Push Pull Legs: 3-Day and 6-Day PPL Workout Plan

By Alex Lawrence · Updated 30 October 2026

Push pull legs (PPL) splits your training into three sessions: push (chest, shoulders, triceps), pull (back, biceps) and legs. Run it three days a week for one hit per muscle, or six days a week to train everything twice. Both versions are below, with full push day, pull day and leg day workouts.

What is a push pull legs split?

A push pull legs split groups muscles by the movement they do. Push muscles press weight away from you, pull muscles bring it towards you, and legs get a day of their own.

Day	Muscles trained
Push	Chest, shoulders (mainly front and side), triceps
Pull	Upper back, lats, rear shoulders, biceps, forearms
Legs	Quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, plus core

Because each muscle is worked on only one day of the cycle, it gets a few days to recover before you train it again.

Who is push pull legs for?

PPL suits lifters who like focused sessions and can train either three or six days a week. The six-day version is a big commitment, so it fits intermediate lifters with time to recover more than complete beginners.

New to lifting? Start with a 3-day full-body beginner plan instead. It trains each muscle more often in fewer sessions.
Can train four days? An upper lower split hits each muscle twice in four days.
Can train three or six days? PPL fits well.

3-day vs 6-day push pull legs

The 3-day version trains each muscle once a week; the 6-day version trains each muscle twice. That difference matters for muscle growth.

A 2016 meta-analysis found that training a muscle twice a week built more muscle than once a week. For strength, a 2018 meta-analysis found frequency mattered less once weekly volume was equal. So the 3-day plan can still work, but you need enough hard sets in each session, and it will likely build muscle more slowly than the 6-day version.

Version	Schedule	Each muscle trained	Good for
3-day PPL	Mon Push, Wed Pull, Fri Legs	1× a week	Busy weeks, people combining lifting with sport
6-day PPL	Push, Pull, Legs, Push, Pull, Legs, Rest	2× a week	Intermediates who can train six days and recover

Six-day schedule example: Monday Push A, Tuesday Pull A, Wednesday Legs A, Thursday Push B, Friday Pull B, Saturday Legs B, Sunday rest.

Push day workout

Push A is heavier and built around the bench press; Push B leads with the overhead press.

Push A

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Barbell bench press	4 × 5-8	2-3 min
Seated dumbbell shoulder press	3 × 8-10	2 min
Incline dumbbell press	3 × 8-12	90 s
Dumbbell lateral raise	3 × 12-15	60 s
Triceps rope pushdown	3 × 10-12	60-90 s

Push B

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Standing overhead press	4 × 5-8	2-3 min
Incline barbell or machine press	3 × 8-10	2 min
Cable or machine chest fly	3 × 12-15	60-90 s
Cable lateral raise	3 × 12-15	60 s
Overhead triceps extension	3 × 10-12	60-90 s

Pull day workout

Pull A leads with a heavy row; Pull B leads with pull-ups for the lats.

Pull A

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Barbell row	4 × 6-8	2-3 min
Lat pulldown	3 × 8-12	90 s
Seated cable row	3 × 10-12	90 s
Face pull	3 × 12-15	60 s
EZ-bar curl	3 × 8-12	60-90 s

Pull B

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Pull-up or assisted pull-up	4 × 6-10	2 min
Chest-supported dumbbell row	3 × 8-12	90 s
Single-arm cable pulldown	3 × 10-12	60-90 s
Rear-delt fly	3 × 12-15	60 s
Incline dumbbell curl	3 × 10-12	60 s
Hammer curl	2 × 10-12	60 s

Leg day workout

Legs A is squat-focused; Legs B is hinge-focused, built around the deadlift.

