it for free: facebook.com/groups/drswole
If you’d like a free copy of my exercise substitution lists, follow me on IG (@dr_swole), DM me “exercise selection” and I’ll send you the chapter from my book! It's a perfect complement to my programs
Ask Dr. Swole hi my names carlos, do you assist in making workout plans, and if so, I would like to look into that.
Carlos Rodriguez Ortiz I’m planning on writing some ebooks to go into more detail!
Carlos Rodriguez Ortiz is that something you’d be interested in?
Ask Dr. Swole so the ebook is like your videos but like is reading form?
Carlos Rodriguez Ortiz yes, but I’d provide more program variations and details on how to progress with the program over time
As soon as you said my name, I was like: holy shit that's me. Thanks for answering my question, very informative. This will definitely help with my programming.
Alen Bukvić you’re welcome! I appreciate good questions 👌🏼
Love how this video is from 2019 and youre STILL replying to comments!
Barko just tryna help out my community 💯
Barko what’s your training split like?
@@DrSwole Was doing push/pull/legs up until today. Came to this video for more information on upper/lower and after trying it, I'm impressed.
Barko nice! Glad you found the video
Absolute madlad
I've been doing this for the past two weeks. Using my favourite exercises. And its been great. I have seen that I have more energy now rather than doing the 5 day a week.
Thanks for the great information. I only have 3 days because of work and family commitments. But upper/lower is still the split I love. I either do upper/lower/upper (week 1), then lower/upper/lower (week 2). Or upper/lower and full body. Great tips from this video that I'm going to implement in my routine.
I've been using the 4 day split routine you've included in the video, great results so far. Thinking about increasing to 5 days a week soon with an emphasis on the upper body.
Okay cool!
What results have you seen?
I've been doing this program for 4 times a week (although modified some workouts based on what equipment I had in my home because quarantine) and it's been working amazingly! Thank you for this program, doc :)
Awesome! Glad to hear
What modifications have you made?
wow, great video, straight to the point, everything you need covered in 10min, no nonsense. Thanks a lot!
Tibor Frei thank you! Appreciate the support!
Undoubtedly One of the most legit bodybuilding and fitness channels on the web! And I think I speak for all of us who are serious within the bodybuilding/fitness community when I say you are appreciated and guys like you with legit science-based information truly make a difference in people's lives! Keep killing it, bro!
Thanks my friend!
What are your goals?
Hello again Doc. I've been following this program for close to 3 months and wanted to give you a feedback. There is a huge difference between now and when I first started. My body looks great and i feel great. For the first time in my life my triceps are growing. My only problem was that my biceps aren't growing but i just realized it's my fault because i screenshotted the second part of the video where you show a modified version(4 days of biceps) :). 2 weeks ago i decided to decrease the biceps volumes to 2 days per week and added a extra chest isolation 2 days a week. I also do extra back moves if I have gas left in the tank. Great program keep up the good work!
Sammy The Black Boga wow, thanks for touching base! That’s really motivating to hear and I’m glad it’s working for you. Gonna share this on my IG story ahah
Sammy The Black Boga are there any issues you’ve run into or other things you’ve changed? I’m writing a book on how to write these kinds of workouts so feedback is really helpful :)
@@DrSwole My only problem was my biceps. I've worked them 4 days a week and I soon realized i didn't give them enough time to recover & grow. Only modification I made is adding extra isolation set work my chest but I don't recommend others to do that because my chest is proportionally bigger than other parts
Sammy The Black Boga fair enough! Individual body parts respond to different volume/frequency for different people. Glad you figured it out
Sammy The Black Boga do you have before/after progress pics? I’ll probably be looking for testimonials at some point ahah
Just started nursing school while working full time. This plan is perfect for me dude! Thank you 🙌🙌
Great to hear!
What are your goals?
@@DrSwole Just saw this, sorry!
I'm trying to slowly lean down. Doing intermittent fasting too to help me out with that.
Been doing this program for a few months. Love it!
@@EasyTradingGuide solid!
