Workout
Push Pull Legs
Complete push, pull and legs sessions, how to run the split at three or six days a week, and who it actually suits.
The session 38 working sets
Push day
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bench press | 4 | 5–8 | 3 min |
| Overhead press | 3 | 6–10 | 2–3 min |
| Chest fly | 3 | 12–15 | 90 sec |
| Tricep pushdown | 3 | 12–20 | 60 sec |
Pull day
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell row | 4 | 6–10 | 2–3 min |
| Pull upAdd weight once you clear ten clean reps. | 3 | AMRAP | 2 min |
| Lat pulldown | 3 | 10–15 | 90 sec |
| Bicep curl | 3 | 10–15 | 60 sec |
Legs day
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goblet squatOr a barbell back squat if available. | 4 | 6–10 | 3 min |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 | 8–12 | 2–3 min |
| Leg curl | 3 | 10–15 | 90 sec |
| Lunge | 2 | 10 each side | 90 sec |
Push pull legs groups exercises by what they do rather than by which muscle they target. Everything that pushes goes together, everything that pulls goes together, and legs get their own day.
Why the grouping makes sense
Your triceps and front delts work in every chest press. Your biceps work in every row. Training chest on Monday and triceps on Tuesday means the triceps get hammered twice in two days with no recovery between.
PPL solves that by accepting the overlap and scheduling around it. The muscles that work together recover together.
Six days or three
At six days a week each session runs twice, giving every muscle two exposures. That is the version worth doing.
At three days a week each muscle is trained once, which the frequency research does not favour. If three or four days is what your life allows, an upper/lower split gives you twice the frequency in the same number of sessions.
That is the honest limitation of PPL: it is an excellent split if you can commit six days, and a mediocre one if you cannot.
Running it well
Lead each session with the heaviest compound movement while you are fresh, then work down toward isolation. Rest properly on the heavy work — three minutes is not laziness, it is what lets the next set be productive.
Progress the compounds by adding weight when you hit the top of the rep range, and the isolation work by adding reps. Expect the second exposure of each session in a week to feel harder; that is the fatigue you are training through and it is why the split needs a deload every four to six weeks.
Common questions
How many days a week should you do push pull legs?
Six days runs each session twice a week, which is the version most people mean. Three days runs it once, which is simple but leaves each muscle trained only weekly. If you can only train three or four days, an upper/lower or full body split gives you better frequency.
Is push pull legs good for beginners?
It works, but it is not the best use of a beginner's time. Six days a week is a large commitment, and beginners get more from higher frequency on fewer movements. Full body three days a week produces comparable results for far less time in the gym.
What order should the days go in?
Push, pull, legs, rest, repeat — or push, pull, legs, push, pull, legs, rest. Avoid putting pull immediately before push if your triceps are a weak point, since they work in both.
Can I do PPL with dumbbells only?
Yes, with substitutions: dumbbell bench and shoulder press for the barbell work, dumbbell rows for barbell rows. You will run out of load on the lower body first, which is where a barbell earns its place.