Program Summary
| Program Duration | 8-12 Weeks |
| Split Type | Hybrid Split (Upper Lower Mixed) |
| Frequency | Four Days a Week |
| Day 1 | Chest & Triceps |
| Day 2 | Quads, Glute, & Calves |
| Day 3 | Back, Biceps, & Forearms |
| Day 4 | Delts, Hamstrings, & Abs |
| Workout Goal | Strength and Mass Building |
| Target Gender | Male and Female |
| Difficulty Level | Beginners to Intermediate |
| Duration/Session | 60-90 Minutes |
| Alternate Routine | 4 Day Full Body Routine |
Workout Routine Description
This program is based on a hybrid split which involves training both upper and lower parts in each session.
It allows you to work on entire muscle groups within four sessions while providing enough rest between workouts.
This 4 day workout split also involves supersets and drop sets, the different rep-set schemes, that target multiple muscles in a limited time while enhancing your endurance.
If you’re looking for a simple, easy-to-follow, and effective gym workout plan to build muscle and strength, you should try this for a few months.
Pairing this schedule with a good meal program will help you quickly reach your desired fitness goal.
Bodybuilding 4 Day Split for Building Strength and Mass
- Day 1 – Chest and Triceps
- Day 2 – Quads, Glute, and Calves
- Day 3 – OFF
- Day 4 – Back, Biceps, and Forearms
- Day 5 – Shoulder, Hamstring, and Core
- Day 6 – OFF
- Day 7 – OFF
Warm-up: Start your training with 10 minutes of warm-up exercises. Warming-up helps enhance performance and minimize the risk of injuries.
Day 1 – Chest and Triceps
Perform shoulder pass-through, banded pull-apart, and dive bomber push-ups, two sets of 10 reps, to activate your chest and shoulder muscles. Then move to the bench press and perform 20 reps with an empty barbell or light plates. That’s your warm-up for this day.
| Exercises | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat Bench Press | 3 | 12, 10, 8, 10 | 2-3 min |
| Incline DB Bench Press | 4 | 12, 10, 8, 10 | 2-3 min |
| Pec Deck / Cable Fly | 4 | 15, 12, 10, 10 | 2-3 min |
| DB Pullover / Bar Dips | 3 | 10 / failure | 1-2 min |
| Triceps Pushdown | 3 | 15, 12, 10 | 1-2 min |
| Overhead Triceps Extension | 3 | 15, 12, 10 | 1-2 min |
After completing all the sets and reps, you can walk on an inclined treadmill for 5 minutes and do 5 minutes of upper body stretching to end your workout. However, it is optional, and it entirely depends on you.
Day 2 – Quads, Glute, and Calves
Perform front leg swings, lateral leg swings, reverse lunges, and archer squats, two sets of 8-10 reps per side, to improve blood flow around your legs, and then start the following resistance exercises.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leg Extension | 4 | 15, 12, 10, 10 | 1-2 min |
| Back Squat / Hack Squat | 4 | 12, 10, 8, 6 | 3-4 min |
| Machine Leg Press | 3 | 15, 12, 10 | 2-3 min |
| Walking Lunges | 2 | 10 per leg | 1-2 min |
| Barbell Hip Thrust | 3 | 15, 12, 10 | 2-3 min |
| Cable Pull Through | 3 | 12, 10, 10 | 2-3 min |
| Standing Calf Raises | 3 | 20, 15, 15 | 1-2 min |
Take appropriate rest between sets. The goal here is to build muscle and strength, not endurance. So, focus on each set and rep and try to engage your muscles as efficiently as possible.
This leg day can be overwhelming because I’ve done this and it made me exhausted. So, I recommend performing this workout after breakfast if you train in the morning because doing it on an empty stomach can make you weary.
Day 3 – Back, Biceps, and Forearms
Start your third day with two sets of cat-cow stretches (5 reps each), three sets of resistance band deadlifts (10-15 reps), and four sets of three sets of pull-ups (as many reps as possible).
These exercises activate your back muscles and prepare you for intense pull-day exercises.
| Exercises | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lat Pulldown (Prone Grip) | 3 | 15, 12, 10 | 2-3 min |
| Lat Pulldown (Neutral Grip) | 3 | 15, 12, 10 | 2-3 min |
| Bent-over Barbell Row | 3 | 15, 12, 10 | 2-3 min |
| Seated Cable Rowing | 4 | 12, 10, 10 | 2-3 min |
| Low Back Extension | 3 | 20, 15, 15 | 1-2 min |
| Barbell Curl (your any fav exercise) | 3 | 15, 12, 10 | 1-2 min |
| Preacher Curl / Concentration Curl | 2 | 10/arm | 1-2 min |
| Wrist Extension | 3 | 10-15 | 1-2 min |
The back exercises list is extensive but I’ve included only basic but effective ones that most professional bodybuilders use to build thick and broad back. However, you can replace them with ones that work better for you.
