Progrevia4-day body recomposition routine
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A body recomposition routine over 4 days is built to gain some muscle and lose fat at the same time, with moderate volume and good recovery.
Parameters the engine applies
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Assigned structure | Upper / Lower |
| Reps per set | 6-15 |
| Sets per exercise | 3-4 |
| Rest between sets | 60-120 s |
| RIR (reps in reserve) | 2-3 |
| Intensity | 65-80% 1RM |
| Share of compound exercises | 70 % |
These are not generic recommendations: they are the exact parameters the engine uses to build this routine, and they change with the goal you pick.
How your week looks
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Upper A (Push) |
| Day 2 | Legs A |
| Day 3 | Upper B (Pull) |
| Day 4 | Legs B |
The engine splits muscle groups across sessions according to the structure that matches your available days.
Exercise table: the week the engine builds
This is the routine Progrevia builds for an intermediate lifter with a full gym and 60-minute sessions: 24 exercises and 85 sets per week. Yours adapts to your level, your equipment and your time, so it may differ.
Day 1 · Upper A (Push)
| Exercise | Sets × reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incline dumbbell bench press | 4 × 6-8 | 3-4 | 120 s |
| Barbell row | 4 × 6-8 | 3-4 | 120 s |
| Seated dumbbell press | 4 × 6-8 | 3-4 | 120 s |
| Seated overhead dumbbell triceps extension | 3 × 8-18 | 3-4 | 75 s |
| Decline dumbbell flyes | 3 × 8-18 | 3-4 | 75 s |
| Dumbbell pullover | 3 × 8-18 | 3-4 | 75 s |
Day 2 · Legs A
| Exercise | Sets × reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell lunges | 4 × 8-12 | 3-4 | 90 s |
| Good mornings | 4 × 8-12 | 3-4 | 90 s |
| Sumo deadlift | 4 × 8-12 | 3-4 | 90 s |
| Leg press calf raise | 3 × 8-18 | 3-4 | 75 s |
| Single-leg leg extension | 3 × 8-18 | 3-4 | 75 s |
| Leg extension | 3 × 8-18 | 3-4 | 75 s |
Day 3 · Upper B (Pull)
| Exercise | Sets × reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gironda row | 4 × 8-12 | 3-4 | 90 s |
| Pull-ups | 4 × 8-12 | 3-4 | 90 s |
| Parallel bar dips | 4 × 8-12 | 3-4 | 90 s |
| Preacher curl | 3 × 8-18 | 3-4 | 75 s |
| Face pull | 3 × 8-18 | 3-4 | 75 s |
| Cable pullover | 3 × 8-18 | 3-4 | 75 s |
Day 4 · Legs B
| Exercise | Sets × reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-leg RDL | 4 × 12-15 | 3-4 | 60 s |
| Sumo goblet squat | 4 × 12-15 | 3-4 | 60 s |
| Cyclist squat | 4 × 12-15 | 3-4 | 60 s |
| Landmine rotation | 4 × 12-15 | 3-4 | 60 s |
| Lying leg curl | 3 × 8-18 | 3-4 | 75 s |
| Standing cable leg curl | 3 × 8-18 | 3-4 | 75 s |
Weekly sets per muscle group
| Muscle group | Sets per week |
|---|---|
| Back | 15 |
| Quads | 14 |
| Hamstrings | 14 |
| Chest | 14 |
| Glutes | 8 |
| Shoulders | 7 |
| Abs | 4 |
| Biceps | 3 |
| Calves | 3 |
| Triceps | 3 |
Each set is counted on the exercise's main muscle. It is the most direct way to compare this routine with another: at equal effort, weekly volume is what weighs most on the result.
What changes compared with the 3-day routine
With 4 days the week adds up to 85 sets; with 3, 64. These are the differences per muscle group:
- Hamstrings: 4 → 14
- Quads: 7 → 14
- Glutes: 4 → 8
- Chest: 10 → 14
- Back: 14 → 15
- Triceps: 4 → 3
- Traps: 4 → 0
Sessions in the 3-day routine: Push, Pull, Legs.
