Push Pull Legs (PPL) Program: The Complete Guide + Sample Workout
Why PPL clicked for me after a year of random training
My first year in the gym looked like this: Monday chest, Tuesday arms, Wednesday back, Thursday legs if I felt like it, Friday whatever I missed. I was not following a structure. I was following vibes - and my results reflected it.
My chest was growing but my shoulders lagged. My biceps got more work than my quads. Some muscles were trained twice a week, others once if they were lucky. I was in the gym five days a week and somehow still leaving gaps.
When I switched to the Push Pull Legs split, the simplicity was almost disorienting. Every muscle gets hit. Nothing falls through the cracks. The logic is so clean that planning sessions stopped being a chore and started being obvious.
PPL is not the only good training split. But for most lifters - from six months in to six years in - it is the easiest PPL routine to build, track, and progress on. This guide covers everything: what PPL is, who it works best for, how to structure your PPL routine, and how to make sure you actually progress instead of spinning your wheels.
What is the Push Pull Legs (PPL) split
Push Pull Legs organizes your training around movement patterns, not individual muscles:
- Push days train muscles that push weight away from your body: chest, shoulders, and triceps.
- Pull days train muscles that pull weight toward your body: back, rear delts, and biceps.
- Legs days train the entire lower body: quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
That is the entire system. Three session types, cycled in order. Every muscle group gets trained with exercises that naturally complement each other, so there is no overlap waste and no forgotten body parts.
The reason this PPL split is so popular is not marketing. It is that grouping by movement pattern reflects how your body actually works. A bench press already uses your shoulders and triceps - so training them in the same session means you can hit them fresh on their own day (pull or legs) without residual fatigue from yesterday's pressing.
Who should run PPL
PPL works across a wide range of experience levels, but it is not universally the best choice. Here is an honest breakdown.
PPL for beginners and intermediates
PPL is technically fine for beginners, but full-body training is usually the better starting point if you have been lifting for less than 3-4 months.
Here is why: a full-body 3x/week plan has you squatting, pressing, and rowing every session. At the beginner stage, frequency drives adaptation more than volume per session. You get to practice the movement patterns three times per week instead of once.
Once your main lifts are stable - you can squat, bench, and row with reasonable form and load - PPL becomes the natural next step. The jump from full-body to 3-day PPL is a small one. You are just redistributing the same movements into dedicated sessions.
The honest answer: if you have 6 months of consistent lifting and your main lifts are progressing, PPL will work great. If you are brand new, spend 3-4 months on a full-body plan first, then switch to PPL for beginners. You will get to use heavier weights and your sessions will make more sense.
PPL is great for you if:
- You can train 3 or 6 days per week. The PPL program runs as a 3-day rotation (one push, one pull, one legs per week) or doubled to 6 days (each twice per week). Both work, but the 6 day PPL program is where this split really shines.
- You want simplicity. Three session templates. Rotate. Done. No complex periodization needed to get started.
- You have been training for at least 3-6 months. Enough base strength to benefit from the exercise variety in a PPL structure.
- You care about balanced development. PPL naturally distributes volume across all major muscle groups.
Consider something else if:
- You can only train 2 days per week. PPL needs a minimum of 3 sessions to complete one rotation. With only 2 days, an upper/lower or full-body plan is more practical.
- You want maximum strength focus on one lift. Powerlifters peaking for a competition often need more specialized programming.
3-day vs 6-day PPL program: which split is right for you
3-day PPL (one rotation per week)
You train three days per week, hitting each session type once:
| Day | Session | Key focus |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Push | Chest, shoulders, triceps |
| Wednesday | Pull | Back, rear delts, biceps |
| Friday | Legs | Quads, hamstrings, glutes |
Sample 3-day PPL workout (beginner-intermediate):
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monday - Push | ||
| Barbell bench press | 3 x 6-8 | Main compound |
| Dumbbell overhead press | 3 x 8-10 | Secondary press |
| Cable fly | 3 x 10-12 | Chest isolation |
| Cable lateral raise | 3 x 12-15 | Side delts |
| Triceps pushdown | 3 x 10-12 | Isolation |
| Wednesday - Pull | ||
| Barbell row | 3 x 6-8 | Main compound |
| Lat pulldown | 3 x 8-10 | Vertical pull |
| Cable row | 3 x 10-12 | Back volume |
| Face pull | 3 x 12-15 | Rear delts |
| Barbell curl | 3 x 10-12 | Biceps |
| Friday - Legs | ||
| Barbell squat | 3 x 6-8 | Main compound |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 x 8-10 | Posterior chain |
| Leg extension | 3 x 10-12 | Quad isolation |
| Leg curl | 3 x 10-12 | Hamstring isolation |
| Standing calf raise | 3 x 12-15 | Calves |
Pros: Recoverable, fits a busy schedule, each session can be slightly longer with more exercises.