Thank you for this video! Been gyming consistently for a few months now and have been looking for a good video regarding upper-lower training splits.
Glad you found it!
What are your goals?
I'm so frustrated because you are so underrated! I give instant subscribe to people who really deserve it and you definetly are one of them! I have trained 11 years and have watched maybe thousands of different lifting videos so my standard is high 😃Thank you and keep going bro! 💪🏾
Thanks man! Appreciate the support
Just came across this video as I've typically been doing a push / pull routine and fancied a change. Great content and easy to follow programme. Liked + Subbed 👍
Mohammad Shahid awesome! Thanks for the feedback - let me know how the program goes
Watching this convinced me to buy your upper/lower book. I've been running 531 for about 1.5 years and I really like it, but want to try something new and maybe focus on hypertrophy for a while. I've been really liking Upper/Lower splits, so thanks for this!
Glad it was helpful!
100% true, this split is insane for hypertrophy and a bit of strenght ( for me ).
I have problems recovering if I train two days in a row, even though I eat in a surplus. Right now im fully foccusing on strenght, so 3 days a week. And everything is going amazing
Keep up the good content
RUclips Kijken thanks!! That makes sense. What’s your split set up like?
Ask Dr. Swole
Day 1:
Squat
Bench
Row
Accessories
Day 2:
Tempo squat at low weight
Overhead press
Deadlift
Accessories
Day 3:
Squat
Bench
Row
Accessories
Everything is low volume but really high intensity on the compounds, with weekly progressive overload by adding weight. Found out that this works best for me. Added 6 kg to my bench in 3 weeks by lowering volume.
I also have two questions or topics:
1: Is there any difference in muscle growth by using progressive overload in adding weight or adding sets or reps
2: It is said that your body turns anabolic after you workout right, could you program it so that you can recover from it but stay anabolic all the day long.
I’m in my senior year right now and have nothing to do with human body etc, so sorry If I said something stupid.
RUclips Kijken great questions!! 1. This is actually a heavily debated topic among experts right now. We are not completely sure from the current research yet but you should probably be trying to progress in all 3 of weight, reps, and sets. I’ll be doing some videos on progression soon!
RUclips Kijken how long you stay anabolic is also somewhat debated. It likely depends on how much volume you do. Like you’ll build muscle for longer after a huge workout. I think there is some theoretical argument to training muscles with a higher frequency to restimulate muscle protein synthesis but there isn’t strong evidence for it
Ask Dr. Swole True, there is still so much unknown about the human body
This is excellent. Hidden gem of RUclips. What do you think of 3x days a week. Day 1 (Upper), Day 2 (Lower) and Day 3 (Full Body).
Amar Karia thank you!! And that’s awesome that someone else had the same question ahah
Another great layout and one of my favourite splits..I tend to grow very good on this split. I would have a shoulders specific day on a Saturday. hitting my shoulders with high volume low intensity, hitting all the heads from multiple angles.
Precision Self Protection yeah it’s a great one. More shoulder work would be a very reasonable modification to make! Thanks for the feedback
I’ve honestly been looking for an upper lower split for about 2-3 weeks and the amount of info out there is mad. Hopefully this split suits me.
Glad you found the channel is
Thanks I used to do PPL but I was getting burned out, so this is perfect for me.
aariz how long have you been training for?
Same bro
TensiiNV 👌🏼
@@DrSwole Same thing happened to me, been doing PPL since July so its been about 4 months. Had to switch it up
@@brenmac100 you're doing upper lower now?
It's amazing that this is free! I am 14 years old and I have been lifting for 10 months, and I am very glad that there is an experienced lifter and doctor to share their program.
One question - If the program says to do something like 5-8 reps, how do I decide whether to do 5 or 8 reps?
Really doesn’t matter
Try them out!
@@DrSwole thanks for the quick response!
