A four day upper and lower split, built to build strength and size at the same time.
This is a program I've used and coached for years. Power days for strength, hypertrophy days for size, rotating through the week so you're never stuck doing the same thing twice in a row.
Click below and get your own copy of the full write up straight away. Every exercise, every set and rep range, and the warm up protocol I use before heavy lifts. No cost, no catch, no waiting on a DM.
Heavy days for strength. Fast days for size.
The split alternates lower and upper body across four training days, with two rest days in between. Each muscle group gets hit twice a week, once heavy and once for volume, so you're building strength and size in the same rotation rather than picking one.
Day 1, lower body
Heavy squats and a stiff leg deadlift variation for strength, then leg press, leg extensions and hamstring curls for volume. Calves and abs finish it off.
Day 2, upper body
Heavy bench and bent over rows first, then dips, pull ups, shoulder work and arms. One power lift each for push and pull, everything else built around it.
Day 3, rest
Off. Cardio if you want it, never right before a training day.
Day 4, lower body
Same structure as day one, with the accessory work shifted toward higher reps so the legs get a different stimulus the second time around.
Day 5, upper body
Deadlifts lead the day, paired with heavy bench work and rowing. This is the biggest day of the week, so the accessories stay simple.
Day 6, rest
Off. Then the cycle repeats from day one until you plateau, at which point the loads or the exercises get adjusted.
Power days
Low reps, heavy weight, long rest. The goal is to move maximum load, so you rest as long as you need between sets to hit the next one properly.
Hypertrophy days
Lighter weight moved as fast as you can on the way up. If you're slowing down through the lift, it's too heavy. Shorter rest, more sets.
Training to failure
Saved for the last set or two of an exercise, and only once your body's adapted to the volume. Grinding every set to failure burns you out faster than it builds you up.
That's the shape of it. The full write up has every exercise, every set and rep range, and the warm up protocol for each day.
The full write up, free
Click through and it's yours, a spreadsheet you can fill in as you train.
Included
- All four training days, laid out exercise by exercise with sets and rep ranges
- The power and hypertrophy split explained, so you know why each day is built the way it is
- My specific warm up protocol for heavy lifts, with an example so you can see how to scale it to your own numbers
- Notes on progression, training to failure, and when to adjust the program once you plateau
- Built as a Google Sheet, so you can log your weight and reps as you go and watch your own progress
Twenty years in a career, and never missed a training block because of it.
I'm David. I've spent close to twenty years in insurance, most recently in financial lines, while training and competing on the side. Army service, competitive boxing, Olympic weightlifting, and bodybuilding, including stepping on stage.
None of that happened because I had spare time lying around. It happened because I built training and nutrition around a full time career, not the other way round. That's the same approach behind this program and the coaching I do now, for men who've got a career and a family and want a plan that survives both.
I'm based in Brisbane and coach online. This program is a piece of what I do, free to anyone who wants it.
Want more than a program? Get a free fitness audit.
Tell me where you're at and what keeps getting in the way. I'll review it myself and email you a personal video within 3–5 days with what I'd change first. A coaching call afterwards is optional.
Get your free fitness auditA video made for you. Watch it in your own time.
Is the program actually free?
Yes. Click "Get your free program" above and you'll get your own copy of the spreadsheet straight away, no charge and no strings attached.
I'm not at an advanced level yet. Will this still work for me?
The full write up includes a note on scaling it back for anyone newer to higher frequency training. If you're still not sure it's a fit, message me on Instagram and tell me where you're at.
How is this different from the free fitness audit?
This program is a set training plan you can start on your own. The audit is personal: you tell me what's going on and I send back a video with what I'd change for your specific situation. You're welcome to do both.
Do I need a gym for this?
Yes, this one is built around barbells, machines and cables, so a normal gym setup. If you're training from home, message me and I'll let you know if it's a fit.
Are you a doctor?
No. I'm not a doctor, a dietitian or a medical professional. Anything medical stays with your doctor.
Click through and it's yours, free.
Get your free programPrefer a personal look at your own situation? Get a free fitness audit instead.