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An eight-week upper and lower body gym routine covering major movement patterns twice each week. It includes four workouts, exercise substitutions, warm-up and rest guidance, beginner adjustments, a shorter session option, gradual progression, recovery rules, and an eight-week review point.
This four-day upper and lower routine trains every major movement pattern twice weekly while leaving room for recovery and steady progress.
Follow the four workouts in order and keep lifting streaks to two days or fewer.
Monday · 45-70 min
Tuesday · 45-70 min
Wednesday
Rest fully or choose gentle walking or easy activity.
Thursday · 45-70 min
Friday · 45-70 min
Saturday
Rest, walk, or do comfortable mobility work.
Sunday
Rest, walk, or do comfortable mobility work.
Warm up first, then complete the listed work sets with controlled technique.
Spend 5-10 minutes walking, cycling, or rowing, then rehearse the day's patterns with controlled squats, hinges, or band pull-aparts.
Before the first exercise, do 8-10 reps with an empty bar, 5 reps near half working weight, and 2-3 reps near working weight.
Finish each work set with 2-3 sound reps available and stop when range shortens or position changes.
Rest 2-3 minutes after the main compound lift, 90-120 seconds after secondary lifts, and 60-90 seconds after isolation work.
When alternatives are offered, choose one suitable exercise and keep it for several weeks.
Use the version that matches your current training experience and available time.
For weeks 1-2, do 2 work sets per exercise, keep 3 reps available, skip the final accessory, and finish near 50 minutes.
Use every listed set, keep about 2 reps available, and finish within roughly 70 minutes.
For a 45-minute workout, complete the first four exercises and add one more only if time remains.
Add reps within the range before increasing weight, as shown for bench press at 3 x 6-8.
Week 1 · 135 lb
Complete sets of 8, 7, and 6 reps.
Week 2 · 135 lb
Complete sets of 8, 8, and 7 reps.
Week 3 · 135 lb
Complete all three sets for 8 reps.
Week 4 · 140 lb
Begin the new load with sets of 7, 6, and 6 reps.
Progress can mean more reps, better range, cleaner form, or the same work with less strain.
Add weight only when every work set reaches the top of its range with controlled form and 2-3 clean reps available.
Add 2.5-5 lb to upper-body lifts, 5-10 lb to lower-body lifts, or move to the next machine pin.
Do not increase weight when extra reps came from shortening the movement, and do not expect an increase every workout.
Add 5-10 seconds weekly, then choose a harder plank variation after every set reaches 60 seconds.
Keep the workout order intact when life or fatigue interrupts the calendar.
If several warning signs appear together, keep the exercises, halve the usual work sets, use comfortable loads, and resume gradually.
Look for two weeks of falling performance, unusually heavy normal loads, lingering soreness, poorer sleep, or worsening joint comfort.
After a missed day, do that session next and preserve Upper A, Lower A, Upper B, then Lower B.
After missing a full week, repeat the previous loads or use slightly lighter ones.
Review the routine after eight weeks, or sooner if an exercise hurts or the schedule clearly does not fit.
This is not medical advice, so speak with a qualified health professional before starting if you have an injury, chronic condition, or unexplained symptoms.
Do not wait for the eight-week review when an exercise causes pain.
Choose one option from each tile when the main movement does not suit you, then keep that choice consistent for several weeks.
Upper A
Lower A
Upper B
Lower B
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