@@robo9466 cheers
If you're a bit more advanced, adjust the weight so that you're hitting failure or at least almost failure in that range
been doing for a month and a half this program with 3/7 method on sets that require 6 sets (e.g bench press)
seeing amazing results, volume above skies, although I think I might change to 5 day with focus on upper body since I'm starting to feel the fatigue of the extra leg day
thanks so much!
Glad to hear it’s going well!
How long have you been training for?
A 31 set workout will literally take 2+ hours in an empty gym
Exactly. Ludicrous workout plan. Half the exercises and sets and it’s twice as good.
I just started this workout and it's definitely a long one. Somewhere between 1 to 2 hours once youre in the swing of things. He also has another version of this (the liftosaur one) that is a lot more reasonable at 20 sets per session.
It should be around 90 minutes with 90 to 120 seconds of rest between sets.
Lmao u can do 30 sets in an hour.
@@GymLeaderEd😂 tf
Love your split! Have been on this split for about 9 months now, and the progress has been amazing.
Glad to hear it!
Damn bro, your teeth shine brighter than my future. And I'm a doctor.
This is by far the best video explaining the upper/lower split. Everything was covered!
Glad you thought so!
What are your goals?
Love the content! I'm going to try out this split tomorrow. Can you tell me what you do to keep your legs from getting too big? I used to do heavy, low rep sets for legs but stopped working legs completely once they started looking like tree trunks.
BeePlus awesome, let me know how it works for you! If you feel a body part is getting too big you can try dropping the volume. And maybe just do strength work like
Thanks man, you delved deep to into the upper lower concept, I appreciate it!
Thank you very much man, you’re very underrated :)
Mathias Lundgaard thanks man!
Mathias Lundgaard what are your goals?
Amazing video! Always love a refresher as to why Upper/Lower is an ideal split - your take on the training frequency was super reassuring and informative 👍🏼
Leo Stagi thanks for the comment! Glad it was helpful
Leo Stagi how are you training with the pandemic right now?
@@DrSwole i'm trying to set up an ideal split with the equipment I've got. Full power rack and barbell with weights up to 315lb, bench, dip belt, and gymnastics rings. Took a ton of effort to compile this stuff so I'm looking to put it to best use. Thinking of running a sort of modified U/L split using your advice - Just gotta figure out alternatives to the machine and dumbbell work!
Thanks for the reply doc, you made my night.
Leo Stagi oh nice. You can do a LOT with that. And no problem ahah always glad to help. Lmk how it goes 👊🏼
Hey Doc, just wanted to clarify that assuming i am aiming for hypertrophy, when you suggest an exercise that has high reps (like the preacher curl, which has 12-15 reps) and you mention that the exercise responds well to higher reps, are you still talking in the hypertrophic aspect? I've always thought that for hypertrophy the rep range should be 8-12 and that any higher would just be training endurance.
Also, when you suggest the compound exercises should have more sets but lower reps (5-8) are you still tailoring this exercise for hypertrophy? Because wouldn't that make it have more emphasis on strength and not hypertrophy?
Thanks a lot for this video it is freaking awesome and so easy to digest! Appreciate your work Doc.
Darryl Ong basically anything from 6-30 reps is going to produce good hypertrophy. I suggest doing about 2/3 of your volume in the 6-12 range for practical reasons
Darryl Ong more here ruclips.net/video/wbTsYJ0deQI/видео.html
If your still responding to comments, I was wondering what to do for my warmup set. For example, if I do squats, what weight should I start out with and do I include it as an actual set? Hopefully that makes sense 😅
dude.. you deserve more subs 👌
WarCephalon thanks man! Appreciate the vote of confidence
I always see this guy in the comment section. Didn't know you had your own vids. Great stuff.
Thanks and glad you found the channel!
What are your goals?
This video is so great! I was on a 6 day push pull leg split even though I’m a beginner so I want to tone it down a bit. I’m at around 22% bodyfat so I want to try and stay around the same weight doing a body recomp. I just have to find some alternatives since I’m at home only with a barbell and dumbbells. Thanks for the help!
Cleric A glad it helped!
Cleric A how long have you been training for?
