Push Pull Legs: A Complete Split, and What Each Day Needs
Push pull legs splits your training by movement. On push day you train the muscles that press: chest, shoulders and triceps. On pull day you train the muscles that pull: back, rear shoulders and biceps. On leg day you train the quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves. You can run it three days a week, once through, or six days a week, twice through. The six day version gives each muscle two sessions a week, which suits most lifters who want to build muscle, while the three day version fits a busy week. Both work as long as each muscle gets enough hard sets and the weights keep going up.
What is a push pull legs split?
A split is how you divide your training across the week. Push pull legs divides it by what the muscles do:
- Push. Chest, shoulders and triceps: every muscle that pushes a weight away from you.
- Pull. Back, rear shoulders and biceps: every muscle that pulls a weight toward you.
- Legs. Quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves.
The logic is overlap. The triceps help every press, so they are trained on the day they are already warm. The biceps help every row, so they go on pull day. Each day trains a group of muscles that work together, and gives the others time to recover.
Three day or six day push pull legs?
| Version | Week | Each muscle trained | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 day | Push, pull, legs, rest | Once a week | Busy weeks, beginners, lifters who recover slowly |
| 6 day | Push, pull, legs, push, pull, legs, rest | Twice a week | Lifters who can train most days and want the most muscle |
| Rotating | Push, pull, legs, rest, repeat | About 1.5 times a week | Lifters who want more than 3 days but not 6 |
For most lifters who want to build muscle, training each muscle twice a week works better than once. If six days is too many, the rotating version is a good middle ground: it runs on a cycle of four days instead of the calendar week.
What should you do on push day?
Start with a heavy press, then add a second press at a different angle, then the smaller shoulder and triceps work.
- Main press. Bench press, or the dumbbell bench press. Three to four sets of 6 to 10.
- Incline press. The incline dumbbell press at about 30 degrees. Three sets of 8 to 12.
- Overhead press. Standing or seated. Three sets of 8 to 12.
- Side delts. The cable lateral raise or dumbbell raises. Three sets of 12 to 20.
- Triceps. Pushdowns, overhead extensions or weighted dips. Two to three sets of 8 to 15.
Push day moves you between benches: flat, incline, seated. Each one is a new pad to slide on. One bench press mat moves with you to all three.
“Flat bench, incline, machine fly pad. Three pressing stations, one mat. I am not fighting vinyl anywhere on push day anymore.”
What should you do on pull day?
Start with a vertical pull, then a horizontal pull, then the rear shoulders and biceps.
- Vertical pull. Pull-ups or pulldowns. Three to four sets of 6 to 12. Once bodyweight pull-ups get easy, a dip belt adds weight; the PR Grip Dip Belt carries plates on a steel chain.
- Row. The seated cable row or chest supported row. Three sets of 8 to 12.
- Second row or pulldown. A different grip or angle from the first. Three sets of 10 to 15.
- Rear delts. Reverse flyes or face pulls. Three sets of 12 to 20.
- Biceps. The preacher curl or dumbbell curls. Two to three sets of 8 to 15.
Heavy rows and pulldowns can wear out your grip before your back. Lifting straps let the back decide when the set ends.
“Seated row and chest-supported row pads are both slick in my gym. Mat fixed both. Pull day feels connected instead of fidgety.”
What should you do on leg day?
Start with a squat pattern, then a hinge, then single leg and smaller work.
- Squat pattern. Back squat, the hack squat or the leg press. Three to four sets of 6 to 10. Here is where to put your feet on the leg press.
- Hinge. The Romanian deadlift. Three sets of 6 to 10.
- Single leg. The Bulgarian split squat or lunges. Two to three sets of 8 to 12 per leg.
- Glutes. The hip thrust. Two to three sets of 8 to 12.
- Calves. Standing or seated calf raises. Three sets of 10 to 20.
Leg day moves the mat the most: under your back on the hack squat, under your seat on the leg press, under your feet for calves and split squats.
“Hack squat, leg press, seated calves. Under my back, under my seat, under my feet. Same mat, three contact points, no slip.”
How many sets should you do on push pull legs?
A good target for most lifters is about 10 to 20 hard sets per muscle per week. On the six day version, that means about 5 to 10 sets per muscle in each session. On the three day version, put the sets toward the lower end of the range and make each one count.
A hard set is one that ends one to three reps short of failure. Easy warm up sets do not count.
How do you progress on push pull legs?
The simplest method is double progression. Pick a rep range, like 8 to 12. Use the same weight until you reach the top of the range on every set, then add the smallest step of weight and work back up. It works for every lift in the split, from the bench press to the lateral raise.
- Rest two to three minutes between sets of the big lifts, and one to two minutes on the smaller ones.
- Log every session. The weight and reps of your last session are the target for this one.
- Change the exercises every few months, not every week, so you can see progress.
On machines, the last set can go further with a drop set. The PR Grip Drop Set Pins sit in the stack below your working pin; here is how to run drop sets on machines.
Who is push pull legs best for?
Push pull legs suits lifters who want to build muscle and can train at least three days a week. It is simple to plan, each session has a clear focus, and it scales from three to six days without changing its structure. It works in a home gym too, with a bench, a rack and adjustable dumbbells; here is what to buy first for a home gym.
It suits beginners less well if they can only train two or three times a week: a full body plan trains each muscle more often with the same number of sessions. Lifters training mainly for maximum strength in the squat, bench press and deadlift often prefer a program built around those three lifts.
One mat for every station
A push pull legs day moves you across many stations: two or three benches on push day, a row seat and a chest pad on pull day, a machine back pad and a platform on leg day. Every one of them is a new surface, and some of them slip.
“Chest press, row, leg press, seated calves in one session. Moved the mat with me. Four machines, zero slip.”
PR Grip is a double-sided grip mat. HexaTrac on one face holds the pad and the other face holds you. It grips through pressure, not adhesive, and fits flat and incline benches, the leg press, the hack squat, the preacher curl and most machines. At 16 x 26 inches (about 41 x 66 cm) and about 300 grams, it moves with you from station to station and rolls into your gym bag at the end of the day.
Frequently asked questions
Is push pull legs good for building muscle?
Yes. It groups muscles that work together, and the six day version trains each muscle twice a week, which suits most lifters who want to build muscle.
How many days a week should you do push pull legs?
Three days trains each muscle once a week, and six days trains each muscle twice. If six is too many, a rotating cycle of push, pull, legs and a rest day is a good middle ground.
What order should push pull legs go in?
Push, pull, legs is the most common order, with a rest day after one or two rounds. Some lifters put legs between push and pull, so the chest and back work sit further apart.
Is push pull legs good for beginners?
It can be, on three days a week. A beginner who can only train two or three times a week often does better with a full body plan, which trains each muscle more often.
How many exercises should you do per day on push pull legs?
Four to six is typical: one or two big lifts first, then smaller ones for the muscles that need more work. Most of the weekly sets should go to the big lifts.