Is Push Pull Legs good for beginners?

Yes — a 3-day PPL is one of the friendliest intermediate splits because each session hits a full pattern once, leaving 48+ hours before that pattern repeats. Beginners with less than six months of consistent training usually make faster progress on a full-body routine 3× per week, then graduate to PPL once recovery becomes the limiter.

3-day vs 6-day PPL — which should I pick?

Pick the frequency you can hold for 12 weeks. 3-day PPL fits busy weeks and works well up to intermediate. 6-day PPL is for lifters with 1+ year of consistent training who recover well, sleep 7+ hours, and can hit the gym 6× reliably.

How long should each PPL session take?

60–75 minutes with the compound lifts done at 2–3 minute rests and accessories at 60–90 seconds. If you're consistently over 90 minutes, cut one accessory rather than rush the compounds.

Do I need to run PPL forever?

No. PPL is a template, not an identity. When progress stalls for 3+ weeks on the main lifts, swap the exercise variant, deload for a week, or rotate to an upper/lower split for a training block.

Where do abs, forearms, and neck fit in?

Abs: 2–3 short sets at the end of any two sessions. Forearms are usually covered by pulling volume. Neck can be trained with 2 sets of flexion/extension at the end of pull or leg day, twice a week.

Push Pull Legs Routine — The Complete PPL Split Guide

A complete guide to the Push Pull Legs split — 3-day vs 6-day frequency, sample workouts for Push, Pull, and Legs, and how to progress week over week.

What is PPL?

Push Pull Legs groups training by movement pattern: push muscles, pull muscles, and legs. It is simple to repeat, easy to scale from 3 to 6 sessions per week, and gives each pattern enough recovery before it appears again.

Who it's for

PPL works best for lifters who already know the main compound lifts and want a repeatable structure for progressive overload. Beginners can run it 3 days per week; more advanced lifters can run two rotations per week if recovery is strong.

3-day vs 6-day frequency

A 3-day PPL gives one push, one pull, and one leg session per week. A 6-day PPL repeats the rotation twice, doubling practice and weekly volume but demanding better sleep, food, and recovery.

Push day

Chest, shoulders, triceps — every muscle that extends the arm away from the torso.

Primary lifts

Barbell Bench Press — 4 × 5–8
Overhead Press (barbell or dumbbell) — 3 × 6–10
Incline Dumbbell Press — 3 × 8–12

Accessory lifts

Cable Chest Fly — 3 × 10–15
Lateral Raise — 3 × 12–20
Triceps Rope Pushdown — 3 × 10–15
Overhead Triceps Extension — 3 × 10–15

Pull day

Back, rear delts, biceps — everything that pulls a load toward the torso.

Primary lifts

Deadlift or Rack Pull — 3 × 3–5 (heavy day only)
Weighted Pull-Up or Lat Pulldown — 4 × 6–10
Barbell or Chest-Supported Row — 4 × 6–10

Accessory lifts

Seated Cable Row — 3 × 8–12
Face Pull — 3 × 12–20
Barbell or EZ-Bar Curl — 3 × 8–12
Hammer Curl — 3 × 10–15

Leg day

Quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves — plus the core that stabilizes the whole thing.

Primary lifts

Back Squat — 4 × 5–8
Romanian Deadlift — 3 × 6–10
Bulgarian Split Squat — 3 × 8–12 per leg

Accessory lifts

Leg Press — 3 × 8–12
Hip Thrust — 3 × 8–12
Leg Curl — 3 × 10–15
Standing Calf Raise — 4 × 10–15

How to progress

Start each lift in a target rep range. When every working set reaches the top of that range with solid form, add weight next time. If performance drops for several sessions, reduce volume or take a deload week.

Frequently asked questions

Is Push Pull Legs good for beginners?: Yes — a 3-day PPL is one of the friendliest intermediate splits because each session hits a full pattern once, leaving 48+ hours before that pattern repeats. Beginners with less than six months of consistent training usually make faster progress on a full-body routine 3× per week, then graduate to PPL once recovery becomes the limiter.
3-day vs 6-day PPL — which should I pick?: Pick the frequency you can hold for 12 weeks. 3-day PPL fits busy weeks and works well up to intermediate. 6-day PPL is for lifters with 1+ year of consistent training who recover well, sleep 7+ hours, and can hit the gym 6× reliably.
How long should each PPL session take?: 60–75 minutes with the compound lifts done at 2–3 minute rests and accessories at 60–90 seconds. If you're consistently over 90 minutes, cut one accessory rather than rush the compounds.
Do I need to run PPL forever?: No. PPL is a template, not an identity. When progress stalls for 3+ weeks on the main lifts, swap the exercise variant, deload for a week, or rotate to an upper/lower split for a training block.
Where do abs, forearms, and neck fit in?: Abs: 2–3 short sets at the end of any two sessions. Forearms are usually covered by pulling volume. Neck can be trained with 2 sets of flexion/extension at the end of pull or leg day, twice a week.