Upper/Lower Splits: Always Upper Before Lower?

In researching 4 day splits I noticed with upper/ lower splits that they all place upper body the day before lower body.

Is there a reason for this and is there any draw backs on doing lower body the day before upper body?

Upper body days usually won’t impact a lower body day too much but you can feel like you are dragging your feet for a day or two after a lower body day. Which would impact the upper body day

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Most people care more about what is in the mirror than what isn’t. 531 essentially runs as an upper/lower split but does the lower body days first. Squat-Press/rest/Deadlift-Bench

I 100% agree with this:

Using @Voxel 's 531 as an example- if you run 531 hard gainers; the squat work out finishes with a widow maker set. That 20 reps. Even at a lighter weight this is hard work. And even with lots of food and sleep you will struggle to be on top form the day after. Where as doing 5x5 on the bench is hard - but its not going to drain you to the point where it effects your whole work out.

In all honesty, looking at 531 Hardgainers which you used as an example that seems predicated on having some fatigue rolling over into your overbody days. And this might be very smart actually, because it keeps your TM down for the upperbody lifts where it is easy to maybe load up more than what the joints are primed for.

I don’t find it makes much difference, the only thing I’ve found is, if I do a lot of back work a day or two before two squats, my back sometimes starts spazzing out and feeling all tight etc mid squat, so I generally avoid that.

The only time it’s ever mattered to me was having a tough deadlift workout the day before the press, as you’re going to pretty pretty shitty with a fatigued and especially sore lower back. Once I’m used to something though and not really getting sore, it doesn’t matter much. The 531 hardgainers is set up well because it calls for prowler work on the press/bench days. You don’t want to try a pr squat set followed by a widow maker the day after pushing the prowler. But the eccentric less prowler work helps with recovery the day after squats/deadlifts.

I personally don’t think it would make a difference.

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