Training· 7 min read
Push/pull/legs programme: three to six training days
Push/pull/legs, or PPL, rotates pressing, pulling and lower-body sessions. The schedules below illustrate three to six training days, while four- and five-day versions continue the rotation across weeks. Choose the schedule first, then adjust the session workload to it.
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The essentials before you start.
- Choose one workload and count repetitions of it across the week.
- Tables give coaching examples; the cited studies do not validate the exact whole plan.
- Record setup, range and effort alongside sets, repetitions and load.
- Optional advanced methods are not compulsory or automatically suitable.
Choose the workload and fit it into the week
The six-day table repeats each session label twice within seven days and places rest on Sunday. It does not also include a rest day after every three sessions. If you want a rest day after each cycle, use a rolling eight-day sequence instead. The larger session menus are optional starting material; reduce sets or exercises as needed before increasing frequency.
Practical movement and setup cues
Push combines chest, shoulder and triceps tasks; pull combines back pulling with optional rear-shoulder and biceps work; legs combines knee-and-hip extension, a hinge, curls and calves. Overlap remains, so session names do not divide the body into completely independent parts.
What the cited evidence does and does not establish
The split-versus-full-body synthesis did not specifically validate this PPL plan. General volume and frequency findings do not mean that six days is automatically better or that every exercise needs the highest listed set count.
PPL schedule: 3 days
Example placement of session labels. Adjust the work inside each session when changing frequency.
| Day | Workout |
|---|---|
| Monday | Push |
| Wednesday | Pull |
| Friday | Legs |
| Other days | Rest |
PPL schedule: 4 days
Example placement of session labels. Adjust the work inside each session when changing frequency.
| Day | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Push | Pull | Legs |
| Tuesday | Pull | Legs | Push |
| Thursday | Legs | Push | Pull |
| Friday | Push | Pull | Legs |
PPL schedule: 5 days
Example placement of session labels. Adjust the work inside each session when changing frequency.
| Day | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Push | Legs | Pull |
| Tuesday | Pull | Push | Legs |
| Wednesday | Legs | Pull | Push |
| Thursday | Push | Legs | Pull |
| Friday | Pull | Push | Legs |
PPL schedule: 6 days
Example placement of session labels. Adjust the work inside each session when changing frequency.
| Day | Workout |
|---|---|
| Monday | Push |
| Tuesday | Pull |
| Wednesday | Legs |
| Thursday | Push |
| Friday | Pull |
| Saturday | Legs |
| Sunday | Rest |
Push workout example
Quantities are per occurrence of this table unless the heading explicitly describes a weekly distribution. Choose the appropriate example; do not combine every option.
| Exercise | Sets | Repetitions | Effort | Rest | Alternative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell bench press | 3 – 4 | 8 – 12 | RPE 8 | 2 min | Incline barbell press or Dumbbell bench press |
| Weighted dip | 3 – 4 | 8 | RPE 8 | 2 min | Parallel-bar dip or Decline barbell press |
| Barbell overhead press | 3 – 4 | 8 | RPE 8 | 2 min | Seated dumbbell shoulder press |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 2 – 3 | 15 | RPE 9 | 1 min 30 | Cable lateral raise |
| Cable fly | 2 – 3 | 15 – 20 | RPE 9 | 1 min 30 | Pec deck |
| Cable triceps pressdown, optional if it fits the session | 2 – 3 | 12 – 15 | RPE 9 | 1 min | Dumbbell triceps extension |
Pull workout example
Quantities are per occurrence of this table unless the heading explicitly describes a weekly distribution. Choose the appropriate example; do not combine every option.
| Exercise | Sets | Repetitions | Effort | Rest | Alternative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weighted pull-up | 3 – 4 | 6 | RPE 8 | 2 min 30 | Chin-up or Lat pulldown |
| Seal row | 3 – 4 | 10 | RPE 8 | 2 min | Barbell row or One-arm dumbbell row |
| Single-arm cable pulldown | 3 – 4 | 12 per arm | RPE 9 | 2 min | Lat pulldown |
| Straight-arm cable pulldown | 3 | 15 – 20 | RPE 9 | 1 min 30 | Seated cable row |
| Bent-over rear-delt fly | 3 | 12 – 15 | RPE 9 | 1 min 30 | Face pull |
| Incline dumbbell curl, optional if it fits the session | 2 – 3 | 10 – 12 | RPE 9 | 1 min | Barbell curl or Hammer curl |
Legs workout example
Quantities are per occurrence of this table unless the heading explicitly describes a weekly distribution. Choose the appropriate example; do not combine every option.
