The Push Pull Legs Split: A Complete Beginner Guide

The Push Pull Legs (PPL) split is arguably the most popular training structure among lifters, and for good reason. It is simple, scalable, and lets you train each muscle group with the right frequency.

How PPL Works

PPL organises your training around movement patterns rather than individual body parts. Push days work everything involved in pushing: chest, shoulders, and triceps. Pull days handle everything you pull with: back and biceps. Leg days cover quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.

How the push, pull, legs split works

The push, pull, legs split organises your training around movement patterns rather than isolated body parts. Push days train the muscles involved in pressing, the chest, shoulders, and triceps; pull days cover the back and biceps; and leg days handle everything below the waist. Because muscles that work together are trained together, the split is efficient and allows plenty of recovery between sessions that hit the same muscles.

Structuring your week

The beauty of this split is its flexibility. Run it three days a week for a relaxed schedule, or six days a week by repeating the cycle twice for more volume and faster progress. A common six-day layout trains push, pull, and legs, rests, then repeats. Beginners often thrive on the three-day version, while intermediate lifters use the six-day approach to accumulate the volume needed for continued gains.

Choosing your exercises

Build each day around a couple of heavy compound lifts, then add isolation work to target specific muscles. A push day might centre on a bench press and an overhead press before finishing with lateral raises and triceps work. This structure ensures you train the big movements when you are freshest, then use accessories to address weak points and add detail.

Making progress on the split

Whatever your schedule, progress comes from progressive overload: gradually doing more over time, whether through added weight, extra reps, or better technique. Track your key lifts so you can see whether you are moving forward, and adjust volume if recovery starts to suffer. Consistency across weeks and months, not any single perfect session, is what produces results on the push, pull, legs split.

Frequently asked questions

How many days a week is the PPL split?

It works well at either three days a week or six days by running the cycle twice, depending on your schedule and recovery.

Is PPL good for beginners?

Yes, especially the three-day version, which provides ample recovery while covering the whole body each week.

How do I progress on PPL?

Apply progressive overload by gradually adding weight or reps to your main lifts and tracking your numbers over time.

Fitness disclaimer: This article is for general educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any diet, supplement, or exercise program.

A Sample Week

Run PPL three days a week for beginners, or six days a week (repeating each session) for intermediates who want more volume:

• Push: Bench press, overhead press, incline dumbbell press, lateral raises, triceps pushdowns.
• Pull: Deadlifts or rows, pull-ups, lat pulldowns, face pulls, biceps curls.
• Legs: Squats, Romanian deadlifts, leg press, leg curls, calf raises.

Why It Works So Well

PPL groups muscles that work together, so you never accidentally fry your triceps the day before a heavy bench session. It also scales beautifully — start at three days and add a second rotation as you recover better. Apply progressive overload on the main lifts each week and the gains will follow.