Push/pull/legs (PPL) is a simple way to organize training by movement pattern: one day for pressing, one for pulling, and one for lower-body work. You can run it three days a week (each day once) or six days a week (each day twice). The structure is popular because it balances the upper body, keeps sessions focused, and scales with recovery.
This guide explains the split in conservative, general terms, then points you to exercise library pages and muscle-group roundups for exercise choices. It is general fitness guidance — not personalized coaching or medical advice.
What each day trains
| Day | Main patterns | Typical muscle emphasis |
|---|---|---|
| Push | Horizontal + vertical presses, elbow extension, lateral raises | Chest, front/side delts, triceps |
| Pull | Vertical + horizontal pulls, hinges that load the back, rear-delt work | Lats, upper back, rear delts, biceps; often hamstrings/glutes if RDLs are included |
| Legs | Squats/presses, hinges, single-leg work, calves | Quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves |
Many intermediates put Romanian deadlifts on pull or legs — pick one home so you do not double up heavy hinges the same week without planning for it.
Who PPL fits
- Good fit: Lifters who already know the main compounds and want more weekly frequency than a basic full-body or upper/lower starter plan.
- 3-day PPL: One push, one pull, one legs session each week. Simpler recovery; each muscle is hit about once.
- 6-day PPL: Push / pull / legs / push / pull / legs, then a rest day. Higher frequency (about twice per muscle group per week) if sleep, food, and joints keep up.
- Not ideal yet: Absolute beginners who still need coaching on squat, hinge, and brace patterns — a 2–3 day full-body split or 5x5 for Beginners is often cleaner first. Training mostly at home with no equipment? Start with Best Bodyweight Exercises for Strength and Muscle. Prefer bands? See Best Resistance Band Exercises for Full-Body Training. Prefer kettlebells? See Best Kettlebell Exercises for Strength and Conditioning. Prefer dumbbells? See Best Dumbbell Exercises for Strength and Muscle. Prefer a barbell shortlist for the main compounds? See Best Barbell Exercises for Strength and Muscle. For constant-tension cable accessories, see Best Cable Exercises for Strength and Muscle. Prefer a guided bar path when free racks are busy? See Best Smith Machine Exercises for Strength and Muscle. Prefer selectorized machines? See Best Leverage Machine Exercises for Strength and Muscle. Prefer straps for portable angle-based training? See Best Suspension Exercises for Strength and Muscle. Prefer sled presses, hacks, pushes, and drags? See Best Sled Exercises for Strength and Conditioning. Prefer medicine-ball slams, wall balls, throws, and core work? See Best Medicine Ball Exercises for Power and Conditioning.
If you program loads from percentages, estimate a 1RM with the One-Rep Max Calculator or How to Calculate Your One-Rep Max, and set most working sets around RPE 7–8 (How to Use RPE for Working Sets).
Sample push day
Aim for a main press, a second press at a different angle, one overhead or shoulder move, and optional triceps or lateral-raise work.
| Slot | Example | Sets × reps (about RPE 7–8) |
|---|---|---|
| Main horizontal press | Bench Press or Dumbbell Bench Press | 3–4 × 5–8 |
| Incline / upper-chest press | Incline Bench Press or Dumbbell Incline Bench Press | 2–3 × 6–10 |
| Vertical press | Standing Military Press or Dumbbell Seated Shoulder Press | 2–3 × 6–10 |
| Side delts | Dumbbell Lateral Raise or Cable Lateral Raise | 2–3 × 10–15 |
| Optional triceps / dip | Chest Dip or a cable pushdown variation | 2 × 8–12 |
Choosing bar vs dumbbells for the main press? See Barbell vs Dumbbell Bench Press. For a longer chest and shoulder shortlist, see Best Chest Exercises and Best Shoulder Exercises. For curl and triceps finisher ideas, see Best Arm Exercises. For bracing and abs finishers, see Best Core Exercises.
Sample pull day
Balance a vertical pull, a horizontal row, optional hinge or second row, and rear-delt / arm accessories.
| Slot | Example | Sets × reps (about RPE 7–8) |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical pull | Pull-Up, Chin-Up, or Cable Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown | 3–4 × 5–10 |
| Horizontal row | Bent-Over Row or Dumbbell One-Arm Bent-Over Row | 3–4 × 6–10 |
| Second pull or hinge | Cable Low Seated Row or Romanian Deadlift | 2–3 × 6–12 |
| Rear delts / upper back | Band Face Pull or Cable Standing Rear Delt Row | 2–3 × 10–15 |
| Optional biceps | Curl variation of choice | 2 × 8–12 |
More options: Best Back Exercises for Strength and Muscle.
