This 3-day push pull legs plan runs the split once a week: a push day, a pull day and a leg day, with rest days between them. Each session is short and focused, so it suits beginners who like the PPL layout but cannot train 6 days. Below you get the week, all 3 sessions with sets and reps, and when to add weight.
Is 3-day PPL right for a beginner?
It works, with one trade-off. Each muscle gets its main session once a week, while a full-body plan trains it 3 times. If your only aim is to learn the lifts fast, the full-body plan for beginners gets you there sooner.
Pick 3-day PPL if you prefer shorter sessions with fewer exercises to set up. It also leads straight into the 6-day push pull legs plan once you train more often.
How the week looks
| Day | Focus |
|---|---|
| Monday | Push (chest, shoulders, triceps) |
| Tuesday | Rest |
| Wednesday | Pull (back, biceps) |
| Thursday | Rest |
| Friday | Legs |
| Saturday | Rest |
| Sunday | Rest |
The workouts
Push
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell bench press | 3 | 6-8 |
| Seated dumbbell shoulder press | 3 | 8-10 |
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 | 8-12 |
| Lateral raise | 3 | 12-15 |
| Cable triceps pushdown | 3 | 10-12 |
Pull
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Lat pulldown or assisted pull-up | 3 | 8-10 |
| Barbell or dumbbell row | 3 | 8-10 |
| Seated cable row | 2 | 10-12 |
| Face pull | 3 | 15-20 |
| Dumbbell curl | 3 | 10-12 |
Legs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell back squat | 3 | 6-8 |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 | 8-10 |
| Leg press | 3 | 10-12 |
| Leg curl | 2 | 10-15 |
| Standing calf raise | 3 | 12-15 |
Rest 2 to 3 minutes after the first lift of each day and 60 to 90 seconds after the rest. A session takes 45 to 60 minutes.
How to add weight
Use double progression. Stay in the rep range, and once you hit the top of it on every set with clean form, add weight next time. Then work back up from the bottom of the range.
Add about 2.5 kg on upper-body lifts and 2.5 to 5 kg on the squat and deadlift. Bench 50 kg for 3 sets of 8 this Monday, and next Monday put 52.5 kg on the bar and aim for 6s.
When to move on
If you miss your target reps 2 weeks in a row, keep the same weight until you hit them. After 3 to 6 months of steady progress, and with more days free, run the cycle twice a week as the 6-day push pull legs plan, or move to a 4-day upper/lower split. Our guide on how to choose a workout split compares them.
Run this plan in Trackist
Answer Trackist’s 14 questions about your goal, experience, equipment, joints, schedule, session length and age, and ask for 3 days a week. Trackist chooses the layout from your answers. If you want push, pull and legs, reorder, swap, add or remove any exercise in the plan editor, with or without Pro.
At the gym you log weight, reps and RPE for each set. RPE is how hard the set felt, on a scale of 1 to 10. Last session’s numbers sit under each field, a line above each exercise suggests today’s weight, and the rest timer keeps counting on the Lock Screen.
If leg day keeps landing too hard, say so. Trackist notes it the first time, and if you report it again, Trackist Pro rewrites the day. If your shoulder hurts on the bench, Pro swaps in an exercise that trains the same muscle. See how Trackist works as a workout tracker for beginners.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Is 3-day push pull legs enough to build muscle?
Yes, for a beginner. In your first months, one hard session per muscle a week keeps you growing, as long as the weight keeps climbing. As you get stronger, 2 sessions per muscle a week works better, which is when the 6-day version or an upper/lower split makes sense.
3-day PPL or full body for beginners?
Full body if you want to learn the lifts as fast as possible, because you practise each one 2 or 3 times a week. PPL if you prefer shorter sessions with fewer exercises. Both work when you add weight steadily.
Which days should I train push pull legs?
Any 3 days with a rest day between them: Monday, Wednesday and Friday is the usual choice. Keep the order push, pull, legs, so your shoulders and elbows get a day off between pressing and pulling.
Can Trackist build a 3-day PPL plan?
Trackist writes a 3-day plan from your answers and chooses the layout itself. In the plan editor you can reorder, swap, add or remove any exercise, with or without Pro, so you can shape it into push, pull and legs.
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Let Trackist write your plan
Answer 14 questions and Trackist writes a plan around your gym and your week. Log every set, and the next session shows the weight to lift. On the App Store now. Android is coming.
