Push pull legs splits your training by movement: a push day for chest, shoulders and triceps,
a pull day for back, rear shoulders and biceps, and a leg day for quads, hamstrings, glutes
and calves. Run it 3 days a week, or 6 to train everything twice.
Below is the complete routine with every exercise, set, rep range and rest time, a weekly
schedule for both versions, and how many sets each muscle gets.
How to progress
Start each exercise with a weight you can lift for the bottom of its rep range with two or three
reps to spare. Keep that weight until you reach the top of the range on every set, then add the
smallest jump you can (about 2.5 kg or 5 lb) and build the reps back up. This is double
progression: reps first, then weight.
Rest the full time on the big lifts, and stop a set when your form breaks down. If a lift stalls
for three or four sessions in a row, take a lighter week or swap the exercise for a close
variation.
3 days or 6 days?
The workouts are the same; the difference is how often you go through them. Three days a week
trains each muscle once, with lots of recovery, and suits a busy schedule. Six days runs the
rotation twice and trains each muscle twice a week, which is better for growth if you recover
from it. Many people start at 3 and add days as their work capacity improves.
Swapping exercises
Keep the movement and swap the tool. No cable station? Do dumbbell rows instead of cable rows
and pull-ups or band pulldowns instead of lat pulldowns. No leg press? Do goblet squats or
Bulgarian split squats. A swap that trains the same muscles through a similar range keeps the
program working.
Questions
Is push pull legs good for beginners?
It works, but most beginners progress faster on a full body program first, because they practise each lift three times a week. Once the main lifts feel natural, usually after about three months, push pull legs is a good next step.
Is a 3 day push pull legs split enough?
Yes, for building muscle and strength, as long as the sessions are hard. Each muscle is trained once a week, so progress is a little slower than on 6 days, but 3 days is easier to recover from and to fit around life. Move to 6 days when you can recover from it.
How long should a push pull legs workout take?
About 40 to 50 minutes for the workouts on this page, including a short warm-up and the rest between sets.
Should I do push pull legs 6 days a week?
Six days trains every muscle twice a week, which research suggests builds muscle a little faster than once. It also means one rest day a week, so sleep and food matter more. If your lifts stall and you feel run down, go back to 3 or 4 days.
What if I miss a day?
Do the next workout in the order, not the one on the calendar. Push, pull, legs is a rotation, so missing a day just shifts the week.