# Athletic Performance Gym – 4-Day Power/Speed Split > An intermediate 4-day gym athletic performance program. Alternating power and speed days across upper and lower body build the strength, power, and reactivity needed for sport. Goal: Athletic Performance · Level: Intermediate · Equipment: Barbell, Cables, Machine · 4 days/week · ~45 min/session · 8 weeks Interactive version (free): https://stay-active.app/templates/ap-gym-intermediate ## Overview The Athletic Performance Gym - 4-Day Upper/Lower structure is designed for the intermediate athlete who needs to develop real-world power, speed, and strength using a commercial gym's full arsenal of equipment. This program is built on the science of sport science and force production, blending heavy barbell training with plyometric and explosive movements to build an elite, high-performance physique. The 50-minute, 4-day split is divided into Lower A (Power), Upper A (Push/Pull), Lower B (Strength), and Upper B (Pull/Push). Lower A includes Barbell Back Squats, Box Jumps, Romanian DL, Walking Lunges, and Pallof Press. Upper A features Barbell Bench, Barbell Row, Incline Bench, Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown, and Face Pull. Lower B adds the Deadlift, Bulgarian Split Squat, Leg Press, Hip Thrust, and Ab Wheel Rollout. Upper B includes Barbell OHP, Barbell Row, Seated Cable Row, Lateral Raise, and Skull Crushers. The defining feature of this program is power development. The combination of Box Jumps with Back Squats is a technique called PAP (Post-Activation Potentiation). A heavy squat primes your central nervous system to fire at maximum capacity, and immediately performing a Box Jump forces your muscles to produce power at their highest possible rate. This is the engine that takes you from strong to explosively powerful. Over eight weeks, you will see a real improvement in your vertical jump, your starting speed, and your overall power output. Your strength numbers will also increase because the training environment is more demanding. Your physique will reflect this dual adaptation—you will be both more muscular and more functionally capable than when you started. This 8-week block is designed for the intermediate athlete who wants to upgrade their physical performance through a structured, sport-science-backed gym program. ## The Program ### Day 1 – Lower Power — Lower - **Barbell Back Squat** — 4 sets × 4 reps, rest 180s - **Smith Machine Romanian Deadlift** — 3 sets × 5 reps, rest 180s - **Smith Machine Bulgarian Split Squat** — 3 sets × 8 per side, rest 90s - **Leg Curls** — 3 sets × 10 reps, rest 90s - **Smith Machine Hip Thrust** — 3 sets × 12 reps, rest 90s ### Day 2 – Lower Speed — Lower - **Barbell Back Squat** — 3 sets × 5 reps, rest 180s - **Smith Machine Romanian Deadlift** — 3 sets × 8 reps, rest 90s - **Leg Press Selector Machine** — 3 sets × 15 reps, rest 90s - **Walking Lunges (Slow Tempo)** — 3 sets × 12 per side, rest 90s - **Standing Pallof Press March** — 3 sets × 12 per side, rest 90s ### Day 3 – Upper Power — Upper - **Barbell Bench Press** — 4 sets × 4 reps, rest 180s - **Barbell Overhead Press** — 3 sets × 5 reps, rest 180s - **Barbell Row** — 4 sets × 5 reps, rest 90s - **Iso-Lateral Front Lat Pulldown** — 3 sets × 10 reps, rest 90s - **Banded Face Pull** — 3 sets × 15 reps, rest 90s ### Day 4 – Upper Speed — Upper - **Dumbbell Push Press** — 4 sets × 6 reps, rest 180s - **Incline Dumbbell Press** — 3 sets × 10 reps, rest 90s - **One-Arm Dumbbell Row** — 3 sets × 10 per side, rest 90s - **Cable Lateral Raise (Cross-Body)** — 3 sets × 15 reps, rest 90s - **Hammer Curl** — 3 sets × 12 reps, rest 90s ## FAQ ### What is Post-Activation Potentiation (PAP)? PAP is a phenomenon where a heavy, near-maximal effort (like a heavy back squat) temporarily increases the performance of your muscles for a short window afterward. By doing a Box Jump right after your heavy squat, your legs are primed to produce more explosive force than they otherwise could, leading to a greater training adaptation for power. ### Can I use this program if I do not play a sport? Absolutely. Athletic performance training is for anyone who wants a functionally capable body—one that is fast, powerful, and resilient. The benefits of this program extend far beyond sports into general quality of life, posture, and injury prevention. ### How heavy should the Back Squats be for the PAP effect? For PAP to work, you need to use a load that is heavy enough to challenge your central nervous system—typically 80-90% of your 1RM for the first few reps. The key is to keep the heavy reps to 2-3 and then rest briefly before performing the explosive Box Jumps with maximum effort. ### Why is the Face Pull in every Upper session? The Face Pull is the most important shoulder health exercise in this program. It targets the rear deltoid and the rotator cuff muscles that stabilize your shoulder joint. For any athlete who is pressing and throwing, these muscles are constantly at risk, and the Face Pull is the best way to keep them strong and resilient. ### Who is this structure worst for? This structure is worst for the person who has not mastered the barbell squat and deadlift yet. The PAP technique requires near-maximal loading, which is extremely dangerous if your form is not already excellent under heavy weight. Build your technique first with a beginner program before coming to this. ### Can I add sport-specific training on top of this? Yes, but be very mindful of total fatigue. Schedule your most important sport sessions on days when you are freshest, and treat the harder gym days as supplemental. Never go into your sport practice with your legs completely destroyed from a heavy Lower day. ## Safety notes Power days require full warm-up progressions. Explosive intent on every primary rep is non-negotiable.