@@DrSwole since february, not too seriously and started taking it more seriously around june
Cleric A cool. You got this!
Cleric A I did a video on intensity techniques that will help if you’re training at home ruclips.net/video/1NTAoiDR-hE/видео.html
My favourite split that i been doing now is - Upper Lower Push pull legs, 5 day a week program feels really good
Just found the channel! Love the videos! I’m a beginner and the 4 day upper/lower split works best for my schedule and interests! I’m curious, for someone just starting out, would you advise simply sticking to the main push/pull compound movements, and over time start introducing the accessory work like biceps/triceps? Im worried about introducing too much volume at once! Thank you for the great content Dr. Swole!
jonnyL771740 thanks man! Appreciate the support
jonnyL771740 single joint work isn’t a bad thing in small amounts at your stage. But depends - how much time do you have to train each week?
Ask Dr. Swole Well that’s great to hear! I have about 1-1.5 hours per workout to train so I think I could definitely fit it into my sessions! Do you think the overall volume you presented in this video is sufficient or too much for a novice lifter? Thanks again Doc!
jonnyL771740 that’s great! I’d include it then. The volumes in this video are aimed more at an intermediate athlete although they might work well for you. I’d start with around 10 sets per muscle group per week and titrate up as long as you’re progressing and recovering well
jonnyL771740 and you’re welcome!
Thanks doc! Great video
This was a great video, very informative. I was wondering if I could just take say the first day from both the upper and lower programs and just do the same twice? Let me know, thanks!
dylanyu thanks for the feedback!
dylanyu how long have you been training for? And is there a specific reason like you’re missing equipment?
Thanks bro! This helped me out a tone developing my hypertrophy block, especially for the spreadsheet template. Nice Job!
Henrique Peres glad it helped!
Henrique Peres what are your goals?
@@DrSwole Mainly getting stronger at Squat, Bench, DL and OHP. I plan on competing in powerlifting in the future, just for fun though.
Started a couple weeks ago on this split doing 5 days/week and it's been great! what do you recommend for more intensity on the abs?
Zachary Wichman thanks for the feedback!
Zachary Wichman are you adding weight to them?
This is a masterpiece of a video. Everything straight to the point. Excercises for all muscles. THANKS!!
Glad you appreciate it!
What are your goals?
@@DrSwole Lifting weights for general fitness and a nice physique. Want to be muscular and athletic.
@@putinonahorse solid!
Hey man, would this be a good programme for muscle building? I have been in the gym about 8/9 months but I feel my progress on my current programme is a bit slow. Thanks In advance👍👍
Adam Dunne sure, try it and see!
Adam Dunne just ease in gradually if it’s more than you’re used to
Another brilliant video. I have only done upper lower splits for the past 2 years. (Not very consistently because of lockdown). I don’t feel the need to stop them with the modifications that can be made especially antagonistic super sets. Very interested in the modified full body next!
I gotta try this
Let me know if you do!
@@DrSwole will do bro check out my latest
been looking at increasing the frequency of my workouts and this is what i was looking for! will start doing it today, adjusting as my cut approaches its end. thanks for putting out such great content!
Awesome! Glad you found it
What are your goals?
@@DrSwole my main goal is strength development, but im cutting some fat to start bulking with a better body composition, since i do care about aesthetics.
@@marcomontenegro1713 okay nice! Well I have lots of videos on fat loss in case you need guidance
Hey what about M-upper, T-lower, W-rest, T-Upper, Friday-lower, Saturday Sunday rest
Simaila Kamara that would be fine!
Ask Dr. Swole Thank you
Simaila Kamara no problem
Simaila Kamara I think there might be some theoretical benefit to spreading things out as much as possible. So splitting up one of the upper-lower pairs. But for the most part it shouldn’t matter
Ask Dr. Swole yeahhh your right I will do that
Great video helped me to reorganize my upper body workouts, thanks!