Cons: Each muscle group is only trained once per week. Research on training frequency (Schoenfeld et al., 2016) suggests that training a muscle group at least twice per week tends to produce better hypertrophy outcomes than once per week at the same total volume.
Best for: People with limited gym time who want a clear, balanced structure. If you are coming from a random bro-split, 3-day PPL is already an upgrade.
6-day PPL (two rotations per week)
You train six days per week, hitting each session type twice:
| Day | Session | Key focus |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Push A | Heavy compounds |
| Tuesday | Pull A | Heavy compounds |
| Wednesday | Legs A | Quad emphasis |
| Thursday | Push B | Volume / accessories |
| Friday | Pull B | Volume / accessories |
| Saturday | Legs B | Hamstring / glute emphasis |
Pros: Twice-per-week frequency for every muscle group. More total volume. A and B sessions let you vary exercises and rep ranges.
Cons: Requires real recovery management - sleep, nutrition, and deload weeks matter more. Six days in the gym is a time commitment.
Best for: Intermediate to advanced lifters who can recover from the volume and want to maximize growth. This is the classic 6 day PPL program setup.
The hybrid: 4-5 day rotating PPL
You cycle Push-Pull-Legs continuously, regardless of the day of the week. Train 4 or 5 days per week, take rest days when needed:
Week 1: Push - Pull - Legs - rest - Push - Pull - rest
Week 2: Legs - Push - Pull - rest - Legs - Push - rest
This gives you roughly 1.5 rotations per week - more frequency than 3-day, more recovery than 6-day. The downside is your schedule shifts weekly, which does not work if you need fixed gym days.
How to build your PPL plan: exercise selection
The key principle: lead with compounds, follow with isolation. Compounds (multi-joint movements) should take up the first half of each session. Isolation work fills in the gaps and targets weaker areas.
Push day exercises
| Category | Exercise examples | Sets x Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Primary compound | Barbell bench press, incline dumbbell press | 3-4 x 6-8 |
| Secondary compound | Overhead press, dumbbell shoulder press | 3 x 8-10 |
| Chest isolation | Cable fly, pec deck, dumbbell fly | 3 x 10-12 |
| Shoulder isolation | Lateral raise (dumbbell or cable) | 3-4 x 12-15 |
| Triceps | Overhead extension, pushdown, dips | 2-3 x 10-12 |
Total: 15-18 working sets per push session
Note on lateral raises: these are the one exercise almost everyone should do more of. Side delts respond well to high frequency and higher reps. 3-4 sets per push session, plus optionally on pull days, keeps them growing.
Pull day exercises
| Category | Exercise examples | Sets x Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Primary compound | Barbell row, weighted pull-up | 3-4 x 6-8 |
| Secondary compound | Cable row, chest-supported row, lat pulldown | 3 x 8-10 |
| Vertical pull | Lat pulldown (different grip), pull-up variation | 3 x 8-12 |
| Rear delts | Face pull, reverse fly | 3 x 12-15 |
| Biceps | Barbell curl, incline dumbbell curl, hammer curl | 2-3 x 10-12 |
Total: 15-18 working sets per pull session
Tip: vary your grip across exercises. Overhand, neutral, and underhand grips each emphasize different parts of the back. If your tracking method supports per-variant logging, you can see progression on each grip separately.
Legs day exercises
| Category | Exercise examples | Sets x Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Primary compound | Barbell squat, leg press | 3-4 x 6-8 |
| Secondary compound | Romanian deadlift, Bulgarian split squat | 3 x 8-10 |
| Quad isolation | Leg extension | 3 x 10-12 |
| Hamstring isolation | Leg curl (lying or seated) | 3 x 10-12 |
| Glutes | Hip thrust, cable kickback | 2-3 x 10-12 |
| Calves | Standing or seated calf raise | 3-4 x 12-15 |
Total: 17-21 working sets per legs session
How long should a PPL session take?
A well-run PPL session at 15-18 working sets takes 60-80 minutes including warm-up sets. If you are consistently hitting 90+ minutes, you are likely resting too long between isolation exercises or your session volume has crept up. For compounds, 2-3 minutes rest between sets. For isolation, 60-90 seconds. That keeps you in the range where you recover enough to perform without losing training density.
