Push Pull Legs Split: Complete Guide for Muscle Growth

Why PPL Is So Popular

Push/Pull/Legs is probably the most popular split in the world. And for good reason. It's logical, intuitive, and actually works. The idea is simple - one day you do all pushing movements, another all pulling movements, third day is legs.

The beauty of PPL is that muscles are grouped by function. When you press a barbell off your chest, your chest, front delts, and triceps work. So it makes sense to train them together.

The Classic PPL Layout

Push (Monday/Thursday)

• •Barbell Bench Press - 4×6-8. Main movement of the day
• •Incline Dumbbell Press - 3×10. Upper chest
• •Seated Dumbbell Press - 3×10. Shoulders
• •Dumbbell Flyes - 3×12. Chest isolation
• •Lateral Raises - 3×15. Side delts
• •Skull Crushers - 3×12. Triceps
• •Cable Pushdowns - 3×15. Tricep finisher

Pull (Tuesday/Friday)

• •Pull-ups - 4×8-12. Or lat pulldowns
• •Barbell Rows - 4×8. Back thickness
• •Single-Arm DB Rows - 3×10. Each arm
• •Face Pulls - 3×15. Rear delts and shoulder health
• •Shrugs - 3×12. Traps
• •Barbell Curls - 3×10
• •Hammer Curls - 3×12. Brachialis

Legs (Wednesday/Saturday)

• •Barbell Squats - 4×6-8. King of exercises
• •Romanian Deadlifts - 3×10. Hamstrings
• •Leg Press - 3×12. Extra quad volume
• •Leg Curls - 3×12. Isolation
• •Leg Extensions - 3×12
• •Standing Calf Raises - 4×15
• •Seated Calf Raises - 3×20

3 Days or 6 Days?

PPL can be done 3 times per week or 6 times. The 6-day version gives you a frequency of twice per week per muscle, which is optimal. But lets be realistic - not everyone has time for 6 workouts. Three-day PPL works too, just slightly slowr progress.

Common PPL Mistakes

• •Too much isolation - compound movements should be the foundation
• •Skipping leg day - classic, but legs are 50% of your body
• •Same workouts - if doing 6 days, vary exercises between Push A and Push B
• •Ignoring rear delts - face pulls are mandatory for shoulder health

PPL isn't just a split. It's a system that will work for years if you follow it correctly.