With this program , atm I’m training at home I havnt got enough weight to do 4x5-8 on squats can I do sets of 10 instead
Go for it mate
I have a question, for dieting, what is your opinion on eating more during the body parts that require more energy like back or leg day and eating less on smaller body parts like arm day
Great question. I think it can be helpful if it lets you have better training performance on tough days. Too big a calorie difference and you might be suffering on your light days for no good reason. Ultimately what determines weight gain/loss will be your overall calorie balance for the week!
With the more "optimal" split for amount of days u in gym it won't matter because u working more a less same amount with exception of legs that may require more energy
6 days in gym ppl or UL
5 ppl upper lower
4 days ulul
3 days full body
2 days full body
1 day full body
U can even do high frequency full body if u advanced for ex. Jeff nipard does 5 day full body
@@hithere1036 Good points and those splits work really well for those numbers of days! I think the benefit of splitting things up among more days is that it may let you do more productive volume over the week
@@hithere1036 For example, if you have to do 20 sets of back in one day, the latter 8-10 sets won't be of great quality since you're so fatigued
Challenge : Take a shot 🥃 every time he blinks
What he recommended plus some minor adjustments to fit my preferences
Upper 1:
Bench press
Dumbell OHP
Chin ups
Dumbell Rows
Lat raise
Barbell Curl
Close grip Bench
Barbell Forearm curls
Lower 1:
Squat
RDL
Leg Press
Lunges
Incline Calf raises
Cable Raises
Abs
Upper 2:
Incline Bench
OHP
Barbell row
Lat pulldown
Cable lateral raise
Dumbell Curl
Skull crushers
Reverse Barbell Forearm curls
Lower 2
Deadlift
Front Squat
Leg Extensions
Leg Curl
Calf raise
Lateral raise
Abs
Thanks for sharing!
Jeez. This is a lot of volume, lol.
Jerry yeah ahah it’s set for more of an intermediate-advanced athlete
@ANDREW KING 31 sets is complete overkill
Thanks man I'm gonna follow this from today
This is the most trash program I've seen
why?
Literally saving lives here!
Thanks man!
I really think this is a excellent choice.
I wish I could give you more than 1 like Dr.Swole. Thanks for a great template program.
You're welcome!
Help me share the channel around 👌🏼
I'd consider a chinup both a back and a biceps exercise. So in your case I'd add up your bicep set count by 4. What is your opinion on that?
I really liked how much you take into consideration when planning your program. I'm gonna try this asap!
Great to see another Canadian physician spreading evidence-based exercise content. Keep up the great work and good luck with the rest of residency. I'm a full-time family physician in Ontario. Hopefully we can team up on a video sometime.
Dr. Aric Sudicky that’s awesome man! How’d you find me? Lol
@@DrSwole I think it came up as one of the recommended videos below something I was watching. Great to see you finding a way to enjoy your passion outside of the usual heavy demands of residency.
Dr. Aric Sudicky cool! Yes I’m finding a way!
awesome layout.. I’m going to try this, thank you mate
Cheers man!
What were you following before?
I treally enjoyed your video. This was very helpful.
I'm planning to get into consistent lifting in 2022, after getting my nutrition together for the last year. I've been doing Orangetheory for 4 years (not much lifting), but now that I've leaned out due to macro counting, I'm ready to take on a more serious lifting regiment and do a 3-6 month bulk (then a cut again for the latter part of the year). I learned about upper lower splits and think it's the right approach for me, and somehow found you. I like how you structure the workouts! I just joined your FB group so I can download your excel spreadsheets. I want to have my whole plan and schedule ready for after the holidays. I'm going with Tu Sat - upper, Thurs Sun lower, with OTF on Mon, Weds, Fri, and a shorter class one day over the weekend to get some cardio in. Looking forward to you accepting me so I can get started, plus gain whatever knowledge I can from the group!
Awesome! Glad you found the group
What's your ultimate goal?
@@DrSwole Body recomp, get to the last of my fat reduction, and achieve muscle definition. I don’t want to “get big” as they say, just redefine my body. I’m 5’4” and down to 123 from 156. Still can lose more fat but I think it’s time to get closer to maintenance calories, lift consistently, and when it makes sense, lean out with another cut. Thoughts?