Body recomposition in 4 days: building muscle while you lose fat
Recomposition works best with a small deficit, high protein and progressive strength training, and it pays off most for beginners, people returning after a break or those with more body fat. The International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand (Jäger and colleagues, 2017) puts protein for people who train at 1.4-2 g per kilo per day, and the review by Helms, Aragon and Fitschen (2014) recommends a slow loss, around 0.5-1% of bodyweight per week, to preserve muscle mass.
With 4 days, each muscle is trained twice, a good frequency to keep building muscle in a small deficit.
The week the engine builds has 4 sessions, 24 exercises and 85 sets in total. Counting sets and rest, each session takes about 45 minutes, not including the warm-up.
| Week | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calories slightly below maintenance, high protein every day and your 4 sessions (Upper A (Push), Legs A, Upper B (Pull), Legs B) | A stable base to train well |
| 2 | Progress reps or load on every exercise, starting with barbell row and good mornings | Strength climbs even if bodyweight barely moves |
| 3 | Measure your waist as well as your weight | In recomposition the scale misleads: the waist drops first |
| 4 | Review: if weight goes up, adjust calories; if strength drops, raise them | Keep the balance between losing fat and building muscle |
- Helms ER, Aragon AA, Fitschen PJ. Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2014;11:20.
- Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, Cribb PJ, Wells SD, Skwiat TM, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2017;14:20.
How the week is split
Upper and lower body, twice (push upper, lower, pull upper and lower): every muscle group is trained twice a week. This week, 6 of the 10 muscle groups with their own exercise are trained twice or more and 4 once.
What your routine includes
- Sessions of 6 exercises and 21 to 22 sets.
- No exercise goes above 4 sets a week: the volume is spread across several.
- Reps of 6 to 18 and rests of 60 to 120 seconds, depending on the exercise and the day.
- RIR 3-4 in the first week, 2-3 in the second and 1-2 in the third; in the deload it rises to 4-6.
- The engine suggests the load for each session from what you log (double progression).
Who is this routine for?
That is 4 sessions of about 60 minutes, 4 hours a week, with 85 sets in total: about 21 per session. It fits if you can set aside those 4 days consistently; if not, look at the 3-day routine.
Exercises it usually includes
Other routines you may like
- 3-day body recomposition routine
- 5-day body recomposition routine
- 4-day hypertrophy routine
- 4-day strength routine
- 4-day fat loss routine
Generate yours for free
Progrevia creates your personalized body recomposition routine of 4 days in under a minute, no mandatory sign-up and no card. With a free account you can download it as a PDF.
Learn the theory
Bulk or cut: where to start, myth-free
Frequently asked questions
How many days a week should I train?
It depends on your availability and recovery. 4 days a week is a balanced option for a body recomposition goal.
Can I do the 4-day recomposition routine at home?
Yes, as long as there is progression: more reps, more load or harder exercises every week. Progrevia adapts the exercises to your equipment and logs what you do so it knows when to push.
When will I see recomposition results?
More slowly than with a single goal: your weight may barely move for weeks. The reliable signs at 4-8 weeks are a smaller waist and more strength.
How many sets per week does the 4-day body recomposition routine have?
85 sets spread over 24 exercises and 4 sessions. The group that gets the most work is back, with 15 weekly sets.
Can I build muscle and lose fat at the same time on the 4-day recomposition routine?
Yes, especially if you are a beginner, returning after a break or have some fat to lose. The conditions are a small deficit, high protein (1.4-2 g per kilo per day) and progress every session. The scale may barely move: the good sign is your waist going down while your strength goes up, starting with barbell row and good mornings.
Progrevia builds gym routines from your own data: periodization, RIR and week-by-week progression. Free, no card.