Push Pull Legs Routine: A Complete PPL Split for 3 or 6 Days a Week
Push pull legs is popular for a reason. It's easy to understand, it groups muscles that naturally work together, and it scales from three training days a week to six without changing the structure.
Below is a complete PPL routine with the exact exercises, sets, and reps, schedules for different weeks, the weekly volume each muscle gets, and how to keep progressing on it.
How the push pull legs split works
Every upper-body exercise either pushes weight away from you or pulls it toward you. PPL uses that to split your training into three days:
| Day | Movement | Muscles trained |
|---|---|---|
| Push | Pressing | Chest, front and side delts, triceps |
| Pull | Rowing, pulling, hinging | Lats, upper back, rear delts, biceps, spinal erectors |
| Legs | Squatting, hinging, isolation | Quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves |
Because the muscles on each day work together, a muscle that's tired from one exercise isn't hammered again by the next session's training. Your triceps get a break on pull day, and your biceps get a break on push day.
The routine
These are the starter routines built into ForgeLyte Lift. Each day has six exercises of three working sets, with compound lifts first while you're fresh and isolation work last.
Push day
| Exercise | Sets × reps |
|---|---|
| Barbell bench press | 3 × 8 |
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 × 8 |
| Overhead press | 3 × 8 |
| Lateral raises | 3 × 12 |
| Cable triceps pushdown | 3 × 10 |
| Chest dip | 3 × 8 |
Pull day
| Exercise | Sets × reps |
|---|---|
| Deadlift | 3 × 5 |
| Pull-ups | 3 × 8 |
| Barbell row | 3 × 8 |
| Lat pulldown | 3 × 10 |
| Face pulls | 3 × 12 |
| Barbell curl | 3 × 10 |
Leg day
| Exercise | Sets × reps |
|---|---|
| Squat | 3 × 8 |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 × 8 |
| Leg press | 3 × 10 |
| Leg curls | 3 × 10 |
| Hip thrust | 3 × 10 |
| Calf raise | 3 × 12 |
Treat the rep numbers as targets, not limits. If you can't get a pull-up for eight reps yet, use an assisted variation or do as many clean reps as you can and build from there.
Choosing a schedule: 3, 5, or 6 days
| Days per week | Example week | Each muscle trained |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days | Push · Rest · Pull · Rest · Legs · Rest · Rest | Once per week |
| 5 days (rolling) | Push · Pull · Legs · Rest · Push · Pull · Rest (legs leads next week) | 1–2× per week |
| 6 days | Push · Pull · Legs · Push · Pull · Legs · Rest | Twice per week |
The 6-day version is the classic "PPL" you'll see recommended for building muscle, but it's demanding. If you can only commit to three or four sessions a week, a 3-day PPL is fine. You can also run a full-body routine, which hits every muscle in each session.
Weekly volume per muscle
Muscle growth depends heavily on how many hard sets each muscle gets per week. A 2017 meta-analysis found a dose-response relationship between weekly sets and muscle growth, and the ACSM's 2026 position stand concluded that hypertrophy was enhanced by higher volumes of 10 or more sets per muscle per week.
Here's roughly how this routine stacks up, counting only the exercises that train each muscle directly:
| Muscle | Direct sets per session | 3-day PPL (per week) | 6-day PPL (per week) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chest | 9 (bench, incline, dip) | 9 | 18 |
| Back (lats & upper back) | 9 (pull-up, row, pulldown) | 9 | 18 |
| Shoulders (side & rear) | 6 (lateral raise, face pull) | 6 | 12 |
| Triceps | 3 direct + pressing | 3+ | 6+ |
| Biceps | 3 direct + pulling | 3+ | 6+ |
| Quads | 6 (squat, leg press) | 6 | 12 |
| Hamstrings & glutes | 9 (RDL, leg curl, hip thrust) | 9 | 18 |
| Calves | 3 | 3 | 6 |
Two takeaways. First, the 3-day version sits below 10 sets for most muscles, which is fine for maintaining or for beginners but not ideal for maximizing growth. Second, the 6-day version is high for chest, back, and hamstrings. If recovery suffers, cut one exercise per day before you cut a whole session.
Arms get a lot of indirect work from pressing and pulling, so the "+" in the table matters. If arms are a priority, add a second set of curls or pushdowns.
How to progress on PPL
The routine only works if the numbers go up over time. Use double progression:
- Treat each target as a range. For "3 × 8," aim for 6–8 reps on compound lifts. For "3 × 12," aim for 10–15 on isolation lifts.
- Add reps each session at the same weight.
- When every set hits the top of the range with good form, add the smallest weight increment and drop back down.
Our full guide to progressive overload covers this in detail, including how to judge progress when reps and weight both change.
Two PPL-specific tips:
- Rest longer on the big lifts. In a study of trained men, resting 3 minutes between sets produced more strength and more thigh muscle growth than resting 1 minute. Give your squats, deadlifts, and presses 2–3 minutes. Isolation work can get 60–90 seconds.
- Watch your hinge stacking. Deadlifts on pull day and Romanian deadlifts on leg day both load your lower back and hamstrings. On the 6-day plan, avoid placing those days back to back if your lower back feels fatigued, or swap RDLs for an extra set of leg curls.
PPL vs. other splits
- Full body (3×/week): each muscle is trained three times, with fewer sets each time. Great for beginners and busy schedules.
- Upper/lower (4×/week): each muscle is trained twice with four sessions. It's a strong middle ground between full body and 6-day PPL.
- Bro split (one muscle per day): each muscle is trained once a week with a lot of volume in one session. It's harder to keep sets productive late in the workout.
None of these is magic. The best split is the one you can show up for consistently while adding a little weight or a few reps over time.
Running PPL in ForgeLyte Lift
The Push, Pull, and Legs routines above, plus a Full Body routine, come built into ForgeLyte Lift for free, and they don't count toward the three custom routines in the free version. Start one, and the app pre-fills your sets and shows last session's numbers next to each one. When you finish a set, the rest timer starts automatically. When you beat a previous best, the PR is flagged on the spot.
Want to tweak the plan, for example swapping deadlifts for rack pulls or adding an arm superset? Duplicate it into your own routine. ForgeLyte Lift Pro unlocks unlimited routines and supersets.
Frequently asked questions
Is push pull legs good for beginners?
Should I do PPL 3 or 6 days a week?
Can I do push pull legs 5 days a week?
Where should deadlifts go in a PPL split?
How long should a push pull legs workout take?
Sources
- Currier BS, et al. American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand: Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults (2026). Med Sci Sports Exerc.
- Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass (2017). J Sports Sci.
- Schoenfeld BJ, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men (2016). J Strength Cond Res.
Written by the developer of ForgeLyte Lift, a workout tracker mentioned in this guide. This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to a qualified professional before starting a new training program, especially if you have an injury or health condition.