Phase 4 was about precision. After a few months of upper/lower training, I had enough data to know which days I had the most energy, which sessions needed more time, and where I could afford to be surgical. The solution: lock the routines to specific days of the week and build each session around a focused 60-minute window.
No more “upper day whenever.” Monday was always legs. Tuesday was always upper body. Thursday was always a different leg emphasis. Friday was arms and accessories. Structure killed the decision fatigue and let me show up with intention every single session.
The Weekly Structure
- Monday – Lower Body: Quad and hamstring dominant. Barbell squats, Bulgarian split squats, leg curls.
- Tuesday – Upper Body: Chest, back, and shoulders. Incline pressing, rows, cable work.
- Thursday – Lower Body (variation): Glutes, hamstrings, and single-leg stability. Hip thrusts, RDLs, calf work.
- Friday – Upper Body (Arms Focus): Back and chest assistance, with heavy emphasis on arms — curls, triceps extensions, cable isolation.
The two lower days had intentionally different emphases. Monday was quad-dominant; Thursday was posterior-chain and glute-focused. This let me train legs twice a week without duplicating the stimulus — a major upgrade from a single all-in-one leg day.
Muscle Focus by Day
Monday — Lower Body (Quads & Hamstrings)
Barbell Back Squats opened the week. This was the first phase where squats were consistently a session-opener at significant weights. Bulgarian Split Squats followed — probably the hardest single-leg movement out there, and one of the best for building quad and glute balance. Here’s why Bulgarian split squats belong in every leg program. We finished with Leg Curls and Calf Press.
Tuesday — Upper Body (Chest, Back & Shoulders)
Tuesday’s upper day was chest and back heavy, with serious shoulder volume worked in. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press replaced the machine for the primary pressing movement — a meaningful step toward free weight strength. Seated Cable Row and Lat Pulldown Close Grip handled the back, while Lateral Raises and Rear Delt Flys built out the shoulder width. A Cable Crunch finisher kept core in the weekly mix.
Thursday — Lower Body (Glutes, Hamstrings & Stability)
Thursday’s lower day had a totally different feel from Monday. Romanian Deadlifts and Hip Thrusts were the anchors — both glute and hamstring dominant. Hip Thrusts are one of the most effective glute builders in existence according to EMG research. We also added Cable Pallof Press for anti-rotation core strength, and Weighted Crunches to close the session. Calves got hit on both lower days.
Friday — Upper Body (Arms Focus + Back/Chest Assistance)
Friday was the arm-intensive day that Phase 2 had abandoned — but refined. Instead of a standalone arm day, Friday stacked arm volume on top of assistance back and chest work. Single Arm Cable Curls, Triceps Extensions, Triceps Kickbacks — all the isolation work that keeps arms growing. Back assistance came from Iso-Lateral Rows and Chest-Supported Incline Rows, and chest got a secondary stimulus from Cable Flys and occasional Smith Machine Bench. Cable Twists added rotational core work.
Phase 4 Weight Update
| Workouts | Total Sets | Total Reps | Total Volume Lifted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 731 | 8,733 | 808,114 lbs |
Here’s where things stood by the end of Phase 4 (May–June 2025):
Monday — Lower Body (Quads & Hams)
- Squat (Barbell): 225–245 lbs × 8 reps
- Bulgarian Split Squat: 90 lbs × 12 reps
- Lying Leg Curl (Machine): 100–110 lbs × 10 reps
- Seated Leg Curl: 80 lbs × 10 reps
- Calf Press (Machine): 240 lbs × 15 reps
- Standing Calf Raise: 150 lbs × 14–15 reps
Tuesday — Upper Body (Chest, Back & Shoulders)
- Incline Bench Press (Dumbbell): 100 lbs × 10 reps
- Seated Cable Row (V-Grip): 99–110 lbs × 12 reps
- Lat Pulldown Close Grip: 99 lbs × 12 reps
- Rear Delt Reverse Fly: 30 lbs × 12–15 reps
- Seated Row (Machine): 90 lbs × 12 reps
- Chest-Supported Incline Row (DB): 90–100 lbs × 11–12 reps
- Cable Crunch: 49.5 lbs × 15 reps
Thursday — Lower Body (Glutes, Hams & Stability)
- Romanian Deadlift (Barbell): 155–185 lbs × 8 reps
- Hip Thrust (Barbell): 155 lbs × 9–12 reps
- Squat Machine: 230–250 lbs × 8 reps
- Lying Leg Curl: 90–100 lbs × 10 reps
- Standing Calf Raise: 150 lbs × 14–15 reps
- Cable Pallof Press: 16.5 lbs × 15 reps
- Weighted Crunch: 20 lbs × 12 reps
Friday — Upper Body (Arms Focus)
- Single Arm Curl (Cable): 27.5 lbs × 11–12 reps
- Triceps Extension (Cable): 38.5 lbs × 12 reps
- Triceps Kickback (Cable): 16.5 lbs × 12 reps
- Iso-Lateral Low Row: 90 lbs × 12 reps
- Chest-Supported Incline Row: 90 lbs × 12 reps
- Seated Chest Flys (Cable): 22 lbs × 15 reps
- Cable Twist (Up to Down): 22–27.5 lbs × 15 reps
Phase 4 produced some of the most consistent linear progress of the entire two-year log. Locking workouts to specific days eliminated the “I’ll do it tomorrow” dynamic entirely.
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