Push/Pull/Legs (PPL) Workout Plan
Push/Pull/Legs is a 6-day split that trains each muscle group twice per week by grouping exercises by movement pattern. This plan covers the full weekly schedule, every exercise with sets and reps, and how to add weight over time. Build it once in Trackist, log each set, and share the plan with your training partners.
What is the Push/Pull/Legs split?
Push/Pull/Legs (PPL) organizes your training by movement pattern. Push days cover the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Pull days cover the back and biceps. Leg days cover the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. Running the cycle twice a week gives you a 6-day split that hits each muscle group every three to four days, which is a strong frequency for building muscle.
PPL works well for lifters who already have a few months of consistent training and can recover from six sessions a week. If six days feels like too much, run the cycle once per week as a 3-day plan and add a rest day between each session.
The Push/Pull/Legs weekly schedule
| Day | Focus |
|---|---|
| Monday | Push A (chest focus) |
| Tuesday | Pull A (back width) |
| Wednesday | Legs A (quad focus) |
| Thursday | Push B (shoulder focus) |
| Friday | Pull B (back thickness) |
| Saturday | Legs B (hamstring focus) |
| Sunday | Rest |
The full workout
Push A and Push B
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell bench press | 4 | 6-8 |
| Overhead press | 3 | 8-10 |
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 | 8-12 |
| Lateral raise | 3 | 12-15 |
| Cable triceps pushdown | 3 | 10-12 |
| Overhead triceps extension | 2 | 12-15 |
On Push B, lead with the overhead press for 4 sets of 6-8 and drop the bench to 3 sets of 8-10 so each session has a slightly different emphasis.
Pull A and Pull B
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Pull-up or lat pulldown | 4 | 6-10 |
| Barbell row | 4 | 6-8 |
| Seated cable row | 3 | 8-12 |
| Face pull | 3 | 15-20 |
| Barbell or dumbbell curl | 3 | 8-12 |
| Hammer curl | 2 | 10-12 |
On Pull B, start with the barbell row for back thickness, then move to the lat pulldown.
Legs A and Legs B
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell back squat | 4 | 5-8 |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 | 8-10 |
| Leg press | 3 | 10-12 |
| Leg curl | 3 | 10-15 |
| Standing calf raise | 4 | 12-15 |
On Legs B, swap the back squat for a front squat or hack squat and lead with the Romanian deadlift to bias the hamstrings and glutes.
How to progress
Progressive overload is the core driver of results. The simplest method is double progression: pick a rep range, and once you hit the top of that range for every set with good form, add weight at the next session and work back up from the bottom of the range.
A practical rule for most lifts is to add the smallest available increment, roughly 2.5 to 5 pounds on upper-body lifts and 5 to 10 pounds on lower-body lifts, whenever you complete all prescribed reps. Keep one to three reps in reserve on most working sets so technique stays clean and recovery stays manageable. Deload every six to eight weeks by cutting your working weights by about 10 percent for a week if your joints or progress start to stall.
Track this plan in Trackist
Trackist makes this split easy to run set by set. Build the plan once by adding each day and its exercises, then open it at the gym and log your weight, reps, RPE, rest, and notes as you go. The instant feedback shows your last numbers for every lift, so you always know what to beat for double progression.
Because PPL is hard to keep consistent solo, share the plan with your training partners. Send them an invite code and each person follows the same structure while keeping their own logs and progress. Add your best build to the community leaderboard, and use the body weight and measurement charts to confirm your strength gains are matching your goals.
See how this works for a crew in the gym buddies guide, and find more programming breakdowns on the Trackist blog.
Frequently asked questions
Is Push/Pull/Legs good for beginners?
PPL can work for beginners, but a 3-day full-body routine usually builds the basics faster because it trains each lift more often with less total volume. If you are new, start with a full-body plan and move to a 6-day PPL once you have a few months of consistent training and solid technique.
How many days a week is the PPL split?
The version in this plan runs six days a week, training each muscle group twice. You can also run the cycle once per week as a 3-day plan with rest days between sessions if you cannot recover from six workouts.
How long should a PPL workout take?
Most sessions here run about 50 to 75 minutes, depending on your rest periods. Resting two to three minutes on heavy compounds and 60 to 90 seconds on isolation work keeps the workout productive without dragging it out.
Can I share a PPL plan with a friend in Trackist?
Yes. Build the plan once, then send a partner your invite code. You both follow the same split while keeping separate logs and progress, which makes it easier to stay consistent and compare numbers.
Run this plan with your friends
Build this plan in Trackist, share it with your training partners via an invite code, and track every set. Free to try on iOS and Android.
