Building muscle safely and effectively requires a training program, especially when you’re starting out.
An exercise program will allow you to train in an organized way and help you achieve your fitness goal.
In this article, I’ll share the ultimate 12-week workout plan for beginners who want to build muscle and strength and shape their physique.
This plan is based on an upper-lower split, which involves training the upper and lower body in alternate sessions.
Upper-lower split is a simple and effective physique development exercise regime.
It allows you to train every muscle group effectively and ensures you’ll have decent recovery time between workouts so you can put your best effort into each session.
Program Description
This 12-week program is divided into three phases, four weeks each.
In the first phase, you’ll train three times weekly (two upper body days and one lower body day). It includes mostly gym machine exercises that will build your basic strength and prepare you for free-weight exercises.
The second phase involves training four times weekly, two sessions each for the upper and lower body. With one additional leg day, this phase allows you to equally focus on the upper and lower body and build a muscular physique.
The last phase includes five sessions per week, three for the torso and two for the legs. With five sessions per week, this phase will continue challenging your muscles to work hard for four consecutive weeks.
This ultimate routine will help you bolster your fundamental strength, build lean mass, enhance your bodily appearance, and scale your fitness to the next level.
Split Type | Upper-Lower Split |
Program Duration | 12 Weeks |
Workout Goal | Physique Development |
Experience Require | None (Beginners) |
Sessions/Week | 3-5 Days |
Duration/Session | 60-75 minutes |
Target Gender | Male and Female |
12-Week Muscle-Building Upper Lower Split for Beginners
Instructions to Follow The Workout Plan
- Warm-up: I suggest doing some cardio and dynamic warm-up exercises to increase your body temperature and prepare your muscles for an effective resistance training session. For example, you can do kettlebell swings, push-ups, the world’s greatest stretch, and light sets for any exercise you’re to perform.
- Rest between sets: I recommend keeping the rest time between sets as short as possible. Short rest periods, such as 30-60 seconds, have proven effective for muscular hypertrophy.
- How heavy should you lift? You can lift as heavy as your muscles allow as long as you maintain the form and intensity during the workout.
- Increase the load over time: Increasing the load over time will continue to push your muscles to work hard and grow simultaneously.
- Maintain proper form: Ensure you perform each exercise with proper form. I recommend checking step-by-step instructions on YouTube before doing all exercises.
Week 1 to 4
You’ll start your program with a three-day split—two sessions for the upper body and one for the lower body.
- Day 1 – Upper Body
- Day 2 – Lower Body
- Day 3 – Upper Body
- Alternate Day Off
This split will run for the first four weeks, and then we’ll increase it to one session after the fourth week.
This three-day upper-lower split will bolster your fundamental strength and progress your fitness for the coming weeks.
Rest for 2 minutes between sets.
Day 1 – Upper Body
Exercise | Target Muscle | Sets x Reps |
---|---|---|
Seated Pec Deck Fly | Chest | 3 x 15 |
Smith Machine Overhead Press | Shoulder | 3 x 15 |
Incline Machine Chest Press | Chest | 3 x 15 |
Machine Lateral Raise | Shoulder | 3 x 12 |
Triceps Rope Press Down | Triceps | 3 x 15 |
Day 2 – Lower Body
Exercise | Target Muscle | Sets x Reps |
---|---|---|
Seated Leg Extension | Quadriceps | 3 x 15 |
Machine Leg Press | Quadriceps | 3 x 15 |
Lying/Seated Leg Curl | Hamstrings | 3 x 15 |
Dumbbell Goblet Squat | Quadriceps | 3 x 12 |
Calf Raises | Calves | 3 x 15 |
Day 3 – Upper Body
Exercise | Target Muscle | Sets x Reps |
---|---|---|
Pull-ups | Back | 3 x Failure |
Front Lat Pulldown | Back | 3 x 15 |
Seated Cable Row | Back | 3 x 15 |
Reverse Fly | Upper Back | 3 x 15 |
Dumbbell Biceps Curl | Biceps | 3 x 12 |
Week 5 to 8
The second phase involves four training sessions, two each for the upper and lower body.
It has one additional day for leg workouts than the previous phase.
- Monday – Upper Body
- Tuesday – Lower Body
- Wednesday – OFF
- Thursday – Upper Body
- Friday – Lower Body
- Saturday – OFF
- Sunday – OFF
This phase involves performing moderate reps (10-12) with a shorter rest period than the first phase.
Taking shorter rest between sets keeps your muscles warm and increases metabolic stress, one of the factors of muscle growth.1 de Salles BF, Simão R, Miranda F, Novaes Jda S, Lemos A, Willardson JM. Rest interval between sets in strength training. Sports Med. 2009;39(9):765-777. doi:10.2165/11315230-000000000-00000
After completing this split, you’ll be stronger and prepared for more challenging workouts.
Rest for 90 seconds to 2 minutes between sets.
