Push Pull Legs:
The Complete Program Guide
PPL is the gold standard split for intermediate lifters. Here's the full structure, sample workouts, and how to adapt it to your schedule.
Push Pull Legs divides your training into three types of movement: pushing muscles (chest, shoulders, triceps), pulling muscles (back, biceps), and legs (quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves). Each muscle group gets direct work twice per week when run on a 6-day schedule — hitting the optimal training frequency for hypertrophy without excessive overlap or fatigue.
Why PPL works so well
Optimal frequency
Each muscle group is trained twice per week — the sweet spot for maximum muscle protein synthesis.
Minimal overlap
Pushing and pulling muscles don't compete. Your back is fresh on pull day; your chest is fresh on push day.
Scalable volume
Add sets to weak points without overloading the whole session. Legs need more volume? Just extend leg day.
PPL schedule options
6 days/week (classic)
Push · Pull · Legs · Push · Pull · Legs · Rest
Maximum frequency. Best for intermediate to advanced lifters.
5 days/week
Push · Pull · Legs · Push · Pull · Rest · Rest (rotate legs next cycle)
Good compromise. Each muscle hit ~1.5× per week on average.
3 days/week (once-per-week)
Push · Rest · Pull · Rest · Legs · Rest · Rest
Fine for beginners but frequency is low. Better options exist at 3 days.
The Push Day workout
Chest, front/side delts, triceps. Compound movements first, isolation work at the end.
Barbell Bench Press
Primary chest compound. Use progressive overload each session.
Incline Dumbbell Press
Upper chest emphasis. Control the eccentric.
Cable Lateral Raise
Side delts. Go lighter and focus on the squeeze at the top.
Overhead Dumbbell Press
Front delt and shoulder strength compound.
Chest Fly (cable or pec deck)
Isolation for chest. Stretch at the bottom.
Tricep Pushdown
Cable or rope — full extension at bottom.
Overhead Tricep Extension
Long head emphasis. Keep elbows tight.
The Pull Day workout
Back (upper, lower, lats), rear delts, biceps. The most technically demanding day — prioritize mind-muscle connection on rows and pulls.
Weighted Pull-Up or Lat Pulldown
Primary lat builder. Full stretch at top, squeeze at bottom.
Barbell or Dumbbell Row
Mid-back thickness. Chest to pad on chest-supported row to isolate.
Cable Row (close grip)
Lower trap and mid-back. Full retraction at the squeeze.
Face Pull
Rear delt and external rotator health. Never skip this.
Dumbbell Curl
Supinate at the top for full bicep contraction.
Hammer Curl
Brachialis and brachioradialis emphasis. Thickens the arm overall.
The Leg Day workout
Quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves. The day most people skip — and the day that contributes most to overall body composition.
Back Squat
The cornerstone of leg day. Full depth, controlled descent.
Romanian Deadlift
Hamstring and glute hinge pattern. Feel the stretch, not just the weight.
Leg Press
High volume quad work. Go heavier here than on squat for sets.
Leg Curl (lying or seated)
Isolated hamstring work. Slow eccentric.
Bulgarian Split Squat
Single-leg quad + glute builder. Humbling but effective.
Calf Raise (standing)
Full range — bottom stretch is the point. Partial reps are useless.
Progressive overload: the rule that makes it work
PPL without progression is just exercise — not training. Apply one of these approaches every session:
Double progression
Work within a rep range (e.g. 8–12). Once you hit the top, add weight.
Linear progression
Add a fixed weight increment each session. Simple and effective for 6–12 months.
Rep PR method
Same weight, aim for one more rep than last session.
Volume progression
Add one set per week until you hit 20 sets/week, then deload.
Common PPL mistakes
warningSkipping leg day
Legs are 60% of your muscle mass. Half your effort should go there, not be an afterthought.
warningToo many isolation movements
Compounds first, always. 3–4 exercises done well beats 8 exercises done poorly.
warningNever changing rep ranges
Rotate between strength (3–6 reps), hypertrophy (8–12), and volume (15–20) mesocycles.
warningNo deload
Every 4–8 weeks, reduce volume by 50% for a week. Deloads prevent accumulated fatigue and often precede PRs.
The bottom line
PPL is one of the most time-tested splits in strength training because the logic is sound: train each pattern twice weekly, keep fatigue interference low, and allow enough recovery between sessions for each muscle group. Run it for 12–16 weeks with consistent progressive overload and quality nutrition, and results will follow.
Fuel your PPL program right
Training volume this high demands proper calorie and protein targets. Get your macros dialed in before you start.
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