4 Day Strength Training Program: Workout for Muscle & Strength

4-Day-a-Week Strength Training Program – Introduction

What is a good 4-day strength training program to build muscle and strength?

While there is nothing wrong with full-body workouts, a lot of lifters eventually graduate to split routines where they train different muscles on different days.

Dividing body parts like this means you can do more exercises and sets for each muscle group, which may be beneficial for muscle growth.

That’s not to say you HAVE to follow a split routine.

In fact, full-body workouts can be effective for all levels.

However, split routines work well, too.

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of ways to divide your muscle groups across your training week, but most split routines involve 3-6 workouts per week.

That said, the 4-day split is one of the best options because it provides a nice balance between training and recovery.

This article provides you with a great 4-day split training program to build strength and muscle.

Table of Contents

1. Overview of the 4-Day Strength Training Workout Routine
2. The Four Strength Training Workouts
   1. Workout 1 – Leg Day Quads
   2. Workout 2 – Chest, Back + Biceps Day
   3. Workout 3 – Leg Day Hamstrings
   4. Workout 4 – Shoulders, Lats + Triceps Day
3. Alternative 4-Day Training Splits
4. 4 Day Strength Training Program FAQs
5. Four-Day-a-Week Split Strength Training Program – Wrapping Up

Disclaimer: Please consult with your physician beforehand to ensure that exercise will not exacerbate any medical issues.

4-Day Strength Training Program Overview

This program involves four workouts per week.

Each one starts with a major strength exercise and then moves on to several hypertrophy exercises for the same body parts or muscle groups.

Here is your weekly training plan that keeps Sunday a rest day*:

• Monday – Squat + squat accessory exercises
• Tuesday – Horizontal push + pull exercises
• Wednesday – Rest
• Thursday – Deadlift + deadlift accessory exercises
• Friday – Rest
• Saturday – Vertical push + pull exercises
• Sunday – Rest

*Note – alternative 4-day strength training program splits appear after the following four workout routines.

Take Wednesday and Sunday Off!

Of course, before doing any of these workouts, you should spend a few minutes warming up and preparing your muscles and joints for what you are about to do.

Begin with 5-10 minutes of light cardio followed by dynamic mobility and flexibility exercises for the muscles and joints you are about to use.

Finish off your warm-up with a couple of progressively heavier sets of the first 1-2 exercises you are about to do to acclimate your muscles to the loads you will use.

For example, on squat day, your warm-up sets might look like this:

1. 10 reps – empty barbell – 20kg/45lbs
2. 7 reps – 40kg/90lbs
3. 5 reps – 60kg/130lbs
4. 3 reps – 80kg/175lbs
5. 5 reps – 100kg/220lbs (first working set) 

4-Day Strength Training Program Workouts

Workout 1: Squat + accessory exercises

Your first workout is all about building your legs, especially your quadriceps, which are the muscles on the front of your thighs.

Expect to have some difficulties walking up and down stairs after this one!

Workout 2: Horizontal push + pull

Today’s workout hits your chest, mid-back, and biceps.

Concentrating on the horizontal plane means muscles on the front and back of your shoulder joints are trained equally.

This will enhance joint function, muscular balance, and aesthetics.

Workout 3: Deadlift + accessory exercises

Where workout one mainly trains the muscles on the front of your legs, this one is all about the backs.

Splitting your legs this way gives you two lower body workouts per week compared to the more usual one.

Training your legs more often will accelerate muscle growth in your legs and your entire body.

Workout 4: Vertical push + pull

Your final workout of the week hits your shoulders, lats, and triceps.

This split means your back gets two workouts per week.

The first program is designed to build upper back thickness, while this one is more about increasing lat width.

This is arguably the best way to build what is often an underdeveloped muscle group for many people.

Alternative 4-Day Strength Training Program Splits

If the split described above doesn’t work with your schedule, try one of these options:

Or:

Ultimately, almost any arrangement will work if you do not train for three consecutive days.

The best choice will always be the one that fits most seamlessly into your weekly lifestyle.

It is also possible that you may even need to change your workout split from one week to the next.

However you plan your training, so long as you balance workouts and rest for recovery, you’ll make the gains you deserve. 

4-Day Strength Training Program FAQs

Got a question about our 4-day split training program?

You’ll find answers to the most common questions below!

#1. Is this a bulking or cutting workout plan?

It’s your diet rather than the program that determines whether you’ll bulk or get lean.

If you consume a calorie surplus, you are more likely to build muscle and gain weight.

But if you have a calorie deficit, you’ll burn fat and get leaner.

Adjust your diet so it matches your body composition goal.

#2. Can I change any of the exercises?

You certainly can, but make sure you keep to the spirit of the program and use similar exercises.

For example, it’s okay to do front squats instead of back squats or sumo deadlifts instead of conventional ones.

However, doing something like concentration curls instead of pull-ups is not.

#3. Is it okay if I train on different days?

Keep the workouts in the same order, but feel free to train on alternative days if necessary.

However, try to avoid training more than two days in a row.

While you are working different muscle groups on different days, you still need plenty of rest to ensure you recover and grow between workouts.

So, rather than train Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and then rest for three days, you’ll do better with a two days on, one day off, two days on, two days off approach.

#4. Are there any supplements that will make this program more effective?

Your diet should provide you with all the nutrients and energy you need to train, recover, and grow.

That said, there are a few things that could enhance your progress, albeit slightly.

For example:

• Protein powder to make hitting your daily protein target easier.
• Creatine for more energy and faster recovery.
• ZMA for longer and deeper sleep.
• Pre-workout for fast-acting energy and more intense workouts.

However, remember that none of these supplements will do much for you if your diet and training are suboptimal.

See The 8 Best Bodybuilding Supplements for Men Over 50 In 2023 for more information.

#5. Do I have to train to failure?

While you don’t have to train to failure to build muscle, you should come pretty close.

Ideally, you should stop your set with just 1-3 reps left in the tank.

This is close enough to failure to trigger increases in muscle size and strength.

However, you can go to failure on your last set for each exercise if you wish.

#6. How do I progress from week to week?

For the exercises is a single rep target, i.e., five reps; you should do your best to increase the weight slightly from one week to the next.

This can be as little as a couple of pounds.

However, for the exercises with a rep range, i.e., 6-8, you can do more reps or add more weight as preferred.

Definitely increase the weight when you can do all the prescribed sets at the uppermost prescribed rep range.

#7. How long should I stay on this program?

Stay on this program for as long as it works.

This could be six weeks or more.

However, if your weight or rep increases stall for more than a couple of weeks, you are probably ready for a new plan.

But, if you can add weight to the bar or do more reps for most of the exercises in your workouts, you should continue with the program, as it’s clearly still working.

#8. Can I do cardio with this program?

While this is quite a challenging workout plan, you should still be able to do some cardio alongside the strength workouts.

The best time to do any cardio is on the non-lifting days.

However, to avoid compromising your recovery, it’s probably best to limit yourself to 20-30 minutes per session twice a week, leaving one day free for complete rest.

4-Day Strength Training Program – Wrapping Up

The 4-day training split provides an ideal balance between work and rest.

It’s not too committing, and most people should be able to accommodate four workouts per week, which equates to about six hours of training. 

However, like any split routine, missing workouts will unbalance the program, so you still need a reasonable level of commitment to get the most from this plan.

If you can only reliably train three times per week, this is not the split for you.

It’s also worth remembering that there is no such thing as a perfect training split or program, and what works for one person may not work for another.

You may need to try a few different approaches to see what works best for you.

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