If you’ve been training for a bit, two of the most popular splits used are:
Upper/Lower and Push-Pull-Legs (PPL). But which one is better for building muscle?

Both splits can work. Both can really help you put on muscle. But which really give the most growth.

Let’s start with the tried-and-true workhorse: the Upper/Lower split.

What Is an Upper/Lower Split?

An Upper/Lower split divides your week into 4 sessions.

It’s beautifully simple, easy to recover from, and one of the most time-efficient ways to grow.
Each major muscle group gets hit two times per week the sweet spot for muscle protein synthesis and growth.

Example Upper/Lower Schedule

• Day 1 – Upper Body: Chest • Back • Shoulders • Arms

• Day 2 – Lower Body: Quads • Hamstrings • Glutes • Calves

• Day 3 – Rest

• Day 4 – Upper Body (Variation)

• Day 5 – Lower Body (Variation)

• Weekend – Rest

That’s 4 days per week is just enough frequency to stimulate growth while still allowing for recovery and life outside the gym.

Why the Upper/Lower Split Works So Well

1. Perfect Balance of Volume and Recovery
   You’re training hard enough to grow, but not so much that you’re wiped out.

2. Ideal for Most Men
   Whether you’re a beginner learning form or an intermediate lifter chasing progressive overload, Upper/Lower keeps you moving forward.

3. Time Efficient
   You can train 45–75 minutes per session and still grow. Perfect for guys with busy jobs, classes, or families. Training time can vary greatly due to how much rest is needed between sets are. Read this article to find more about rest times: Best Rest Times to Build Muscle Faster

Sample 4-Day Upper/Lower Program for Muscle Growth

Day 1 – Upper (Push Emphasis)
Bench Press • Overhead Press • Incline Dumbbell Press • Lateral Raises • Triceps Extensions

Day 2 – Lower (Quads Focus)
Squats • Leg Press • Bulgarian Split Squats • Calf Raises

Day 3 – Rest

Day 4 – Upper (Pull Emphasis)
Pull-Ups • Barbell Rows • Dumbbell Curls • Rear Delt Fly

Day 5 – Lower (Glutes & Hamstrings)
Romanian Deadlifts • Step-Ups • Hip Thrusts • Hamstring Curls

Weekend - Rest

Free 4-Day Split Guide

Before diving deeper, grab the Free Zenvox 5M Starter Program.

• A 4-day workout split designed to help you put on muscle

• Nutrition tips to fuel your body to start building muscle

• The #1 recovery tool to increase muscle mass and testosterone.

Now Enter the Push-Pull-Legs Split (PPL)

Push-Pull-Legs breaks your week into movement patterns instead of body regions.

• Push: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps

• Pull: Back, Biceps

• Legs: Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings

It’s higher-frequency which is great if you enjoy training..

Example PPL Schedule

• Day 1: Push

• Day 2: Pull

• Day 3: Legs

• Day 4: Rest

• Day 5: Push

• Day 6: Pull

• Day 7: Legs

That’s 6 days per week, hitting each muscle twice.

Why Upper/Lower Often Wins in the Real World

Here’s the truth most non professional lifters eventually learn:
Upper/Lower splits usually build more muscle long-term because they’re more sustainable.

On paper, the Push-Pull-Legs split looks unbeatable. You’re training six days a week, hammering every muscle twice, and stacking up volume. But there’s a catch, it’s brutally demanding to recover from unless everything else in your life is dialed in.

If you’re not eating enough, sleeping enough, or managing stress well, PPL turns from a muscle-building plan into a slow grind that leaves you flat, fatigued, and plateaued. You’re simply breaking down more tissue than your body can rebuild. Even with everything dialed in, I find it difficult to recover from.

That’s where Upper/Lower shines.

By training four days per week, you give your body the perfect balance of stimulus and recovery. You’re still hitting each muscle twice per week...a sweet spot for growth, but with enough rest to actually repair, grow, and come back stronger.

If you’ve got a demanding job or just life happening — Upper/Lower keeps your gains consistent instead of conditional. You don’t need 9 hours of sleep, five perfectly tracked meals, and a recovery day scheduled like a pro athlete.

You can miss a day, move things around, and still grow. That’s the secret.
Because the lifter who recovers best can train the hardest which wins in the long run.

So while Push-Pull-Legs is amazing for advanced athletes or bodybuilders with every variable optimized…
for 90% of guys just trying to build muscle, look great, and stay strong...Upper/Lower is the smarter, steadier, and ultimately more effective split.

Science Backed Truth

Research shows muscle growth is maximized when a muscle is trained twice per week with progressive overload.

That’s exactly what both splits do.

So forget “best split” arguments focus on:

• Consistent & hard training

• Progressive overload

• Proper recovery & calories. If you need help with nutrition check out this article for a diet to help put on muscle: Build Muscle with a Lean Surplus the Smart Way

The Takeaway

There’s no single “best split.”
Upper/Lower and PPL are both elite for building muscle but only if you can show up week after week. Your body doesn’t care what split you follow. It cares about progression, nutrition, and consistency.

Ready to Transform?

Get the complete 5M System to finally see real results. Inside you will get:

• The 5M System: Movement, Meals, Mindset, Muscle Recovery, Measurement

• Proven training splits (Upper/Lower, PPL, Full Body, Strength, Home, and my split)

• Step-by-step meal plans for muscle gain or fat loss

• Mindset rewiring tools to build discipline & consistency

• Recovery & hormone optimization strategies most guys ignore