Is this Upper/Lower Split Ideal?

I’ve been doing a split routine for a while now, and was thinking of switching to an upper lower split. Would this provide a balanced approach?

Flat BB
Incline DB
T-Bar row
DB Shoulder Press
EZ Preacher Curl (alt between elbows in and out)
Cable Curl
DB Decline Triceps Extension

Deadlifts
Front Squats
Leg Curl
Hypers
Leg Press
DB Lunge
Russian Twist

Flat DB
DB Row
Seated Row
Front Raise
Dips
Tri-extensions
Incline DB Curl

Squats
RD
Lunges/Split Squats
Pull Through
Incline Shrugs
Russian Twist

I have read CT’s articles about constructing upper/lower splits and How to Design a Damn Good Program 1 and 2 (have it printed out). Any criticisms would greatly be appreciated. I’m currently doing a Chest/Shoulder, Back/Ham, Quad/Calves, Arms split, and it’s been going great. I just want to switch in a few more weeks if my progress stagnates again. The goal of this is just to keep packing on mass.

What set/rep schemes are you planning on using?

Sorry for the late reply, things got a little hectic yesterday. I aim on doing the same number of sets per body part again, so around 10-12 for chest, the same for back, 10 or so for legs…it would end up looking like:

Flat BB–>4 sets 4-8
Incline DB–>3 sets 8-10
T-Bar row–>4 sets 6-10
DB Shoulder Press–>3 sets 8-10
EZ Preacher Curl–>3 sets 10-12
Cable Curl–>3 sets 10-12
Decline Triceps Extension–>3x10-12

Deadlifts 5 sets. Sometimes I’ll work to some heavy doubles, other times I’ll just do 5x5
Front Squats 3x8-10
Leg Curl 3x10-12
Hypers 3x10-12
Leg Press 4x8-10
DB Lunge 2x10-15
Russian Twist

Flat DB–>4x10-12
DB Row–>4x6-10
Seated Row–>3x10-12
Front Raise (no place to do a BB shoulder Press)–>3x8-10
Dips–>3x6-10, 1x12-15
Tri-extensions–>3x10-12
Incline DB Curl–>3x8-12

Squats 5 sets (same deal as deads, but when one works up to something heavy the other will be rep work)
RD 3x8-10
Lunges/Split Squats–>3x10-12
Pull Through 3x10-12
DB Incline Shrugs–>3x6-10
Russian Twist

Doesn’t look half bad, pretty good actually. But I’d toss in some lower reps on one day of chest, say 5x5 or 4x6, then make a hypertrophy/lighter day on the 2nd day of the week you train a bodypart, say 3x8.

Those leg days look brutal, you better have amazing recovery to be able to train legs that hard twice a week. I’d take the leg press out completely. Make the front squat day light at 3x8, back squat day heavy at 4x6, and only do lunges one day, the heavy quad one.

Below is mine:

Sunday: Upper (heavy chest/shoulders, light back)
-Barbell Bench
-Two Arm Dumbbell Row
-Standing Military Press
-Standing Barbell Curls
-Weighted Dips
-Bodyweight Pull ups
-Rotator Work

Tuesday: Lower (light quads, heavy hams, light calves)
-Deadlifts
-Front Squats
-Weighted Hypers
-Standing Calf Raises
-Hanging Leg Raise or decline rotating sit ups

Thursday: Upper (light chest, shoulders, heavy back)
-Barbell Bent Over Row
-Incline Dumbbell Press
-Dumbbell Side Raise
-Weighted Chins
-Skullcrushers
-Dumbbell Hammer Curls s.set with Barbell Wrist Curls
-Rotator Work

Friday: Lower (heavy quads, light hams, heavy calves)
-Squat
-Lying Leg Curl
-Lunges
-Standing Calf Raise
-Seated Calf Raise
-Hanging Leg Raise
-Hyperextensions

To me, it does look like a lot of volume. If you can handle it, then, by all means, go for it.

However, I see no vertical pulling on your upper day; chin ups, pull downs, etc. You have 2 different horizontal pulling movements on day 3, as well as 2 different curls on day 1.

The leg days are brutal just b/c I’m able to handle them. With more volume I saw better leg development, but I have to make sure to take a back off week 4-5 weeks into it. Thanks for the rep range ideas, I’ll incorporate them into this!

[quote]Justin27 wrote:
Doesn’t look half bad, pretty good actually. But I’d toss in some lower reps on one day of chest, say 5x5 or 4x6, then make a hypertrophy/lighter day on the 2nd day of the week you train a bodypart, say 3x8. Those leg days look brutal, you better have amazing recovery to be able to train legs that hard twice a week. I’d take the leg press out completely. Make the front squat day light at 3x8, back squat day heavy at 4x6, and only do lunges one day, the heavy quad one.

Below is mine:

Sunday: Upper (heavy chest/shoulders, light back)
-Barbell Bench
-Two Arm Dumbbell Row
-Standing Military Press
-Standing Barbell Curls
-Weighted Dips
-Bodyweight Pull ups
-Rotator Work

Tuesday: Lower (light quads, heavy hams, light calves)
-Deadlifts
-Front Squats
-Weighted Hypers
-Standing Calf Raises
-Hanging Leg Raise or decline rotating sit ups

Thursday: Upper (light chest, shoulders, heavy back)
-Barbell Bent Over Row
-Incline Dumbbell Press
-Dumbbell Side Raise
-Weighted Chins
-Skullcrushers
-Dumbbell Hammer Curls s.set with Barbell Wrist Curls
-Rotator Work

Friday: Lower (heavy quads, light hams, heavy calves)
-Squat
-Lying Leg Curl
-Lunges
-Standing Calf Raise
-Seated Calf Raise
-Hanging Leg Raise
-Hyperextensions[/quote]

I’m going to try doing this as recently, I’ve done a lot of lower volume high intensity workouts. I tried DC, but I’m not able to focus all my energy into that one work set. I saw gains, but it’s just not for me.

I don’t have vertical pulling exercises (chins, pulldowns, etc) b/c I’m currently doing GTG with chins, I probably should have mentioned that before.

My idea behind a split like this was to work chest 3 times a week, back 3 times a week, 3 biceps, and 3 triceps. I thought that the best way of doing this would be to have:
Day 1:
2 chest
1 back
2 bicep
1 tricep (already have 2 chest exercises)

Day 2:
1 chest
2 back
1 bicep
2 tricep

I may have more volume, but it’s summer, and I’ve got the time to stay in a little bit longer.

[quote]gabex wrote:
To me, it does look like a lot of volume. If you can handle it, then, by all means, go for it.

However, I see no vertical pulling on your upper day; chin ups, pull downs, etc. You have 2 different horizontal pulling movements on day 3, as well as 2 different curls on day 1. [/quote]

I like squatting 3x weekly, but varying the intensity and volume throughout in addition to working different squat variations. Typically I do one session of back squats, front squats weekly and OH squats so you get a lot of transfer from doing all 3.