Sample legs day
Cover a squat or press pattern, a hinge or glute bridge/thrust, one single-leg move, then optional isolation.
| Slot | Example | Sets × reps (about RPE 7–8) |
|---|---|---|
| Squat / press | Full Squat, Front Squat, or Sled 45° Leg Press | 3–4 × 5–8 |
| Hinge / glute | Romanian Deadlift or Hip Thrust | 3 × 6–10 |
| Single-leg | Bulgarian Split Squat or Walking Lunge | 2–3 × 6–10 / side |
| Optional quads / hams | Lever Leg Extension or Lever Lying Leg Curl | 2 × 8–15 |
| Calves | Standing Calf Raise | 2–3 × 8–15 |
Fuller lower-body menu: Best Leg Exercises for Strength and Muscle.
3-day vs 6-day schedules
3 days (each once): e.g. Mon push / Wed pull / Fri legs. Keep hard sets productive; you do not need marathon sessions to make this work.
6 days (each twice): e.g. Mon push A / Tue pull A / Wed legs A / Thu push B / Fri pull B / Sat legs B / Sun rest. Make A days a bit heavier or more compound-focused, and B days slightly higher-rep or machine-friendly so joints recover.
Weekly hard-set ranges that work for many intermediates (adjust down if you are sore for days or sleep is poor):
- Chest / back: often about 8–16 hard sets each per week
- Quads: about 10–16; hinges/hamstrings often about 6–12
- Side/rear delts: often 8–16 combined raise/rear-delt sets when pressing volume is already high
Rest longer on heavy compounds (often 2–3+ minutes) and a bit shorter on isolation. Use the RPE & Rest Calculator for effort and rest ranges.
Progression without guesswork
- Pick loads you can complete with 1–3 reps in reserve on most sets (about RPE 7–8).
- When all target reps feel solid at the same RPE, add a small load jump — plates via the Plate Loading Calculator or How to Load a Barbell — or one clean extra rep (progressive overload basics).
- Re-estimate 1RM on main barbell lifts only when working sets have clearly moved, not every session.
- Eat enough protein to support training; the Protein Intake Calculator is a simple starting point.
Common mistakes
- Turning every day into a two-hour “bro session” with too many overlapping presses or curls
- Skipping pull volume relative to push (shoulders and elbows often pay for that)
- Running 6-day PPL with beginner recovery and poor sleep
- Copying someone else’s exercise list without swapping for equipment or joint comfort you actually have
Limitations
- PPL is a schedule template, not a magic program — exercise choice, effort, and recovery still decide results
- Sample set/rep ranges are starting points for healthy adults, not prescriptions
- Form cues here stay high-level — open each library entry for exercise-specific guidance
- If you have an injury history or pain with a pattern, get clearance from a qualified professional and choose regressions (machines, shorter range, lighter loads)
New to library pages? See How to Read Exercise Instructions on This Site. Adding easy cardio around PPL days? See How to Use Pace and Heart Rate Zones for Cardio and Cardio Before or After Weights.
Quick links
- How to Choose a Training Split — pick full-body vs upper/lower vs PPL by gym days
- How Often Should You Change Your Workout — finish a block before hopping off PPL
- Full-Body Training Split Explained — 2–3 day pattern-based starter
- 5x5 for Beginners
- Upper/Lower Split Explained — 4-day alternative with ~2× frequency without six gym days
- Best Resistance Band Exercises
- Best Kettlebell Exercises
- Best Dumbbell Exercises
- Best Barbell Exercises
- Best Bodyweight Exercises
- Best Cable Exercises
- Best Smith Machine Exercises
- Best Leverage Machine Exercises
- Best Suspension Exercises
- Best Sled Exercises
- Best Medicine Ball Exercises
- Best Stability Ball Exercises
- Best Weighted Exercises
- Best Assisted Exercises
- How Much Protein Do You Need
- How to Calculate BMI
- How to Calculate Body Fat with the Navy Method
- How to Use Pace and Heart Rate Zones
- Cardio Before or After Weights
- How to Read Exercise Instructions
- Best Chest Exercises
- Best Back Exercises
- Best Leg Exercises
- Best Shoulder Exercises
- Best Arm Exercises
- Best Core Exercises
- Barbell vs Dumbbell Bench Press
- How to Use RPE for Working Sets
- How to Calculate Your One-Rep Max
- One-Rep Max Calculator
- Plate Loading Calculator
- How to Load a Barbell
- Progressive Overload for Beginners
- Compound vs Isolation Exercises Explained — compounds first on push/pull/legs, then accessories
- How to Warm Up Before Lifting
- How to Deload for Strength Training
- How Long to Rest Between Sets
- How Many Sets and Reps Should You Do
- How Many Exercises Per Workout — PPL days often land near ~5–8 hard moves
- How Many Days a Week Should You Lift — 3- vs 6-day frequency context for PPL
- How Often Should You Train Each Muscle Group — 1× vs ~2× muscle hits on 3- vs 6-day PPL
- RPE & Rest Calculator
- Protein Intake Calculator
- All training guides
- Exercise library