Monday – Upper Body
Exercise | Target Muscle | Sets x Reps |
---|---|---|
Seated Pec Deck Fly | Chest | 3 x 12 |
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | Chest | 3 x 12 |
Machine Flat Bench Press | Chest | 3 x 12 |
Dumbbell Front Raises | Shoulder | 3 x 10 |
Unilateral DB Lateral Raises | Shoulder | 3 x 10 |
Bar Push Down | Triceps | 3 x 15 |
Tuesday – Lower Body
Exercise | Target Muscle | Sets x Reps |
---|---|---|
Seated Leg Extension | Quadriceps | 3 x 15 |
Machine Leg Press | Quadriceps | 3 x 15 |
Lying/Seated Leg Curl | Hamstrings | 3 x 15 |
Dumbbell Lunges | Quadriceps | 3 x 12 |
Calf Raises | Calves | 3 x 15 |
Thursday – Upper Body
Exercise | Target Muscle | Sets x Reps |
---|---|---|
Pull-ups | Back | 3 x Failure |
Front Lat Pulldown | Back | 3 x 12 |
Seated Cable Row | Back | 3 x 12 |
Single-arm DB Row | Back | 3 x 10/arm |
Reverse Fly | Upper Back | 3 x 12 |
Concentration Curl | Biceps | 3 x 12 |
Friday – Lower Body
Exercise | Target Muscle | Sets x Reps |
---|---|---|
Dumbbell Front Squat | Quadriceps | 3 x 15 |
Lying/Seated Leg Curl | Hamstrings | 3 x 15 |
Cable Pull Through | Posterior Chain | 3 x 12 |
Calf Raises | Calves | 3 x 15 |
Week 9 to 12
In the last phase, there will be one additional session for the upper body workouts, meaning you’ll do five sessions instead of four – three sessions for the torso and two for the legs.
- Monday – Upper Body
- Tuesday – Lower Body
- Wednesday – Upper Body
- Thursday – OFF
- Friday – Lower Body
- Saturday – Upper Body
- Sunday – OFF
It involves performing a lower number of reps with a heavy load. The heavy load challenges muscles to work hard and helps enhance strength and muscle growth.
Rest for 60 seconds to 2 minutes between sets.
Monday – Upper Body
Exercise | Target Muscle | Sets x Reps |
---|---|---|
Seated Pec Deck Fly | Chest | 3 x 12 |
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | Chest | 3 x 12 |
Machine Flat Bench Press | Chest | 3 x 12 |
Dumbbell Front Raises | Shoulder | 3 x 10 |
Single-arm Lateral Raises | Shoulder | 3 x 10 |
Crossbody Cable Extension | Triceps | 3 x 15 |
Tuesday – Lower Body
Exercise | Target Muscle | Sets x Reps |
---|---|---|
Dumbbell Lunges | Lower Body | 3 x 10/arm |
Seated Leg Extension | Quadriceps | 3 x 15-20 |
Machine Leg Press | Quadriceps | 3 x 15-20 |
Lying/Seated Leg Curl | Hamstrings | 3 x 15-20 |
Calf Raises | Calves | 3 x 20-30 |
Wednesday – Upper Body
Exercise | Target Muscle | Sets x Reps |
---|---|---|
Pull-ups | Back | 3 x Failure |
Front Lat Pulldown | Back | 3 x 8-12 |
Seated Cable Row | Back | 3 x 8-12 |
Chest Supported Row | Back | 3 x 10-12 |
Reverse Machine Fly | Upper Back | 3 x 10-12 |
Barbell Curl | Biceps | 3 x 10-12 |
Friday – Lower Body
Exercise | Target Muscle | Sets x Reps |
---|---|---|
Smith Machine Back Squat | Lower Body | 3 x 8-12 |
Step-up | Lower Body | 3 x 10/leg |
Romanian Deadlift | Posterior Chain | 3 x 8-10 |
BW Glute Bridge | Glutes | 3 x 12-15 |
Saturday – Upper Body
Exercise | Target Muscle | Sets x Reps |
---|---|---|
Overhead Press | Shoulder | 3 x 10-12 |
Close Grip Bench Press | Triceps | 3 x 10-12 |
Single-arm DB Row | Back | 3 x 10/arm |
One-arm Kickback | Triceps | 3 x 10/arm |
Hammer Curl | Biceps | 3 x 10-12 |
The Fitness Phantom Nutritional Tips for Beginners
If you’re a beginner and lean, you’ll see some noticeable gain in a few months, even without focusing much on diet.
However, if you want to achieve optimal results, I suggest you also focus on your diet.
I recommend including pre- and post-workout meals in your regime to improve your performance and encourage muscle growth.
A good pre-workout meal can have anything that is rich in protein and healthy carbs and easy to digest.
For example, you can eat a protein bar, smoothie, banana, Greek yogurt, or oatmeal. Whatever you consume, make sure you have your pre-workout meal 1 to 2 hours before the training, depending on what kind of food you consume.
A post-workout meal should have a good amount of protein and healthy carbs. For example, you can have white or whole eggs, oatmeal, roasted chicken, banana, whey isolate, etc. The sooner you consume a post-workout meal after the workout, the better for your muscles to rebuild and growth.
If you want an efficient diet plan, then I suggest consulting a nutritionist for a customized diet program based on your needs.
Download The Upper Lower Split PDF for Beginners
References
- 1de Salles BF, Simão R, Miranda F, Novaes Jda S, Lemos A, Willardson JM. Rest interval between sets in strength training. Sports Med. 2009;39(9):765-777. doi:10.2165/11315230-000000000-00000