Weekly Schedule
What is Push Pull Legs?
The Push Pull Legs split — PPL for short — is the most widely used intermediate training structure in gym culture. Its logic is simple: every exercise is either a push (you push weight away from you), a pull (you pull weight toward you), or a leg movement. Grouping these movements keeps synergistic muscles working together on the same day and allows adequate recovery before the next session.
PPL is ideal for intermediate trainees who have been training for at least 6 months and can handle 6 training days per week. It is not suitable for true beginners who have not yet mastered the major compound lifts, or for anyone who cannot commit to 6 consistent sessions per week. If you can train only 3 days, run PPL once through rather than twice.
- Each muscle group trained twice per week — research suggests this is optimal for hypertrophy.
- Clear, logical structure — you always know what you are training and why.
- High weekly volume accumulation — ideal for muscle building.
- Muscle groups are pre-fatigued from compound lifts when isolation work is added.
- Widely documented online — enormous community and resources available.
- Six days per week is a significant time commitment.
- Not ideal if life gets in the way — missing one day disrupts the pattern.
- Recovery can be challenging, especially for natural trainees at high intensity.
- Beginners may find 6 days overwhelming and would benefit from a full body approach first.
The Complete Programme
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Bench Press Primary chest compound — focus on progressive overload | 4 | 5–8 | 2–3 min |
| Incline Dumbbell Press Upper chest emphasis | 3 | 8–12 | 90 sec |
| Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3 | 8–12 | 90 sec |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise Keep these light and controlled | 3 | 12–20 | 60 sec |
| Cable Fly | 3 | 12–15 | 60–90 sec |
| Cable Tricep Pushdown | 3 | 10–15 | 60–90 sec |
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pull-Up Add weight if you can do 10+ bodyweight | 4 | 6–10 | 2 min |
| Barbell Row | 4 | 6–10 | 2–3 min |
| Seated Cable Row | 3 | 8–12 | 90 sec |
| Cable Face Pull Shoulder health — never skip this | 3 | 15–20 | 60 sec |
| Barbell Curl | 3 | 8–12 | 90 sec |
| Hammer Curl | 2 | 10–15 | 60–90 sec |
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Back Squat Primary quad compound | 4 | 5–8 | 3–5 min |
| Romanian Deadlift Hamstring focus — control the stretch | 3 | 8–12 | 2 min |
| Barbell Hip Thrust | 3 | 8–15 | 90 sec |
| Seated Leg Curl | 3 | 10–15 | 60–90 sec |
| Standing Calf Raise Full range of motion essential | 4 | 12–20 | 60 sec |
| Hanging Leg Raise | 3 | 10–15 | 60–90 sec |
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incline Dumbbell Press Upper chest emphasis | 4 | 8–12 | 90 sec |
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 8–12 | 90 sec |
| Barbell Overhead Press | 3 | 5–8 | 2–3 min |
| Cable Lateral Raise | 3 | 12–20 | 60 sec |
| Cable Overhead Tricep Extension | 3 | 12–15 | 60–90 sec |
| Skull Crusher | 3 | 10–12 | 90 sec |
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lat Pulldown | 4 | 8–12 | 90 sec |
| Chest-Supported Row | 4 | 8–15 | 90 sec |
| Dumbbell Row | 3 | 8–12 | 90 sec |
| Rear Delt Fly | 2 | 15–20 | 60 sec |
| Incline Dumbbell Curl | 3 | 10–12 | 60–90 sec |
| Hammer Curl | 2 | 10–15 | 60–90 sec |
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hack Squat | 4 | 8–15 | 2 min |
| Barbell Hip Thrust | 4 | 8–15 | 90 sec |
| Lying Leg Curl | 3 | 10–15 | 60–90 sec |
| Leg Extension | 3 | 12–20 | 60 sec |
| Seated Calf Raise | 4 | 12–20 | 60 sec |
| Cable Crunch | 3 | 15–20 | 60 sec |
Weekly Muscle Coverage
PPL is one of the most popular splits for good reason — it trains each muscle group twice per week with high volume. The 6-day version is demanding, but results are excellent for dedicated intermediate and advanced trainees.
Training schedules that fit this split
How you run this split depends on how many days you can train. These pages show sample weeks and alternatives for each schedule, and the Split Finder can check whether it suits your goal and experience.
Explore the muscles this split trains in the muscle guide, or browse the exercise library for alternatives to any lift above.