A and B session variations (6-day PPL)
If you run a 6-day PPL program, differentiate your A and B days:
Push A - Heavy bench press, overhead press, lateral raise, triceps Push B - Incline dumbbell press, cable shoulder press, cable fly, lateral raise, triceps
Pull A - Barbell row, weighted pull-up, face pull, barbell curl Pull B - Cable row, lat pulldown (neutral grip), rear fly, hammer curl
Legs A - Squat, leg extension, Romanian deadlift, calf raise Legs B - Leg press, Bulgarian split squat, leg curl, hip thrust, calf raise
The A days lean heavier with barbell compounds. The B days lean toward higher reps with more variety. This gives you both strength and hypertrophy stimulus across the week.
Sample 6-day PPL workout plan
Here is a complete sample 6-day PPL program you can use as a starting point. Adjust exercises based on equipment availability and personal preference.
| Exercise | Sets x Reps | RIR target |
|---|---|---|
| Monday - Push A | ||
| Barbell bench press | 4 x 6-8 | 2-3 |
| Standing overhead press | 3 x 6-8 | 2-3 |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 3 x 12-15 | 1-2 |
| Overhead triceps extension (cable) | 3 x 10-12 | 1-2 |
| Tuesday - Pull A | ||
| Barbell row | 4 x 6-8 | 2-3 |
| Weighted pull-up | 3 x 6-8 | 2-3 |
| Face pull | 3 x 12-15 | 1-2 |
| Barbell curl | 3 x 10-12 | 1-2 |
| Wednesday - Legs A | ||
| Barbell squat | 4 x 6-8 | 2-3 |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 x 8-10 | 2-3 |
| Leg extension | 3 x 10-12 | 1-2 |
| Standing calf raise | 4 x 12-15 | 1-2 |
| Thursday - Push B | ||
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 x 8-10 | 2-3 |
| Cable lateral raise | 4 x 12-15 | 1-2 |
| Cable fly | 3 x 10-12 | 1-2 |
| Triceps pushdown | 3 x 10-12 | 1-2 |
| Friday - Pull B | ||
| Chest-supported row | 3 x 8-10 | 2-3 |
| Lat pulldown (neutral grip) | 3 x 10-12 | 1-2 |
| Reverse fly | 3 x 12-15 | 1-2 |
| Incline dumbbell curl | 3 x 10-12 | 1-2 |
| Saturday - Legs B | ||
| Leg press | 3 x 10-12 | 2-3 |
| Bulgarian split squat | 3 x 8-10 | 2-3 |
| Leg curl | 3 x 10-12 | 1-2 |
| Hip thrust | 3 x 10-12 | 1-2 |
| Seated calf raise | 3 x 12-15 | 1-2 |
Weekly volume per muscle group:
- Chest: 10 direct sets
- Shoulders (side/rear): 13 direct sets
- Back: 13 direct sets
- Biceps: 6 direct sets (plus indirect work from rows and pull-ups)
- Triceps: 6 direct sets (plus indirect work from pressing)
- Quads: 10 direct sets
- Hamstrings: 6 direct sets
- Glutes: 6 direct sets
- Calves: 7 direct sets
This falls within the 10-20 sets per muscle group per week range that research supports as effective for hypertrophy (Schoenfeld et al., 2017).
How to progress on your PPL program
Training structure without progression is just exercise. Here is how to make sure your PPL split actually drives results over time.
Use double progression
For each exercise, pick a rep range (e.g., 6-8 for compounds, 10-12 for isolation). Start at the bottom of the range. Each week, try to add one rep somewhere. When you hit the top of the range across all sets with 1-2 reps in reserve, increase weight and drop back to the bottom.
This works for every exercise in your PPL plan, from bench press to lateral raises. We covered this system in detail in our progressive overload guide.
Track each exercise, not the session
"Good push day" is not useful data. "Bench 85 kg 8-8-7, OHP 50 kg 8-7-7, lateral raise 10 kg 12-12-11" is. Each exercise progresses independently. Your bench might stall while your overhead press climbs. That is normal. You only see it if you track each exercise separately.
Expect different progression rates
Compounds progress faster than isolation exercises. Barbell movements progress faster than dumbbell movements. Legs progress faster than arms. This is normal and expected.
A rough timeline for intermediates:
| Exercise type | Weight increase every... |
|---|---|
| Barbell squat, deadlift | 2-4 weeks |
| Barbell bench, row | 3-5 weeks |
| Overhead press | 4-6 weeks |
| Dumbbell exercises | 4-8 weeks (rep progression first) |
| Isolation exercises | Often rep/set progression only |
When to deload
After 4-6 weeks of consistent PPL training, accumulated fatigue will start masking your actual fitness. A deload week - same exercises, 50-60% of normal weight, same reps - lets fatigue dissipate without losing your movement patterns.