After finishing your back and biceps workouts, do these optional stationary bicycling and battle ropes, 5 minutes each, to end your day.
Day 4 – Shoulder, Hamstring, and Core
You’ll focus on your delts, hamstrings, and abdominal muscles in this final session of this 4 day split workout. To train these muscles effectively, I recommend completing this warm-up before going into the main workout:
Single-arm overhead press (1 set of 15 reps per side), single-arm cable lateral raises (1 set of 10 reps per side), high cable reverse fly (1 set of 15 reps), and leg curl (1 set of 20 reps).
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seated Dumbbell Press | 3 | 15, 12, 10 | 2-3 min |
| Smith Machine Overhead Press | 3 | 12, 10, 8 | 2-3 min |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raises | 4 | 15, 12, 10, 10 | 2-3 min |
| Rear Delt Machine Fly | 4 | 15, 12, 10, 10 | 2-3 min |
| Shoulder Shrug + DB Romanian DL | 3 | 15, 12, 10 | 1-2 min |
| Lying/Seated Leg Curl | 4 | 20, 18, 16, 12 | 1-2 min |
| Knee Raises + H2L Chop (Superset) | 2 | 15 & 10/side | 45-sec |
| Cable Crunch + Reverse Crunches | 2 | 15-20 | 45-sec |
Superset shoulder shrug with Romanian deadlift, knee raises with high-to-low cable chop, and kneeling cable crunches with reverse cable crunches. This super-setting will help you train your delts, hamstrings, and abs in a limited time.
Additional Instructions to Use Program Efficiently
- After each set, increase the load by 10 to 15 percent.
- Use weights that are heavy enough for doing the suggested reps and sets, but ensure you maintain good form and feel the contraction during each rep.
- If any exercise is challenging to perform, you can replace it.
- If you need to do more exercises on any training day, you can add them.
- By repeating the same pattern, you will be able to develop strength and mass over time.
- Start this 5-day gym workout schedule if you want to increase your lifting frequency.
- It would be best to replace some exercises in the following weeks. For example, you can do an incline machine press instead of the dumbbell press and cable fly instead of the pec deck fly for the chest muscles.
List of exercises you can use in this 4 days workout plan:
- The Ultimate Barbell Exercises List by Muscle Group
- List of Dumbbell Exercises for Each Muscle
- 30+ Best Smith Machine Exercises of All Time
- The Ultimate List of Cable Machine Exercises
Download The 4 Day Workout Plan PDF
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
-
Is 4 Days a Week Enough to Build Muscle?
Yes, a well-organized 4 day workout routine can help you get strong and muscular if you train consistently, eat nutritious food and supplements (whey protein and creatine monohydrate), and rest well.
-
Can You Do Cardio on Rest Days?
Yes, if you aim to enhance your cardiovascular fitness or shed some fat, you should do steady cardio on rest days. Cardio will also help you improve your performance during weightlifting.
-
Is This Workout Plan Good for Fat Loss?
This 4 day workout schedule can help you bolster your strength and increase your fat-free mass. However, it won’t speed up your fat loss. If you want to get lean and improve your aesthetic, I urge checking this low-calorie meal plan and body recomposition workout.
-
How to Maximize Muscle Growth?
Getting the noticeable result takes time, typically four to six months, depending on how your body responds and how you follow the process.
Here are a few things you should take care of to achieve optimal results:1. Progressive Overload: Increasing load over time is known as progressive overload. It is crucial for muscle growth. To apply this, increase the weight you lift over time or the number of forced sets to promote muscular hypertrophy.
2. Nutrition: Whether you want to lose weight, gain muscles, or look and feel good, your diet should be your top priority. I suggest designing a meal plan using this nutritional recommendation, published on the National Institute of Health website.
3. Recovery: Rest days are as important as training. Rest days help recover trained muscles, reduce the risk of injuries, and enhance performance.
I’ve also designed a customized 12-week Workout plan for serious fitness enthusiasts who want to grow mass, increase strength, and build a defined physique.
