Let me tell you something first. A four day workout split is a middle-state workout routine that fits almost everyone. Moreover, it’s something that you can follow for a long time without overwhelming yourself. If you’re a busy professional, then it might be the best choice for you because it requires less time to spend in the gym. Furthermore, you can adjust this according to your needs.
Besides that, this split offers a good balance between training and recovery, which helps bring results faster. Perhaps the greatest benefit of this split is that it allows you to give individual focus to each body part. You can train every bigger and smaller muscle part on separate days to ensure proper improvement.
Another advantage is that you get three days to properly recover your body, and recovery is, after all, the secret to muscle hypertrophy. At the same time, it saves you from overtraining and fatigue.
Therefore, if you’re an intermediate gym-goer, then a four-day split fits you best. Because it ensures proper volume and frequency, you can also give your 100% focus and concentration to the next session.
Overall, this split is a sustainable, timely, and effective workout plan that your busy life can easily adapt to.
Science Behind 4-Day Splits
The real science behind muscle hypertrophy lies in getting enough time to recover and ensuring progressive overload. Fortunately, a four-day workout split takes care of this, helping you achieve faster results. This process is called muscle protein synthesis (MPS).
Research indicates that this MPS process can last from 48 to 72 hours. Therefore, doing extra reps or sets will not help; rather, it can actually hinder your progress because your muscles won’t recover properly. With a four-day split, you can train your muscles twice a week, which ensures progressive overload. In other words, you get the chance to push yourself a little harder than before.
Consequently, the split is not just balanced for training purposes but also ideal for muscle growth from a scientific perspective.
Day 1: Chest, Triceps & Forearms
Body Part | Exercises | Sets × Reps | Cardio |
Chest | Push Ups | 3 × 15 | Cardio Idea (1) Treadmill Slow Jog – 10 minutes Rowing Machine – 15 minutes, Stationary Cycling – 10 minutes, cooldown |
Incline Dumbbell Press | 4 × 8-15 | ||
Flat Bench Press | 3 × 8-15 | ||
Cable fly | 3 × 15 | ||
Triceps | Triceps Dips | 3 × 10-15 | |
Overhead Triceps Extension (DB) | 3 × 10-15 | Cardio Idea (2) HIIT – 20 minutes, 30 sec sprint + 30 sec rest, 10 rounds Jogging – 25–30 minutes at a continuous pace | |
Triceps Pushdown | 3 × 10-15 | ||
Forearms | Wrist Curl | 3 × 15-20 | |
Reverse Wrist Curl | 3 × 15-20 |
Day 2: Back and Biceps
Body Part | Exercises | Sets × Reps | Cardio |
Back | Pull Ups | 4 × 8-10 | Cardio Idea (1) Spinning Bike – 12-15 mi, medium intensity. Elliptical Trainer – 10 min, low to medium intensity. Jump rope – 8 min, 40 sec work + 20sec rest,6-7 min |
Barbell Row | 3 × 8-12 | ||
Lat Pulldown | 4 × 8-15 | ||
Dumbbell One-Arm Row | 3 × 8-15 | ||
Biceps | Barbell Curl | 3 × 12-15 | Cardio Idea (2) Tabata training – 4 min × 2 rounds (Burpees + Squat Jumps) Compound Movement Cardio – 15 min Burpees, High knees, Skater Lunges |
Hammer Curl | 3 × 15 | ||
Preacher Curl | 3 × 10-15 |
Day 3 – Shoulder, Core
Body Part | Exercises | Sets × Reps | Cardio |
Shoulder | Military Press (Barbell) | 4 × 8-12 | Cardio Idea (1) Mountain Climbers – 5 sets × 30 seconds Box Jumps – 4 sets × 15 reps Stepper – 10–12 minutes |
Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 4 × 10-15 | ||
Dumbbell Front Raise | 4 × 10-15 | ||
Rear Delt Fly (Machine or Dumbbell) | 4 × 15 | ||
Core | Plank | 3 × 30-60 sec | Cardio Idea (2) Circuit Training – 4 exercises × 30 sec each, 3 rounds (cardio-focused) Interval Training – 20 minutes: 1-minute speed + 1-minute rest pace |
Russian Twist | 3 × 15-20 | ||
Hanging Leg Raise | 3 × 12-15 |
Day 4 – Legs & Forearms
Body Part | Exercises | Sets × Reps | Cardio |
Legs | Barbell Squat | 4 × 8-12 | Cardio Idea (1) · Hill Walking – 20 minutes on an incline · High-Speed Interval Cycling – 25 minutes: 1-minute sprint + 1-minute slow · Sled Push (if available at gym) – 6 rounds, heavy push × 15 meters
|
Leg press | 4 × 10-12 | ||
Walking Lunges | 4 × 12/leg | ||
Hamstring Curl | 4 × 12-15 | ||
Standing Calf Raises | 4 × 20-25 | Cardio Idea (2) Bodyweight Circuit (Push-Ups + Jumping Lunges + Mountain Climbers) · Battle Rope Finisher | |
Forearms | Farmer’s Walk | 3 × 30-45 sec | |
Wrist Roller | 3 × 3-4 full roll up + down =1 set |
Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Follow This Split?
This split can be perfect for every stage of people, from beginner to advanced. But especially intermediate stage people can take 100% of its advantage. If a beginner wants to give more focus on his muscles, then he can shift to this split gradually. I would recommend taking help from a trainer. Otherwise, if you overwhelm yourself in the first four days, your body won’t get enough time to adjust properly.
On the other hand, an advanced lifter can customize this by increasing volume according to their goal. But if you’re in a fat-loss stage, then adjust your routine by adding more cardio, or you can slightly change it so that your metabolism stays at the top.
But if you don’t have any time issues or are a professional athlete, then choose the 5-day workout split. This 4-day option is a well-balanced and realistic option for busy individuals.
The Bottom Line
Bodybuilding or fitness is not just about building muscles, but it is a long-term journey – where stability, balance, and regularity play the biggest role. A four-day workout split gives you the right mix of energy, focus, and recovery on that journey together.
Whether you’re a busy professional or a motivated fitness enthusiast – following this routine will make it easier to move forward. At the end of the day, the secret of your success is consistency. So give your body time, give it the maximum in every session, and trust that patience will bring you the desired results.
