Should i switch to a 4-day upper/lower split for better strength gains?

[EdwardJ]

I've been doing a three-day full-body split for about six months, but I feel like I'm hitting a wall with my strength gains on the main lifts. I'm wondering if switching to a four-day upper/lower split would give my muscles more time to recover between sessions focused on similar movements.

[Donald.H]

Been there. I switched to a four day upper/lower after grinding on a three day full body for a while and the extra rest between similar moves felt real. I kept the heavy lifts on lower days and used accessories on upper days, but the first month was awkward. I started logging weekly volume and RPE, and while the big numbers didn’t skyrocket, I stopped feeling fried on Fridays.

[MichaelCJ]

Yes, I tried it and it did feel nicer to recover. The trick for me was dialing back the main lifts a bit and filling the rest with lighter work so I could stay sharp on the heavy days. Squat and press moved slowly over a couple cycles, but total weekly stress was steadier and I didn’t crash midweek.

[Richard.L]

I’m not sure the split is the real bottleneck. After six months I still feel fatigue midweek and I wonder if technique or sleep/calorie intake is the limiter. I did a two week deload focused on form, and progress paused but didn’t regress, which left me thinking the issue isn’t simply the schedule. Are you getting enough sleep and calories?

[LukeW]

I kept drifting back to the idea of a split and then realized I was chasing a feeling more than data. The four day plan gave a mental reset and spread the stress around, but it didn’t magically grow my numbers. I’d still pick an emphasis block and push it in cycles, but I wouldn’t bet the farm on the switch being the fix.