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4 sessions · 55 min each
Workout · Fat loss · 4 day

4-Day Upper/Lower for Fat Loss

You lose fat in the kitchen, but you keep muscle in the gym. This 4-day upper/lower plan preserves every gram of hard-earned mass while your calorie deficit does the work. It is designed for the reality of Indian gyms — crowded squat racks, missing cables, 55 minutes on the clock.

Days / week
4
Session
55 min
Level
Intermediate — 6+ months of consistent training
Equipment
Barbell, dumbbells, a bench, one cable stack

Overview

Goal: Fat loss (retain muscle in a 300–500 kcal deficit)

Mon — Upper A
Chest, back, shoulders, arms
Tue — Lower A
Quads, hamstrings, calves + 15 min Z2
Thu — Upper B
Rotated movement pattern
Fri — Lower B
Hip hinge focus + 15 min Z2

Upper/Lower with a Z2 cardio finisher on lower days. Compounds sit at RIR 2 to avoid burning recovery; isolations push to RIR 0–1 for the muscle-preservation stimulus. Rest is capped at 90 seconds on isolations, 2 minutes on compounds — density matters when you're eating less.

Sessions

Sets × reps and RIR (reps in reserve) exactly as prescribed.

Template — adjust loads to you

Mon

Upper A

Chest, back, shoulders, arms
  1. Barbell bench press3×6–8 RIR 2
  2. Chest-supported row3×8–10 RIR 2
  3. Seated DB press3×8–10 RIR 2
  4. Lat pulldown3×10–12 RIR 1
  5. Cable lateral raise3×12–15 RIR 0–1
  6. Rope tricep pushdown2×12
  7. Incline curl2×12
Tue

Lower A

Quads, hamstrings, calves + 15 min Z2
  1. Back squat3×5–7 RIR 2
  2. Romanian deadlift3×6–8 RIR 2
  3. Leg press3×10–12 RIR 1
  4. Seated leg curl3×10–12 RIR 1
  5. Standing calf raise3×10–15 RIR 0
  6. 15 min Z2 walk incline 6
Thu

Upper B

Rotated movement pattern
  1. Incline DB press3×8–10 RIR 2
  2. Barbell row3×6–8 RIR 2
  3. Overhead press3×6–8 RIR 2
  4. Chin-up3×AMRAP RIR 1
  5. Face pull3×15 RIR 0
  6. Overhead tricep extension2×12
  7. Hammer curl2×12
Fri

Lower B

Hip hinge focus + 15 min Z2
  1. Trap bar deadlift3×5 RIR 2
  2. Bulgarian split squat3×8/leg RIR 1
  3. Hack squat3×10–12 RIR 1
  4. Nordic curl or hip thrust3×8–10
  5. Seated calf raise3×12–15 RIR 0
  6. 15 min Z2 walk incline 6

Progression

Add 2.5 kg to any compound the week you hit the top of a rep range on all sets at the prescribed RIR. Isolations: add 1 rep per set per week until top of range, then bump the load.

Equipment substitutions

Squat rack occupiedswap
Hack squat or Bulgarian split squats first, rotate to rack later
No cable stackswap
Dumbbell lateral raises + resistance-band pushdowns
Missing leg pressswap
Heavy goblet squats × 2 sets or hack squat machine
Rear-delt row impossibleswap
Face pull with band from a smith bar

Frequently asked questions

How much cardio should I do on this plan?

Two 15-minute Z2 finishers after lower days is enough for most lifters. If fat loss stalls for 2 weeks with adherence, add a 20-minute Z2 walk on off days before touching your calories.

What deficit should I run?

300–500 kcal below maintenance. Deeper deficits accelerate fat loss but sabotage recovery — you'll lose muscle instead of protecting it, defeating the point of this program.

Can I run this 3 days a week?

Yes — rotate Upper A / Lower A / Upper B, then Lower B / Upper A / Lower A. Progress is slower but adherence trumps optimization.

Is 55 minutes really enough?

Yes if you cap rest at 90–120 seconds and stop chatting. Every set here is chosen for hypertrophy signal per minute — no junk volume.

Get this plan auto-adjusted to you

bodyBot.ai adapts every set, rep and rest to your recovery, equipment and week-over-week progress. This template becomes your program — not a static PDF.

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