Just got to say your videos are amazing! Not just giving a plan but telling how to modify and build your own - brilliant teaching:) just wanted to know what exercise to swap with leg press?
George Bassett thanks for the feedback! Means a lot. Any squat variation would be prime
George Bassett are you a bodybuilder as well?
Ah I should have specified I would be using your routine as it already has squats 😂 I was thinking hip thrusts? Isn't a perfect alternative but the volume is still adequate and they would be good for glutes which I hear is important for correcting posture and I'm not a body builder, basically a newbie as I've always been inconsistent aha - appreciate the questions though man! Keep up all the good work 💪💪
George Bassett hip thrusts are more of a posterior chain movement. Try something like split squats if you don’t have machines?
George Bassett yeah I forgot you’d be start with squats anyways ahah
This channel is very UNDERRATED
he is really good
Thanks so much man!
WhAt are your goals?
@@DrSwole well, i like to Be all Around, bit lean athletic and strong as an ox
Hi Dr. Swole! I've been running this program for a few months and I really love it. One question though: should I go for progressive overload on the accessory movements or focus more on contraction and mind-muscle connection? I tried gradually increasing weight/reps on every movement in the first month, but I feel like it hinders recovery. Hopefully you see this comment, thank you for the great content you put out!
Awesome! Focus on overload. If you’re getting really fatigued over weeks you may need a deload
I’ve a video on those
@@DrSwole Okay, I'll plan in a deload every now and then. Thank you so much for the reply!
@@SupremeSepi cheers
I like high frequency routine and do 6 days upper lower split. Valuable information 👍
Glad you find the information valuable. Help me share the channel around 👌🏼
Great video, your videos are very helpful and easy to follow.
NIkolas Zafiropoulos thanks man!
NIkolas Zafiropoulos what are your fitness goals?
@@DrSwole My main goal is to build muscle in my chest and core as they are the weakest points. Also want to lose some weight. I watched your lean protein video and its also helped me feel better and lose weight. So again thank you for all your great videos.
NIkolas Zafiropoulos wow that’s great to hear that my content is making a difference!
NIkolas Zafiropoulos appreciate it ahha help me share the channel around 👌🏼
dr swole is the man
Jelena Bjeletic thanks ahah appreciate it
Jelena Bjeletic help me share the channel around!
You deserve more subs.
Derrick Wong thanks man!! Share the channel around haha
Re-watched this video after the templates were shared yesterday. Great info!
Awesome! Glad you found it
What are your goals?
@@DrSwole question but should I do less sets as I am 14 years old
@@ryuseiterakado7378 yes, I’d start with less sets and gradually add in til you find what works best
@@ryuseiterakado7378 I discuss volume here ruclips.net/video/ZQ8h2zau0Ko/видео.html
Thanks for this video, Doc. Gonna give U/L a shot because I am stuck at home working 12+ hours a day (Japanese companies are insane), and find it difficult to pull away often enough despite having a full-on squat rack in my second bedroom.
Upper lower is a great set up!
What split were you following before?
@@DrSwole Before the pandemic, Push Pull Legs. Tried to continue it during but with the increased hours spent working it is just not practical. I need the flexibility of upper/lower to accommodate my insane hours
@@RoyalFizzbin fair enough. I find it really helps to have the extra days off in terms of scheduling
Thank you so much Dr, this is so clear and easy to follow! 🙏🏻
You're very welcome!
This is great and really practical info, great work mate. 👏👏👏
Thanks man!
What are your goals?
Bro you fr know what your talking about great video man😁
NBA most wanted thanks man! Appreciate it!
Awesome routine! What would you recommend removing if I wanted to prioritize my chest development?
Whatever muscles groups are already strong points for you
@@DrSwole Thank you!
Hi Dr Swole, i noticed that your upper lower splits don't have direct rear delt training, is it because the rear delt gets enough stimulation from the other exercises?