Signs you need a deload:
- Reps are dropping across multiple exercises despite sleeping well
- Motivation to train is notably lower than usual
- Joint aches that were not there 3 weeks ago
- You have been running the plan for 5+ weeks without a light week
Common PPL mistakes
1. Skipping legs
The classic. If you train PPL 3 days and skip legs "just this week," you are doing Push Pull - and your lower body is not growing. Every rotation needs all three sessions.
2. Too much volume in one session
PPL sessions can bloat quickly. If your push day has 25+ working sets, you are doing junk volume by the end. Quality drops, fatigue accumulates, recovery suffers. Stay in the 15-20 set range per session.
3. Identical A and B sessions (on 6-day)
If both push days have the same exercises at the same rep ranges, you are missing the opportunity to train different qualities. Differentiate: one heavy, one moderate. One barbell-focused, one dumbbell-focused.
4. No rear delt or face pull work
PPL plans with three pressing exercises and zero face pulls develop an imbalance. Rear delts and rotator cuff work belong on every pull day - non-negotiable.
5. Changing exercises every week
You cannot evaluate progression on an exercise you have only done twice. Lock in your exercise selection for at least 4-6 weeks. Swap exercises between training blocks, not between sessions.
6. Not tracking at all
Running PPL without tracking is like navigating without a map. You might end up somewhere good, but you will not know how you got there or how to keep going. If you are serious about your PPL results, log every working set. A dedicated tracker makes this frictionless.
Frequently asked questions about PPL
Is PPL good for beginners?
PPL works for beginners who have at least 3-6 months of consistent training. If you are completely new to the gym, start with a full-body plan 3 times per week to learn the main movement patterns, then transition to PPL. Once your squat, bench, and row are stable with good form, PPL becomes the natural next step.
How many days a week should I do PPL?
Three days is the minimum for one full rotation. Six days (two rotations) is where PPL produces the best results because each muscle group gets trained twice per week. Four to five days works as a rolling rotation if your schedule cannot accommodate a fixed 6-day commitment.
Can I do PPL 4 days a week?
Yes. Run the PPL rotation continuously (Push-Pull-Legs-Push on week one, Pull-Legs-Push-Pull on week two) and train whichever session comes next. You get roughly 1.3 rotations per week - more balanced than 3 days, more recoverable than 6.
How long should I run PPL before changing plans?
Give PPL at least 12-16 weeks before evaluating. Each 4-6 week block should show measurable progress on your main lifts. If you are still progressing after 16 weeks, there is no reason to switch. Most intermediate lifters can run PPL for years by adjusting exercises, rep ranges, and volume between blocks.
What should I do on rest days?
Light cardio, mobility work, or complete rest. Rest days exist for recovery - filling them with extra training defeats the purpose. If you feel the urge to move, a 20-30 minute walk or light stretching is enough.
How to run PPL in Pully
I built Pully around the way structured plans like PPL actually work in practice.
Plan builder - set up your Push A, Push B, Pull A, Pull B, Legs A, Legs B as separate days in one plan. Each day has its own exercise list, target sets, and rep ranges. Open the day, train, done.
Auto-fill from last session - when you open Push A on Monday, your weights from last Push A are already loaded for each exercise variant. No scrolling through old logs. Just match or beat.
Week-over-week comparison - after each session, see exactly where you improved. More reps on bench, same weight on OHP, new rep PR on lateral raises. The feedback loop that drives progressive overload is built in.
Per-variant tracking - overhand pull-up and neutral-grip pull-up each have their own history. If your Pull A uses overhand and Pull B uses neutral, the data stays clean.
PR detection - automatic flagging of weight, rep, and volume PRs for each exercise. On a 6-day PPL, PRs come frequently in the first few months. Pully catches all of them.
Download Pully from the App Store and set up your PPL plan before your next session.
Your PPL starter checklist
Step 1: Pick your frequency. 3-day, 6-day, or rotating. Be honest about your schedule and recovery capacity.
Step 2: Select exercises. Use the sample plans above as a starting point. Lead with compounds, follow with isolation. 15-20 working sets per session.
Step 3: Set rep ranges. 6-8 for main compounds, 8-10 for secondary compounds, 10-12 for isolation, 12-15 for lateral raises and rear delts.
Step 4: Start light. Your first week should feel manageable - RIR 3-4 on most sets. This gives you room to build into the plan.
Step 5: Track everything. Weight, reps, and ideally RIR for every working set. Use double progression. Review before each session to know your targets.
Step 6: Reassess every 4-6 weeks. Deload, evaluate exercise selection, adjust rep ranges or swap exercises that have stalled.
PPL is not complicated. That is its strength. A clear structure, honest tracking, and patience with progression will take you further than any advanced plan. Pick a version, set it up, and start logging.
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