Program · intermediate
Upper/Lower 4x (no equipment, intermediate)
Upper/Lower 4x (no equipment, intermediate) is a 4-day-a-week template for no equipment (bodyweight only), built for intermediate lifters. Each session runs about 45 minutes and fits muscle gain, recomposition, general fitness goals. Across 4 session types and 24 exercise slots, a real run of this template pulls in movements like Diamond push-up, Inverted row (table / bar), Pike push-up, Towel door row.
The 12-week structure runs three 4-week phases — Base, then Build, then Peak — with a deload in week 12. Progression is double progression: work up the rep range first, then add load. It also carries 12 minutes of skipping on 2 days a week.
Session U1
| Exercise | Pattern | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond push-up | push_h | 4 | 8-15 | 75s |
| Inverted row (table / bar) | pull_h | 4 | 8-15 | 75s |
| Pike push-up | push_v | 3 | 6-12 | 75s |
| Towel door row | pull_h | 3 | 12-20 | 60s |
| Bench dip | push_h | 3 | 6-15 | 60s |
| Mountain climber | core | 3 | 20-45s | 45s |
Session L1
| Exercise | Pattern | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hindu squat (baithak) | squat | 4 | 10-20 | 75s |
| Single-leg glute bridge | hinge | 4 | 10-15/side | 75s |
| Bulgarian split squat | lunge | 3 | 8-12/side | 75s |
| Single-leg Romanian deadlift | hinge | 3 | 3-8 | 90s |
| Jump squat | squat | 3 | 12-20 | 45s |
| Mountain climber | core | 3 | 8-12 | 45s |
Session U2
| Exercise | Pattern | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inverted row (table / bar) | pull_h | 4 | 8-15 | 75s |
| Diamond push-up | push_h | 4 | 8-15 | 75s |
| Towel door row | pull_h | 3 | 10-15 | 75s |
| Pike push-up | push_v | 3 | 6-12 | 75s |
| Bear crawl | carry | 3 | 20-40m | 60s |
| Mountain climber | core | 3 | 20-45s | 45s |
Session L2
| Exercise | Pattern | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulgarian split squat | lunge | 4 | 8-12/side | 75s |
| Single-leg glute bridge | hinge | 4 | 12-20 | 75s |
| Hindu squat (baithak) | squat | 3 | 15-30 | 60s |
| Single-leg Romanian deadlift | hinge | 3 | 10-15/side | 60s |
| Jump squat | squat | 3 | 12-20 | 45s |
| Mountain climber | core | 3 | 8-12/side | 45s |
Phases
| Weeks | Phase | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | Base | RIR 2-3. Establish working weights for every slot; log every set. |
| 5–8 | Build | Add one set to the first two slots of each session (volume ~+15%). RIR 1-2 on the final set of compounds. |
| 9–12 | Peak | RIR 0-1 on the last set of isolation work, RIR 1 on compounds. Week 12 deload. |
Who it fits
Goals: muscle gain, recomposition, general fitness. Setup: no equipment (bodyweight only). Level: intermediate.
Questions people ask
- Who is Upper/Lower 4x (no equipment, intermediate) for?
- Intermediate lifters training 4 days a week with no equipment (bodyweight only), aiming at muscle gain, recomposition, general fitness.
- How long are the sessions?
- About 45 minutes per session, 4 sessions a week across a 12-week block with a deload in week 12.
- How does the program progress?
- Work within the rep range at the given RIR. When you hit the top of the range on ALL sets with 2 RIR, make the exercise harder next session: move to the next progression (e.g. wall -> incline -> knee -> full push-up), add a pause, slow the eccentric to 3 s, or add a rep to the range. Never trade form for reps.