Workout
3-Day Push Pull Legs
How to run push pull legs on three days a week without leaving each muscle trained only once, and when to use it over an upper/lower split.
The session 39 working sets
Push
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bench press | 4 | 6–10 | 2–3 min |
| Overhead press | 3 | 8–10 | 2 min |
| Lateral raise | 3 | 12–20 | 60 sec |
| Tricep pushdown | 3 | 12–20 | 60 sec |
Pull
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell row | 4 | 8–10 | 2 min |
| Lat pulldown | 3 | 10–12 | 90 sec |
| Face pull | 3 | 15–20 | 60 sec |
| Bicep curl | 3 | 10–15 | 60 sec |
Legs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 4 | 8–10 | 2–3 min |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 | 8–12 | 2 min |
| Bulgarian split squat | 3 | 10 each side | 90 sec |
| Calf raise | 3 | 12–20 | 60 sec |
Push pull legs on three days is the most common way the split is run and the least effective way to run it. It is worth understanding why before choosing it.
The frequency problem
At six days a week, PPL trains each muscle twice — which is what the research supports.
At three days, each muscle is trained once. That is measurably worse than twice at matched weekly volume, and it is the reason a full body split or an upper/lower rotation usually beats three-day PPL.
When it is still the right call
If you strongly prefer the structure and will actually turn up for it, that matters more than the theory. Adherence beats an optimal split you abandon.
If you rotate continuously rather than fixing sessions to weekdays — push, pull, legs, push, pull, legs, rest — each muscle gets trained roughly every fifth day rather than every seventh, which narrows the gap.
And if you are training around a schedule where three long sessions fit and four short ones do not, this is a reasonable answer.
Running it
Lead each session with the heaviest compound while fresh, then work toward isolation. Progress the compounds by weight and the isolation work by reps.
Because each muscle only gets one session a week, that session needs to carry enough volume — around twelve to sixteen hard sets per muscle group. That is why these sessions run longer than the six-day version’s.
Common questions
Is 3 day push pull legs enough?
It works, but it trains each muscle only once a week, which the frequency research does not favour. If three days is what you have, an upper/lower rotation over three sessions gives most muscles more like 1.5 exposures a week and is generally the better choice.
How do I run PPL on three days?
Push Monday, pull Wednesday, legs Friday, then repeat. Some people rotate continuously — push, pull, legs, push — so each session lands on different weekdays and frequency creeps above once a week.
Should a beginner do push pull legs?
Full body three days a week is usually a better starting point, because it trains everything three times weekly. PPL becomes the stronger option at five or six days, when each session can run twice.