Academy: Upper / Lower
Four days, upper/lower. More volume, same simple rules.
- Length
- 8 weeks
- Frequency
- 4 days/week
- Session
- ~55 min
- Level
- Beginner
The program
Four days a week, split into two upper and two lower sessions. A step up in volume from Foundations for the keen starter, run as two four-week mesocycles with a deload to close each one.
Main lifts use a double progression — add load when you hit the top of the rep range on every set. Accessories chase reps in their range. Effort sits at two to three reps in reserve and never grinds to failure: you finish every session able to train the next one.
Grounded in Renaissance Periodization's upper/lower architecture, scaled to beginner volume and RIR, with KILO Strength Society's linear progression on the main lifts.
Week 1, as written
The actual first-week prescriptions from the app — exercises, sets, tempos and rests, exactly as the program runs them.
Session 1Upper A — Horizontal▾
| Barbell Bench Press | 3 × 6–8 · 150s rest |
| Chest-Supported Row | 3 × 6–8 · 2 min rest |
| Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | 2 × 8–10 · 90s rest |
| Face Pull | 2 × 12–15 · 1 min rest |
| Dumbbell Curl | 2 × 8–10 · 1 min rest |
| Rope Pushdown | 2 × 10–12 · 1 min rest |
Session 2Lower A — Quad▾
| Back Squat | 3 × 6–8 · 3 min rest |
| Leg Press | 2 × 10–12 · 90s rest |
| Seated Leg Extension | 2 × 12–15 · 1 min rest |
| Romanian Deadlift | 2 × 8–10 · 90s rest |
| Seated Leg Curl | 2 × 10–12 · 1 min rest |
| Standing Calf Raise | 2 × 15–20 · 45s rest |
Session 3Upper B — Vertical▾
| Overhead Press | 3 × 6–8 · 150s rest |
| Lat Pulldown | 3 × 8–10 · 2 min rest |
| Machine Fly | 2 × 10–12 · 1 min rest |
| Seated Cable Row | 2 × 8–10 · 90s rest |
| Lateral Raise | 2 × 12–15 · 1 min rest |
| Hammer Curl | 2 × 10–12 · 1 min rest |
Session 4Lower B — Posterior▾
| Deadlift | 3 × 5–6 · 3 min rest |
| Hack Squat | 2 × 8–10 · 90s rest |
| Bulgarian Split Squat | 2 × 8–10 · 90s rest |
| Seated Leg Curl | 2 × 10–12 · 1 min rest |
| Seated Calf Raise | 2 × 12–15 · 45s rest |
Week 1 as programmed in the app. Later weeks progress loads, volume and variations block by block.
How it progresses
- —Main lifts: top of the rep range on every set → add load next session.
- —Accessories chase reps within their range before the weight moves.
- —Effort capped at RIR 2–3 — hard sets, never ground-out failures.
- —Two 4-week mesocycles, each closed by a deload week.
Who it's for
- —You have a few months of training behind you and want four days, not three.
- —You want more pressing, pulling and leg volume without a bodybuilding split.
- —You want rules simple enough to follow on a heavy day.
Equipment
Barbell · Dumbbells · Cable Machine · Machines · Bench · Squat Rack
Questions
Is an upper/lower split good for beginners?
Yes — it is the natural next step after full-body training. Each muscle still gets trained twice a week, but every session is shorter and more focused than a full-body day with the same weekly volume.
What does RIR mean?
Reps in reserve — how many reps you had left when you racked the bar. This program caps most work at RIR 2–3. PRESZN reads the effort of every set you log, so the cap is enforced by feel and confirmed by data.
Can I run it on 3 days some weeks?
Occasionally, yes — pick up where you left off rather than skipping a session. The split is sequenced Upper A, Lower A, Upper B, Lower B for a reason.