| Exercise | Sets | Repetitions | Effort | Rest | Alternative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell back squat | 3 – 4 | 8 | RPE 8 | 2 – 3 min | Hack squat or Smith-machine squat |
| Bulgarian split squat | 3 – 4 | 12 per leg | RPE 8 | 2 min | Walking lunge |
| Stiff-leg deadlift | 3 – 4 | 8 | RPE 8 | 2 min | Romanian deadlift or Back extension |
| Seated leg curl | 3 – 4 | 15 | RPE 8 | 1 min 30 | Prone leg curl |
| Standing machine calf raise | 3 – 4 | 15 – 20 | RPE 8 | 1 min 30 | Seated calf raise |
Illustrative progression: adapt the pace
The weeks illustrate a possible sequence, not a required pace or guaranteed outcome. A weight increment must be manageable for the equipment and exercise.
| Week | Change | Seal-row example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Starting example, RPE 8 | 4 sets of 8 |
| 2 | One more repetition | 4 sets of 9 |
| 3 | Top of the chosen range | 4 sets of 10 |
| 4 | Increase load by 2.5 kg | 4 sets of 8 |
Effort, rest and optional methods
For the RIR-based strength scale, RPE 8 means roughly two further valid repetitions seemed possible. RPE for a timed hold is only a broad effort description, not a precise repetition conversion. Use the RPE guide to keep the scales distinct.
Warm up with relevant lighter practice, as described in the warm-up guide. Rest enough to repeat the intended movement; the listed intervals are examples, not universal biological limits.
A back-off set follows a heavier set with a manageable reduction in load. A cluster divides a set into mini-blocks separated by a short rest. Rest-pause or drop sets add work beyond the first block. These are optional higher-demand methods and need a suitable setup and finish; they are not required to progress.
Progress while keeping the task comparable
Record the exercise, support or machine settings, range, load, repetitions and effort. Build within a chosen repetition range, then consider a manageable increment when the existing work is repeatable. A change of exercise or tempo needs a new comparison.
If recovery or performance worsens across several sessions, review total work, rest and the rest of the week before adding more sets. Stop for sharp pain and seek individual advice for persistent symptoms rather than using a programme table as rehabilitation.
Use one programme structure as the main plan, rather than adding every linked muscle-specific page on top. Browse the programme collection to compare schedules and the exercise collection for available movement guides.
Illustrated movement examples
The original illustrations are retained. Furniture shown in an image is not proof of a suitable load-bearing support; choose purpose-built equipment and the controlled setup described above.
Movement example 1
Movement example 2
Movement example 3
Movement example 4
Movement example 5
Frequently asked questions
Should I do every table on this page?
No. Select the relevant workload or schedule. Alternatives and higher-demand methods are options, not additions to every workout.
Are the sets per session or per week?
Workout rows are per occurrence. Repeating a full workout multiplies its exercise-set total; a weekly distribution must be stated separately.
When should I add load?
When the current task and chosen range are repeatable and the next increment is manageable. The example weeks do not impose a deadline.
Do the cited studies prove this exact programme works best?
No. They provide context for particular variables or exercises, not validation of every combination and individual prescription.
Sources and limitations
Sources support the passages that cite them. Practical suggestions are coaching choices to adapt to your own situation.
- Ramos-Campo et al. · 2024 · Split and full-body routine synthesis. ↗
Matched-volume comparisons, not validation of every schedule or this exact plan.
- Schoenfeld et al. · 2016 · Training-frequency synthesis. ↗
Short heterogeneous evidence; not validation of this exact schedule.
- Schoenfeld et al. · 2017 · Weekly volume and muscle-size synthesis. ↗
No individual set ceiling or validation of these tables.
This general information does not replace individual advice. Zepraug’s limitations.