Legs A

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Back squat	4 × 5-8	2-3 min
Romanian deadlift	3 × 8-10	2 min
Leg press	3 × 10-12	90 s
Leg curl	3 × 10-12	60-90 s
Standing calf raise	4 × 10-15	60 s

Legs B

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Deadlift	3 × 4-6	3 min
Hack squat or front squat	3 × 8-10	2 min
Walking lunge	3 × 10-12 each leg	90 s
Leg extension	3 × 12-15	60 s
Seated calf raise	4 × 12-15	60 s
Hanging knee raise	3 × 10-15	60 s

Running the 3-day version

On the 3-day plan, do Push A, Pull A and Legs A, then swap to the B sessions the next week. Because each muscle is only trained once a week, add one extra set to the first two exercises of each session.

That keeps weekly volume closer to the 6-day version. A 2017 meta-analysis found a graded dose-response between weekly sets and muscle growth, so dropping to one session a week without adding sets usually means less growth.

How to progress on push pull legs

Use double progression: build the reps up to the top of the range on every set, then add weight. If an exercise says 3 × 8-12, start with a weight you can lift 8 times with good form.

Add a rep or two where you can, session by session.
When every set reaches 12, add the smallest jump you can next time.
Build back up from the bottom of the range.

The ACSM position stand recommends a 2-10% load increase once you can do one or two reps more than your target, and suggests 1-2 minutes of rest for hypertrophy work, with 3-5 minutes for heavy strength sets. In practice that means about 2.5 kg (5 lb) on pressing and pulling, and 5 kg (10 lb) on squats and deadlifts. The plate calculator shows what to load each side.

Example: 100 kg (220 lb) squat for 4 × 8, 8, 7, 6 this week. Next week aim for 8, 8, 8, 7. Once you hit 4 × 8, go to 105 kg (231 lb).

To see how your strength is moving without maxing out, run a recent heavy set through the 1RM calculator.

Common push pull legs mistakes

The biggest mistake is doing six days before you can recover from them. Signs you’re overdoing it: lifts going backwards for a couple of weeks, poor sleep and joints that ache.

Too many exercises. Five or six per session is plenty. Hard sets matter more than variety.
Skipping leg day. Legs is the hardest session, so it gets missed most. Don’t move it to the end of the week “if there’s time”.
No rear-delt or upper-back work. Push days add a lot of pressing; face pulls and rear-delt flies balance it out.
Changing exercises every week. You can’t apply double progression to an exercise you only did once.
Nothing written down. If you don’t know what you lifted last week, you can’t beat it.

Push pull legs vs upper lower

Pick the split that matches the days you can actually train. Both work when you train hard and add weight or reps over time.

	Push pull legs	Upper lower
Days per week	3 or 6	4
Each muscle trained	1× or 2× a week	2× a week
Session length	Shorter, focused	About an hour
Missed session	Throws off the rotation	Easier to shuffle

Choose 6-day PPL if you like training most days and recover well.
Choose upper lower if four days is your limit. See our upper lower split template.
Choose 3-day PPL only if you prefer one big session per muscle; a 3-day full-body plan trains each muscle more often.

Tracking your PPL plan

Log every set so you know exactly what to beat next time. The 3-day plan fits the Get Gains free tier, which allows up to 3 routines: build Push, Pull and Legs as routines in Get Gains and it records each set and flags new personal bests.

If you’re training to build muscle, the protein calculator gives you a daily protein target.

FAQ

Is push pull legs good for beginners?

It can work, but most beginners progress faster on a 3-day full-body plan for the first two or three months. That trains each muscle three times a week with fewer exercises to learn.

How long should a push pull legs workout take?

About 45-75 minutes, depending on rest times. Big lifts need 2-3 minutes between sets; accessories need about a minute.

Can I do push pull legs 4 or 5 days a week?

Yes. Just run the rotation continuously (Push, Pull, Legs, Push, and so on) on the days you train. Each muscle gets hit roughly every five to six days.

Should I do abs on leg day?

That’s the simplest place for them. You can also add a few sets of core work to the end of any session.

Do I need deload weeks on PPL?

Many lifters take a lighter week every 6-10 weeks, or when progress stalls. Keep the same exercises and cut the sets and weight by about a third.

How we wrote this: drafted with AI assistance, then fact-checked against the sources below and edited by Alex Lawrence. Read our editorial policy.