You’re ready to progress from the 3 Day Total-Body Dumbbell Workout, but not quite ready to perform a dumbbell workout with more frequent training days?
No worries, I’ve got a nice routine that you can use to bridge the gap between the two.
It follows the upper/lower split breakdown. Utilizing upper/lower splits is a good way to increase the volume during a given session so that you can build muscle without taxing the entire body like you might do in a push/pull split.
Upper/lower splits essential break the body into two halves and each day you’ll focus on one or the other.
During your upper body workouts, you’ll utilize exercises to target muscles of the upper body: Chest, shoulders, back and arms. During your lower body workouts, you’ll focus on exercises that work the leg muscles: Quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
We’ll break down the following 4 Day Upper/Lower Dumbbell Workout in the run-down section, but if you have any additional questions, please be sure to leave a comment so that we can answer them.
4 Day Upper/Lower Dumbbell Workout Weekly Routine
- Monday: Upper Body Dumbbell Workout 1
- Tuesday: Lower Body Dumbbell Workout 2
- Wednesday: Mobility/Recovery Day
- Thursday: Upper Body Dumbbell Workout 3
- Friday: Lower Body Dumbbell Workout 4
- Weekends: Mobility/Recovery Days
Monday: Upper Body Dumbbell Workout 1
| Exercises | Sets | Reps |
| Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Floor Press | 3 | 10 |
| Push Up On Dumbbells | 3 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Row | 3 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise | 3 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Waiter Curl | 3 | 10 |
Tuesday: Lower Body Dumbbell Workout 1
| Exercises | Sets | Reps |
| Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift | 3 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Lunge | 3 | 10 Each |
| Dumbbell Curtsy Squat | 3 | 10 Each |
| Dumbbell Sumo Goblet Squat | 3 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Glute Bridge | 3 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Calf Raise | 3 | 20 |
Thursday: Upper Body Dumbbell Workout 2
| Exercises | Sets | Reps |
| Dumbbell High Row | 3 | 10 |
| Dumbbell One Arm Row | 3 | 10 Each |
| Dumbbell Arnold Press | 3 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Floor Press | 3 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Overhead Tricep Extension | 3 | 10 |
Friday: Lower Body Dumbbell Workout 2
| Exercises | Sets | Reps |
| Dumbbell Squat | 3 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Plie Squat | 3 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Lateral Lunge | 3 | 10 Each |
| Dumbbell Deadlift | 3 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Glute Bridge | 3 | 10 |
| Dumbbell Calf Raise | 3 | 20 |
4 Day Upper/Lower Dumbbell Workout Run-Down
Each workout above has 6 exercises per workout day and are split up in a way that targets either your upper or lower body depending on the day of the week. The workout template is meant to be performed utilizing straight sets. This means you should complete all of the sets of an exercise prior to moving onto the next exercise.
The recommended rest period in between sets and exercises is 90 seconds. You can rest up to two full minutes if you feel it is necessary. During your rest periods be sure to sip on some water.
Please keep in mind that the workout is simply a template. You are more than welcome to substitute any exercises you deem necessary to utilize to better accomplish your goals. For instance, if you’d like to utilize bodyweight exercises such as pullups or chin-ups to better target the muscles of the back, please feel free to substitute or add them in addition to the template.
There are no direct ab exercises listed in the workout routine. If you’d like to train the core, I’d recommend either performing planks, or depending on your core strength, ab wheel roll outs after each session. You may also utilize other stability exercises such as dead bugs and bird dogs if you wish.
The workout routine can be used for as long or as little as you wish. The recommended duration for any workout routine is 6-12 weeks. This is usually enough time to see progress with a routine before needing to move onto something more challenging.
However, some maintain the same routine for years as they opt to progress in other ways such as increasing the weight they use, the sets used per exercises and/or the reps used per set. Experiment a bit and determine what works best for you and your individual situation.
If you have any questions about the 4 Day Upper/Lower Dumbbell Workout, please feel free to leave them in the comments section so that we can respond and add it to the run-down during future updates.