Love your content! Have been following this program for about 3 months now and have had some noticiable gains. Thank you for that!!! Do you recommend switching to a different program or tweaking this one a little if things are going well?
Awesome to hear
How’s your progress at the moment?
@@DrSwole has stagnated a little unfortunately, or the progress is really slow. Though I am not sure if it’s due to nutrition or adaptability. Im tracking all my workouts to ensure progressive overload but also getting to a plateau. But overall made a huge progress within these 3 month
@@andrewrizk4040 ahh okay if it’s stalled much be worth making changes
Hey Doc, would you recommend a 4 day Upper lower for a beginner? I trained on and off before the pandemic but just recently went back to the gym. Before I did PPL but felt really burned out. Goal is mass gain
Thanks for this man
youre a legend brother. Thank you
It's my first week, followed the modified, 4x/week version. I started 2 months ago (I was working out 4 years ago conistently) and trying to body recomp. while strengthening my muscles, so burning fat, getting bigger and getting stronger are my main goals right now. For the first week the lower1 took a toll on my legs and it affected my lower2 day, my deadlift and front squats were relatively lower than what I could do (also my gym's bars are kinda trash and I have no strap rn.)
Upper1 was great, I'm kind of heavy so hardest part of up1 is chin-ups, I don't do it it weights.
Lower1 was also great because I was rested well and did nice squats, but after the squats and RDL's it was hard to do lunges.
Up2 was okay I started with OHP because I feel like my delts are weak.
Lower2 was trash, I can do 180-200 kg deadlifts at least for 3 reps normally but couldn't do 140kg for 3 reps, both because I'm not used to frequency yet and I was sick.
In 2 months (I was doing Push-Pull-Legs) my lifts went like this:
Bench Press 60 kg 5x5 to 85kg 4x5.
Squat 90 kg to 130 kg 5x5.
OHP 30 kg to 60 kg 5x5.
While I went from 100 kg to 95 kg.
So I'm hyped up what this program will do to my lifts since I was already lifting 4-5 years ago. I'm thinking of adding only forearm days to program maybe 2x week and training like arm wrestlers since it really helps you with rows and deadlifts, I tried it with upper1 day but it took too much time, I also do stretching for 40 minutes after workouts and I can feel the difference in my squats and in my daily life in general I recommend doing stretching.
Hope it works well for you!
I’m going to try this out for sure, starting tomorrow since I already went to the gym today but I’m tarting this tomorrow morning !! I like to workout first thing in the am with only preworkout in my system no food since 830 - 9pm the night befour so it’s focusing on fat, then only letting my heart rate get as high as 130bpm to stay in the fat burn zone it’s been working great for me so far but I’m going to try these split days for a change
Cool! Hope it works for you
What are your fitness goals?
I’m going to try this routine next week, let’s see what’s results I’ll get, I’ll try to update in December.
Nice! Lmk
I want your opinion what you think about a 4 days a week Upper/Lower like you write but instead of biceps and side delts on lower, what you think about adding 1 day for arms+shoulders
Upper/Lower +arms/shoulders?
I want your opinion about this
Hey sir nice video as always. I just have a question and would be a blessing if you reply. I have an injury on my leg so i can't train them. What would you suggest me 6 days a week?
Great program!
The only thing i would do different is hit flat and incline bench on both upper days.
Dumbbell or barbell variation.
Thanks for the input!
I separated them because I find it can help to save time on warmup sets
Awesome Video and thanks for explaining thoroughly !!
Glad it was helpful!
What are your goals?
@@DrSwole lose weight and maintain strength and also gain. Just that I didn’t have a routine as I would go in the gym and just did whatever, but I know everything needs to be structured if you really wanna see results. Your video and explanation def helped mold the structure. New sub here. 👍🏽
@@robmeister3928 Glad it helped! Having a structured way of going about things definitely helps
Great video! I’m still a little disorganized but this makes it much easier to visualize.
Glad to hear it was helpful!
What split are you using?
