Most people do not have a workout problem. They have a structure problem. They walk into the gym, do whatever machines are free, and leave wondering why nothing changes.
Push pull legs fixes that in one decision. You group every muscle by how it moves, give each group its own day, and rotate. Push day: chest, shoulders, triceps. Pull day: back and biceps. Leg day: everything below the waist. Three focused sessions, every muscle trained, zero guessing at the door.
The Split at a Glance
Run it as a 3-day split (Push, Pull, Legs, then rest or repeat) if your week is busy. Run it twice through as a 6-day split if you recover well and want more volume. The workouts stay the same either way – only the frequency changes.
Each session takes 60 to 75 minutes. Every exercise below is 3 to 4 hard sets, taken within a rep or two of failure on the last set.
Day 1: Push
- Bench Press – 4 sets x 6-8 reps
- Overhead Press – 3 sets x 8-10 reps
- Incline Dumbbell Press – 3 sets x 10-12 reps
- Lateral Raise – 3 sets x 12-15 reps
- Rope Pushdown – 3 sets x 12-15 reps
Pushing muscles work together on the same lifts, so they train together and rest together. Your triceps are already warm from pressing – finish them at the end instead of giving them their own day.
Day 2: Pull
- Barbell Row – 4 sets x 6-8 reps
- Lat Pulldown – 3 sets x 8-10 reps
- Cable Row – 3 sets x 10-12 reps
- Face Pull – 3 sets x 12-15 reps
- Barbell Curl – 3 sets x 10-12 reps
Rows and pulldowns build the back thickness and width that make a physique look athletic from every angle. Face pulls keep your shoulders healthy under all the pressing from Day 1.
Day 3: Legs
- Squat – 4 sets x 6-8 reps
- Romanian Deadlift – 3 sets x 8-10 reps
- Hip Thrust – 3 sets x 10-12 reps
- Leg Press – 3 sets x 10-12 reps
- Calf Raise – 4 sets x 12-15 reps
Quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves in one session. It is the hardest day of the three, which is exactly why it gets its own day instead of being squeezed in after chest.
How Many Sets Is That, Really?
Count it up and each muscle lands around 10 to 16 hard sets per week on the 3-day version – right in the range research links to the most growth. I broke down the exact targets by experience level in how many sets per week to build muscle. The 6-day version doubles the frequency, so keep the per-session sets as written and let the extra day do the work.
If you want this split counted for you, my Fitness Tracker spreadsheet ($5) logs every set and totals your week automatically. It is the exact sheet this whole system started on.
When to Add Weight
The split is the map. Progression is the engine. Work in the rep range until you hit the top number on every set – 12 reps on all three sets of incline press, for example. Next session, add 2.5 to 5 lb and climb again. If you cannot hit the top number yet, keep the weight and beat your reps. Small jumps, every week, logged.
Track It or It Did Not Happen
A split only works if next week’s version of you knows what this week’s version lifted. That is why I built LYON XP – I was tired of guessing my own numbers. Log each session in the app and the Insights tab counts your sets per muscle for free, so you can see at a glance whether your legs are keeping up with your chest.
Download LYON XP free on the App Store and run your first push day in it today.
3 Mistakes That Kill a PPL Split
- Skipping leg day when the week gets busy. Your legs are half the program. Move the day, never delete it.
- Changing exercises every week. Progression needs repetition. Keep the same lifts for at least 6 to 8 weeks.
- Training hard but logging nothing. If last week’s numbers are a mystery, this week’s workout is a guess.
FAQ
Can beginners run push pull legs? Yes. Start with the 3-day version, use the low end of every rep range, and spend the first two weeks learning the lifts with weight you fully control.
Is 3-day or 6-day better? Whichever one you can repeat for months. The 6-day version adds volume, but a 3-day split done consistently beats a 6-day split done for two weeks.
How long should each workout take? 60 to 75 minutes, including warm-up sets. If you are passing 90 minutes, you are resting too long or adding junk sets.
What do I do on rest days? Walk, eat, sleep. Growth happens between sessions – the split only works if the recovery does.
The Bottom Line
Pick the 3-day or 6-day version, run the same three workouts, add weight when you earn it, and log everything. Push pull legs is not magic – it is structure, and structure is what most lifters are missing.