@@DrSwole Currently LU LU LU R I tried full body but can't do more than 3 days per week and the final sets are poorly executed. I've been back into lifting for the last three months though...
@@williamharding1319 upper lower is a great setup!
@@DrSwole Thanks Doc, I appreciate it! I wish I'd had your videos in college. Bro split years...
Thanks for the concise and informative video
You’re welcome man!
What are your goals?
Brilliant programming. Thanks so much for sharing!
How would you progress week by week with this program? Are sets just taken to technical failure or thereabouts? Or would you program a type of scaling intensity?
Great questions and I have videos on all of those topics! Progressive overload schemes here: ruclips.net/video/yZS_kkNasI4/видео.html
And I discuss failure training here: ruclips.net/video/BbKWImbzGAs/видео.html
What are your goals?
@@DrSwole Awesome. I'll have a look at those. Thanks man.
My goals change throughout the year, but at the moment it's probably a 70/30 split of muscle and strength respectively-though I don't compete. Before the second lockdown in Ireland, I was running PHUL, which is similar to your outline but with less volume and more sets in the 3-5 rep range.
@@angrygoldfish ahh okay. PHUL..?
that's a great video! very informative.
Cheers!
Just found out about your channel, I am a medical doctor as well :) great content, keep up the good work
Ahmad Shokry awesome, glad you found the channel! Are you a bodybuilder as well?
@@DrSwole I have been going to the gym for about two years now, I acquired a decent physique but not to the degree of calling myself a bodybuilder
Ahmad Shokry okay cool! Looking forward to hearing about your progress!
Bill, I am super busy now between teaching, being in a masters and having twin boy toddlers. That being said, I have definitely noticed recovery being more challenging this year with everything going on. I have played with many ways of making my workouts time efficient like spacing things my typical 4 day a week volume between 5 days for 30-40 minute workouts, sticking to 4 days and modifying the way you’ve laid out here so no one workout takes to long, and relying on Myo Reps for my Iso stuff for arms and delts, when possible). That being said any time I switch to 5 days of shorter workouts, I notice my recover is worse than 4 days with moderate volumes. Just curious why that might be even if sets are the same but spread more evenly using the 5th day
Some people just do better with more rest days. It might be that you end up pushing harder when you have it spread over 5 days as well
@@DrSwole that makes a lot of sense actually. I guess until my recover is better (I.e. done with masters and better sleep) maybe I can try 5 days again...
@@RyanJCherry yeah that would be reasonable
Great video man. Got a question, how would you recommend altering the program to fit the 5 day upper focus?
I have a 5 day UL program out!
ruclips.net/video/f0ngQxqz31Y/видео.html
Looks like a good workout. would modifiy the excersies since I like to do other ones, but im going to try this out next week. Only thing im wondering. is there enouth chest excersies in this workout? 1 seems like its not enouth
I started doing upper lower 6 days. Came off from FBW . Not going to lie I'm getting them gainz baby .
After 6 weeks of this might do a 5 by 5 .or FBW push and pull 6 days. . . Push will be chest shoulders quads and triceps
Glad it’s working for you
How long have you been training for?
@@DrSwole upper lower like 3 weeks. I make sure to leave one or two reps in the tank to be able to come back in 48 hours to hit muscle again 😀
@@tonyvee5799 okay cool. Lots of gains for you to come!
Hello, nice routine! I wonder though why are there no any rear delts exercises in most of your workouts, facepulls etc. If you could elaborate on that I'd be pleased :)
I answer that here ruclips.net/video/hrg1xiXpTOs/видео.html
Hmm, interesting. I have seen the chest targeted using 2-3 diff exercises but here it seems you have added more sets to the bench press exercise. I usually do 3 sets bench then 3 sets pec-fly or incline bench. Spreading upper and mid chest with incline bench and neutral bench keeps it simple.
Lots of different ways to do it!
Hey man, love the content, just wondering if both upper lower days have to be different exercises or can you have the same on both upper days on lower days?
You can have the same exercises! As long as you have enough variety in the program overall